US3870856A - Thermal printing head - Google Patents

Thermal printing head Download PDF

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Publication number
US3870856A
US3870856A US334093A US33409373A US3870856A US 3870856 A US3870856 A US 3870856A US 334093 A US334093 A US 334093A US 33409373 A US33409373 A US 33409373A US 3870856 A US3870856 A US 3870856A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
heating elements
elements
heating
printing head
common junction
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US334093A
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English (en)
Inventor
Hideo Taniguchi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Rohm Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Toyo Electronics Industry Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Toyo Electronics Industry Corp filed Critical Toyo Electronics Industry Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3870856A publication Critical patent/US3870856A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/315—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material
    • B41J2/32—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads
    • B41J2/345—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads characterised by the arrangement of resistors or conductors

Definitions

  • a thermal printing head which comprises a block of an insulating material and a thermal printing multisymbol unit provided on that surface of the block which is brought into contact with a sheet of thermally-sensitive recording paper or the like.
  • the unit comprises a plurality of resistive elements each comprising a plurality of linear portions and so arranged that se lective combination of the elements or portions thereof produces different symbols to be printed.
  • a common lead connects one end of each of the resistive element linear portion to one terminal of a source of energy while different leads selectively connect the opposite ends of the linear portions to the opposite end of the source to effect selective heating of the linear portions to provide a desired symbol.
  • FIGBD 1 THERMAL PRINTING HEAD including resistive elements which are selectively heated so as to form a character, numeral or other symbol to be printed on the recording material.
  • a plurality, say, seven, film resistors arranged in a predetermined pattern on one surface of a thin insulating base, and a plurality, say, five, such bases with film resistors arranged thereon in different patterns are laminated into a unitary block, so that the resistive elements on all the bases appear as equidistantly spaced dots in rows and columns on one surface of the block.
  • those of the resistive elements on the block which correspond to the character or symbol are selectively energized to produce heat to be applied to a heat-sensitive paper to print the character or symbol thereon.
  • the process of manufacturing the printing head of the above type is rather complicated and timeconsuming and the cost therefor is accordingly high. Since the resistive elements are applied to one surface of the insulating base, the work involved in the manufacture is complex. If the base is relatively thick,- a block composed ofmany such thick bases would necessarily become bulky in size, with a large space between the heating elements causing the printed symbol formed by dots to appear obscure.
  • the primary object of the invention is to provide a thermal printing head which is simple in construction and easy to manufacture.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a thermal printing head which is capable of printing different symbols by means of a plurality of heat-producing resistive elements selectively energized through asimplified electrical connection.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a thermal printing head which includes a plurality of heatproducing resistive elements arranged into the figure 8 so that the elements are selectively energized to print different symbols on thermally-sensitive recording media.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a printing head which includes a plurality of heat-producing resistive elements, and wherein the conductors supplying electrical energy to the elements are so arranged as not to interfere with feeding of the recording paper.
  • the printing head of the invention comprises a block made of a suitable insulating material.
  • a thermal printing multi-symbol unit is formed on one end surface of the block and comprises a combination of a plurality of heating elements.
  • the unit may comprise three heating elements arranged in the shape of the numeral 8. Two of the three elements are L-shaped while the third is T-shaped. By selectively combining portions of the elements it is possible to provide the numerals through 9".
  • the multi-symbol unit can print the ten numerals 0 through 9. However, only one of the numerals can be printed at one time.
  • the heating elements are electrically resistive elements, it is necessary to supply electric energy to the elements.
  • Leads or conductors for supplying electric energy to the elements are printed or otherwise formed on the front end surface of the block on which the resistive elements are formed and extend therefrom across the adjacent surfaces of the block to the rear end surface thereof.
  • the leads are preferably formed by a thick film directly on the surfaces of the block so that they may not be separated therefrom. The leads formed on the surfaces of the block will never obstruct or interfere with feeding of a sheet of heat-sensitive recording paper on which printing is to be conducted by the printing head.
  • the resistive element may either be formed linear or more preferably comprise a combination of two or more linear portions one end of each of which meets the other linear portion to form a junction. In this latter case, each linear portion is used as an independent I heating element.
  • the multi-symbol unit comprises a plurality of-heating elements each of which in turn comprises a plurality of linear portions the one ends of which meet at a junction, the junctions of all the heating elements included in the unit may be connectedtogether by a common lead with a resulting decrease in the number of leads required for connection.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention showing the printing head together with a sheet of recording paper;
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary front view of one printing multi-symbol unit on the front face of the printing block shown in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3A through 3J are front views of the multisymbol unit comprising the three resistive elements and the leads connected thereto, the elements shown as expressing the numerals 0 through 9.
  • each unit 3 is able to selectively print 10 numerals 0 to 9 and comprises three heatproducing resistive elements 4, 5 and 6 which are arranged in the form ofthe numeral8.
  • leads 5a and 5b are connected to the opposite ends of the element 5, and leads 6a, 6b and are connected to the three ends of the element'6 opposite to the junction 61.
  • the junctions 41 and 61 are, connected by a lead 7a while the junctions 51 and 61 are connected by a lead 7b which is connected to the lead 70, with a lead 7 being connected to the lead 7b at the "junction 51.
  • Each ofthese leads are preferably made of a thick film applied to the front end surface 2, of the block 1.
  • the leads extend from the front end surface 2 to lie on the upper and/or lower surface of the block as far as the rear end surface thereof.
  • the rear portion of the block 1 is disposed in a controller 9, which includes a control circuit to which the leads are connected to selectively energize the heatproducing resistive elements in accordance with the,
  • the lead 7 is always connected to a source of electricity since this lead 7 is commonly used to energize all the resistive elements in the unit, and the other leads are selectively connected to the same source by the control circuit.
  • FIG. 3 shows which-of the leads are to be selected to energize which of the resistive elements of the unit to provide a numeral from to 9.
  • the elements or their portions-to be heated are shown hatched in the drawing figure.
  • The-numerals 0 to 9am shown-reversed, but whenprinted on a sheet of paper they appear in, proper position as will be'easily understood. i
  • the six'leads 4a, 4b, b,'6'b and 6c are selected and connected to one terminal of the source, whereuponthe element-4 is wholly heated while the elements 5 and 6 are partially heated,-that is, those hatched portions alone of the latter two elements are heated as shown in FIG". 3c.
  • the six leads 4b, 5a,'5b, 6a, 6c are selectedso that the source is connected between these six selected leads and the commonlead 7, whereupon as shown hatched in FIG. 36 the elements 5 and 6 are wholly heated with the element 4 being partially heated.
  • the arrangement may also be such-that the paper is always placedin contact with the printing head. in this case, when the p'aper is moved relative to the printing head; theheating elements must not be heated, and if the paper is movedaftera numeral has been printed thereon, the heating elementsthat have been heated mustbe sufficiently cooled so as not to effectprinting of the numeral on the new portion of the paper.
  • Resistive paste made of ruthenium oxide can advantageously be used as the heating elements.
  • the elements are formed on the base by printing them twice thereon with the paste, so that they are more than 30 p. thick. Aclear print has been obtained.
  • thermal printing head - coupled to a source of electrical energy having first and second terminals, for printing by actuation adjacent thermallyv sensitive paper, comprising:
  • first electrically conductive means for connecting in common a first portion of substantially all of said heating elements to the firstterminal, wherein said firstportion of said two heating elements is adjacent said common junction; and i 2.
  • a thermal printing head coupled to a source of electrical energyhaving first and second terminals, for printing by actuation adjacent thermally sensitive'papen-comprising:
  • each heating element composed of a thick film substantially at least 30 microns thick;

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US334093A 1972-02-24 1973-02-20 Thermal printing head Expired - Lifetime US3870856A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP1972022941U JPS4899732U (pt) 1972-02-24 1972-02-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3870856A true US3870856A (en) 1975-03-11

Family

ID=12096639

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US334093A Expired - Lifetime US3870856A (en) 1972-02-24 1973-02-20 Thermal printing head

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US (1) US3870856A (pt)
JP (1) JPS4899732U (pt)
CA (1) CA1001895A (pt)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3965330A (en) * 1974-08-05 1976-06-22 Motorola, Inc. Thermal printer head using resistor heater elements as switching devices
US3973111A (en) * 1973-07-19 1976-08-03 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Calculator having thermal printing head
US3989917A (en) * 1975-10-01 1976-11-02 Leeds & Northrup Company Thermal printing head
US4037315A (en) * 1975-04-28 1977-07-26 Tektronix, Inc. Thermal printing head
US4145756A (en) * 1973-12-26 1979-03-20 Texas Instruments Incorporated Thermal line printer

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3495070A (en) * 1967-05-29 1970-02-10 Murray H Zissen Thermal printing apparatus
US3555241A (en) * 1967-12-05 1971-01-12 Henning Gunnar Thermoprinting devices
US3684858A (en) * 1971-06-23 1972-08-15 Iwar H Buck Thermal printing head
US3754279A (en) * 1972-01-31 1973-08-21 Techni Rite Electronics Inc Thermal recorder having analogue stylus and print head

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3483356A (en) * 1968-06-27 1969-12-09 Sprague Electric Co Thermal printing head

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3495070A (en) * 1967-05-29 1970-02-10 Murray H Zissen Thermal printing apparatus
US3555241A (en) * 1967-12-05 1971-01-12 Henning Gunnar Thermoprinting devices
US3684858A (en) * 1971-06-23 1972-08-15 Iwar H Buck Thermal printing head
US3754279A (en) * 1972-01-31 1973-08-21 Techni Rite Electronics Inc Thermal recorder having analogue stylus and print head

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3973111A (en) * 1973-07-19 1976-08-03 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Calculator having thermal printing head
US4145756A (en) * 1973-12-26 1979-03-20 Texas Instruments Incorporated Thermal line printer
US3965330A (en) * 1974-08-05 1976-06-22 Motorola, Inc. Thermal printer head using resistor heater elements as switching devices
US4037315A (en) * 1975-04-28 1977-07-26 Tektronix, Inc. Thermal printing head
US3989917A (en) * 1975-10-01 1976-11-02 Leeds & Northrup Company Thermal printing head

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA1001895A (en) 1976-12-21
JPS4899732U (pt) 1973-11-24

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