WO2007135747A1

WO2007135747A1 - Head substrate and discharge control apparatus using such head substrate, heating discharging type print head equipped with such discharge control apparatus, and thermal head

Info

Publication number: WO2007135747A1
Application number: PCT/JP2006/310402
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hisanobu Matsuzoe
Original assignee: Fukuoka Technoken Kogyo, Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-05-24
Filing date: 2006-05-24
Publication date: 2007-11-29
Also published as: JPWO2007135747A1; JP4263759B2

Abstract

There is provided a heating discharging type print head excellent in: processability and assembly workability by giving flexibility to a substrate itself, after the discharge device having a heating portion and a discharge portion is formed on a flat substrate, that the substrate on which a discharge device is formed can be fabricated into a desired shape, after the discharge device having a heating portion and a discharge portion is formed on a flat substrate by giving flexibility to a substrate itself; design flexibility and mass productivity by eliminating technological constraints on the formations of the substrate and the discharge device; discharge stop response to heating stop by improving thermal conductivity of the substrate; reliability of discharge control; and mass productivity and installation flexibility with a small size. The print head comprises a head substrate including a flexible substrate having a metal foil on both sides of which oxide films are formed and having heat resistance and electrical insulation properties, a heating portion formed on the flexible substrate and having a heating element, a flexible thin film covering the heating portion and having heat resistance and electrical insulation properties, and a discharge portion having a discharge electrode to be heated by the heating element formed on the flexible thin film.

Description

Specification

Head substrate, discharge control device using the same, heating discharge type print head equipped with the discharge control device, and thermal head

Technical field

The present invention relates to a head substrate used in a heat discharge type print head for forming an image on an electrostatic development type recording medium capable of repetitive recording by the action of a discharge, a discharge control device using the head substrate, and the like BACKGROUND ART Related to a heat discharge type print head provided with a discharge control device, and a thermal head used as a heating head in a print head or a discharge control device for forming an image in a thermal printer or facsimile of a thermal or thermal transfer system

In recent years, as shown in (Patent Document 1), an ion irradiation method, which is an electrostatic latent image forming method different from the electrophotographic method, has been developed.

The electrophotographic method uses two processes, uniform charging and exposure, to release the exposed portion of the charge on the uniformly charged photoconductor, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor as the electrostatic latent image carrier. On the other hand, in the ion irradiation method, only selective charging (electrostatic latent image formation charging) by ion irradiation accompanying the generation of discharge from the discharge electrode is performed in an ion-generating atmosphere (such as in the air). Therefore, it is possible to complete the formation of the electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic latent image carrier (there is no need to be a photoconductor because it is an insulator). It is a method.

Further, (Patent Document 2) discloses a specific shape of an ion irradiation type print head compatible with a horizontal printer and an image forming apparatus including the shape.

In particular, the heating and discharging methods shown in (Patent Document 1) and (Patent Document 2) are in a state in which a voltage (discharge control voltage) is generated in which a discharge is generated by heating without generating a discharge just by being applied to the discharge electrode. Thus, by controlling the presence or absence of heating of the discharge electrode, the generation of ions is controlled by controlling the presence or absence of discharge, and it is not necessary to control the voltage applied to the discharge electrode. As a result, low resistance such as 5V drive used to control heating by heating resistors, etc. The generation of discharge can be controlled by a voltage-compatible driver IC, which is the most excellent control method from the viewpoint of discharge control.

Incidentally, as a digital paper at the present time, a minute ball is color-coded into two colors (for example, black and white), and the ball is rotated by the difference in electrical characteristics of each color to display an arbitrary color, a minute ball An electrophoretic system in which fine powders of two colors (for example, black and white) are mixed in a ball and only one color is floated due to the difference in electrical characteristics of the fine powders of each color. There is a liquid crystal system that displays the background color of the part where the shutter is opened by opening and closing.

On the other hand, thermal heads are known as print heads for forming images on thermal and thermal transfer thermal printers and facsimiles.

The thermal head applies a current to the heating resistor formed on the substrate and develops thermal paper using Joule heat generated in the heating resistor, or sublimates the ink layer of the ink donor film to generate a sublimation type. This is a method of forming an image by transferring ink to recording paper.

This thermal head is classified into a thick film type and a thin film type depending on the manufacturing method. A thick-film thermal head is a device in which a thick-film conductor (electrode), heating resistor, and glass paste are applied onto a substrate and baked to form a heat generating part by patterning using photolithography technology. The thin film thermal head forms a heat generating part having electrodes and heat generating resistors by using a film forming technique such as sputtering or vacuum deposition.

In both the thick film type and the thin film type, a flat type in which an electrode, a heating resistor and the like are laminated on a flat substrate and the surface of the substrate, which is the laminated surface, is a recording surface has been the mainstream.

However, due to the downsizing of devices and the variety of recording media associated with the spread of facsimiles, etc., the end surface type with the end surface of the substrate as the recording surface, and the inclined surface formed by chamfering the edge of the surface of the substrate can be Thermal heads such as the edge type, and the raised type (new end face type) with the recording surface of the raised surface formed in a hill-like shape on the surface of the substrate are attracting attention. For example, as disclosed in (Patent Document 3), an end face type thermal head is obtained by grinding a side end face of an insulating substrate into an arc shape that forms a continuous curved surface with respect to the front surface and the back surface of the substrate. Form an electrode and a heating resistor on this curved surface! In the end face type thermal head manufactured in this way, the contact area with the recording medium can be determined by the size of the top of the curved surface, and the heat generated by the heating resistor does not spread in the scanning direction, so there is no blur. A high quality image can be formed. In addition, since the heat generating part that forms the recording surface is formed on the end surface of the substrate, it is possible to form an image on a recording medium that is elastic and difficult to bend, such as plastic cards and cardboard. It is suitable as a print head for a horizontal printer, and the apparatus can be easily downsized.

End-face, edge-type, and raised-type thermal heads require electrodes and heating resistors to be formed on a very small area of a non-planar substrate. Manufactured using technology.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-326756

Patent Document 2: WO2005Z056297

Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-292451

Disclosure of the invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, the above conventional technique has the following problems.

(1) In a discharge control device used for a heat discharge type print head, a heat generating part having a heating element for heating a discharge electrode on a hard V, substrate, etc., is used as a lower layer, and the heat generating part is insulated. A head substrate is formed by laminating a protective film as an intermediate layer and a discharge portion having a discharge electrode as an upper layer. However, since such a hard substrate cannot be curved, the head substrate Depending on the shape, the shape of the heat-discharge type print head is determined.

(2) Therefore, in order to manufacture a heat discharge type print head compatible with a horizontal printer as shown in (Patent Document 2), a material such as ceramic was used to determine the shape of the heat discharge type print head. Due to restrictions on formation technology on non-planar substrates and restrictions on formation technology of discharge devices such as heat generating parts and discharge parts on non-planar substrates, workability, designability, and mass productivity are lacking. I have a problem.

(3) In addition, manufacturing of thermal heads such as end-face type, edge-type, and raised-type using thin film technology requires large-scale equipment such as sputtering equipment and vacuum evaporation equipment, as well as curved surfaces of non-planar substrates. Metal thin film with thin film technology such as vapor deposition on the inclined surface and front and back flat parts Since the electrode to be connected to the heating resistor must be formed by simultaneously etching this with photolithographic technique, accurate masking on (non-planar) surfaces with different angles, It has the problem that it requires ingenious exposure control, the manufacturing process is complicated, the yield is poor, and the mass productivity is lacking.

(4) When a flexible substrate made of a thin film resin such as polyimide galamide is used as a substrate for forming electrodes and heating resistors, the electrodes and heating resistors are formed in a flat state and then the desired shape It can be deformed (curved) and has excellent shape flexibility, but the flexible substrate cannot withstand the temperature during firing in the manufacturing process of thick film thermal heads, so the thin film thermal head manufacturing process is used. If it had to be mass-produced, it had a problem.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and by forming a discharge device having a heat generating portion, a discharge portion, etc. on a planar substrate by forming the substrate itself with flexibility, the discharge device is formed. Providing a head substrate that can process a substrate into a desired shape, excels in workability and assembly workability, overcomes restrictions on the formation technology of the substrate and discharge device, and excels in design independence and mass productivity. Offers a discharge control device that uses a head substrate that excels in discharge stop response to heat stop and improves discharge control reliability by improving the thermal conductivity of the substrate, and is small, mass-productive, and easy to install The versatility and image that can be written in a state where the recording medium is not bent, and can form an electrostatic latent image with an optimum position for various types of electrostatic latent image carriers. Excellent quality reliability By providing a horizontal printer compatible heating discharge print head equipped with a discharge control device, and making the substrate itself flexible, thin-film technology or thick-film technology is used for the substrate in a flat state. It can be formed, can be microfabricated and can be manufactured in large numbers, is excellent in mass productivity, can be processed into a desired shape, and can be processed into a desired shape. Excellent in workability and assembly workability. It can be used as a heating means such as a heat discharge type discharge control device that can be used not only as a print head, but also has excellent design flexibility and versatility. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a thermal head that improves the thermal conductivity of the substrate, has excellent print stop response to heat stop, and has excellent image quality reliability. Means for solving the problem

In order to solve the above-described problems, a head substrate of the present invention, a discharge control device using the head substrate, a heat discharge type print head including the discharge control device, and a thermal head have the following configurations.

The head substrate according to claim 1 of the present invention is a flexible substrate having heat resistance and insulation, in which an oxide film is formed on at least one of both surfaces of the metal foil, and the flexible substrate. A heating part having a heating element formed on the surface on which the oxide film is formed, a heat-resistant and insulating flexible thin film covering the heating part, and heated by the heating element formed on the flexible thin film And a discharge part having a discharge electrode.

This configuration has the following effects.

(1) Since a flexible board on which a discharge device such as a heat generating part or a discharge part is formed can be curved, after forming a discharge device on a flat flexible board by a technically easy method, It can be deformed (curved) into a desired shape and fixed along the shape of the shape substrate, so that it can be heated and discharged in a desired shape (previously requiring advanced technology) using simple technology. The head can be manufactured and the productivity is excellent.

(2) Since the flexible thin film covering the heat generating part has heat resistance and insulation properties, the heat generating element that is not thermally deformed by the heat generated by the heat generating element and the electrodes connected to the heat generating element are protected and discharged. Insulation with the electrode can be ensured, and the discharge electrode can be reliably heated.

(3) A flexible substrate having an oxide film formed on at least one of both surfaces of the metal foil is excellent in thermal conductivity, so that heat from the discharge electrode is transferred to the shape substrate to escape. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the heat build-up on the discharge electrode, improve the response of the discharge stop to the heating stop of the heat generating part, and have excellent discharge control reliability.

(4) Since the discharge part and the heat generating part are insulated by the flexible thin film, the heating control by the heating element can be selectively performed in a state where the discharge control voltage is applied to the discharge electrode. Discharge electrode force In an atmosphere where discharge or light emission occurs and ions can be generated, the amount of ions generated can be controlled, and it can be used to form images on a dedicated recording medium such as an electrostatic development type digital paper. Can do. (5) By forming a heat generating part having a heating element on the surface of the flexible substrate on which the oxide film is formed, the flexible substrate and the heat generating part can be reliably insulated, and can be selected as the heating element of the heat generating part. Can be energized to generate heat.

(6) Since a flexible substrate with an oxide film formed on the surface of a metal foil has excellent heat resistance, in addition to using thin film technology such as sputtering and vapor deposition, a thick film technology that requires firing is used when forming the heat generating part. Can be used, and is excellent in mass productivity.

(7) Since a discharge device can be formed on a flexible substrate in a flat state, fine processing and multi-piece fabrication are easy and excellent in mass productivity.

[0007] Here, a head substrate is formed by forming a discharge device such as a heat generating portion or a discharge portion on a flexible substrate. As the metal foil serving as the base material of the flexible substrate, aluminum, copper, or an alloy thereof is preferably used. For oxide film, SiO, MgO, Al O

2 2 3

, Cr O

2 3 etc. are preferably used. As a method for forming the oxide film, in addition to the anodic oxidation method, a thermal spraying method, a coating method, an acid treatment method, a vapor deposition method, a gradient function method, or a method in which a plurality of these methods are combined is preferably used.

Although it depends on the relationship between the voltage applied to the discharge electrode and the dielectric breakdown voltage of the flexible substrate, the thickness of the flexible substrate is preferably 6 μm to 50 μm. As the thickness of the flexible substrate becomes thinner than 6 m, handling becomes difficult, and the mass productivity and durability tend to be reduced, and as the thickness becomes thicker than 50 m, the thermal conductivity tends to decrease. Neither is desirable.

As the flexible thin film, those having heat resistance and heat insulation and heat transfer properties capable of transferring heat generated by the heat generating portion of the heating means to the discharge electrode are suitably used. Specifically, synthetic resins such as polyimide, aramid, and polyetherimide, glass, and the like are preferably used.

If sufficient insulation cannot be ensured with a flexible substrate or a flexible thin film alone, an insulating film may be further formed in a range that does not hinder flexibility and heat transfer to the discharge electrode.

[0008] An electric field is formed by setting a potential difference corresponding to a discharge control voltage between the discharge electrode and a counter electrode formed on or in contact with or close to the back side of the recording medium. By selectively heating the discharge electrode more, a discharge can be generated between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode arranged opposite to each other, and electrons or positive or negative ions that have also discharged the discharge electrode force by an electric field. Can be moved to the recording surface (surface) of the recording medium, and the image can be written or erased by the action of the charge.

As the heat generating part, TaSiO, RuO or the like is preferably used as a heat generating element as long as it can selectively heat a plurality of discharge electrodes or arbitrary positions of the discharge electrodes. This

twenty two

By selecting the heating location of the heat generating part, it is possible to easily generate a discharge easily from an arbitrary heating position (discharge generation site) of the discharge electrode.

The discharge control voltage is a voltage range in which discharge does not occur between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode on the recording medium side only by the potential difference, but discharge occurs by heating the discharge electrode.

[0009] For example, the discharge portion is formed in a comb shape by connecting one end portions of a plurality of discharge electrodes with a common electrode portion, or formed in a ladder shape or the like by connecting both end portions of the plurality of discharge electrodes with a common electrode portion. In addition, it can be formed into a flat plate shape with a single discharge electrode such as a rectangular shape or a square shape (see, for example, JP-A-2003-326756, WO2005Z056297).

By providing a common electrode in the vicinity of the discharge electrode, such as a comb or ladder, the discharge electrode's heat dissipation area is increased and the heat capacity is increased, thereby improving the cooling effect of the discharge electrode and the response to heat stoppage. In addition, since a stable voltage can always be applied by reducing the resistance value, the discharge stability and the like can be further improved. The vicinity of the heating position by the heat generating part of the discharge electrode is a discharge generation site. However, when the discharge part is formed of a flat discharge electrode, the portion other than the discharge generation site is the common electrode unit.

[0010] When the discharge part is formed of a flat discharge electrode, the portion heated by the heat generating part becomes a discharge generating part, and therefore, the discharge part can be reliably discharged without fine alignment between the discharge part and the heat generating part. Can be generated and is excellent in reliability and mass productivity.

In addition, when the discharge part is formed in a comb shape or a ladder shape, by providing a common electrode part in the vicinity of the discharge electrode, the cooling effect of the discharge electrode and heating can be increased by increasing the heat radiation area of the discharge part and increasing the heat capacity. Responsiveness to the stop is improved, and a stable voltage can always be applied by reducing the resistance value, so that the stability of discharge can be further improved. Especially common power If the pole width is wider than the width of each discharge electrode, the cooling effect of the discharge electrode, which is temporarily heated to 100-300 ° C, will be improved, and heat will not be burned. The discharge can be stopped in response to the stop quickly, the discharge time interval can be shortened and the presence / absence of the discharge can be switched in a short time, and the recording speed can be increased. In addition, the resistance value of the common electrode part can be reduced, and the potential difference generated between the discharge electrodes connected by the common electrode part can be suppressed as much as possible, thereby reducing the variation in the discharge amount at each discharge electrode. And has excellent discharge stability.

[0011] When the discharge part is formed in a comb shape, the shape of each discharge electrode can be formed in a substantially rectangular shape, trapezoidal shape, semicircular shape, bullet shape, or a combination thereof. Further, the peripheral length around the edge of the discharge electrode can be increased by further dividing a part of the discharge electrode with a slit or the like, or by forming an uneven portion on the peripheral edge (for example, WO2005 / 05629

7). Since the discharge electrode has a large amount of discharge from the periphery of the edge, it is possible to increase the amount of ions emitted and the intensity of the emitted light by increasing the discharge amount from the discharge electrode by increasing the circumference around the edge. The discharge control voltage and heating temperature can be set low, and energy saving and discharge generation efficiency are excellent. In addition, since the discharge control voltage can be set low, the discharge electrode has excellent long life.

Instead of dividing the end portion of the discharge electrode or forming the uneven portion on the peripheral edge portion, a discharge hole portion may be formed in the vicinity of the discharge generation site (heating position) of the discharge electrode. Thus, the edge peripheral force of the discharge hole can also generate a discharge, and the same effect as that obtained by dividing the end of the discharge electrode can be obtained. The shape of the discharge hole can be formed in various shapes such as a substantially circular shape, a substantially oval shape, a polygon such as a quadrangle or a hexagon, and a star shape. In addition, the number and size of the discharge holes per discharge generation site (near the heating position) can be appropriately selected and combined. Note that the concave and convex portions and the discharge hole portions of the discharge electrode can be formed by the above-described etching or laser calorie.

[0012] In addition, a conductive material layer may be formed on at least the surface of the common electrode portion in the discharge portion.

As a result, the resistance value of the common electrode portion can be further lowered, the potential difference generated between the respective discharge electrodes can be reliably reduced, and the discharge stability is excellent. The conductive material layer only needs to have conductivity superior to that of the discharge electrode, such as screen printing of silver paste, silver plating, etc. Can be formed more easily. By increasing the thickness of the conductive material layer, the resistance value of the common electrode portion can be reduced, and the stability of discharge generation can be improved.

As the discharge electrode and the common electrode part, a metal such as gold, silver, copper, or aluminum is formed by vapor deposition, sputtering, printing, plating, etc., and then etched to form a pattern as necessary. Preferably used. In addition, a conductive material such as carbon may be used. The thickness of the discharge electrode varies depending on the material and the characteristics of the recording medium used, but the thickness when gold is formed is preferably 0.1 μm to 100 μm. Discharge electrode thickness is less than 0 .: As it becomes thinner than Lm, it tends to be affected by wear, and the life of the discharge electrode tends to be shortened. There is a tendency for the properties to be easily lowered, both of which are not preferred. By reducing the thickness of the discharge electrode to 100 m or less, the heating state force can be quickly restored and the printing speed can be increased. As described above, in the heat discharge method, the discharge electrode and the counter electrode In the state where an electric field is formed by setting a potential difference corresponding to the discharge control voltage between and the discharge electrode, a discharge is generated by selectively heating the discharge electrode at the heat generating part based on image information. Various waveforms can be selected as the voltage to be applied to the electrodes. Triangular waves, rectangular waves, trapezoidal waves, sine waves, etc. can be used alone or in combination, and a DC voltage or an AC voltage can be superimposed on them. You can. For example, when only an AC voltage is applied to the discharge electrode, positive and negative ions are generated. Therefore, to select only negative ions, a negative DC voltage is superimposed on the AC voltage, and to select only positive ions, an AC voltage superimposed with a positive DC voltage is applied to the discharge electrode. .

Since the potential difference between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode only needs to be within the range of the discharge control voltage, the voltage value applied to the discharge electrode and the counter electrode can be arbitrarily set within the range. Therefore, all the voltage corresponding to the discharge control voltage may be applied to the discharge electrode side and the counter electrode may be grounded, or the voltage corresponding to the discharge control voltage may be distributed to the discharge electrode and the counter electrode side. Let's apply it.

The voltage applied to the counter electrode can be selected from various waveforms in the same manner as the voltage applied to the discharge electrode. For example, a discharge control voltage obtained by superimposing a DC voltage on an AC voltage. When applying a part to the counter electrode, at least part of the DC component may be distributed and applied to the counter electrode, or part of the AC component may be distributed to the counter electrode and applied! .

[0014] The invention according to claim 2 is the head substrate according to claim 1, wherein the head substrate includes an insulating film formed on at least one of the surfaces of the flexible thin film. is doing.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of claim 1, the following operation is provided.

(1) Even if a pinhole is formed in the flexible thin film that insulates the heat-generating part from the discharge part, the insulation between the heat-generating part and the discharge part can be ensured by forming an insulating film on the flexible thin film. Excellent.

Here, the insulating film may be a thin film made of an inorganic material such as SiON or SiO, or other insulating films.

2

The thin film may be formed of a material having an affinity (regardless of organic or inorganic). In particular, those having high thermal conductivity that can efficiently transfer the heat of the heating element to the discharge electrode are preferred. In particular, when an insulating film is formed by multiple coatings, even if pinholes are generated by each coating, the possibility of overlapping pinholes can be reduced by repeated coating. Since the heat generating portion can be reliably insulated, the reliability is excellent.

[0016] A head substrate according to claim 3 of the present invention includes a heat-resistant and insulating flexible substrate in which an oxide film is formed on both surfaces of a metal foil, and one of both surfaces of the flexible substrate. A discharge part having a discharge electrode formed on the surface side and a heat generation part having a heating element formed on the other surface side of both surfaces of the flexible substrate are provided.

This configuration has the following effects.

(1) A flexible board on which discharge devices such as heat-generating parts and discharge parts are formed can be processed (curved) into a desired shape and has excellent flexibility and versatility. After the discharge device is formed by this method, the flexible substrate can be deformed (curved) together with the desired shape, and fixed to the shape of the shape substrate to fix the desired shape using conventional technology (previously, It is possible to manufacture a heat-discharge type print head (which required advanced technology) and has excellent productivity.

(2) Since the heat generating part and the discharge part are formed across the flexible substrate, the heat generating part and the discharge part are separately provided. There is no need to form a flexible thin film to insulate the electrical parts, and the production man-hours can be reduced, and the heat-generating part and the discharge part are completely intimately contacted via the flexible substrate, improving the heat transfer efficiency and heating. Excellent in efficiency.

(3) Since the flexible substrate has heat resistance and insulation properties, it protects the heating element that is not thermally deformed by the heat generated by the heating element and the electrode connected to the heating element to ensure insulation from the discharge electrode. The discharge electrode can be heated.

(4) Since the flexible substrate with the oxide film formed on both sides of the metal foil is excellent in thermal conductivity, the heat generated by the heating element can be efficiently transmitted to the discharge electrode through the flexible substrate. Control voltage and heating temperature can be set low, and energy saving and discharge generation efficiency are excellent.

(5) Since the discharge part and the heat generating part are insulated by the flexible substrate, the heating control by the heating element can be selectively performed in a state where the discharge control voltage is applied to the discharge electrode. Discharge electrode force In an atmosphere where discharge or light emission occurs and ions can be generated, the amount of ions generated can be controlled, and it can be used to form images on a dedicated recording medium such as an electrostatic development type digital paper. Can do.

Here, the head substrate of claim 3 is the same as that of claim 1 except for the arrangement of the flexible substrate, the discharge part, and the heat generating part, and the material, shape, formation method, etc. are the same as in claim 1. Is omitted.

The invention according to claim 4 is the head substrate according to claim 3, and includes a flexible thin film having heat resistance and insulation covering the heat generating portion. According to the configuration, in addition to the operation of the third aspect, the following operation is provided.

(1) By covering the heat generating part with a flexible thin film, the heat generating part that becomes hot is exposed. Can be prevented, and insulation between the heat generating part and the outside can be ensured, which is excellent in safety.

Here, the flexible thin film is the same as in claim 1 and the description thereof is omitted.

[0018] The head substrate according to claim 5 of the present invention includes: (a) a flexible substrate having heat resistance and insulation in which an oxide film is formed on both surfaces of a metal foil; and one of both surfaces of the flexible substrate. A discharge unit having a discharge electrode formed on the surface side of the discharge unit, and (b) a heating unit having a heating element for heating the discharge electrode, and the both sides of the flexible substrate of the discharge unit And a heat generating unit disposed on the other surface side.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of the third aspect, the following operation is provided.

(1) Since the discharge unit and the heat generating unit can be manufactured as separate parts, the manufacturing process of each unit can be simplified, yield can be improved, and mass productivity is excellent.

(2) Combining the discharge unit and the heat generation unit in consideration of variations in characteristics, the variation in characteristics as a discharge control device can be reduced and almost uniform performance can be obtained. Excellent.

Here, the head substrate according to claim 5 is a head substrate in which a discharge unit having a discharge portion and a heat generation unit having a heat generation portion and a driver IC are separately formed and combined. Although it is a discharge device separation type, the material, shape, formation method, etc. of the flexible substrate, the discharge part, and the heat generation part are the same as in claim 1, and the explanation is omitted.

The heat generating part of the heat generating unit may be formed on a flexible substrate having flexibility similar to the discharge unit, or may be formed on a hard substrate such as ceramic. The discharge unit and the heat generating unit can be fixed by bonding the substrates together with a heat-resistant adhesive. In addition, the positioning of the discharge unit and the heat generating unit can be performed by a method in which a positioning pin is protruded from one of the substrates and the pin is fitted.

[0020] The invention according to claim 6 is the head substrate according to claim 5, wherein the discharge unit and the heat generating unit are detachably disposed.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of the fifth aspect, the following operation is provided.

(1) Because the discharge unit and the heat generation unit are detachable, there is a problem with either displacement Can be easily replaced or repaired, and especially when the discharge electrode is worn, it can be dealt with by replacing the discharge unit. Excellent resource.

Here, positioning of the discharge unit and the heat generating unit can be performed by a method such as pin fitting as described above. After positioning, both ends of the discharge unit and the heat generating unit in the longitudinal direction and the outer periphery can be sandwiched by a detachable fixing jig and fixed by a detachable fixing means such as pin fitting or screwing.

[0021] The invention described in claim 7 is the head substrate according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the insulating film is formed on at least one of both surfaces of the flexible substrate. It has the structure which is equipped with.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of any one of claims 3 to 6, the following operation is provided.

(1) Even if pinholes are generated in the flexible substrate, the insulation between the heat generating portion and the discharge portion can be secured by forming an insulating film on the flexible substrate, and the reliability is excellent.

Here, since the insulating film is the same as in claim 2, the description thereof is omitted.

[0022] The invention according to claim 8 is the head substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the head substrate is formed on the discharge portion side of the flexible substrate and insulated from the discharge electrode. The induction electrode is provided with a structure.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of any one of claims 1 to 7, the following operation is provided.

(1) Even if the gap between the discharge electrode and the recording medium (ground side) is too wide to cause discharge, the induction electrode formed near the discharge electrode functions as ground, so The induction electrode is surely discharged, and the image forming reliability is excellent.

[0023] Here, the induction electrode may be formed so as to be separated (offset) in the horizontal direction from the end (edge) of the discharge electrode on the discharge generation site side!

When the heat generating part and the discharge part are formed on the same side of the flexible substrate, an induction electrode is formed on the flexible thin film covering the heat generating part, and the induction electrode is covered with a flexible thin film similar to the flexible thin film covering the heat generating part. The discharge electrode can be formed on The Alternatively, the induction electrode and the discharge electrode may be formed side by side on the flexible thin film covering the heat generating part, and the induction electrode may be covered with the flexible thin film, or the discharge electrode is formed on the flexible thin film covering the heat generating part. However, the induction electrode may be formed on the discharge electrode other than the end (edge) on the discharge generation site side with a flexible thin film. When forming the heat-generating part and the discharge part on opposite sides of the flexible substrate, or when forming the heat-generating unit and the discharge unit separately, an induction electrode is formed on the flexible substrate on which the discharge part is formed, and a flexible thin film is formed. The discharge electrode can be formed on the induction electrode. Alternatively, the induction electrode and the discharge electrode may be formed side by side on the flexible substrate, and the induction electrode may be covered with a flexible thin film. Alternatively, the discharge electrode may be formed on the flexible substrate, and the end of the discharge electrode on the discharge generation site side. The induction electrode may be formed on the other part (edge) covered with a flexible thin film.

If an insulating film similar to claim 2 is formed on the flexible thin film covering the induction electrode, the insulation between the induction electrode and the discharge part can be ensured even if pinholes are formed in the flexible thin film. Excellent.

The invention according to claim 9 is the head substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and has heat resistance and insulation coated on the discharge electrode leaving a discharge generation site. A flexible coating film is provided.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of any one of claims 1 to 8, the following operation is provided.

(1) Since the periphery of the discharge electrode is covered with a flexible coating film, the discharge electrode can be prevented from being generated from an extra portion other than the discharge generation portion of the discharge electrode. Therefore, it is possible to concentrate and irradiate ions and ultraviolet rays in one place, and the efficiency of image formation is excellent.

(2) By forming the flexible coating film while leaving the discharge generation site of the discharge electrode, a step can be formed between the discharge generation site surface and the surface of the flexible coating film. The gap between the recording medium and the recording medium arranged opposite to each other can be kept constant, the contact with the discharge generation site can be prevented, and the discharge having the strength of the discharge generation site can be stabilized. [0025] Here, in the discharge electrode, the vicinity of the heating position by the heating element of the heat generating portion is the discharge generation site. The flexible coating film is provided on the discharge electrode except for the discharge generation site. More specifically, the flexible coating film has an opening formed in a substantially circular shape, a substantially elliptical shape, a substantially rectangular shape, or the like at a discharge generation site of the discharge electrode (near the heating position of the heating portion by the heating element). . The opening may be formed independently for each of the plurality of discharge generation sites, or may be formed continuously in a long hole shape so as to straddle the plurality of discharge generation sites.

For the flexible coating film, the same material as that of the flexible thin film is preferably used.

[0026] The invention according to claim 10 is the head substrate according to claim 9, wherein the head substrate includes a concavo-convex portion formed on a surface of the flexible coating film. .

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of the ninth aspect, the following operation is provided.

(1) By providing many irregularities on the surface of the flexible coating film, the surface distance is extended, the surface resistance increases, and the current is prevented from leaking from the discharge generation site of the delaminated discharge electrode to the surroundings. As a result, there is no adverse effect on the driver IC used for discharge control, and the stability of discharge control can be improved.

(2) Since there is no leakage from the site where the discharge occurs, the applied voltage applied to the discharge electrode does not drop and the discharge is stable and efficient.

[0027] The invention according to claim 11 is the head substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the oxide film of the flexible substrate is made of the same material as the metal foil. It is formed of a metal oxide film!

With this configuration, the following operations are provided in addition to the operation of any one of claims 1 to 10.

(1) Since the acid film formed on both surfaces of the metal foil as the base material of the flexible substrate is formed of a metal oxide film of the same material as the metal foil, the metal foil and the acid film are formed. It has excellent film adhesion and can improve the insulation and durability of flexible substrates.

[0028] The invention according to claim 12 is the head substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the oxide film of the flexible substrate is made of a material different from the metal foil. It is made of a metal oxide film and has a structure. With this configuration, the following operations are provided in addition to the operation of any one of claims 1 to 10.

(1) By forming the oxide film formed on both sides of the metal foil used as the base material of the flexible substrate with a metal oxide film made of a material different from that of the metal foil, a combination of the metal foil and the oxide film is used. The thermal conductivity and insulation of the flexible substrate can be controlled, and the efficiency of thermal conduction and the insulation reliability of the flexible substrate can be improved.

[0029] The invention according to claim 13 is the head substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the metal foil of the flexible substrate is formed of aluminum. Have.

With this configuration, the following operation is provided in addition to the operation of any one of claims 1 to 12.

(1) Since the metal foil used as the base material of the flexible board is formed of aluminum, the thermal conductivity of the flexible board can be improved, and the excess heat from the discharge electrode and the heat generating part is fixed to the flexible board. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently transmit the heat to the shaped substrate to escape, or to efficiently transmit the heat generated by the heat generating portion to the discharge electrode, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of the discharge generation.

[0030] The invention according to claim 14 is the head substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the metal foil of the flexible substrate is formed of copper. Yes.

(1) Since the metal foil used as the base material of the flexible substrate is made of copper, the thermal conductivity of the flexible substrate can be improved, and the flexible substrate can absorb excess heat from the discharge electrode and the heat generating part. It can be efficiently transmitted to the fixed shape substrate and escaped, or the heat generated by the heat generating part can be efficiently transmitted to the discharge electrode, so that the efficiency and reliability of discharge generation can be improved.

[0031] The invention according to claim 15 is the head substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the oxide film of the flexible substrate is formed of alumina. Structure Have a success.

With this configuration, the following operation is provided in addition to the operation of any one of claims 1 to 14.

(1) The oxide film of the flexible substrate is made of alumina, so that it is chemically stable, has excellent heat resistance and insulation, and improves the reliability of discharge control with high thermal conductivity. be able to.

Here, the metal foil used as the base material of the flexible substrate is made of aluminum! In this case, an aluminum oxide film can be formed by vapor-depositing aluminum on both surfaces and then performing an acid treatment by an anodic acid method. An alumina film manufactured by Ibi Isako Co., Ltd. is an example of an alumina foil formed on both sides of an aluminum foil.

[0032] A discharge control device according to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention provides the head substrate according to any one of the first to fifteenth aspects and a surface of the head substrate on the heat generating portion side of the flexible substrate. And a driver IC that controls the heat generation of the heating element.

This configuration has the following effects.

(1) Since it has a driver IC that controls the heat generation of the heating element, it is possible to generate discharge by selectively heating the discharge electrode based on image data! Be superior to

(2) By controlling the heating time of the discharge electrode by the heating element with the driver IC, the discharge time at the discharge electrode can be controlled, and the amount of generated ions and the emission intensity due to the discharge can be controlled. The area gradation on the medium can be easily performed, and the image quality can be improved.

[0033] Here, the heating means is to electrically join the driver IC and the heat generating portion and to control the heating of the heat generating element of the heat generating portion by the driver IC. By this heating means, the discharge electrode of the discharge portion is controlled. A heat discharge type discharge control apparatus controls the presence or absence of heating from the discharge electrode (discharge generation site) of the discharge part by controlling the presence or absence of heating.

Since the heating means is equipped with a driver IC that selectively energizes the heating element to control the heating of the heating element, the heating of the heating element can be controlled at a low voltage, and the discharge electrode The voltage applied to the capacitor can be lowered, and the discharge control device can be reduced in size and extended in life. Further, it is excellent in mass productivity and reliability as a heat discharge type print head. As the heating means, a configuration similar to a thermal head used in a conventional thermal facsimile can be suitably used. For example, it is possible to selectively generate heat at an arbitrary portion of one heating element disposed across a plurality of discharge electrodes or a plurality of heating elements individually disposed corresponding to a plurality of discharge electrodes. Some generate heat. The structure of the heating part can be thick or thin.

[0034] A heat-discharge type print head according to claim 17 of the present invention is a heat-discharge type print head including the discharge control device according to claim 16, wherein the head substrate has a shape of a shape substrate. It is fixed along and has a structure.

This configuration has the following effects.

(1) Since the head substrate is flexible, it is possible to manufacture heat discharge printheads of various shapes using a common head substrate by simply changing the shape of the shape substrate and the fixing position of the discharge part relative to the shape substrate. Excellent in mass productivity and versatility.

Here, a print wiring board provided with a connector for electrically connecting to the outside together with the discharge control device is disposed on the shape board to obtain a heat discharge type print head.

Since the flexible substrate has flexibility, it can be simply fixed to the shape substrate by bending the head substrate itself along the shape of the shape substrate. For this reason, the discharge electrode has an end surface portion formed in an arc shape so as to be substantially orthogonal to the surface of the shape substrate, and an edge of the shape substrate formed in an inclined shape so as to form a substantially obtuse angle with the surface of the shape substrate. It can be easily placed at various positions such as a raised portion that protrudes from the surface of the substrate and the shaped substrate and is formed into a loose or strong hill shape, etc., and is excellent in design flexibility and productivity. When the driver IC is arranged on the surface of the shape substrate or on the same plane as the shape substrate, the discharge electrode is arranged on a different surface from the arrangement surface of the driver IC, and the arrangement surface of the discharge electrode and the arrangement surface of the driver IC are arranged. Can be prevented from being on the same plane, the degree of freedom of arrangement of the heat-discharge type print head can be increased, and versatility can be improved.

It is better to use it in a horizontal printer because it can be conveyed in a straight line without interfering with the driver IC. wear. In addition, since the electrostatic latent image can be formed from the optimum position with respect to the electrostatic latent image carrier having various shapes, the versatility and the reliability of the image quality are excellent.

[0036] In addition, the shape substrate itself is formed of a material having excellent thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, or a heat dissipation formed by a material having excellent thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, on the shape substrate to which the head substrate is fixed. By arranging the plate, the heat generated in the heat generating portion can be quickly absorbed into the shape substrate and the heat radiating plate and dissipated, so that the heat generating portion can be rapidly cooled. As a result, it is possible to improve the response of the discharge stop corresponding to the heating stop. In addition, the driver IC can be protected from heat and has excellent reliability. In the range that does not affect the mounting of the head substrate or printed wiring board, if the surface of the shape substrate or heat sink is formed with grooves, etc., the surface area of the shape substrate or heat sink can be increased, increasing the efficiency of heat dissipation. Can be improved.

According to this heat-discharge type print head, it is possible to form an electrostatic latent image or an image by oxidation-reduction reaction. Also, according to the light emission accompanying discharge, it is possible to use a digital paper or the like using a photochromic compound that forms an image with ultraviolet rays or visible rays as a recording medium.

An IC cover may be provided on the surface of the driver IC to protect the driver IC. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the driver IC and the recording medium from coming into contact with each other, and the reliability is excellent.

[0037] The invention according to claim 18 is the heat discharge type print head according to claim 17, wherein the disposition surface of the discharge electrode and the disposition surface of the driver IC of the discharge part are on the same plane. Has no success.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of the seventeenth aspect, the following operation is provided.

(1) By arranging the discharge electrode placement surface and driver IC placement surface to be on the same plane, it is compact, excellent in mass productivity, easy to install, and can be written in a state where the recording medium is not curved. In addition, an electrostatic latent image can be formed from an optimal position even on a variety of shapes of electrostatic latent image carriers, and the versatility and reliability of image quality are excellent.

[0038] Here, the disposition surface of the discharge electrode may be on a surface different from the disposition surface of the driver IC and may be in a positional relationship where the driver IC and the recording medium do not interfere when the discharge electrode is opposed to the recording medium. . The driver IC placed on the surface of the shape substrate is inclined so as to form an obtuse angle with the end surface of the shape substrate formed in an arc shape and substantially perpendicular to the surface of the shape substrate. The discharge electrode can be arranged at various positions such as the edge of the shaped substrate formed in a shape, the raised portion formed on the surface of the shaped substrate, and formed in a gentle hill shape. Also, for the discharge electrode placed on the surface of the shape substrate, a driver IC is placed by forming a stepped portion or an inclined portion on the shape substrate so as to be lower than the placement surface, or on the end surface or back surface of the shape substrate. You can place an IC.

With these arrangements, it is better not to bend like a digital paper! It is better to form a high-quality image by conveying the recording medium in a straight line without interfering with the driver IC. It can be suitably used as a print head compatible with a horizontal printer, and it is easy to reduce the size of the apparatus, and it has excellent image quality reliability and versatility.

[0039] The invention according to claim 19 is the heat-discharge type print head according to claim 18, wherein the discharge unit is arranged such that the driver IC is arranged on a surface of the shaped substrate. The discharge electrode has a configuration of an end surface type in which the discharge electrode is disposed at an end surface portion of the shape substrate so as to be substantially perpendicular to the surface of the shape substrate.

With this configuration, in addition to the effect of claim 18, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By placing the driver IC on the surface of the shape substrate and disposing the discharge electrode on the end face of the shape substrate so that the driver IC and the discharge electrode are substantially at right angles, it is especially useful for digital paper, etc. The recording medium can be conveyed in a straight line and can be suitably used for a horizontal printer.

(2) Since the arrangement of the discharge part is an end face type, the width of the part facing the electrostatic latent image carrier and the recording medium can be narrowed and can be arranged without being bulky in the horizontal direction. It can be applied to various types of electrostatic latent image carriers and has excellent versatility.

[0040] Here, when the arrangement method of the discharge part is the end face type, at least the discharge electrode (discharge generation site) of the discharge part is arranged on the end face part of the shape substrate, and the driver IC is arranged on the surface of the shape substrate. . At this time, it is preferable that the end surface portion of the shaped substrate is formed in a substantially arc shape. As a result, when the flexible substrate is deformed (curved) and fixed along the shape of the shape substrate, the lead pattern for electrically connecting the discharge electrode, the flexible thin film, the heat generating part and the driver IC. The electrode (electrode) etc. can be placed on a gently curved surface over the surface force end face part of the shaped substrate, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of cracks and disconnections and to have excellent reliability.

In addition, what formed the shape board | substrate in the substantially square shape by bending the end surface part of a shape board | substrate to the surface side of the shape board | substrate is also contained in an end face type | mold.

[0041] The invention according to claim 20 is the heat-discharge type print head according to claim 18, wherein the discharge unit is arranged such that the driver IC is arranged on a surface of the shaped substrate. The discharge electrode has an edge-type configuration in which an inclined edge of the fixed plate is arranged to form an obtuse angle with the surface of the shaped substrate.

(1) The driver IC is placed on the surface of the shape substrate and the discharge electrode is placed on the inclined edge of the shape substrate so that the driver IC and the discharge electrode form an obtuse angle. Instead, the recording medium can be conveyed in a straight line, and can be suitably used for a horizontal printer.

(2) Since the discharge unit is arranged in an edge type, it can be placed without being bulky in the height direction when the discharge unit is opposed to the recording medium. It can respond to the body and has excellent versatility.

[0042] Here, when the arrangement method of the discharge part is the edge type, at least the discharge electrode (discharge generation site) of the discharge part is arranged on the edge of the inclined chamfered shape substrate, and the driver IC is arranged on the shape substrate. It arranges on the surface of. By disposing the driver IC and the discharge electrode so as to form an obtuse angle, the same effect as that of the end face type can be obtained.

[0043] The invention according to claim 21 is the heat-discharge type print head according to claim 18, wherein the discharge unit is arranged such that the driver IC is arranged on a surface of the shape substrate. The discharge electrode has a raised type arrangement on the raised surface of the raised part formed on the surface of the shaped substrate.

(1) The driver IC is placed on the surface of the shape substrate, the discharge electrode is placed on the raised surface of the raised portion formed on the surface of the shape substrate, and the discharge electrode protrudes more than the driver IC. If the recording medium is not curved like paper, the recording medium is transported in a straight line. And can be suitably used for a horizontal printer.

(2) Since the discharge unit is arranged in a raised manner, it can be placed without being bulky in the height direction when the discharge unit is opposed to the recording medium. It can respond to the body and has excellent versatility.

[0044] Here, the raised type (new end face type) is considered that the end face part of the shape substrate on which at least the discharge electrode (discharge generation site) of the discharge part is arranged is bent to the surface side of the shape substrate. Can be considered as an end face type.

The discharge electrode can be arranged on the raised surface (slope or upper surface) of the raised portion, but it must be arranged so as not to interfere with the recording medium conveyance path.

When the discharge electrode is disposed in the vicinity of the top (upper surface) of the raised portion, the shape substrate and the recording medium can be disposed substantially in parallel by projecting the top of the raised portion above the upper surface of the driver IC. Further, when the discharge electrode is disposed on the raised surface (slope) opposite to the driver IC of the raised portion, the recording medium and the driver are arranged by inclining the shape substrate so that the discharge electrode and the recording medium are substantially parallel to each other. Interference with IC etc. can be prevented.

[0045] The invention according to claim 22 is the heat discharge print head according to any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the shaped substrate is formed of a material having thermal conductivity. It has the structure which is.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of any one of claims 17 to 21, the following operation is provided.

(1) Because the shape substrate is made of a material with thermal conductivity, the shape substrate acts as a heat dissipation plate, so it is possible to reduce the number of parts and manufacturing man-hours that do not require a separate heat dissipation plate. Can be improved.

(2) Since the shape substrate has thermal conductivity, excess heat from the discharge electrode and heat generating part can be quickly absorbed and dissipated by the shape substrate, so that the discharge part and heat generating part can be cooled quickly. This makes it possible to improve the discharge stop responsiveness of the discharge portion corresponding to the heating stop of the heat generating portion.

Here, aluminum or the like is preferably used as the material having thermal conductivity for forming the shape substrate. [0046] The invention described in claim 23 is the heating / discharging type print head according to any one of claims 17 to 22, wherein the shape substrate is formed of a material having thermal conductivity. A heat radiating plate is provided and has a structure.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of any one of claims 17 to 22, the following operation is provided.

(1) Since the heat sink made of a material having thermal conductivity is disposed on the shape substrate, the heat dissipation area can be expanded, and the heat sink can be passed through the flexible substrate and the shape substrate. The heat transferred to the can be efficiently dissipated and the reliability of the discharge control can be improved.

Here, aluminum or the like is preferably used as the material of the heat sink. By forming irregularities with grooves or the like on the surface of the heat radiating plate or disposing a heat sink, the heat radiating area can be further expanded and the efficiency of heat radiating can be improved.

[0047] The thermal head according to Claim 24 of the present invention is a flexible substrate having heat resistance and insulating properties in which an oxide film is formed on at least one of both surfaces of the metal foil, and Heating means having a heating part having a heating element formed on the surface of the flexible substrate on which the oxide film is formed, and a driver IC for controlling the heating of the heating element, and heat resistance and covering the heating part And a heat generating unit having an insulating protective film.

This configuration has the following effects.

(1) Since the flexible substrate of the heat generating unit can be bent, after forming the heat generating part etc. using thin film technology or thick film technology that is technically easy on a flexible substrate in a flat state, the entire flexible substrate is desired The thermal head can be deformed (curved) to the desired shape (fixed with advanced technology) using simple technology by fixing the heating unit along the shape of the shape substrate. Can be manufactured and has excellent productivity

(2) By changing the shape of the shape substrate and the fixing position of the heat generation unit with respect to the shape substrate, thermal heads of various shapes can be manufactured using a common heat generation unit, which is excellent in mass productivity and versatility. (3) Since the heat generating part is covered with a heat-resistant and insulating protective film, the heat generating part can be protected to prevent damage, and the heat generating unit has excellent durability and long life.

(4) Since a flexible substrate with an oxide film formed on at least one of both surfaces of the metal foil has excellent thermal conductivity, heat from the heat generating part is transferred to the shape substrate to escape. This prevents the heat build-up from occurring in the heat generating part, improves the printing stop response to the heating stop of the heat generating part, and increases the printing speed. A high-quality image can be formed, and the reliability of the image quality is excellent.

(5) By forming a heat generating part having a heating element on the surface of the flexible substrate on which the oxide film is formed, the flexible substrate and the heat generating part can be reliably insulated, and can be selected as the heating element of the heat generating part. Can be energized to generate heat.

(7) Since a heat generating part can be formed on a flexible substrate in a flat state, fine machining and multi-piece fabrication are easy and excellent in mass productivity.

[0048] Here, the flexible substrate and the heating element are the same as those described in claim 1, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

As the protective film, a film having heat resistance and heat insulating properties and heat transfer properties capable of transferring heat generated by the heat generating portion of the heating means to the recording medium is preferably used.

The heating element of the heating part and the driving electrode for selectively energizing the heating element to generate heat and the protective film that protects the heating part can be formed even using the thin film technology and the thick film technology! Can. Depending on whether the thin film technology or the thick film technology is used, the material of the protective film can be appropriately selected. Specifically, synthetic resins such as polyimide, aramid, and polyetherimide, glass, and the like are preferably used.

If sufficient insulation cannot be secured with a flexible substrate alone, an insulating film may be formed within a range that does not hinder flexibility and heat transfer to the shape substrate.

[0049] Since the flexible substrate of the heat generating unit has flexibility, it follows the shape of the shape substrate. It can be fixed to the shaped substrate by bending it. For this reason, the heating element can be arranged at an arbitrary position of the shape substrate formed in a desired shape, which is excellent in design flexibility and productivity.

In addition, by forming the shape substrate with a material having excellent thermal conductivity such as aluminum, the heat generated in the heat generating part can be quickly absorbed into the shape substrate, and the shape substrate force can be dissipated, so that Cooling is possible. As a result, it is possible to improve the responsiveness of the printing stop corresponding to the heating stop. It is excellent in reliability because it can protect the driver IC with heat.

[0050] The invention according to claim 25 is the thermal head according to claim 24, wherein the oxide film of the flexible substrate is a metal oxide film made of the same material as the metal foil. It has a formed structure.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of Claim 24, the following operation is provided.

[0051] The invention according to claim 26 is the thermal head according to claim 24, wherein the oxide film of the flexible substrate is a metal oxide film made of a material different from the metal foil. It has a formed structure.

[0052] The invention according to claim 27 is the thermal head according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the metal foil of the flexible substrate is made of aluminum. is doing.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of any one of claims 24 to 26, the following operation is provided. (1) The metal foil used as the base material of the flexible substrate is made of aluminum.

The thermal conductivity of the flexible board can be improved, and the excess heat from the heat generating part can be efficiently transferred to the shape board to which the flexible board is fixed, allowing it to escape. Responsiveness and excellent image quality reliability.

[0053] The invention according to claim 28 is the head substrate according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the metal foil of the flexible substrate is formed of copper. Yes.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of any one of claims 24 to 26, the following operation is provided.

(1) Since the metal foil used as the base material of the flexible board is made of copper, the thermal conductivity of the flexible board can be improved, and the flexible board is fixed with excess heat from the heat generating part. It can be efficiently transmitted to the shape substrate and escaped, and the print stop response to the heat stop of the heat generating part is excellent, and the image quality is highly reliable.

[0054] The invention according to claim 29 is the head substrate according to any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein the oxide film of the flexible substrate is formed of alumina. It has a structure.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of any one of claims 24 to 28, the following operation is provided.

Here, the metal foil used as the base material of the flexible substrate is made of aluminum! In this case, an aluminum oxide film can be formed by vapor-depositing aluminum on both surfaces and then performing an acid treatment by an anodic acid method.

[0055] The invention according to claim 30 is the thermal head according to any one of claims 24 to 29, wherein the heat generating unit is fixed along the shape of the shape substrate, and The arrangement surface of the heating element and the arrangement surface of the driver IC are not on the same plane. With this configuration, in addition to the operation of any one of claims 24 to 29, the following operation is provided.

(1) By ensuring that the heating element placement surface and the driver IC placement surface are on the same plane, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in arranging the heating elements for a variety of shapes of recording media. , Versatility can be improved.

Here, the arrangement surface of the heating element may be on a surface different from the arrangement surface of the driver IC, as long as the driver IC and the recording medium do not interfere with each other when the heating element is opposed to the recording medium. The driver IC placed on the surface of the shape board is inclined so that it forms an obtuse angle with the end face of the shape board, which is formed in an arc shape so as to be substantially perpendicular to the surface of the shape board, and the surface of the shape board. The heating element can be arranged at various positions such as the edge of the shaped substrate formed in a shape, the raised portion formed on the surface of the shaped substrate and formed in a gentle hill shape or the like. Also, for the heating element placed on the surface of the shape board, a driver IC is placed by forming a stepped part or an inclined part on the shape board so as to be lower than the placement surface, or a driver IC is placed on the end face or back face of the shape board. IC may be arranged.

With these arrangements, a recording medium that is elastic, such as a plastic card or cardboard, that is difficult to bend is conveyed linearly without interfering with the driver IC to form a high-quality image. Therefore, it can be suitably used as a print head compatible with a horizontal printer, the apparatus can be easily downsized, and the image quality is reliable and versatile.

[0057] The invention according to claim 31 is the thermal head according to claim 30, wherein the heat generating portion is arranged such that the driver IC is arranged on a surface of the shaped substrate, and the heating element is The end surface portion of the shape substrate has an end surface type disposed so as to be substantially perpendicular to the surface of the shape substrate.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of the thirty-third aspect, the following operation is achieved.

(1) By placing the driver IC on the surface of the shape substrate and the heating element on the end face of the shape substrate so that the driver IC and the heating element are substantially perpendicular, A recording medium such as cardboard that is elastic and difficult to bend can be conveyed linearly and can be suitably used for a horizontal printer.

(2) The arrangement of the heat generating part is an end face type, so the width of the part facing the recording medium is reduced. Since it can be narrowed and arranged without being bulky in the horizontal direction, it can be applied to recording media with a wide variety of shapes, and it has excellent versatility and has a heat generating body force that reduces the contact area between the heat generating part and the recording medium. The heat does not spread in the scanning direction, and a high-quality image without blur can be formed, and the reliability of the image quality is excellent.

[0058] Here, when the arrangement method of the heat generating portion is an end surface type, at least the heat generating element of the heat generating portion is disposed on the end surface portion of the shape substrate, and the driver IC is disposed on the surface of the shape substrate. At this time, it is preferable that the end surface portion of the shaped substrate is formed in a substantially arc shape. As a result, when the flexible substrate is deformed (curved) along the shape of the shape substrate and fixed, the lead pattern (electrode) etc. for electrically connecting the flexible thin film and the heat generating part to the driver IC is provided. It can be placed on a gently curved surface over the end surface, preventing cracks and disconnections, and has excellent reliability.

[0059] The invention according to Claim 32 is the thermal head according to Claim 30, wherein the heat generating portion is arranged such that the driver IC is arranged on a surface of the shaped substrate, and the heating element is The fixed plate has a configuration that is an edge type disposed at an inclined edge of the fixed plate so as to form an obtuse angle with the surface of the shaped substrate.

With this configuration, in addition to the operation of the 30th aspect, the following operation is provided.

(1) The driver IC is placed on the surface of the shape substrate, and the heating element is placed on the inclined edge of the shape substrate so that the driver IC and the heating element form an obtuse angle. A recording medium such as a card or cardboard that is elastic and difficult to bend can be conveyed linearly and can be suitably used for a horizontal printer.

(2) Since the heating unit is arranged in an edge type, the heating unit can be arranged without being bulky in the height direction when facing the recording medium, and can support recording media of various shapes. The heat generated from the heating element with a small contact area between the heat generating part and the recording medium does not spread in the scanning direction, and a high-quality image without blur can be formed. Excellent reliability.

[0060] Here, when the arrangement of the heat generating parts is an edge type, at least the heat generating elements of the heat generating parts are inclined. The driver IC is arranged on the surface of the shape substrate. By arranging the driver IC and the heating element so as to form an obtuse angle, the same effect as that of the end face type can be obtained.

[0061] The invention according to Claim 33 is the thermal head according to Claim 30, wherein the heat generating portion is arranged such that the driver IC is disposed on a surface of the shaped substrate, and the heating element is It has the structure which is a protruding type | mold arrange | positioned at the protruding surface of the protruding part formed in the surface of the said shape board | substrate.

(1) By placing the driver IC on the surface of the shape substrate and placing the heating element on the raised surface of the raised portion formed on the surface of the shape substrate, the heating element protrudes more than the driver IC. A recording medium such as a manufactured card or cardboard that is elastic and difficult to be bent can be conveyed linearly, and can be suitably used for a horizontal printer.

(2) Since the heating unit is arranged in a raised manner, the heating unit can be arranged without being bulky in the height direction when facing the recording medium, and is excellent in versatility. The heat generated by the heating element with a small contact area does not spread in the scanning direction, and a high-quality image without blur can be formed and the image quality is highly reliable.

Here, the raised type (new end face type) can be regarded as the end face portion of the shape substrate on which at least the heating element of the heat generating portion is arranged bent to the surface side of the shape substrate. It can be thought of as a form.

The heating element can be arranged on the raised surface (slope or upper surface) of the raised part, but it must be made so as not to interfere with the transport path of the recording medium.

When the heating element is arranged near the top (upper surface) of the raised portion, the shape substrate and the recording medium can be arranged substantially in parallel by projecting the top of the raised portion above the upper surface of the driver IC. In addition, when the heating element is placed on the raised surface (slope) on the opposite side of the driver IC of the protruding part, the recording is performed by inclining the shape substrate (thermal head) so that the heating element and the recording medium are substantially parallel. Interference between media and driver ICs can be prevented.

Note that the thermal head described in claims 24 to 33 is also suitable as a heating means for a discharge control device of a heating / discharging system that can be used only as a print head for a thermal printer. It can be used and has excellent design flexibility and versatility.

The invention's effect

[0063] As described above, according to the head substrate of the present invention, the discharge control device using the head substrate, the heating discharge type print head including the discharge control device, and the thermal head, the following advantageous effects are obtained. Is obtained.

According to the invention described in claim 1, the following effects are obtained.

(1) After forming a discharge device such as a heat generating part or a discharge part on a flexible substrate in a flat state by a technically easy method, it is easily processed (deformed) into a desired shape by bending the flexible substrate together. Since it can be fixed to a shape substrate, it is possible to provide a head substrate that has a simple production process, is excellent in mass productivity, can be used for manufacturing various types of heat-discharge-type printheads, and has excellent design flexibility and versatility. it can.

(2) A flexible substrate in which an oxide film is formed on at least one of both surfaces of the metal foil is excellent in thermal conductivity, so that heat from the discharge electrode is transferred to the shape substrate to escape. It is possible to manufacture a discharge control device with excellent discharge control reliability that can prevent the heat build-up to the discharge electrode and improve the response of the discharge stop to the heating stop of the heat generating part. A suitable head substrate can be provided.

(3) A flexible substrate having an oxide film formed on the surface of a metal foil has better heat resistance than a flexible substrate made of a resin such as polyimide galamide, so that it can be used for firing in thick film technology. Since it can withstand the temperature, it is possible to provide a head substrate excellent in mass productivity and versatility that can form a heat generating portion even if a thick film technology is used in addition to the thin film technology.

(4) By forming a discharge device on a flexible substrate in a planar state, it is possible to provide a head substrate excellent in mass productivity that can cope with microfabrication and multi-cavity.

[0064] According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect of claim 1, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By forming an insulating film on at least one surface of the flexible thin film, it is possible to provide a highly reliable head substrate that can reliably insulate the heat generating portion and the discharge portion. [0065] According to the invention of claim 3, the following effects are obtained.

(2) The heat generating part and the discharging part can be insulated by the flexible substrate and excellent in mass productivity, and the head substrate with excellent heating efficiency that can efficiently transfer the heat of the heating part to the discharging part through the flexible substrate. Can be provided.

(3) Since the flexible substrate with the oxide film formed on both sides of the metal foil has excellent thermal conductivity, the heat generated by the heating element can be efficiently transmitted to the discharge electrode through the flexible substrate, and the discharge It is possible to provide a head substrate excellent in energy saving and discharge generation efficiency in which the control voltage and heating temperature can be set low.

(4) A flexible substrate having an oxide film formed on the surface of a metal foil has a heat resistance superior to that of a resin substrate made of a resin such as polyimide galamide. Since it can withstand the temperature, it is possible to provide a head substrate excellent in mass productivity and versatility that can form a heat generating portion even if a thick film technology is used in addition to the thin film technology.

(5) By forming a discharge device on a flexible substrate in a planar state, it is possible to provide a head substrate excellent in mass productivity that can cope with microfabrication and multi-cavity.

[0066] According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the effect of claim 3, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By covering the heat generating portion that becomes high temperature with a flexible thin film, it is possible to provide a head substrate with excellent safety that can ensure insulation from the outside.

[0067] According to the invention of claim 5, in addition to the effect of claim 3, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By manufacturing the discharge unit and heat generation unit as separate parts, It is possible to provide a head substrate excellent in mass productivity that can simplify the manufacturing process of the robot and improve the yield.

(2) By combining the discharge unit and the heat generation unit in consideration of the variation in characteristics, it is possible to provide a head substrate excellent in mass productivity that can obtain almost uniform performance.

[0068] According to the invention described in claim 6, in addition to the effect of claim 5, the following effect is obtained.

(1) Detachable discharge units and heat generating units can be easily replaced or repaired, and they are excellent in maintainability, and each unit is treated as a consumable item, which saves running costs and saves resources. An excellent head substrate can be provided.

[0069] According to the invention of claim 7, the effect of any one of claims 3 to 6 is reduced and the following effects are obtained.

(1) By forming an insulating film on at least one surface of the flexible substrate, it is possible to provide a highly reliable head substrate that can reliably insulate the heat generating portion and the discharge portion.

[0070] According to the invention of claim 8, the effect of any one of claims 1 to 7 is achieved, and the following effects are obtained.

(1) The reliability of image formation that allows the induction electrode formed in the vicinity of the discharge electrode to function as ground, thereby reliably generating a discharge from the discharge electrode to the induction electrode and forming an image on the recording medium. It is possible to provide an excellent head substrate.

[0071] According to the invention of claim 9, the effect of any one of claims 1 to 8 is reduced, and the following effects are obtained.

(1) Concentrate electrons, positive or negative ions, and ultraviolet rays in one place by covering the other part of the discharge electrode with the flexible coating film to prevent the discharge from occurring from the excess part. Thus, it is possible to provide a head substrate having excellent image formation efficiency that can be irradiated.

(2) The step formed between the surface of the discharge generation site and the surface of the flexible coating film can prevent the contact between the discharge generation site and the recording medium and keep the gap between the recording medium constant and the discharge generation site. A highly reliable head substrate that can stabilize power discharge Can be provided.

[0072] According to the invention of claim 10, in addition to the effect of claim 9, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By providing many irregularities on the surface of the flexible coating film and extending the surface distance, it is possible to increase the surface resistance and prevent the discharge generation site force of the debris from leaking to the surroundings. Thus, it is possible to provide a highly reliable head substrate that can improve the stability of discharge control by the driver IC.

(2) Providing a head board with excellent discharge stability and efficiency by preventing the voltage applied to the discharge electrode (discharge control voltage) from decreasing by preventing leakage from the site where the discharge occurs. can do.

[0073] According to the invention of claim 11, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 1 to 10, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By forming a metal oxide film of the same material as the metal foil on the metal foil of the flexible substrate, a head substrate with excellent adhesion between the metal foil and the oxide film and excellent insulation and durability is provided. Can be provided.

[0074] According to the invention of claim 12, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 1 to 10, the following effect is obtained.

(1) Controlling the thermal conductivity and insulation of the flexible board by combining the metal foil and the acid film by forming the metal foil of the flexible board on the metal foil of a material different from the metal foil. Thus, it is possible to provide a head substrate that is excellent in heat conduction efficiency and insulation reliability.

[0075] According to the invention of claim 13, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 1 to 12, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By forming the metal foil of the flexible board with aluminum, the thermal conductivity of the flexible board can be improved, and the excess heat from the discharge electrode and heat generating part is transferred to the shape board where the flexible board is fixed. It is possible to provide a head substrate excellent in the efficiency and reliability of discharge generation that can be efficiently transmitted and escaped, or the heat generated by the heat generating portion can be efficiently transmitted to the discharge electrode. [0076] According to the invention of claim 14, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 1 to 12, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By forming the metal foil of the flexible board with copper, the thermal conductivity of the flexible board can be improved, and the excess heat from the discharge electrode and heat generating part can be efficiently transferred to the shape board where the flexible board is fixed. Therefore, it is possible to provide a head substrate excellent in the efficiency and reliability of the generation of discharge that can be transmitted and released efficiently, and that the heat generated by the heat generating portion can be efficiently transmitted to the discharge electrode.

[0077] According to the invention of claim 15, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 1 to 14, the following effect is obtained.

(1) A flexible substrate with an oxide film formed of alumina provides a head substrate that is chemically stable, excellent in heat resistance and insulation, and has high thermal conductivity and excellent discharge control reliability. be able to.

[0078] According to the invention of claim 16, the following effects are obtained.

(1) The driver IC can selectively heat the discharge electrode based on the image data to generate a discharge, and can easily control the amount of generated ions and the emission intensity associated with the discharge from the discharge electrode. It is possible to provide a discharge control device that is easy in area gradation on the recording medium and can improve the image quality of the recording medium and has excellent discharge control reliability.

[0079] According to the invention of claim 17, in addition to the effect of claim 16, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By simply fixing a flexible head substrate along the shape substrate, it is possible to provide a heat discharge type print head that can be processed into various shapes and is excellent in mass production. .

[0080] According to the invention of claim 18, in addition to the effect of claim 17, the following effect is obtained.

(1) It is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the discharge electrode for a wide variety of recording media, in which the discharge electrode arrangement surface and the driver IC arrangement surface are on the same plane. Excellent flexibility, allowing writing without bending the recording medium, and forming an electrostatic latent image from an optimal position on various types of electrostatic latent image carriers Therefore, it is possible to provide a heat-discharge type print head excellent in versatility and image quality reliability.

[0081] According to the invention of claim 19, in addition to the effect of claim 18, the following effect is obtained.

(1) The arrangement of the discharge part is an end face type, so that the driver IC and the discharge electrode can be arranged almost at right angles, and it is better not to bend like a digital paper. It is possible to provide a heat-discharge type print head suitable for a horizontal printer that can convey a long recording medium in a straight line.

(2) Since the arrangement of the discharge part is an end face type, the width of the part facing the electrostatic latent image carrier and the recording medium can be narrowed and can be arranged without being bulky in the horizontal direction. It is possible to provide a heat-discharge type print head excellent in versatility that can be used for electrostatic latent image carriers having various shapes.

[0082] According to the invention of claim 20, in addition to the effect of claim 18, the following effect is obtained.

(1) The placement method of the discharge part is an edge type, so that the driver IC and the discharge electrode can be placed at an obtuse angle, and it is better not to bend it like a digital paper. It is possible to provide a heat discharge type print head suitable for a horizontal printer capable of conveying a recording medium linearly.

(2) Since the discharge unit is arranged in an edge type, the discharge unit can be arranged without being bulky in the height direction when facing the recording medium. It is possible to provide a heat-discharge type print head excellent in versatility that can be applied to an image carrier.

[0083] According to the invention of claim 22, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 17 to 21, the following effect is obtained.

(1) Since the shape substrate has thermal conductivity, it is possible to quickly absorb the excess heat from the discharge electrode and the heat generating part without the need to provide a separate heat sink, and to dissipate the heat. In addition, it is possible to provide a heat discharge type print head that is excellent in mass reliability and can be reduced in the number of parts and the number of manufacturing steps. [0084] According to the invention of claim 23, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 17 to 22, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By disposing a heat sink made of a material with thermal conductivity on the shape substrate, the heat release area can be expanded, and the flexible substrate force is also transmitted to the heat sink via the shape substrate. It is possible to provide a heat discharge type print head excellent in reliability of discharge control capable of efficiently radiating heat.

[0085] According to the invention of claim 24, the following effects are provided.

(1) After forming the heat generating part etc. using thin film technology or technically easy thick film technology on the flat flexible substrate, the heat generating unit can be deformed (curved) into the desired shape together with the flexible substrate, By simply changing the shape of the shape substrate and the fixing position of the heat generating unit with respect to the shape substrate, mass production and general-purpose that can support the production of thermal heads of the desired shape (previously requiring advanced technology) using simple technology It is possible to provide an excellent thermal head.

(2) A flexible substrate with an oxide film formed on at least one of both surfaces of the metal foil is excellent in thermal conductivity, so that heat from the heat generating part is transferred to the shape substrate to escape. This prevents the heat build-up from occurring in the heat generating part, improves the printing stop response to the heating stop of the heat generating part, and increases the printing speed. It is possible to provide a thermal head excellent in image quality reliability capable of forming a quality image.

(3) A flexible substrate having an oxide film formed on the surface of a metal foil has better heat resistance than a flexible substrate made of a resin such as polyimide galamide, so that it can be used for firing in thick film technology. Since it can withstand the temperature, it is possible to provide a thermal head excellent in mass productivity and versatility that can form a heat generating portion even by using a thick film technology in addition to the thin film technology.

(4) By forming a heat generating part on a flexible substrate in a flat state, it is possible to provide a thermal head excellent in mass productivity that can cope with microfabrication and multi-cavity picking.

[0086] According to the invention of claim 25, in addition to the effect of claim 24, the following effect is obtained. Have.

(1) By providing a metal oxide film of the same material as the metal foil on the metal foil of the flexible substrate, a thermal head with excellent adhesion between the metal foil and oxide film and excellent insulation and durability is provided. can do.

[0087] According to the invention of claim 26, in addition to the effect of claim 24, the following effect is obtained.

(1) Controlling the thermal conductivity and insulation of the flexible board by combining the metal foil and the acid film by forming the metal foil of the flexible board on the metal foil of a material different from the metal foil. Therefore, it is possible to provide a thermal head with excellent heat transfer efficiency and insulation reliability.

[0088] According to the invention of claim 27, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 24 to 26, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By forming the metal foil of the flexible board with aluminum, the thermal conductivity of the flexible board can be improved, and excess heat from the heat generating part can be efficiently transferred to the shape board where the flexible board is fixed. It is possible to provide a thermal head excellent in the efficiency and reliability of heating control that can be transmitted and escaped.

[0089] According to the invention of claim 28, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 24 to 26, the following effect is obtained.

(1) By forming the metal foil of the flexible board with copper, the thermal conductivity of the flexible board can be improved, and excess heat from the heat generating part can be efficiently transferred to the shape board to which the flexible board is fixed. It is possible to provide a thermal head with excellent efficiency and reliability of heating control that can be transmitted and escaped.

[0090] According to the invention of claim 29, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 24 to 28, the following effect is obtained.

(1) Flexible substrates with an oxide film made of alumina are chemically stable, have excellent heat resistance and insulation, and have a thermal head with high thermal conductivity and high reliability in heating control. Can be provided.

[0091] According to the invention of claim 30, the effect of any one of claims 24 to 29 is achieved. In addition, it has the following effects.

(1) A highly versatile thermal head that can increase the degree of freedom in arranging the heating element for a variety of shapes of recording media where the heating element placement surface and the driver IC placement surface are on the same plane. Can be provided.

[0092] According to the invention of claim 31, in addition to the effect of claim 30, the following effect is obtained.

(1) Since the heat generating part is arranged in an end face type, the driver IC and the heat generating element can be arranged so as to form a substantially right angle, which is particularly elastic such as plastic cards and cardboard. Therefore, it is possible to provide a thermal head suitable for a horizontal printer that can linearly convey a recording medium that is difficult to bend.

(2) Since the heat generating portion is arranged in the end face type, the width of the portion facing the recording medium can be narrowed and arranged without being bulky in the horizontal direction. It is possible to cope with it, and it has excellent versatility, and the contact area between the heat generating part and the recording medium can be reduced to prevent the heat generated by the heating element from spreading in the scanning direction, and a high-quality image without blur can be formed. It is possible to provide a thermal head with excellent image quality reliability.

[0093] According to the invention of claim 32, in addition to the effect of claim 30, the following effect is obtained.

(1) The arrangement of the heat generating part is an edge type, so that the driver IC and the heat generating element can be arranged at an obtuse angle, and in particular, the elastic force S such as a plastic card or cardboard. In addition, it is possible to provide a thermal head suitable for a horizontal printer that can linearly convey a recording medium that is difficult to bend.

(2) Since the heating unit is arranged in an edge type, the heating unit can be arranged without being bulky in the height direction when facing the recording medium, and can support recording media of various shapes. It is excellent in versatility, can reduce the contact area between the heating part and the recording medium, can prevent the heat from the heating element from spreading in the scanning direction, and can form a high-quality image without blurring. We can provide a thermal head with excellent image quality reliability [0094] According to the invention of claim 33, in addition to the effect of claim 30, the following effect is obtained.

(1) Since the heating unit is arranged in a raised manner, the heating element can be projected beyond the driver IC, and it is particularly flexible and curved like plastic cards and cardboard. Therefore, it is possible to provide a thermal head suitable for a horizontal printer that can convey a recording medium that is difficult to perform linearly.

(2) Since the heating unit is arranged in a raised manner, the heating unit can be arranged without being bulky in the height direction when facing the recording medium, and is excellent in versatility. The thermal head with excellent image quality that can prevent the spread of heat in the scanning direction by spreading the heat in the scanning direction and form high-quality images without blurring. be able to.

Brief Description of Drawings

[FIG. 1] (a) Schematic side view showing a heat discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device in Embodiment 1. (b) Heat discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device in Embodiment 1. Main part schematic perspective view showing

FIG. 2 is a plan development view of a main part showing a head substrate of the discharge control device in the first embodiment.

[Fig. 3] (a) A-A line cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 (b) B-B cross-sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to Embodiment 1.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a discharge control device according to Embodiment 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a heating part forming process of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a discharge part forming process of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the first embodiment.

[FIG. 8] (a) Schematic plan view showing a first modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in Embodiment 1 (b) Schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 8 (a)

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to Embodiment 1.

FIG. 10 (a) shows a third modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to Embodiment 1. (B) Schematic cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in Fig. 10 (a)

圆 11] (a) Schematic side view showing a first modification of the heat discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device in Embodiment 1 (b) Heat discharge type having the discharge control device in Embodiment 1 Main part schematic perspective view showing a first modification of the print head

[12] (a) The first of the heat discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device in the first embodiment.

2 is a schematic side view showing a second modification of the heating / discharge-type print head including the discharge control device according to the first embodiment.

圆 13] A diagram showing a control method of ion generation of the discharge control device in the first embodiment

[FIG. 14] (a) Schematic side view showing a heat discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device in Embodiment 2. (b) Heat discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device in Embodiment 2. Main part schematic perspective view showing

[FIG. 15] (a) Plane development of the main part of the head substrate of the discharge control device in Embodiment 2 (b) Cross-sectional view taken along line E—E in FIG. 15 (a)

圆 16] Planar development of the main part of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the third embodiment

[Fig. 17] (a) Sectional view taken along line FF in FIG. 16 (b) Sectional view taken along line GG in FIG.

[FIG. 18] (a) Schematic plan view showing a first modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in Embodiment 3. (b) Schematic cross-sectional view taken along line H—H in FIG. 18 (a).

圆 19] Schematic cross-sectional view showing a second modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the third embodiment

FIG. 20 (a) Schematic plan view showing a third modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to the third embodiment (b) Schematic cross-sectional view taken along line I-I in FIG. 20 (a)

21] Configuration diagram showing the head substrate of the discharge control device of the discharge device separation type according to the fourth embodiment

[FIG. 22] (a) Schematic cross-sectional view showing a discharge unit of the head substrate of the discharge control device of the discharge device separation type in Embodiment 4 (b) Head substrate of the discharge control device of the discharge device separation type of Embodiment 4. (C) Schematic sectional view showing the head substrate of the discharge device separation type discharge control device in Embodiment 4 (d) Discharge device separation type discharge control device in Embodiment 4 Shows a modification of the head substrate Schematic cross section

FIG. 23 is a schematic perspective view of the main part showing the thermal head in the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a plan development view of main parts showing the heat generating unit of the thermal head in the fifth embodiment.

[Fig.25] (a) Cross section taken along line J-1 in FIG. 24 (b) Cross section taken along line K in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

la, lb, lc, Id Heat-discharge print head

2, 2a shaped substrate

3a End face

3b edge

3c ridge

4, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i, 4j Head substrate

5 Discharge section

5a Discharge electrode

5b Common electrode section

6 Driver

7 Discharge control device

8 Printed circuit board

8a connector

9 IC cover

9a High voltage substrate

10 Flexible substrate

10a, 14a, 14b, 19a Insulating film

11 Common conductor pattern for heat generation

11a Comb electrode for heating

l ib Common electrode for heat generation

12 Individual electrode for heat generation

12a Bonding pad

13 Heating part 13a Heating element

14, 19, 20 Flexible thin film

15 Discharge generation site

16 Heating means

17 Flexible coating

17a opening

17b Concavity and convexity

18 Induction electrode

21 Discharge unit

22, 22a Heating unit

30 Thermal head

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(Embodiment 1)

A heat-discharge type print head provided with a discharge control device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 (a) is a schematic side view showing a heat-discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device according to Embodiment 1, and FIG. 1 (b) is a calorie heat discharge provided with the discharge control device according to Embodiment 1. It is a principal part model perspective view which shows a type | mold printing head.

In FIG. 1, la is an end face type heat discharge type print head corresponding to a horizontal printer equipped with a discharge control device 7 in Embodiment 1 described later, and 2 is formed of a material such as aluminum, and the discharge control device 7 is A fixed heat discharge type print head la-shaped substrate, 3a is an arcuate end surface formed at the tip of the shape substrate 2, 4 is a flexible substrate described later, and a discharge device such as a heat generating unit or discharge unit 5 described later is provided. The head substrate of the discharge control device 7 that is stacked and disposed on the shape substrate 2, 5a is a plurality of discharge electrodes of the discharge portion 5 formed in a comb shape, and 5b is a discharge portion that connects one end of the discharge electrode 5a. 5 is a common electrode portion, 7 is a discharge control device according to the first embodiment including a head substrate 4 and a driver IC 6, and 8 is disposed on the shape substrate 2 including a connector 8a for electrical connection to the outside. Heated discharge print head la printed wiring board 9 IC cover is Kutsugae設 to protect driver IC6 and the printed wiring board 8 9a is a high-voltage board that is disposed on the back surface of the IC cover 9 and is connected to the common electrode part 5b of the discharge part 5 by electrical wiring (not shown) and supplies a high voltage (discharge control voltage) to the discharge electrode 5a. is there.

Next, details of the structure of the head substrate used in the discharge control apparatus according to Embodiment 1 will be described.

FIG. 2 is a plan development view of the main part showing the head substrate of the discharge control device according to Embodiment 1, FIG. 3 (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to the first embodiment.

In FIGS. 2 to 4, reference numeral 10 denotes a heat-resistant and insulating head substrate in which an aluminum oxide film is formed on both sides of an aluminum foil. 4, a plurality of comb-shaped electrodes 11a for heat generation; The heat generating common conductor pattern formed integrally on the upper surface of the flexible substrate 10, 1 lb is the heat generating common electrode portion disposed on the upper surface of the heat generating common conductor pattern 11, and 12 is the heat generating comb electrode 11 a. Heat generating individual electrodes alternately formed on the upper surface of the flexible substrate 10, 12 a is a bonding pad formed at the end of the heat generating individual electrode 12, 13 is a heat generating part of the discharge controller 5, and 13 a is a heat generating comb tooth Exposed electrode 11a and exothermic electrode 1 2 are electrically connected to the upper part of the exothermic body 13 of the exothermic part 13 and 14 is a flexible substrate except for the end of the exothermic common electrode part l ib and the exothermic individual electrode 12 Heat resistance and insulation covered on top of 10 Flexible thin films such as polyimide, aramid, and polyetherimide, 14a is an insulating film formed on the upper surface of the flexible thin film 14, and 15 is a discharge electrode 5a that generates a discharge when heated by a heating element 13a. It is a discharge generation site.

[0099] The discharge electrode 5 described above is insulated from the heating comb electrode lla, the heating individual electrode 12 and the heating resistor 13a by the flexible thin film 14 and the insulating film 14a. It is formed facing the heat generating resistor 13a at a position corresponding to the individual electrode 12 for heat generation. The flexible thin film 14 is formed with an insulating film 14a on the upper surface of the flexible thin film 14 in order to insulate between the discharge part 5 and the heat generating part 13 more reliably by heat resistance and insulation. In the present embodiment, the force of forming the insulating film 14a only on the upper surface of the flexible thin film 14 The insulating film 14a is formed on at least one of the both surfaces of the flexible thin film 14. Just do it. Insulating film 14a is made of inorganic materials such as SiON and SiO, and other insulating materials (

2

It can be formed into a thin film form (whether organic or inorganic). In particular, those having high thermal conductivity that can efficiently transfer the heat of the heating element 13a to the discharge electrode 5a are preferable. In addition, when the insulating film 14a is formed by multiple coatings, even if pinholes are generated by each coating, the possibility of overlapping pinholes can be reduced by applying multiple coatings. It is possible to reliably insulate the heat generating portion 13 and is excellent in reliability.

[0100] Although the single-area layer type head substrate 4 is formed in a planar state, it is extremely thin and flexible, and is easily processed from the planar state into a shape (desired shape) along the shape substrate 2 (deformation). Make it possible.

In this embodiment, a flexible substrate 10 (alumina film manufactured by Ibi Kaiko Co., Ltd.) in which an aluminum oxide film is formed on both surfaces of an aluminum foil is used, but the oxide film is a flexible substrate 10. Of these, it is only necessary to be formed on at least the surface on which the heat generating portion 13 requiring insulation is formed. In addition, when an oxide film is formed on both surfaces of the flexible substrate 10, the thermal expansion coefficient can be made equal on the front and back of the flexible substrate 10, so that deformation due to the warp of the flexible substrate 10 can be prevented, and the discharge part 5 and heat generation The manufacturing stability of the part 13 is excellent, and the thermal deformation during driving can be reduced and the long life is excellent. Further, the metal foil and the acid film used as the base material of the flexible substrate 10 can be appropriately selected according to the heat resistance and insulation required for the flexible substrate 10 without being limited thereto.

Next, the configuration of the discharge control device will be described in detail.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of the discharge control device in the first embodiment.

In FIG. 5, the head substrate 4 has a discharge part 5 and a heat generation part 13. Heat generated by the driver IC 6 electrically connected to the heat generating part 13 (the driver IC 6 is wire-bonded to the lead pattern extending from the heat generating part 13 with a gold wire and then sealed with an IC protective resin such as epoxy resin) The heating means 16 controls the heat generation of the heating element 13a of the section 13. It is the discharge controller 7 of the heating discharge type that controls the discharge from the discharge electrode 5a by controlling the heating of the discharge part 5 by the heating means 16 to the discharge electrode 5a.

By fixing the head substrate 4 along the shape substrate 2, a heating / discharging print head la as shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained. The shape substrate 2 has good heat dissipation such as aluminum. By forming it with a new material, the heat generated in the heat generating portion 13 can be quickly transferred from the flexible substrate 10 to the shape substrate 2 and radiated from the shape substrate 2. As a result, the heat generating portion 13 can be rapidly cooled to improve the response to the heating stop. In addition, the driver IC6 etc. can be protected from heat and is highly reliable. When irregularities are formed on the surface of the shape substrate 2 by grooves or the like, the surface area of the shape substrate 2 can be increased, and the efficiency of heat dissipation can be improved.

Next, a method for manufacturing the head substrate will be described in detail.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a heat generating part formation process of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a discharge part forming process of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to the first embodiment. It is.

First, the heating part forming step will be described.

In FIG. 6, after a conductor such as a gold paste is printed on the surface of the flexible substrate 10 formed in a flat shape, a plurality of comb electrodes 11a for heating and individual heating electrodes connected by a heating common conductor pattern 11 by etching. Electrode 12 is formed. After that, a strip-like shape is printed by printing TaSiO, RuO, etc. on the top of the heating comb electrode 11a and the heating individual electrode 12.

twenty two

A heating element 13a is formed. Further, the heat generating common electrode portion l ib is formed on the upper surface of the heat generating common conductor pattern 11 by printing silver paste or the like.

[0103] Bonding pads 12a were formed at the ends of the individual heating electrodes 12. This makes it easy to connect to the driver IC 6 by wire bonding.

The heating unit 16 preferably has the same configuration as a thermal head used in a conventional thermal facsimile. In this case, the existing thermal head manufacturing process can be followed, and the discharge control device 7 can be manufactured at low cost by diverting the manufacturing device. In the present embodiment, the heating element 13a of the heating part 13 is formed in a strip shape, the heating comb electrodes 11a and the heating individual electrodes 12 are alternately arranged, and one heating individual electrode 12 at each center is provided. Between the heat generating comb electrodes 11a on both sides of the discharge electrode 5a, and selectively generate heat at any part of the heating element 13a corresponding to the position of the discharge generating part 15 of each discharge electrode 5a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any structure that can selectively heat the discharge generation site 15 of each discharge electrode 5a can be used. Next, the discharge part forming step will be described.

In FIG. 7, except for each end of the heat generating common electrode section ib and the heat generating individual electrode 12, the surface of the flexible substrate 10 has a heat resistance and insulating property of about 300 ° C., such as polyimide, aramid, polyetherimide, etc. The flexible thin film 14 is formed, for example, by printing the thin film resin. The flexible thin film 14 may be any material that can protect and insulate the heat generating common electrode section l lb, the heat generating individual electrode 12, the heat generating element 13a, etc., but efficiently transfer the heat of the heat generating element 13a to the discharge electrode 5a. Those having high thermal conductivity that can be used are preferably used. The flexible thin film 14 may be formed by applying a heat-resistant and insulating-resistant resin solution such as polyimide garamide by screen printing or the like, or a thin film sheet formed of the same resin. It may be formed by covering.

Next, a plurality of discharge electrodes 5 a facing the heat generating individual electrodes 12 of the heating means 16 and a common electrode portion 5 b connecting them are formed on the flexible thin film 14. For the formation of the discharge electrode 5a and the common electrode portion 5b, a metal such as gold, silver, copper, or aluminum formed by vapor deposition or sputtering printing and then etched to form a pattern is suitably used. In addition, a conductive material such as carbon may be used.

In the present embodiment, each discharge electrode 5a can be formed in a trapezoidal shape, a bullet shape, a semicircular shape, or a combination of these, formed in a substantially rectangular shape. In addition, since the discharge generation site 15 of the discharge electrode 5a has a large amount of discharge from the periphery of the edge, a plurality of uneven portions are formed on the outer peripheral edge of the discharge electrode 5a so that the peripheral length of the periphery of the discharge electrode 5a becomes longer. Generation efficiency can be improved. As a result, the amount of discharge from the discharge generation site 15 is increased, and the ion irradiation amount and emission intensity can be increased, so that the energy saving performance of the discharge control device 7 is excellent. Moreover, since the voltage applied to the discharge electrode 5a can be set small, the long life of the discharge electrode 5a is also excellent.

Next, a modified example of the head substrate will be described.

FIG. 8 (a) is a schematic plan view showing a first modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in Embodiment 1, and FIG. 8 (b) is a schematic view taken along the line CC in FIG. 8 (a). It is sectional drawing.

In FIG. 8, the first modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the first embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the head substrate 4a is covered with heat resistance and covered on the surface of the discharge part 5. And a flexible coating film 17 having an insulating property, and the flexible coating film 17 has a substantially circular opening 17a at a position where the flexible coating film 17 hits a discharge generation site 15 (near the position of the heating element 13a) of each discharge electrode 5a. It is. The flexible coating film 17 was formed in the same manner as the flexible thin film 14 described above. Instead of forming a plurality of independent openings 17a, a long hole-like opening extending over the plurality of discharge electrodes 5a may be formed.

Since a step can be formed between the surface of the discharge generation site 15 of the discharge electrode 5a and the surface of the flexible coating film 17, the gap between the discharge generation site 15 of the discharge electrode 5a and the recording medium, etc. The gap can be kept constant, the contact between the discharge electrode 5a and the recording medium can be prevented, and the discharge from the discharge generation site 15 can be stabilized.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the first embodiment.

In FIG. 9, the second modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the first embodiment is different from the first modification in that a plurality of irregularities are formed on the surface of the flexible coating film 17 of the head substrate 4b. This is the point where the portion 17b is formed.

Thereby, the surface distance of the flexible coating film 17 can be extended and the surface resistance can be increased, and leakage from the discharge generation site 15 of the discharge electrode 5a to the surroundings can be easily prevented. The uneven portion 17b on the surface of the flexible coating film 17 can be easily formed by screen printing or the like. Alternatively, an uneven portion may be formed on the surface of the flexible covering film 17 using the same material as the insulating film 14a.

FIG. 10 (a) is a schematic plan view showing a third modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to Embodiment 1, and FIG. 10 (b) is a cross-sectional view of D—D in FIG. 10 (a). FIG. In FIG. 10, the third modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the first embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment in that the horizontal direction extends from the end of the discharge electrode 5a of the head substrate 4c on the heating element 13a side. Insulating electrode 14 is formed on insulating film 14a apart from each other, and flexible thin film 19 and insulating film 19a covering induction electrode 18 are formed between insulating film 14a and discharge part 5. It is a point to speak.

The flexible thin film 19 and the insulating film 19a are the same as the flexible thin film 14 and the insulating film 14a, respectively. The induction electrode 18 was formed in a strip shape on the insulating film 14a and grounded. The gap between the discharge electrode 5a of the discharge part 5 and the induction electrode 18 can be kept constant at all times, and by applying a voltage between the discharge electrode 5a and the induction electrode 18, a discharge can be reliably generated. The discharge is generated by being pulled by the induction electrode 18, but by grounding the irradiated object side such as a recording medium, the ions are irradiated to the irradiated object in the same direction as when the induction electrode 18 is not provided. .

Next, a modified example of the heat discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device in the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 11 (a) is a schematic side view showing a first modification of the heat-discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device in the first embodiment, and FIG. 11 (b) is a discharge control device in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of an essential part showing a first modified example of a heating / discharging type print head equipped with In FIG. 11, the first modification of the heat discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device in the first embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment in that the discharge generation site 15 of the discharge electrode 5a is different. In other words, the head is an edge-type head disposed on the inclined edge 3b of the shape substrate 2. By disposing the driver IC 6 on the surface of the shape substrate 2 and disposing the discharge electrode 5a on the inclined edge 3b of the shape substrate 2, the driver IC 6 and the discharge electrode 5a are disposed so as to form an obtuse angle. In particular, it is better not to bend like a digital paper or the like! The recording medium can be conveyed in a straight line and can be suitably used for a horizontal printer. In addition, since the discharge electrode 5a is arranged in the edge type, the heating discharge type print head lb can be arranged without being bulky in the height direction, and the electrostatic latent image carrier having various shapes can be arranged. It can be used and has excellent versatility.

FIG. 12 (a) is a schematic side view showing a second modification of the heat-discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device in Embodiment 1, and FIG. 12 (b) is in FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a main part showing a second modification of a heat discharge type print head provided with a discharge control device. In FIG. 12, the second modification of the heating discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device in the first embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the discharge generation site 15 of the discharge electrode 5a is a shape substrate. 2 is a raised head that protrudes from the driver IC6 on the raised surface of the raised portion 3c that protrudes from the surface of 2 and is formed in a gentle hill shape (arc shape, elliptical arc shape, etc.) is there.

Heat-discharge type print head lc can be arranged so that the shape substrate 2 and the electrostatic latent image carrier or recording medium are substantially parallel, reducing the bulkiness in the height direction and being excellent in space saving. In both cases, since the discharge electrode 5a is disposed so as to protrude from the driver IC 6, the electrostatic latent image carrier or recording medium does not interfere with the driver IC 6 or the IC cover 9, and the reliability is excellent.

[0111] The thickness of the flexible substrate 10 and the flexible thin film 14 of the head substrate 4 (4a, 4b, 4c) is extremely thin, for example, several μm to several tens of μm. The total thickness of 4a, 4b, and 4c) can be reduced to a few tens of μm to several hundreds of μm and can be made extremely thin. Since the head substrate 4 (4a, 4b, 4c) is naturally flexible, the end surface 3a (see Fig. 1), the edge 3b (see Fig. 11), the raised portion 3c of the shape substrate 2 from the flat state. The discharge control device 7 can be easily processed (deformed) by bending it in accordance with the shape of the discharge device, etc., and is not subject to restrictions on the formation technology of the discharge device such as the discharge portion 5 and the heat generation portion 13. Obtainable. Therefore, the head substrate 4 (4a, 4b, 4c) remains the same, and various forms of heating / discharge type can be achieved simply by changing the shape of the shape substrate 2 and the attachment position of the head substrate 4 (4a, 4b, 4c). Print heads la, lb, and lc can be obtained, and they are excellent in versatility and mass productivity.

[0112] An ion generation control method of the discharge control apparatus formed as described above will be described. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an ion generation control method of the discharge control apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Application of a discharge control voltage to the discharge electrode 5a (a voltage range in which discharge does not occur just by application! / But a discharge occurs when heated) is applied to the high voltage connected to the common electrode part 5b of the discharge part 5 Start with substrate 9a (see Figure 1). The numerical values of the AC voltage and DC voltage applied to the discharge electrode 5a (common electrode portion 5b) of the discharge unit 5 can be used in various combinations.In this embodiment, the discharge electrode 5a of the discharge unit 5 is, for example, AC550Vpp A voltage of 700V was superimposed on the DC bias (triangular wave 1kHz) and applied. The voltage of AC550Vpp was superimposed to obtain the discharge stability.

[0113] In the state where a voltage equal to or lower than the discharge control voltage is applied to the discharge electrode 5a (common electrode portion 5b) of the discharge section 5, the heating section 13 is controlled by the driver IC 6 as described in FIG. According to 13a The discharge electrode 5a is selectively heated (100 to 300 ° C.). Discharge occurs as shown by the arrows in FIGS. 3 and 8 to 12 at an applied voltage in the range from the discharge generation site 15 of the selectively heated discharge electrode 5a to the discharge control voltage.

When discharge occurs, ions are generated in an atmosphere where ions can be generated, and as shown in Fig. 1 (a), Fig. 11 (a), and Fig. 12 (a), an electrostatic force is applied to the electrostatic latent image carrier and the recording medium. As a result, ions are irradiated. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the electrostatic latent image carrier irradiated with ions. Depending on the type of recording medium, an electrostatic latent image can be formed or an image can be formed by an oxidation-reduction reaction. An image can also be formed on a recording medium that reacts to light emission such as ultraviolet rays and visible rays.

[0114] When only an AC voltage is applied to the discharge electrode 5a (common electrode portion 5b), positive and negative ions are generated. To select only negative ions, a negative DC voltage may be superimposed on the AC voltage. In order to select only positive ions, a positive DC voltage may be superimposed on an AC voltage. The value of the discharge control voltage can be selected as appropriate in combination with the heating temperature by the heating element 13a. The heating element 13a was heated at a low voltage of 24V, and the driver IC 6 used as a switch for generating heat from the heating element 13a was a 5V drive with a low withstand voltage.

[0115] The heating discharge type print head la provided with the discharge control device 7 in Embodiment 1 has a high voltage substrate 9a disposed on the back surface of the IC cover 9 as shown in FIG. By electrically connecting to the section 5b, the electrical wiring for applying the discharge control voltage can be shortened, and the high-voltage board 9a can be handled integrally with the heat-discharge type print head la. This eliminates the need for electrical wiring, facilitates incorporation into image forming apparatuses, and provides excellent mass productivity. In particular, when an image is formed by scanning the heat-discharge type print head la, the heat-discharge type print head la and the high-voltage board 9a can be moved together, so that the electrical wiring is less likely to be loaded and has poor continuity. Generation can be reduced.

Note that the arrangement position of the high-voltage substrate 9a is not limited to the present embodiment, and it is sufficient that the discharge control voltage can be applied to the common electrode portion 5b of the discharge portion 5. Further, in the heat discharge type print heads lb, lc, the high voltage substrate 9a (see FIG. 1) is not shown, but it can be provided in the same manner as in the first embodiment. As described above, the head substrate according to Embodiment 1 has the following effects.

(1) Since the flexible substrate 10 on which the discharge devices such as the heat generating portion 13 and the discharge portion 5 are formed can be bent, after the discharge device is formed on the flexible substrate 10 in a flat state by a technically easy method. The flexible substrate 10 can be deformed (curved) into a desired shape, and fixed along the shape of the shape substrate 2, so that the desired shape can be obtained using a simple technology (previously, advanced technology was required) The heat discharge type print head la can be manufactured with excellent productivity.

(2) Since the discharge electrode 5a and the heating element 13 are insulated by the flexible thin film 14, the heating control by the heating element 13a can be selectively performed with the discharge control voltage applied to the discharge electrode 5a. In the atmosphere where discharge or light emission occurs from the heated discharge electrode 5a and ions can be generated, the amount of ions generated can be controlled, and the image can be recorded on a dedicated recording medium such as an electrostatic developing digital vapor. Can be formed.

(3) Since the flexible thin film 14 covering the heat generating part 13 has heat resistance and insulation, it is connected to the heat generating element 13a and the heat generating element 13a that are not thermally deformed by the heat generated by the heat generating element 13a. The electrode can be protected to ensure insulation from the discharge electrode 5a, and the discharge electrode 5a can be heated.

(4) Even if there is a pinhole in the flexible thin film 14 that insulates the heat generating part 13 from the discharge part 5, the insulation between the heat generating part 13 and the discharge part 5 can be achieved by forming the insulating film 14a on the flexible thin film 14. Can be secured and has excellent reliability.

(5) When the periphery of the discharge electrode 5a is covered with the flexible coating film 17 while leaving the discharge generation site 15, the discharge can be prevented from being generated from an extra portion other than the discharge generation site 15 of the discharge electrode 5a. Electrons, positive or negative ions, and ultraviolet rays can be concentrated and irradiated at one location, and the efficiency of image formation is excellent.

(6) When the flexible coating film 17 is formed leaving the discharge generation site 15 of the discharge electrode 5a, a step can be formed between the surface of the discharge generation site 15 and the surface of the flexible coating film 17. The gap between the discharge electrode 5a and the recording medium arranged opposite to the discharge electrode 5a can be kept constant, the contact with the discharge generation site 15 can be prevented, and the discharge from the discharge generation site 15 can be stabilized. (7) When many irregularities 17b are provided on the surface of the flexible coating film 17, the surface distance is extended to increase the surface resistance, and the current flows from the discharge generation site 15 of the stripped discharge electrode 5a to the surroundings. As a result, the driver IC 6 used for the discharge control is not adversely affected, and the stability of the discharge control can be improved. Since there is no leakage, the applied voltage applied to the discharge electrode 5a does not drop and the discharge is stable and efficient.

(8) When the end electrode force on the heating element 13a side of the discharge electrode 5a is also horizontally separated and the induction electrode 18 is formed on the insulating film 14a, the gap between the discharge electrode 5a and the recording medium (ground side) is wide. Even if the discharge is difficult to occur, the induction electrode 18 formed in the vicinity of the discharge electrode 5a functions as a ground, so that the discharge from the discharge electrode 5a to the induction electrode 18 surely occurs, and the reliability of image formation is improved. Excellent.

(9) Since the flexible substrate 10 having the oxide film formed on both surfaces of the aluminum foil is excellent in thermal conductivity, the heat of the discharge electrode 5a can be transferred to the shape substrate 2 and escaped to the discharge electrode 5a. Therefore, the responsiveness of the discharge stop to the heating stop of the heat generating part 13 can be improved, and the reliability of the discharge control is excellent.

(10) Since the oxide film formed on both sides of the aluminum foil that is the base material of the flexible substrate 10 is alumina, it has excellent adhesion between the metal foil and the oxide film, and the insulation and durability of the flexible substrate 10 Can be improved.

(11) Since the metal foil used as the base material of the flexible substrate 10 is formed of aluminum, the thermal conductivity of the flexible substrate 10 can be improved, and excess heat from the discharge electrode 5a and the heat generating portion 13 can be removed. The flexible substrate 10 can be efficiently transmitted to the shape substrate 2 to which the flexible substrate 10 is fixed and escaped, and the efficiency and reliability of discharge generation can be improved.

(12) Since the oxide film of the flexible substrate 10 is formed of alumina, it is chemically stable, has excellent heat resistance and insulation, and has high thermal conductivity, improving the reliability of discharge control. Can be made.

(13) Since the flexible substrate 10 having an oxide film formed on the surface of the metal foil is excellent in heat resistance, when the heat generating portion 13 is formed, in addition to using a thin film technology such as sputtering or vapor deposition, baking is performed at a high temperature. Therefore, it is possible to use a thick film technique that requires high-quality, and it is excellent in mass productivity.

(14) Since a discharge device can be formed on the flexible substrate 10 in a planar state , Easy to microfabrication and multi-cavity and excellent in mass productivity.

[0117] As described above, the discharge control device using the head substrate in the first embodiment has the following effects.

(1) Since the driver IC 6 that controls the heat generation of the heating element 13a is provided, the discharge electrode 5a can be selectively heated based on the image data to generate discharge, and the reliability of discharge control Excellent.

(2) By controlling the heating time of the discharge electrode 5a by the heating element 13a with the driver IC6, the discharge time at the discharge electrode 5a can be controlled, and the amount of ions generated and the intensity of emitted light can be controlled. Therefore, the area gradation on the recording medium can be easily performed, and the image quality can be improved.

[0118] As described above, the heat-discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device according to Embodiment 1 has the following effects.

(1) Since the head substrate 10 has flexibility, it is possible to change the shape of the shape substrate 2 and the fixing position of the discharge part 5 with respect to the shape substrate 2. Can produce print heads la, lb, and lc, and is excellent in mass productivity and versatility.

(2) Heating discharge type in which driver IC6 is placed on the surface of shape substrate 2 and discharge electrode 5a is placed on end surface 3a of shape substrate 2 so that driver IC6 and discharge electrode 5a are substantially perpendicular to each other The print head la can be transported in a straight line rather than being bent like a digital paper or the like, and can be suitably used for a horizontal printer.

(3) The heating discharge type print head la, in which the discharge unit 5 is arranged in the end face type, can be narrowed in the width of the part facing the electrostatic latent image carrier and the recording medium, and arranged without being bulky in the horizontal direction. Since it can be used, it can be applied to various types of electrostatic latent image carriers and has excellent versatility.

(4) Heating discharge in which driver IC6 is placed on the surface of shape substrate 2 and discharge electrode 5a is placed on the inclined edge 3b of shape substrate 2 so that driver IC6 and discharge electrode 5a form an obtuse angle The type print head lb can be conveyed in a straight line rather than being bent like a digital paper or the like, and can be suitably used for a horizontal printer.

(5) Heating discharge type print head lb whose discharge unit 5 is arranged in an edge type When facing the recording medium, it can be arranged without being bulky in the height direction, and can correspond to a variety of shapes of electrostatic latent image carriers, and is excellent in versatility.

(6) The driver IC 6 is arranged on the surface of the shape substrate 2, and the discharge electrode 5a is arranged on the raised surface of the raised portion 3c formed on the surface of the shape substrate 2, so that the discharge electrode 5a protrudes from the driver IC 6. The heating / discharge-type print head lc, which should not be bent particularly like a digital paper, can convey a recording medium in a straight line, and can be suitably used for a horizontal printer.

(7) The heating discharge type print head lc, in which the discharge unit 5 is arranged in a raised form, can be arranged without being bulky in the height direction when the discharge unit 5 is opposed to the recording medium. It can be applied to any shape of electrostatic latent image carrier and has excellent versatility.

(8) Since the shape substrate 2 is made of a material having thermal conductivity, the shape substrate 2 acts as a heat sink, so that it is possible to reduce the number of parts and manufacturing steps that do not require a separate heat sink, Mass productivity can be improved.

(9) Since the shape substrate 2 has thermal conductivity, excess heat from the discharge electrode 5a and the heat generating portion 13 can be quickly absorbed and dissipated by the shape substrate 2, so that the discharge portion 5 and the heat generating portion 13 can be dissipated. Can be rapidly cooled, and the discharge stop responsiveness of the discharge part 5 corresponding to the heating stop of the heat generating part 13 can be improved.

(Embodiment 2)

A heating / discharging print head provided with the discharge control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the thing similar to Embodiment 1, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 14 (a) is a schematic side view showing a heat discharge type print head provided with the discharge control device according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 14 (b) is a calorie heat discharge provided with the discharge control device according to the second embodiment. It is a principal part model perspective view which shows a type | mold printing head.

In FIG. 14, the heating discharge type print head Id provided with the discharge control device 7 in the second embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment in that the discharge electrode 5a is disposed in the vicinity of the lowermost portion of the shape substrate 2. Similar to the discharge needle of the electrostatic plotter, it is a vertical discharge type that corresponds to a horizontal printer type that is arranged perpendicular to the recording medium.

Affix the head substrate 4d so that the discharge part 5 is placed at the bottom (tip) of the surface of the shaped substrate 2. Since the discharge can be generated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the discharge electrode 5a simply by changing the attachment position, the heat discharge type print head Id is excellent in mass productivity and is suitably used as a model compatible with horizontal printers. be able to.

[0120] Next, details of the structure of the head substrate used in the discharge control apparatus according to Embodiment 2 will be described.

FIG. 15 (a) is a plan development view of the main part of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 15 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. 15 (a).

In FIG. 15, the head substrate 4d of the discharge control device 7 according to the second embodiment is different from the head substrate 4 of the discharge control device 7 according to the first embodiment in that it is located on the lowermost surface (front end) side of the discharge electrode 5a. The discharge part 5 is covered with a flexible thin film 20 similar to the flexible thin film 14 and the flexible coating film 17 within a range that does not prevent the downward irradiation of ions, leaving a portion of the downward force from the discharge generation site 15 Is a point.

The manufacturing method of the head substrate 4d of the discharge control device 7 in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment except that the number of steps for forming the flexible thin film 20 is increased, and the description thereof is omitted.

As in the case of FIG. 9, if many irregularities (steps) are provided on the surface of the flexible thin film 20, the surface distance of the flexible thin film 20 is extended and the surface resistance is increased from that shown in FIG. As a result, the current does not leak from the discharge generation site 15 of the discharge electrode 5a to the surroundings.

Further, the discharge control device 7 in the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the ion irradiation direction, and the ion generation control method is the same as that in the first embodiment, so that the description thereof is omitted.

As described above, the head substrate and the discharge control apparatus using the head substrate in the second embodiment have the same operations as those in the first embodiment.

[0122] As described above, according to the heat discharge type print head including the discharge control device in the second embodiment, in addition to the operation in the first embodiment, the following operation is provided.

(1) From the discharge electrode 5a of the discharge part 5 by covering it with the flexible thin film 20 leaving a directional force part downward from the discharge generation site 15 located on the lowermost surface (tip) side of the discharge electrode 5a. This can prevent a wide range of discharges and can efficiently generate a discharge in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the discharge electrode 5a.

(2) Since the discharge electrode 5a does not discharge from an extra portion other than the discharge generation site 15, the leakage from the discharge section 5 does not cause damage to the driver IC 6 and has excellent discharge control stability. By eliminating this, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the applied voltage applied to the discharge electrode 5a and improve the stability of the discharge.

[0123] (Embodiment 3)

A discharge control apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same components as those in the first or second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 16 is a plan development view of the main part of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 17 (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF of FIG. 16, and FIG. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line G-G.

16 and 17, the head substrate 4e of the discharge control device in the third embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment in that the discharge is performed via the insulating film 1 Oa on one surface side of both surfaces of the flexible substrate 10. The discharge portion 5 having the electrode 5a is formed, and the heat generating portion 13 for heating the discharge electrode 5a is formed on the other surface side.

The manufacturing method of the head substrate 4e of the discharge control device in the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the discharge part 5 and the heat generating part 13 are formed on the front and back of the flexible substrate 10, and each step. Is the same as in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the force insulating film 10a in which the insulating film 10a similar to the insulating film 14a described above is formed only on the upper surface of the flexible substrate 10 is provided on at least one surface of both surfaces of the flexible substrate 10. What is necessary is just to form. Thereby, the discharge part 5 and the heat generating part 13 can be reliably insulated. Further, in the double-sided laminated head substrate 4e, when the discharge part 5 and the heat generating part 13 are formed on different surfaces of the flexible substrate 10, respectively, either may be formed first.

[0124] Next, a modified example of the head substrate will be described.

FIG. 18 (a) shows a first modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 18 (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line H—H in FIG. 18 (a). In FIG. 18, the first modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the third embodiment is different from the third embodiment in that the head substrate 4f is covered with the heat resistance and insulation covered on the surface of the discharge part 5. Flexible coating film 17, and the flexible coating film 17 has a substantially circular opening 17 a at a position corresponding to the discharge generation site 15 (near the position of the heating element 13 a) of each discharge electrode 5 a. . The flexible coating film 17 was formed in the same manner as the flexible thin film 14 described above. Instead of forming the plurality of independent openings 17a, a long hole-like opening extending over the plurality of discharge electrodes 5a may be formed! /.

FIG. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to the third embodiment.

In FIG. 19, the second modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the third embodiment is different from the first modification in that a plurality of uneven portions 17b are formed on the surface of the flexible coating film 17 of the head substrate 4g. It is a point that is formed.

Thereby, the surface distance of the flexible coating film 17 can be extended and the surface resistance can be increased, and leakage from the discharge generation site 15 of the discharge electrode 5a to the surroundings can be easily prevented. The uneven portion 17b on the surface of the flexible coating film 17 can be easily formed by screen printing or the like. Alternatively, an uneven portion may be formed on the surface of the flexible covering film 17 using the same material as the insulating film 10a.

FIG. 20 (a) is a schematic plan view showing a third modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 20 (b) is a diagram of I—I in FIG. 20 (a). FIG.

In FIG. 20, the third modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the third embodiment differs from the third embodiment in the end of the discharge electrode 5a of the head substrate 4h on the heating element 13a side. And a flexible thin film 19 and an insulating film 19a covering the induction electrode 18 between the insulating film 1 Oa and the discharge part 5; It is a point that is formed.

The induction electrode 18 was formed in a strip shape on the insulating film 14a and grounded. The gap between the discharge electrode 5a of the discharge part 5 and the induction electrode 18 can be kept constant at all times, and by applying a voltage between the discharge electrode 5a and the induction electrode 18, a discharge can be reliably generated. The discharge is generated by being pulled by the induction electrode 18, but by grounding the irradiated object side such as a recording medium, the ions are irradiated to the irradiated object in the same direction as when the induction electrode 18 is not provided. .

[0127] Since the head substrate 4e (4f, 4g, 4h) of the discharge control device 7 in the third embodiment is very flexible, the head substrate 4 (4a, 4b, 4h) of the discharge control device 7 in the first embodiment. Similar to 4c), it can be easily processed (deformed) from the planar state by bending it along the shape of the end face portion 3a, edge portion 3b, raised portion 3c, etc. of the shaped substrate 2. Heat-discharge type print heads la, lb and lc similar to those in form 1 can be obtained.

As described above, the head substrate in the third embodiment has the following operation in addition to the operation in the first embodiment.

(1) Since the heat generating part 13 and the discharge part 5 are formed across the flexible substrate 10, there is no need to separately form a flexible thin film for insulating the heat generating part 13 and the discharge part 5, and the production man-hour can be reduced. Since the heat generating part 13 and the discharge part 5 are completely adhered via the flexible substrate 10, the heat transfer efficiency is improved, and the heating and discharge efficiency is excellent.

(2) Since the flexible substrate 10 has heat resistance and insulation, it is not thermally deformed by the heat generated by the heating element 13a, and the electrodes connected to the heating element 13a and the heating element 13a are protected and discharged. Insulation with the electrode 5a can be ensured, and the discharge electrode 5a can be heated.

(3) By covering the heat generating part 13 with the flexible thin film 14, the high temperature heat generating part 13 can be prevented from being exposed, and insulation between the heat generating part 13 and the outside can be ensured, resulting in excellent safety.

(4) Even if pinholes are formed in the flexible substrate 10, forming the insulating film 10a on the flexible substrate 10 ensures the insulation between the heat generating part 13 and the discharge part 5 and is excellent in reliability.

(5) Flexible substrate 10 with an oxide film formed on both sides of aluminum foil Therefore, the heat generated by the heating element 13a can be efficiently transmitted to the discharge electrode 5a through the flexible substrate 10, the discharge control voltage and the heating temperature can be set low, and energy saving and discharge generation are prevented. Excellent efficiency.

As described above, according to the discharge control device using the head substrate in the third embodiment and the heat discharge type print head including the discharge control device, the same operation as in the first embodiment is obtained.

[0130] (Embodiment 4)

A discharge control apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same components as those in the first to third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 21 is a configuration diagram showing the head substrate of the discharge control device of the discharge device separation type according to the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 22 (a) shows the head substrate of the discharge control device of the discharge device separation type according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 22 (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the heat generating unit of the head substrate of the discharge control device of the discharge device separation type in Embodiment 4, and FIG. 22 (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the discharge unit. FIG. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the head substrate of the discharge control device of the discharge device separation type in Embodiment 4, and FIG. 22 (d) is a modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device of the discharge device separation type of Embodiment 4. FIG.

In FIGS. 21 and 22, the head substrate of the discharge control device in the fourth embodiment is different from the first to third embodiments in that the discharge part 5 and the heat generating part 13 are separately formed on the flexible substrate 10. The discharge unit 21 and the heat generation unit 22 are combined, and the discharge unit 21 is combined with the heat generation unit 22 to form the head substrates 4i and 4j.

In FIGS. 22 (a) and 22 (b), the manufacturing method capabilities of the discharge unit 21 and the heat generation unit 22 of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to the fourth embodiment are different from the third embodiment in that they are separate flexible The discharge part 5 and the heat generating part 13 are formed on the substrate 10, and the respective steps are the same as those in the third embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0132] As shown in Fig. 22 (c), the discharge unit 21 and the heat generation unit 22 are bonded together. 22d, or as shown in FIG. 22 (d), the discharge unit 5 of the discharge unit 21 and the heat generation unit 13 of the heat generation unit 22 are back to back, and the flexible substrates 10 are bonded together to form the head substrate. It may be 4j.

Note that the discharge unit 21 and the heat generating unit 22 are fixed with jigs for fixing the longitudinal ends and outer peripheral portions of the discharge unit 21 and the heat generating unit 22 from above and below instead of being bonded together with a heat-resistant adhesive. It is good also as attachment or detachment by pinching and fixing. The fixing jig may be fixed by a detachable fixing means such as pin fitting or screwing. Positioning of the discharge unit 21 and the heat generation unit 22 can be performed by pin fitting with a pin protruding from one of the discharge unit 21 and the heat generation unit 22 and a fitting hole formed in the other. Alternatively, the flexible substrate 10 of both the discharge unit 21 and the heat generating unit 22 may be provided with fitting holes, and both may be positioned and fixed using pins of a fixing jig. The heat generating unit 22 has a function of heating the discharge unit 21, and may be formed on a hard substrate such as ceramic instead of being formed on the flexible substrate 10 having flexibility. When the heat generating unit 22 is formed on a hard substrate such as ceramic, an existing thermal head can be used as the heat generating unit 22, and the heat discharge type print head obtained in this way is a conventional flat print. It can be used as a head.

In the present embodiment, as in the first modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device in the first and third embodiments, the flexible coating film 17 having the opening 17a is formed on the surface of the discharge section 5, Similar to the second modification of the head substrate of the discharge control device according to the first and third embodiments, a plurality of irregularities may be formed on the surface of the flexible coating film 17 or the flexible coating film. 17 is not necessary

As described above, the head substrate in the fourth embodiment has the following actions in addition to the operations in the first to third embodiments.

(1) Since the discharge unit 21 and the heat generating unit 22 can be manufactured as separate parts, the respective manufacturing processes of the discharge unit 21 and the heat generating unit 22 can be simplified, yield can be improved, and mass productivity is excellent.

(2) By combining the discharge unit 21 and the heat generation unit 22 in consideration of the variation in characteristics, the variation in characteristics of the head substrates 4i and 4j can be reduced to achieve almost uniform characteristics. Performance and mass productivity.

(3) When the discharge unit 21 and the heat generating unit 22 are detachable, they can be easily replaced or repaired if any one of them fails, especially when the discharge electrode 5a is worn. Since the discharge unit 21 can be replaced, the running cost of the discharge control device 7 can be reduced, and the maintenance and resource saving are excellent. In particular, a remarkable effect can be obtained when an existing thermal head is used as the heating unit 22.

As described above, according to the discharge control device using the head substrate in the fourth embodiment and the heat-discharge type print head equipped with the discharge control device, the operation is the same as in the first or third embodiment. .

[Embodiment 5]

A thermal head according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 23 is a schematic perspective view of an essential part showing the thermal head in the fifth embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the thing similar to Embodiment 1-4, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

In FIG. 23, reference numeral 30 denotes a heating element 13a of the heating unit 22a so that the heating element 13a of the heating unit 13a is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the shape substrate 2a on the end surface portion 3a of the flat shape substrate 2a formed of a material such as an anorium. 6 is an end face type thermal head according to the fifth embodiment.

Next, the structure of the heat generating unit of the thermal head in the fifth embodiment will be described in detail.

FIG. 24 is a plan development view of the main part showing the heat generating unit of the thermal head in the fifth embodiment, FIG. 25 (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line JJ in FIG. 24, and FIG. FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line K—K.

In FIGS. 24 and 25, 14b is formed of heat-resistant and insulating glass covered on the upper surface of the flexible substrate 10 except for the end portion of the heating common electrode portion 1 lb and the heating individual electrode 12. It is a protective film.

The heating unit 22a of the thermal head 30 in the fifth embodiment has the same configuration as the heating unit 22 of the head substrate 4i of the discharge control device 7 in the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 24 and FIG. 25, the method of manufacturing the heat generating unit 22a of the thermal head 30 in the fifth embodiment is different from the heat generating unit 22 of the head substrate 4i of the discharge control device 7 in the fourth embodiment. Instead of forming the flexible thin film 14 with a synthetic resin such as polyimide, aramid, or polyetherimide, a protective film 14b is formed with glass. Heat-generating common conductor pattern 11, Heat-generating comb electrode 11a, Heat-generating common electrode part l ib, Heat-generating individual electrode 12 Conductor (electrode), Heat-generating element 13a TaSiO or RuO, Protective film 14b

twenty two

Each thick glass-type heat generating part 13 can be easily formed by applying and baking each glass paste on the flexible substrate 10 in a flat state and patterning using a photolithographic technique.

In the present embodiment, the arrangement method of the heat generating portion 13 is an end face type, but the shape of the shape substrate 2a and

By selecting the attachment position of the heat generating unit 22a, an edge-type or raised-type thermal head similar to the heat-discharge type print heads lb, lc shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 can be obtained.

The heat generating portion 13 of the heat generating unit 22a can also be formed in a thin film type using a film forming technique such as sputtering or vacuum deposition.

[0138] As described above, according to the thermal head in the fifth embodiment, the following effects are obtained.

(1) Since the flexible substrate 10 of the heat generating unit 22a can be bent, the flexible substrate ₁₀ is formed after forming the heat generating portion 13 and the like on the planar flexible substrate ₁₀ using a technically easy thick film technology. Each unit can be deformed (curved) into a desired shape, and by fixing the heat generating unit 22a along the shape of the shape substrate 2a, a simple technique can be used. The thermal head 30 is manufactured with high productivity.

(2) By changing the shape of the shape substrate 2a and the fixing position of the heat generating unit 22a relative to the shape substrate 2a, the thermal head 30 of various shapes can be manufactured using the common heat generating unit 22a. Excellent.

(3) The heat generating part 13 is covered with a heat-resistant and insulating protective film 14b. The heat generating part 13 can be protected to prevent damage, and the heat generating unit 22a has excellent durability and long life.

(4) Since the flexible substrate 10 having the oxide film formed on both surfaces of the aluminum foil is excellent in thermal conductivity, the heat of the heat generating part 13 can be transferred to the shape substrate 2a and escaped to the heat generating part 13. This prevents the heat build-up from occurring, improves the print stop response to the heating stop of the heat generating part 13 and increases the print speed, and forms a high-quality image without a tail. Can be reliable in image quality.

(5) Since the oxide film formed on both surfaces of the aluminum foil that is the base material of the flexible substrate 10 is alumina, it has excellent adhesion between the metal foil and the oxide film, and the insulating and durability of the flexible substrate 10 Can be improved.

(6) Since the metal foil used as the base material of the flexible substrate 10 is formed of aluminum, the thermal conductivity of the flexible substrate 10 can be improved, and the flexible substrate 10 It can be efficiently transmitted to the fixed shape substrate 2a and escaped, and the printing stop response to the heating stop of the heat generating part 13 is excellent, and the reliability of the image quality is excellent.

(7) Because the oxide film of the flexible substrate 10 is made of alumina, it is chemically stable, has excellent heat resistance and insulation properties, and has high thermal conductivity, improving the reliability of discharge control. It is out.

(8) By disposing the driver IC6 on the surface of the shape substrate 2a and disposing the heating element 13a on the end surface 3a of the shape substrate 2a so that the driver IC6 and the heating element 13a are substantially at right angles, A recording medium such as a plastic card or cardboard that is elastic and difficult to be bent can be conveyed in a straight line, and can be suitably used for a horizontal printer.

(9) Since the arrangement of the heat generating portion 13 is an end face type, the width of the portion facing the recording medium can be reduced and the arrangement can be made without being bulky in the horizontal direction. The heat from the heating element 13a with a small contact area between the heat generating part 13 and the recording medium does not spread in the scanning direction and forms a high-quality image without blurring. The image quality is highly reliable.

(10) The flexible substrate 10 with an oxide film formed on the surface of the metal foil is excellent in heat resistance. When forming the heat generating portion 13, in addition to using a thin film technique such as sputtering or vapor deposition, a thick film technique that requires baking at a high temperature can be used, which is excellent in mass productivity.

(11) Since the heat generating portion 13 can be formed on the flexible substrate 10 in a planar state, fine processing and multi-piece fabrication are easy and excellent in mass productivity.

Industrial applicability

In the present invention, by providing a flexible substrate, after forming a discharge device having a heating part, a discharge part, etc. on a flat substrate, the substrate on which the discharge device is formed is processed into a desired shape. By providing a head substrate that is superior in workability and assembly workability, can overcome limitations on the formation technology of the substrate and discharge device and can be designed and mass-produced, and by improving the thermal conductivity of the substrate Offers a discharge control device that uses a head substrate with excellent discharge stop response to heat stop and excellent discharge control reliability, small size, excellent mass productivity, easy installation, and writing without bending the recording medium In addition, it is possible to form an electrostatic latent image from an optimal position on a variety of shapes of electrostatic latent image carriers. By providing a heat-discharge-type print head that can handle data and providing flexibility to the substrate itself, a heat generating part can be formed on a planar substrate using thin film technology or thick film technology. Capable of mass production, excellent mass productivity, processing a substrate with a heat generation part into a desired shape, excellent workability and assembly workability, and overcoming restrictions on the technology for forming the substrate and the heat generation part It can be suitably used as a heating means such as a heat discharge type discharge control device that can be used only as a print head, and is excellent in design flexibility and versatility, and is improved by improving the thermal conductivity of the substrate. It is possible to provide a thermal head that is excellent in response to printing stop and excellent in image quality reliability, and can be used for horizontal printer compatible print heads and heating means.

Claims

The scope of the claims

[1] A heat-resistant and insulating flexible substrate having an oxide film formed on at least one of both surfaces of the metal foil, and the oxide film of the flexible substrate formed A heating part having a heating element formed on the surface, a heat-resistant and insulating flexible thin film covering the heating part, and a discharge electrode formed on the flexible thin film and heated by the heating element. And a discharge part having a head substrate.

2. The head substrate according to claim 1, further comprising an insulating film formed on at least one of both surfaces of the flexible thin film.

[3] A heat-resistant and insulating flexible substrate in which an oxide film is formed on both surfaces of a metal foil, and a discharge part having a discharge electrode formed on one surface side of both surfaces of the flexible substrate; And a heat generating part having a heat generating element formed on the other surface side of both surfaces of the flexible substrate.

[4] The head substrate according to [3], further comprising a flexible thin film having heat resistance and insulation covering the heat generating portion.

[5] (a) A discharge part having a heat-resistant and insulating flexible substrate in which an oxide film is formed on both surfaces of a metal foil, and a discharge electrode formed on one side of both surfaces of the flexible substrate And (b) a heat generating portion having a heat generating element for heating the discharge electrode, and the heat generation disposed on the other surface side of both surfaces of the flexible substrate of the discharge unit. And a unit comprising a unit.

[6] The head substrate according to claim 5, wherein the discharge unit and the heat generating unit are detachably disposed.

7. The head substrate according to any one of claims 3 to 6, further comprising an insulating film formed on at least one of both surfaces of the flexible substrate.

[8] The head substrate according to any one of [1] to [7], further comprising an induction electrode formed on the discharge portion side of the flexible substrate so as to be insulated from the discharge electrode. .

[9] A heat-resistant and insulating film coated on the discharge electrode leaving a discharge generation site. The head substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the head substrate is provided with a compliant coating film.

[10] The head substrate according to claim 9, further comprising an uneven portion formed on the surface of the flexible coating film.

[11] The internal force of any one of [1] to [10], wherein the oxide film of the flexible substrate is formed of a metal oxide film made of the same material as the metal foil. Head board.

12. The oxide film of the flexible substrate is formed of a metal oxide film of a material different from that of the metal foil. Head board.

[13] The head substrate according to any one of [1] to [12], wherein the metal foil of the flexible substrate is made of aluminum.

[14] The head substrate according to any one of [1] to [12], wherein the metal foil of the flexible substrate is made of copper.

15. The head substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the oxide film of the flexible substrate is made of alumina.

[16] The head substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and a drive disposed on a surface of the flexible substrate on the heat generating portion side of the head substrate to control heat generation of the heating element. A discharge control device comprising: an IC.

[17] A heat discharge type print head comprising the discharge control device according to claim 16, wherein the head substrate is fixed along the shape of the shape substrate. .

18. The heating discharge type print head according to claim 17, wherein a surface on which the discharge electrode is disposed and a surface on which the driver IC is disposed are not on the same plane.

[19] In the arrangement of the discharge part, the driver IC is arranged on the surface of the shape substrate, and the discharge electrode is arranged on the end surface of the shape substrate so as to be substantially perpendicular to the surface of the shape substrate. 19. The heat-discharge type print head according to claim 18, wherein the print head is of an end face type.

[20] In the arrangement of the discharge part, the driver IC is arranged on the surface of the shape substrate, and the discharge electrode forms an obtuse angle with the surface of the shape substrate at the inclined edge of the fixed plate. 19. The heating and discharging type printing head according to claim 18, wherein the heating and discharging type printing head is an arranged edge type.

[21] The discharge portion is arranged in a raised type in which the driver IC is placed on the surface of the shape substrate, and the discharge electrode is placed on the raised surface of the raised portion formed on the surface of the shape substrate. 19. The heat discharge type print head according to claim 18, wherein the print head is a heat discharge type print head.

22. The heat discharge type print head according to any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the shaped substrate is made of a material having thermal conductivity.

23. The heat discharge type print head according to any one of claims 17 to 22, wherein a heat radiating plate made of a material having thermal conductivity is disposed on the shaped substrate.

[24] A heat-resistant and insulating flexible substrate in which an oxide film is formed on at least one of both surfaces of the metal foil, and the oxide film of the flexible substrate is formed A heating means having a heat generating part having a heat generating element formed on the surface and a driver IC for controlling the heat generation of the heat generating element; a heat-resistant and insulating protective film covering the heat generating part; A thermal head that is equipped with a heating unit equipped with

25. The thermal head according to claim 24, wherein the oxide film of the flexible substrate is formed of a metal oxide film made of the same material as the metal foil.

26. The thermal head according to claim 24, wherein the oxide film of the flexible substrate is formed of a metal oxide film made of a material different from that of the metal foil.

27. The thermal head according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the metal foil of the flexible substrate is made of aluminum.

28. The thermal head according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the metal foil of the flexible substrate is made of copper.

29. The thermal head according to any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein the oxide film of the flexible substrate is made of alumina.

30. The heat generating unit is fixed along the shape of the shape substrate, and the heat generating element disposition surface of the heat generating portion and the driver IC disposition surface are not coplanar. The thermal head according to any one of 4 to 29.

[31] The heating unit is arranged in such a manner that the driver IC is arranged on the surface of the shape substrate, and the heating element is arranged on the end surface portion of the shape substrate so as to be substantially perpendicular to the surface of the shape substrate. 31. The thermal head according to claim 30, wherein the thermal head is an end face type.

[32] The heating unit is arranged such that the driver IC is arranged on the surface of the shape substrate, and the heating element forms an obtuse angle with the surface of the shape substrate at the inclined edge of the fixed plate. 32. The thermal head according to claim 30, wherein the thermal head is an arranged edge type.

[33] The arrangement of the heat generating part is a raised type in which the driver IC is arranged on the surface of the shape substrate, and the heat generating element is arranged on a raised surface of a raised part formed on the surface of the shape substrate. The thermal head according to claim 30, wherein the thermal head is provided.