WO2011145959A1 - Thermal printer - Google Patents
Thermal printer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2011145959A1 WO2011145959A1 PCT/PL2010/000037 PL2010000037W WO2011145959A1 WO 2011145959 A1 WO2011145959 A1 WO 2011145959A1 PL 2010000037 W PL2010000037 W PL 2010000037W WO 2011145959 A1 WO2011145959 A1 WO 2011145959A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- thermal
- thermal head
- printed
- printer
- head
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/135—Nozzles
- B41J2/145—Arrangement thereof
- B41J2/155—Arrangement thereof for line printing
Definitions
- the subject matter of this invention is a thermal printer.
- a linear printing head has one row of heating elements which perform transfer of print onto the material being printed from a thermosensitive material in the course of moving the material being printed and the thermosensitive material over the head.
- thermosensitive material is conventionally a thermo-transfer film although the thermosensitive material may be also the material being printed.
- thermal spots arranged in a line perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the material being printed are positioned, and additionally for a lower number of thermal spots the head could be moved perpendicularly to the direction of the material being printed, in order to increase the width of the area being printed relative to the head width.
- thermal printers are known as the one disclosed in the U.S. Patent
- 2009/0128613 Al which discloses an apparatus comprising several linear heads adequately spaced consecutively.
- the apparatus of the invention comprises several lines of heat spots spaced apart by a portion of their diameters, so as to increase the resolution, said lines being controlled as a unitary line.
- the example provides a printer equipped with four heads, each one being provided with its own thermo-transfer tape, in order to obtain color printout or to accelerate printing.
- Such solution is aimed mainly at acceleration of printing, since each head is printing an associated portion of the printout.
- thermal printers both of the old kind and the new ones that are equipped with several thermal heads, are characterized by the necessity to ensure relative movement of the material being printed to the thermal head, whether the material moves relative to the thermal printer or the thermal printer moves relative to the material.
- the thermal printer according to the invention comprising a thermal head equipped with heating elements, is characterized in that the thermal head comprises a plurality of rows of heating elements defining a matrix.
- the matrix of heads comprises X columns and Y rows of heating elements.
- the individual heating elements are controlled selectively by means of an electronic circuit, where the electronic circuit comprises a row controller that cooperates with a row decoder, and a column controller that cooperates with a column decoder, where the row decoder and column decoder are controlled by means of a processor.
- the heating elements are conductive and resistive layers applied on a ceramic substrate, and integrated row and column controllers are also positioned thereon.
- the printer is equipped with a rigid base and a pressing plate, where the thermal head is positioned on the rigid base and the material being printed is positioned between the matrix and the pressing plate.
- Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of a thermal printer with a specifically shown heating element
- Fig. 2 shows schematically the structure of the thermal head
- Fig. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a printer at the place where the thermal head is positioned on the rigid base.
- a thermal printer 1 is equipped with a thermal head 2 in a form of a matrix comprising X columns 3 and Y rows 4. At the junction of each column 3 with a row 4 in the thermal head 2 in a form of a matrix, there is positioned a heating element 5. Heating elements 5 are electrically powered and they are selectively controlled by means of column controllers 6 controlled from a column decoder 7 and row controllers 8 controlled from a row decoder 9.
- the column decoder 7 and the row decoder 9 are activated by means of a processor 10.
- thermo printer As a result of running a suitable program stored in the processor 10, for example upon connecting it to a PC or upon loading a suitable algorithm directly to the processor 10, certain heating elements 5 are selectively heated in one then activated row 4, and next in the consecutive rows 4 of the consecutive columns 3.
- the size of the area being printed depends on the area of the thermal head 2 in a form of a matrix. It is also obvious that in specific applications the thermal head 2 in a form of a matrix can cover all the area of the desired printout and it can be stationary, or it can move in the thermal printer 1 relative to the material 11 being printed, to print a larger area than the area of the thermal head 2.
- the thermal head 2 constructed in a form of a matrix of X columns 3 and Y rows 4 can be made by any arbitrary technology that ensures selective electric control over the individual heating elements 5 of the thermal head 2 in a form of a matrix, but in one preferable form the individual spots in the matrix, including the heating elements 5, are conductive and resistive layers sprayed on a ceramic substrate Z.
- integrated control circuits can be positioned that constitute integrated column controllers 6 and column decoder 8, as well as row controllers 7 and row decoder 9.
- It can also be a semiconductor technology product in a form of one semiconductor plate with a structure with semiconductive heating elements 5 and integrated row controllers 7, line decoders 9, column controllers 6 and column decoders 8.
- Fig. 3 illustrates a schematic section of the printer 1 at a place where the thermal head 2 is positioned on the rigid base 11.
- the material 12 being printed is positioned with a rigid plate 13 above, which plate acts with a pressing force F on the material 12 being printed against the thermal head 2.
- a thermo-transfer film 14 that cause transferring an image onto the material 12 being printed as a result of heating it with heating elements 5 of the thermal head 2.
- This process may additionally involve a protective film 15 that will prevent the material 12 being printed or the thermo-transfer film 14 from adhering to the thermal head 2.
- the protective film 15 will also attribute to enhancing service life of the thermal head 12.
- inventive head (matrix) printer instead of a linear head eliminates necessity to move the material being printed relative to the head. This enables printing on materials with smooth and slippery surfaces but also on any other surface without distortion of the image being reproduced. This also makes it possible to overprint or seal porous of materials that require considerable and uniform pressing during printing or sealing, such as porous materials on which it is not possible presently to print without image distortion.
- the inventive thermal printer with a board (matrix) printer can successfully be used in lieu of conventional painting method of thermal painting on flexible materials, non-dimensional materials, such as foamy materials, leather, soft boards, as well as paper, fabrics, plastic, etc.
- An advantage of the thermal printer according to the invention is that any shape, any thickness, any density of the material being printed can be used. In the case of a linear head, the thickness and size of the material being printed are strictly determined.
- an important advantage of the inventive thermal printer is a possibility to change freely the entire printed image by electronic transfer directly from a computer.
- a special film for heat marking is used or the material being printed comprises ingredients that change its characteristics upon heating (e.g. Carbon).
- a printer with a board (matrix) head can be successfully used in lieu of presently commonly used flash technology in manufacturing text plates for stamps of a microporous material.
- the process is performed by means of high power consuming flash lamps (high power loss, presence of UV radiation, high complexity of the process and lack of possibilities to transfer data from the computer to the material in one process, as a plate is necessary), or by means of linear thermal printers where image distortion occurs due to lack of uniform pressure on the entire material surface and short head service life results from high friction between the head and the material, and poor quality of rubber pores is due to lack of proper pressure.
- the thermal printer according to the invention is not limited to these applications and as mentioned above as it can be also used in a system where the material being printed can move relative to the thermal head.
- thermal printer according to the invention with its thermal head can be used in the following exemplary situations:
- the thermal printer with the board thermal head according to the invention for printing on a flexible material of any shape and thickness, such as ear tags for earmarking for breeding animals.
- a flexible material of any shape and thickness such as ear tags for earmarking for breeding animals.
- Each ear tag has to bear a printout with a unique identification number. The number can be transferred in a simple manner from a computer, similarly as for a printer with a linear head. Nevertheless, it is not possible to load the shape of the ear tag and transmit it in the case of a linear head. Performing such printing with the use of ink printing technique lacks of durability of printouts performed with the use of the printer of the invention.
- the thermal printer with its board (matrix) head can also fulfill all the functions of a linear head printer. This means that it can be used for printing on identification cards.
Abstract
The subject matter of this invention is a thermal printer. The thermal printer according to the invention, comprising a thermal head equipped with heating elements, is characterized in that the thermal head comprises a plurality of rows of heating elements defining a matrix.
Description
Thermal printer
The subject matter of this invention is a thermal printer.
Conventionally known and commonly used current thermal printers have linear printing heads. A linear printing head has one row of heating elements which perform transfer of print onto the material being printed from a thermosensitive material in the course of moving the material being printed and the thermosensitive material over the head.
The thermosensitive material is conventionally a thermo-transfer film although the thermosensitive material may be also the material being printed.
It is irrelevant whether the head is movable or the material being printed is moved - essential is their relative movement.
In older-type thermal printers, several to several dozens of thermal spots arranged in a line perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the material being printed are positioned, and additionally for a lower number of thermal spots the head could be moved perpendicularly to the direction of the material being printed, in order to increase the width of the area being printed relative to the head width.
Also such thermal printers are known as the one disclosed in the U.S. Patent
2009/0128613 Al which discloses an apparatus comprising several linear heads adequately spaced consecutively. The apparatus of the invention comprises several lines of heat spots spaced apart by a portion of their diameters, so as to increase the resolution, said lines being controlled as a unitary line.
The example provides a printer equipped with four heads, each one being provided with its own thermo-transfer tape, in order to obtain color printout or to accelerate printing.
Such solution is aimed mainly at acceleration of printing, since each head is printing an associated portion of the printout.
Nevertheless, thermal printers, both of the old kind and the new ones that are equipped with several thermal heads, are characterized by the necessity to ensure relative movement of the material being printed to the thermal head, whether the material moves relative to the thermal printer or the thermal printer moves relative to the material.
The thermal printer according to the invention, comprising a thermal head equipped with heating elements, is characterized in that the thermal head comprises a plurality of rows of heating elements defining a matrix.
The matrix of heads comprises X columns and Y rows of heating elements.
In the inventive thermal printer the individual heating elements are controlled selectively by means of an electronic circuit, where the electronic circuit comprises a row controller that cooperates with a row decoder, and a column controller that cooperates with a column decoder, where the row decoder and column decoder are controlled by means of a processor.
Preferably, the heating elements are conductive and resistive layers applied on a ceramic substrate, and integrated row and column controllers are also positioned thereon.
Also preferably, the printer is equipped with a rigid base and a pressing plate, where the thermal head is positioned on the rigid base and the material being printed is positioned between the matrix and the pressing plate.
The object of the invention is illustrated as an example in the drawing, where Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of a thermal printer with a specifically shown heating element; Fig. 2 shows schematically the structure of the thermal head; and
Fig. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a printer at the place where the thermal head is positioned on the rigid base.
As shown in Fig. 1, a thermal printer 1 is equipped with a thermal head 2 in a form of a matrix comprising X columns 3 and Y rows 4. At the junction of each column 3 with a row 4 in the thermal head 2 in a form of a matrix, there is positioned a heating element 5.
Heating elements 5 are electrically powered and they are selectively controlled by means of column controllers 6 controlled from a column decoder 7 and row controllers 8 controlled from a row decoder 9.
The column decoder 7 and the row decoder 9 are activated by means of a processor 10.
During operation of the thermal printer, as a result of running a suitable program stored in the processor 10, for example upon connecting it to a PC or upon loading a suitable algorithm directly to the processor 10, certain heating elements 5 are selectively heated in one then activated row 4, and next in the consecutive rows 4 of the consecutive columns 3.
As a result of the above process, an image is formed on the material 11 being printed, without necessity to move the thermal head 2 in a form of a matrix.
It is obvious that the size of the area being printed depends on the area of the thermal head 2 in a form of a matrix. It is also obvious that in specific applications the thermal head 2 in a form of a matrix can cover all the area of the desired printout and it can be stationary, or it can move in the thermal printer 1 relative to the material 11 being printed, to print a larger area than the area of the thermal head 2.
As shown schematically in Fig. 2, the thermal head 2 constructed in a form of a matrix of X columns 3 and Y rows 4 can be made by any arbitrary technology that ensures selective electric control over the individual heating elements 5 of the thermal head 2 in a form of a matrix, but in one preferable form the individual spots in the matrix, including the heating elements 5, are conductive and resistive layers sprayed on a ceramic substrate Z. On the ceramic substrate Z also integrated control circuits can be positioned that constitute integrated column controllers 6 and column decoder 8, as well as row controllers 7 and row decoder 9. It can also be a semiconductor technology product in a form of one semiconductor plate with a structure with semiconductive heating elements 5 and integrated row controllers 7, line decoders 9, column controllers 6 and column decoders 8.
Fig. 3 illustrates a schematic section of the printer 1 at a place where the thermal head 2 is positioned on the rigid base 11. Over the thermal head 2 the material 12 being printed is positioned with a rigid plate 13 above, which plate acts with a pressing force F on the material 12 being printed against the thermal head 2.
In the case where the material 12 being printed is not thermosensitive, between the thermal head 2 and the material 12 being printed there is positioned a thermo-transfer film 14 that cause transferring an image onto the material 12 being printed as a result of heating it with heating elements 5 of the thermal head 2.
This process may additionally involve a protective film 15 that will prevent the material 12 being printed or the thermo-transfer film 14 from adhering to the thermal head 2. The protective film 15 will also attribute to enhancing service life of the thermal head 12.
The use of the inventive head (matrix) printer instead of a linear head eliminates necessity to move the material being printed relative to the head. This enables printing on materials with smooth and slippery surfaces but also on any other surface without distortion of the image being reproduced. This also makes it possible to overprint or seal porous of materials that require considerable and uniform pressing during printing or sealing, such as porous materials on which it is not possible presently to print without image distortion.
The inventive thermal printer with a board (matrix) printer can successfully be used in lieu of conventional painting method of thermal painting on flexible materials, non-dimensional materials, such as foamy materials, leather, soft boards, as well as paper, fabrics, plastic, etc.
An advantage of the thermal printer according to the invention is that any shape, any thickness, any density of the material being printed can be used. In the case of a linear head, the thickness and size of the material being printed are strictly determined.
Moreover, an important advantage of the inventive thermal printer is a possibility to change freely the entire printed image by electronic transfer directly from a computer. Between the board (matrix) thermal head a special film for heat marking is used or the material being printed comprises ingredients that change its characteristics upon heating (e.g. Carbon).
A printer with a board (matrix) head can be successfully used in lieu of presently commonly used flash technology in manufacturing text plates for stamps of a microporous material. Presently, the process is performed by means of high power consuming flash lamps (high power loss, presence of UV radiation, high complexity of the process and lack of possibilities to transfer data from the
computer to the material in one process, as a plate is necessary), or by means of linear thermal printers where image distortion occurs due to lack of uniform pressure on the entire material surface and short head service life results from high friction between the head and the material, and poor quality of rubber pores is due to lack of proper pressure.
Obviously, the thermal printer according to the invention, with its thermal head, is not limited to these applications and as mentioned above as it can be also used in a system where the material being printed can move relative to the thermal head.
The thermal printer according to the invention with its thermal head can be used in the following exemplary situations:
1. The thermal printer with the board thermal head according to the invention, for printing on a flexible material of any shape and thickness, such as ear tags for earmarking for breeding animals. Each ear tag has to bear a printout with a unique identification number. The number can be transferred in a simple manner from a computer, similarly as for a printer with a linear head. Nevertheless, it is not possible to load the shape of the ear tag and transmit it in the case of a linear head. Performing such printing with the use of ink printing technique lacks of durability of printouts performed with the use of the printer of the invention.
2. Printing on fabrics of various kinds. Similarly, with the use of a printer with a board head it is possible to print on thin flexible fabrics.
3. The thermal printer with its board (matrix) head can also fulfill all the functions of a linear head printer. This means that it can be used for printing on identification cards.
4. Manufacturing a preink stamp text plate of a microporous material that is thermosensitive, by thermal sealing selected portions of the text plate, so as to obtain controlled portions of the plate that are ink-permeable. In order to effect pore sealing by thermal techniques it is required to press the thermal head against the surface of the material being welded.
Claims
1. A thermal printer comprising a thermal head equipped with heating elements, characterized in that the thermal head (2) comprises a plurality of heating elements (5) defining a matrix.
2. A printer according to claim 1 characterized in that the matrix that constitutes the head (2) comprises X columns and Y rows of heating elements (5).
3. A printer according to claim 1 characterized in that the individual heating elements (5) of the thermal head (2) in a form of a matrix are controlled selectively by means of an electronic circuit.
4. A printer according to claim 3 characterized in that the electronic circuit comprises a row controller (8), with which a row decoder (9) cooperates, and a column controller (6), with which a column decoder (7) cooperates, where the row decoder (9) and the column decoder (7) are controlled by a processor (10).
5. A printer according to claim 3 characterized in that the heating elements (5) constitute conductive and resistive layers applied on a ceramic substrate (Z).
6. A printer according to claim 5 characterized in that on the ceramic substrate also the row controllers (8) and the column controllers (6) are applied.
7. A printer according to claim 1 characterized in that the printer is equipped with a rigid base (11) and a pressing plate (13) where the thermal head (2) is positioned on the rigid base (11) and the material (12) being printed is positioned between the thermal head (2) in a matrix form and the pressing plate (11).
8. A printer according to claim 6 characterized in that between the material (12) being printed and the pressing plate (13) there is a thermo-transfer film (14).
9. A printer according to claim 7 characterized in that between the material (12) being printed and the pressing plate (13) a protective film (15) is positioned.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/PL2010/000037 WO2011145959A1 (en) | 2010-05-20 | 2010-05-20 | Thermal printer |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/PL2010/000037 WO2011145959A1 (en) | 2010-05-20 | 2010-05-20 | Thermal printer |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO2011145959A1 true WO2011145959A1 (en) | 2011-11-24 |
Family
ID=42935536
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/PL2010/000037 WO2011145959A1 (en) | 2010-05-20 | 2010-05-20 | Thermal printer |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| WO (1) | WO2011145959A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TWI656983B (en) * | 2014-09-24 | 2019-04-21 | 日商富士軟片股份有限公司 | Image formation medium, method for producing image formation medium and image formation method |
Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3312979A (en) * | 1965-02-23 | 1967-04-04 | American Radiator & Standard | Thermal recording matrix |
| US3975707A (en) * | 1970-04-13 | 1976-08-17 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Device for controlling the density of printing characters |
| GB2031805A (en) * | 1978-10-13 | 1980-04-30 | Leeds & Northrup Ltd | Thermal printing device |
| EP0537880A1 (en) * | 1991-10-17 | 1993-04-21 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Improvements in thermal ink jet printheads |
| EP0641662A1 (en) * | 1993-09-07 | 1995-03-08 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Passive multiplexing using sparse arrays |
| US20090128613A1 (en) | 2001-05-30 | 2009-05-21 | Alain Bouchard | High Speed Photo-Printing Apparatus |
-
2010
- 2010-05-20 WO PCT/PL2010/000037 patent/WO2011145959A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3312979A (en) * | 1965-02-23 | 1967-04-04 | American Radiator & Standard | Thermal recording matrix |
| US3975707A (en) * | 1970-04-13 | 1976-08-17 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Device for controlling the density of printing characters |
| GB2031805A (en) * | 1978-10-13 | 1980-04-30 | Leeds & Northrup Ltd | Thermal printing device |
| EP0537880A1 (en) * | 1991-10-17 | 1993-04-21 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Improvements in thermal ink jet printheads |
| EP0641662A1 (en) * | 1993-09-07 | 1995-03-08 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Passive multiplexing using sparse arrays |
| US20090128613A1 (en) | 2001-05-30 | 2009-05-21 | Alain Bouchard | High Speed Photo-Printing Apparatus |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TWI656983B (en) * | 2014-09-24 | 2019-04-21 | 日商富士軟片股份有限公司 | Image formation medium, method for producing image formation medium and image formation method |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| EP0862515B1 (en) | Apparatus and method for printing | |
| US7934824B2 (en) | Image forming apparatus and image forming method | |
| JP2001018362A (en) | Improved multi-color printing pad printing press | |
| JPH09300678A (en) | Recording device | |
| US7603947B2 (en) | Printing device for printing markings onto insulated round wires | |
| JP4288500B2 (en) | Liquid discharge head | |
| JP2008221637A (en) | Print processing system, printer, and processing equipment | |
| JP2014148051A (en) | Image recording device and image recording method | |
| WO2011145959A1 (en) | Thermal printer | |
| WO2003059633A3 (en) | Improvements in or relating to printing apparatus | |
| JPH09511459A (en) | Thermoelectric printer for transferring ink to recording media | |
| US4456915A (en) | Print head for high resolution electrothermal printing apparatus | |
| US20090244177A1 (en) | Image recording device and image recording method | |
| JPH05269983A (en) | Printing method | |
| EP0945273A3 (en) | Method of printing | |
| JP4931750B2 (en) | Image forming apparatus and image forming method | |
| US20120120175A1 (en) | Electronic stamper | |
| JPH1170679A (en) | Printing method and printer | |
| CA1181987A (en) | Print head for high resolution electrothermal printing apparatus | |
| US6719407B2 (en) | Thermal head | |
| JP5436369B2 (en) | Recording apparatus and recording method | |
| JP2009229539A5 (en) | ||
| EP0113052A2 (en) | Heat applying print head | |
| JP4284079B2 (en) | Thermal printer | |
| JP2002086780A (en) | Thermal head |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application |
Ref document number: 10742613 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |
|
| NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: DE |
|
| 122 | Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase |
Ref document number: 10742613 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |