JPS6325064A - Printing mechanism of printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain high quality printing without lowering printing efficiency, by combining a ribbon-like resistor allowed to run along thermal paper with a head equipped with a current supply electrode for supplying a current to the ribbon-like resistor to allow the same to locally generate heat. CONSTITUTION:The head 3 of a current supply transfer type printer has a matrix arrangement of current supply electrodes 3a, 3a... and is combined with a ribbon-like resistor 5 locally generating heat by the supply of a current from the electrodes 3a to constitute a printing mechanism for thermal paper 4. A current is supplied to a part of the ribbon-like resistor 5 through the electrodes 3a of the head 3 on the basis of printing data in such a state that the resistor 5 positioned at the front surface of the current supply electrodes 3a is directly contacted with the thermal paper 4 under pressure. By supplying a current to the resistor 5, only the current supply part locally generates heat and the heat generating part acts on the thermal paper 4 directly to perform printing and, therefore, temp. control becomes easy and the sharpness of a printed character can be enhanced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printing mechanism for a printer that prints on thermal paper.

[Conventional technology]

As shown in FIG. 2, the current transfer type printer has an ink ribbon having a band-shaped resistor layer 2a and ink J12b formed on the resistor layer 2a, as shown in FIG.

A combination of a head 3 having a current-carrying electrode is used. According to this mechanism, a current is applied from the head 3 to the resistor layer 2a based on print data, and the resistor layer 2a
a generates heat, which melts the ink in the ink layer 2b,
The molten ink adheres to the paper and prints. In the conventional ribbon having the ink layer 2b, the ink in the printed portion peels off and leaves a character pattern behind, so there is a risk that confidentiality may be leaked from the ribbon after printing, such as a security document.

On the other hand, there is a type of printer that uses thermal paper as printing paper and prints by changing the color of the thermal paper with heat. With this format, no printed characters remain anywhere other than on the paper.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, printers that use thermal paper are equipped with heads in which multiple heating elements made of resistors are arranged in a matrix. Heat generated by one heating element acts on adjacent heating elements, and the adjacent heating elements influence each other, making it difficult to strictly control the temperature between used elements and unused elements. As a result, there was a concern that the quality of characters printed on the thermal paper would be degraded. Although there is no problem if printing is performed after a certain period of time, the printing efficiency is poor and it is not practical. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a printing mechanism that enables high-quality printing without reducing printing efficiency in a type of printer that uses thermal paper for printing paper.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides a printer that uses thermal paper, and includes a head that includes a ribbon-shaped resistor that runs along the thermal paper, and a current-carrying electrode that applies electricity to the ribbon-shaped resistor to locally generate heat in the ribbon-shaped resistor. This is a printer printing mechanism characterized by a combination of the following.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, according to the present invention, the printing mechanism for printing on thermal paper is constructed as an electrical transfer type. In other words, the head 3 of the current-carrying transfer printer has a current-carrying electrode 3a t'
3a... are arranged in a matrix, and by the combination of this head 3 and a ribbon-shaped resistor 5 that locally generates heat when energized from the electrode 3a of the head 3, the thermal paper 3
It constitutes the printing mechanism. The ribbon-shaped resistor 6 is attached at both ends to a reel (not shown), is sent out from the supply reel to the front of the current-carrying electrode 3a, and after passing in front thereof is wound onto the take-up reel.

In the embodiment, a part of the ribbon-like resistor 5 is energized through the electrode 3a of the head 3 based on print data while the resistor 5 located in front of the current-carrying electrode 3a is in direct pressure contact with the thermal paper 4. When the resistor 5 is energized, only the energized portion locally generates heat.

The heat-generating portion directly acts on the thermal paper 4, and a chemical change causes printing based on the printing data to be colored and displayed on the paper surface.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention has a ribbon-shaped resistor that acts as a heat generating element on thermal paper, and prints while giving feed to this resistor and sequentially drawing it out. There is no sharing of elements, which makes temperature control easier, thus improving the clarity of printed characters, and since there is no ink layer on the resistor, there is no risk of document content leaking through the ribbon after printing. Nor.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to take advantage of the characteristics of using thermal paper, and at the same time, it has the effect of improving printing accuracy.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a conventional example. 3...Head 4...Thermal paper 5...Ribbon-shaped resistor

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a printer using thermal paper, a head includes a ribbon-shaped resistor that runs along the thermal paper, and a current-carrying electrode that applies electricity to the ribbon-shaped resistor to locally generate heat in the ribbon-shaped resistor. A printer printing mechanism characterized by a combination of the following.