Thermal printer
AssigneeMitsubishi Electric Corporation
InventorsMakoto Sakuwa, Yoshifumi Yamamoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermal printer uses an ink ribbon having a function of performing cleaning of a thermal head by being heated. The thermal printer performs a cleaning process of performing cleaning of the thermal head. In the cleaning process, the thermal head applies, to the ink ribbon, heat of a heat quantity with which a dye applied onto the ink ribbon does not sublime and with which the cleaning is performed.
Claims7
A thermal printer performing a printing process for forming an image on recording paper using an ink ribbon having a function of cleaning a thermal head by being heated, the thermal printer comprising:
- the thermal head having a function of emitting heat;
- and
- a printing control unit controlling the thermal head, wherein
- the thermal printer performs a cleaning process to clean the thermal head, and
- in the cleaning process, in accordance with control of the printing control unit, the thermal head applies, to the ink ribbon, heat of a heat quantity with which a dye applied onto the ink ribbon does not sublime and with which the cleaning process is performed by heating at least one lubricating component on a back surface of the ink ribbon so that the at least one lubricating component becomes molten and, when the a last one lubricating component is molten, at least one cleaning component on the back surface of the ink ribbon prevents fragments from attaching to the thermal head, wherein the at least one lubricating component is separated from the at least one cleaning component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.