Thermal printer with dual time-constant heat sink
AssigneeZink Imaging, Inc.
InventorsWilliam Vetterling, Brian Busch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present application is directed to a dual time-constant heat sink for a thermal printer. The dual time-constant heat sink includes a print head heat sink, in contact with a print head of a thermal printer, the print head heat sink having a first time constant. The dual time-constant heat sink also includes an insulator in contact with the print head heat sink; and a thermal reservoir, in contact with the insulator, the thermal reservoir having a second time constant, the second time constant longer than the first time constant.
Claims22
A dual time-constant heat sink for a thermal printer, comprising:
- a print head heat sink, in contact with a print head of a thermal printer, the print head heat sink having a first thermal time constant;
- an insulator in contact with the print head heat sink;
- and
- a thermal reservoir, in contact with the insulator, the thermal reservoir having a second thermal time constant, the second time constant longer than the first thermal time constant.
A method for controlling temperature of a print head of a thermal printer via a dual time-constant heat sink, comprising:
- preheating a print head of the thermal printer to a first predetermined temperature, the print head in contact with a print head heat sink having a first thermal time constant, the print head heat sink in contact with an insulator, and the insulator in contact with a thermal reservoir having a second thermal time constant longer than the first thermal time constant such that the print head heat sink reaches the first predetermined temperature before the thermal reservoir;
- printing a first image via the print head, the print head and print head heat sink reaching a second, higher temperature, the thermal reservoir at a temperature lower than the second temperature;
- and
- cooling, by the thermal reservoir, the print head and print head heat sink to a third temperature lower than the second temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.