US 5,331,340 A · Thermal head with control means for maintaining head temperature within a range

Abstract

There is provided a recording apparatus for recording onto a recording paper comprising: a recording head to record onto the recording paper, the recording head having plural heat generating elements; a temperature sensor to detect a temperature; and a controller to ON/OFF control the heat generation of the heat generating elements in accordance with the detected temperature on the basis of a temperature fluctuation prediction which has experientially and previously been obtained in accordance with recording conditions. The controller controls the heating operation of the heat generating elements by the temperature increase function and temperature decrease function. Thus, the temperature can be held to a value within a range suitable to print and the printing operation can be executed at a high speed.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A recording apparatus for recording onto a recording medium comprising:

a recording head for recording on said recording medium, said recording head having a plurality of heat generating elements for generating heat;
detecting means for detecting a temperature of said heat generating elements before recording is started in a first recording operation;
and
controlling means for controlling energization and deenergization of each of said heat generating elements based on the following indications
the temperature detected by said detecting means,
a first anticipative temperature of each of said heat generating elements calculated using a predetermined first function, each of said heat generating elements being energized to produce heat until reaching the first anticipative temperature, thereby controlling a heating time of said given heat generating elements, and
a second anticipative temperature of each of said heat generating elements calculated using a predetermined second function, said given heat generating element being deenergized to cool until reaching the second anticipative temperature, thereby controlling a cooling time of each of said heat generating elements,
wherein only the first anticipative temperature is calculated by using said detected temperature with said predetermined first function.

5 more elements

A recording method for recording onto a recording medium comprising the steps of:

providing a recording head having a plurality of heat generating elements;
detecting a temperature of a given one of said heat generating elements before the recording is started in a first recording operation;
and
controlling energization and deenergization of said given one of said heat generating elements in accordance with
the detected temperature,
a first anticipative temperature of said one of said heat generating elements calculated using a predetermined first function, said given one of said heat generating elements being energized to produce heat until reaching the first anticipative temperature, thereby controlling a heating time of said given one of said heat generating elements, and
a second anticipative temperature of said given one of said heat generating elements calculated using a predetermined second function, said given one of said heat generating elements being deenergized to cool until reaching the second anticipative temperature, thereby controlling a cooling time of said given one of said heat generating elements,
wherein only the first anticipative temperature is calculated by using said detected temperature with said predetermined first function.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Thermal head with control means for maintaining head temperature within a range

Life of this patent

Thermal head with control means for maintaining head temperature within a range

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14