US 7,248,274 B2Granted

Thermal head having adhesive layer partially disposed on heat sink and method for manufacturing such thermal head

AssigneeAlps Electric Co., Ltd.

InventorsTsutomu Takeya, Shigeto Yamada

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Abstract

A thermal head has a head substrate including exothermic bodies which generate heat when electricity is supplied thereto, a common electrode connected with first ends of the exothermic bodies, and independent electrodes connected with second ends of the exothermic bodies. A printed circuit board (PCB) includes driving elements controlling the electricity supplied to the exothermic bodies. The head substrate and PCB are attached on a heat sink such that an end surface of the head substrate adjoins an end surface of the PCB. The independent electrodes are wire-connected with the corresponding driving elements across a gap between the adjoining end surfaces to define a wire-connection unit, which is sealed with resin. An adhesive layer is partially disposed between the PCB and the heat sink such that a space is provided therebetween. The space communicates with the outside of the thermal head and with the gap.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A thermal head comprising:

a head substrate including a plurality of exothermic bodies which generate heat when electricity is supplied thereto, a common electrode connected with first ends of the exothermic bodies, and a plurality of independent electrodes connected with corresponding second ends of the exothermic bodies;
a printed circuit board including a plurality of driving elements for controlling the electricity supplied to the exothermic bodies on the head substrate;
and
a heat sink on which the head substrate and the printed circuit board are disposed such that an end surface of the head substrate and an end surface of the printed circuit board adjoin each other,
wherein the plurality of independent electrodes and the plurality of driving elements are correspondingly wire-connected with each other across a gap formed between the adjoining end surfaces of the head substrate and the printed circuit board so as to define a wire-connection unit,
wherein the wire-connection unit is sealed with a resin material, and
wherein the printed circuit board and the heat sink have an adhesive layer partially disposed therebetween such that a space is provided between the printed circuit board and the heat sink, the space communicating with the outside of the thermal head and with the gap between the adjoining end surfaces of the head substrate and the printed circuit board.

4 more elements

A method for manufacturing a thermal head, the method comprising:

providing a head substrate including a plurality of exothermic bodies which generate heat when electricity is supplied thereto, a common electrode connected with first ends of the exothermic bodies, and a plurality of independent electrodes connected with corresponding second ends of the exothermic bodies;
providing a printed circuit board including a plurality of driving elements for controlling the electricity supplied to the exothermic bodies on the head substrate;
and
providing a heat sink on which the head substrate and the printed circuit board are attached in a manner such that an end surface of the head substrate and an end surface of the printed circuit board adjoin each other,
wherein the plurality of independent electrodes and the plurality of driving elements are correspondingly wire-connected with each other across a gap formed between the adjoining end surfaces of the head substrate and the printed circuit board so as to define a wire-connection unit,
wherein the wire-connection unit is sealed with a resin material, and
wherein the printed circuit board and the heat sink have an adhesive layer partially disposed therebetween such that a space is provided between the printed circuit board and the heat sink, the space communicating with the outside of the thermal head and with the gap between the adjoining end surfaces of the head substrate and the printed circuit board.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/092,328Filed 29 Mar 2005
Priority: JP 2004-10022630 Mar 2004
Published: US 2005/0219348 A16 Oct 2005
Granted: 24 Jul 2007
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B41J 2/335
Using thermal heads: structure of thermal heads
H05K 3/0058
Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits: laminating printed circuit boards onto other substrates, e.g. metallic substrates
H05K 3/386
Improvement of the adhesion between the insulating substrate and the metal: by the use of an organic polymeric bonding layer, e.g. adhesive
B41J
Typewriters