Thermal head and thermal printer
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorsKoji Yamada, Akira Koyabu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal head enables printing even after printing for a long time to a print medium with low paper quality. A thermal head 20 to which a print medium P is pressed by a platen roller 10 has a heat unit 21 with a plurality of heat elements 21a arrayed on an axis, and an electrode connection unit 26 that is formed on an extension of the axis. A receptive space A to which the end 11a of the platen roller 10 contact surface 11 that is pressed to the thermal head 20 is positioned is formed on this axis between the heat unit 21 and the electrode connection unit 26.
Claims20
A thermal head to which a print medium is pressed through an intervening platen roller, comprising:
- a heating unit having a plurality of heat elements arrayed on an axis;
- and
- an electrode unit formed on a linear extension of the axis;
- wherein a receptive space to which an end part of the platen roller contact surface that is pressed to the thermal head is formed on the axis between the heating unit and the electrode unit.
A thermal printer comprising:
- a thermal head including a heating unit having a plurality of heat elements arrayed along an axis, and an electrode unit formed on a linear extension of the axis with a receptive space between the electrode unit and the heating unit;
- and
- a platen roller that presses a print medium to the thermal head;
- wherein an end part of the platen roller contact surface that is pressed to the thermal head is positioned in the axial direction to the receptive space.
A thermal printer comprising:
- a thermal head including a heating unit that extends in a direction perpendicular to a print medium conveyance direction, and an electrode unit formed on a linear extension of the axis on which the heating unit extends;
- and
- a platen roller that presses the print medium to the thermal head;
- wherein the electrode unit is formed on the axis of the heating unit at a position separated by a receptive space from the heating unit so that the platen roller does not press against the electrode unit.
A thermal printer comprising:
- a thermal head having an electrode unit formed on an extension of the alignment axis of a plurality of heat elements outside the area of the heat elements;
- and
- a platen roller that presses a recording medium to the thermal head;
- wherein the platen roller is formed so that, of the axial end of the heat elements and the plural ends of the electrode unit located on an axial extension of the heat elements, an end part of the thermal head contact surface of the platen roller is positioned between the axial end of the heat elements and the end of the electrode unit that is located farthest therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.