The present application contains subject matter related to and claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-063213 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Mar. 16, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a thermal head in which a head substrate provided with heating elements is mounted to a heat dissipation member.
2. Related Art
In the past, from the standpoint that an improvement in the recording quality of a printer using a thermal head is achieved by properly dissipating heat of heating elements heated when the thermal head is driven, a thermal head having a heat dissipation member for dissipating the heat of the heating elements has been used.
For example, in a thermal head disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 4-126857, heating elements are arranged and mounted to a supporting member made of metal in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the supporting member. The supporting member is configured as a hollow member having a cavity therein extending in the longitudinal direction of the supporting member, and the cavity is open to both end surfaces of the supporting member. In the thermal head disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 4-126857, since the cavity is formed in the supporting member as described above, it is possible to achieve a reduction in weight and an improvement in the heat dissipation of the supporting member.
In a thermal head disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-156146, a head substrate in which heating elements and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heating element are disposed is mounted on a heat dissipation member with an adhesive layer interposed therebetween, and a heat transfer performance adjusting space is provided at a position corresponding to the mounting position of the temperature sensor on a rear surface side of the head substrate in the heat dissipation member. In the thermal head disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-156146, by interposing air in the heat transfer performance adjusting space to make the air to function as an insulating material, or by enhancing the heat transfer performance of the heat transfer performance adjusting space, it is possible to change detection responsiveness to a temperature variation of the heating element and heat dissipation characteristics of the heat dissipation member.
However, for example, in the thermal head disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 4-126857, the heating elements are mounted to a main wall of the supporting member, and the main wall of the supporting member is interposed between the heating element and the cavity of the supporting member, so that heat of the heating elements is transferred to the main wall before it is dissipated in the cavity of the supporting member. Therefore, there is a concern that the heat from the heating elements is excessively dissipated.
In the thermal head disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-156146, the heat transfer performance adjusting space is provided at the position corresponding to the mounting position of the temperature sensor, and the head substrate provided with the heating elements is mounted to the heat dissipation member, so that heat from the heating elements is transferred to the heat dissipation member before it is insulated by the heat transfer performance adjusting space. As a result, there is a concern that the heat from the heating elements is excessively dissipated. In addition, in the thermal head disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-156146, the heat transfer performance adjusting space is formed by notching one side edge of a surface opposing the head substrate in the heat dissipation member, and the head substrate is cantilevered by the heat dissipation member. Here, in the thermal head, the heating elements come in pressing contact with a platen to perform recording, and here, pressure is applied to the head substrate provided with the heating elements. However, since the head substrate is cantilevered by the heat dissipation member, joint strength between the head substrate and the heat dissipation member is low, and accordingly, as pressure is applied to the head substrate during recording, there is a problem in that the head substrate and the heat dissipation member may be separated from each other.
These and other drawbacks exits.
Examples disclosed herein provide a thermal head capable of properly dissipating heat from each heating element to a heat dissipation member and preventing excessive heat dissipation, thereby achieving improvements in the heat dissipation characteristics and a power saving effect and stably supporting a head substrate provided with the heating elements by the heat dissipation member.
According to an example, there is provided a thermal head including: a head substrate including a plurality of heating elements arranged in a row; and a heat dissipation member supporting the head substrate, wherein heat from the heating elements is transferred to the heat dissipation member through the head substrate, a surface of the heat dissipation member opposing the head substrate is provided with a heat accumulation adjusting groove which has a recessed shape along the arrangement direction of the row of the heating elements, and both edge portions of the surface of the heat dissipation member in a width direction of the heat accumulation adjusting groove come in contact with a rear surface of the head substrate opposing the heat dissipation member, the width direction being perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the heating elements.
In a thermal head according to an example, the surface of the heat dissipation member is provided with the heat accumulation adjusting groove having a recessed shape along the arrangement direction of the row of the heating elements, so that air in the heat accumulation adjusting groove of the heat dissipation member functions as an insulating material, thereby preventing excessive heat dissipation from the heating element to the heat dissipation member. Also, the heat dissipation member is formed so that both edge portions of the surface of the heat dissipation member in the width direction of the heat accumulation adjusting groove come in contact with the rear surface of the head substrate, so that the head substrate can be stably supported by the heat dissipation member, and heat from the heating elements is transferred to the heat dissipation member from the portions of the surface of the heat dissipation member which come in contact with the head substrate, thereby properly dissipating the heat from the heating element by the heat dissipation member.
In addition, the heat accumulation adjusting groove may be disposed at a position such that a widthwise interval between a center of the heat accumulation adjusting groove in the width direction thereof and a center of the heating element in a width direction thereof is equal to or less than approximately 0.5 mm. Accordingly, a heat accumulation effect can be exhibited by the heat accumulation adjusting groove, thereby further enhancing the power saving effect of the thermal head.
In addition, the heat accumulation adjusting groove may be formed to have a width in the range of approximately 20 to 80% of a width of the head substrate. As described above, the heat accumulation adjusting groove is formed so that the width thereof is equal to or greater than approximately 20% of the width of the head substrate, so that excessive dissipation of the heat from the heating elements by the heat dissipation member can be prevented, thereby further enhancing the power saving effect of the thermal head. Moreover, the heat accumulation adjusting groove is formed so that the width thereof is equal to or smaller than approximately 80% of the width of the head substrate, so that it is possible to obtain a recorded image with good image quality during recording. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent a contact area of the head substrate and the heat dissipation member from being too small, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the head substrate from separating from the heat dissipation member without degrading the shear strength of the head substrate and the heat dissipation member. Therefore, it is possible to stably support the head substrate by the heat dissipation member.
As described above, in the thermal head according to the examples disclosed herein, heat from the heating elements can be properly dissipated by the heat dissipation member, and excessive heat dissipation can be prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve improvements in the heat dissipation characteristics and the power saving effect and stably support the head substrate provided with the heating elements by the heat dissipation member.
The following description is intended to convey a thorough understanding of the embodiments described by providing a number of specific embodiments and details involving thermal heads. It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments and details, which are exemplary only. It is further understood that one possessing ordinary skill in the art, in light of known systems and methods, would appreciate the use of the invention for its intended purposes and benefits in any number of alternative embodiments, depending on specific design and other needs.
The surface 7a of the heat dissipation member 7 which may oppose the head substrate 3 may be provided with a heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 which may have a recessed shape in the arrangement direction of the row of the heating elements 5. Accordingly, the heat dissipation member 7 may provide air in the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 function as an insulating material so as to prevent excessive dissipation of heat from the heating element 5 by the heat dissipation member 7.
In the surface 7a of the heat dissipation member 7, both edge portions in a width direction of the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 that is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the heating elements 5 may contact a rear surface 3b of the head substrate 3 opposing the heat dissipation member 7 through the adhesive material 6. Accordingly, the heat dissipation member 7 can stably support the head substrate 3 by both the edge portions in the width direction of the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9. In addition, since both the edge portions in the width direction of the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 in the surface 7a of the heat dissipation member 7 come in contact with the rear surface 3b of the head substrate 3 through the adhesive material 6, heat from the heating elements 5 may be transferred to the head substrate 3 through the heat accumulation glass layer 2 and then may be transferred to the heat dissipation member 7 from the portions of the surface 7a of the heat dissipation member 7, which may contact the head substrate 3 through the adhesive material 6, it may be possible to properly dissipate the heat from the heating elements 5 to the heat dissipation member 7.
In addition, the thermal head 1 may be disposed to oppose a platen via a recording medium (not shown) or a recording medium and an ink ribbon. The heating elements 5 desired on the basis of recording data input to a printer generate heat, and the thermal head 1 may come in pressing contact with the platen via the recording medium or the recording medium and the ink ribbon, so that ink of the ink ribbon is fused, thereby recording a desired image on the recording medium.
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As a result, in the thermal head 1 according to this embodiment, the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 may be disposed in a position such that the widthwise interval between the center 9C of the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 and the center 5C of the heating element 5 is equal to or less than approximately 0.5 mm, and the width W2 of the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 may be in the range of 20 to 80% of the width W1 of the head substrate 3.
Next, operations of the thermal head 1 according to various embodiments will be described.
The surface 7a of the heat dissipation member 7 may be provided with the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 having a recessed shape along the arrangement direction of the row of the heating elements 5, and the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 may be disposed at a position such that both the edge portions of the surface 7a of the heat dissipation member 7 in the width direction of the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 come in contact with the rear surface 3b of the head substrate 3 opposing the heat dissipation member 7. Accordingly, the thermal head 1 may provide air in the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 of the heat dissipation member 7 function as an insulating material thereby preventing excessive heat dissipation from the heating element 5 to the heat dissipation member 7. In addition, the thermal head 1 can stably support the head substrate 3 by both the edge portions of the surface 7a of the heat dissipation member 7 in the width direction of the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9. Furthermore, since heat from the heating element 5 may be transferred to the head substrate 3 through the heat accumulation glass layer 2 and then transferred from the portions of the substrate 7a of the heat dissipation member 7 that come in contact with the head substrate 3 through the adhesive material 6 to the heat dissipation member 7, the heat from the heating element 5 may be properly dissipated by the heat dissipation member 7 in the thermal head 1.
Therefore, the thermal head 1 according to these embodiments properly dissipates the heat from the heating element 5 using the heat dissipation member 7 and simultaneously prevents the excessive heat dissipation, thereby achieving the improvement in the heat dissipation characteristics and the power saving effect. In addition, the thermal head 1 can stably support the head substrate 3 provided with the heating element 5 by the heat dissipation member 7.
In addition, the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 may be disposed at a position such that the widthwise interval between the center 9C of the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 and the center 5C of the heating element 5 is equal to or less than approximately 0.5 mm, so that the air in the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 can effectively function as the insulating material. Accordingly, the heat accumulation effect can be exhibited by the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9, so that the power saving effect of the thermal head 1 can further be improved.
In addition, the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 is formed so that the width W2 thereof is equal to or greater than approximately 20% of the width W1 of the head substrate 3, so that excessive dissipation of the heat from the heating elements 5 by the heat dissipation member 7 can be prevented, thereby further enhancing the power saving effect of the thermal head 1.
In addition, the heat accumulation adjusting groove 9 may be formed so that the width W2 thereof is equal to or less than approximately 80% of the width W1 of the head substrate 3, so that it may be possible to prevent image quality degradation of an image recorded by using the thermal head 1. Furthermore, it may be possible to prevent a contact area of the head substrate 3 and the heat dissipation member 7 from being too small, so that it may be possible to reliably prevent the head substrate 3 from separating from the heat dissipation member 7 without degrading the shear strength of the head substrate 3 and the heat dissipation member 7. Therefore, it may be possible to stably support the head substrate 3 by the heat dissipation member 7.
In addition, the invention is not limited by the embodiments, and various modifications can be made as needed.
It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims of the equivalents thereof.
Accordingly, the embodiments of the present inventions are not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein. Further, although some of the embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in the context of a particular implementation in a particular environment for a particular purpose, those of ordinary skill in the art should recognize that its usefulness is not limited thereto and that the embodiments of the present inventions can be beneficially implemented in any number of environments for any number of purposes. Accordingly, the claims set forth below should be construed in view of the full breadth and spirit of the embodiments of the present inventions as disclosed herein. While the foregoing description includes many details and specificities, it is to be understood that these have been included for purposes of explanation only, and are not to be interpreted as limitations of the invention. Many modifications to the embodiments described above can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2009-063213 | Mar 2009 | JP | national |