Hybrid Thermal Inkjet Printer for High-Quality Color Receipts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Full-color inkjet printing on receipts and coupons often results in low quality, particularly with barcodes, while direct thermal printing offers higher quality but is limited to a few colors, necessitating a combination of both technologies for improved results.
Innovation Solution
A printer system that integrates thermal and inkjet print heads on the same side of a thermal paper medium, with printer control software coordinating their operation to aggregate dots from both printing methods, allowing for high-quality, multi-color printing on thermal paper with a cellulosic or polymer substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If inkjet printing is used for full-color printing on receipts and coupons, then color capability is improved, but printing quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines inkjet printing and thermal printing technologies into a single hybrid printer system. The inkjet print head deposits ink on the print medium while the thermal print head applies heat to the same areas, allowing the ink to be thermally transferred or enhanced. This merging of two different printing mechanisms enables both full-color capability from inkjet and high-quality sharpness from thermal printing, particularly improving barcode readability while maintaining color versatility.
2Manufacturing precision
If direct thermal printing is used for high-quality printing, then printing quality is improved, but color capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hybrid printer system merges thermal printing's high-quality sharpness with inkjet printing's full-color capability. The thermal print head provides the sharp, high-contrast output needed for barcodes and text, while the inkjet print head supplies the color information. By coordinating both print heads to work on the same print medium, the system achieves both high printing quality and full color capability simultaneously.
3Adaptability or versatility
If inkjet printing is used for extended printing, then color capability is maintained, but ink consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal print head serves the inkjet printing process by thermally enhancing or transferring the ink deposits without requiring additional ink. Once the inkjet print head deposits the ink, the thermal print head uses heat to set, transfer, or enhance the ink appearance, reducing the need for excessive ink application. This self-service mechanism allows the thermal head to supplement the inkjet process, maintaining color capability while reducing overall ink consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This combination enables faster, higher-quality printing with improved barcode readability and ink conservation, as thermal printing can be used where inkjet would exhaust quickly, while inkjet enhances color images without risking thermal print head damage.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal print head disposed on a first side of a print medium, said thermal print head being suitable for direct printing on the print medium which includes a thermal paper having a cellulosic or polymer substrate sheet and heat sensitive dyes
Data Source
AI summary
A printer (10) comprises a thermal print head (24) disposed on one side of a print medium (28), an inkjet print head (34) disposed on the same side of the print medium (28) as the thermal print head (24); and printer control software (46). The printer control software (46) is arranged to activate the thermal print head (24) to print on a first area of the print medium (28) and to activate the inkjet print head (34) to print on a second area of the print medium (28). The printer control software (46) selects the first area because it is either (i) different from the second area, and it is more efficient to print the first area by thermal printing than by inkjet printing; or (ii) the same as the second area, and a colour scheme is required that is not available using the thermal print head (24) alone.