Thermal Head Coating Protrusion for Scratch Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal heads often result in print scratches or blurring due to the protrusions on the coating layer coming into contact with the recording medium during printing.
Innovation Solution
A thermal head design featuring a substrate with a heat storage layer, a heat-generating section, an electrode, a protection layer, and a first coating layer with a protrusion that positions its end between the heat-generating section and the protrusion, reducing the likelihood of scratches and blurring by dispersing stress and guiding the recording medium effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a coating layer with protrusion is used in conventional thermal heads, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but print scratches or blurring are generated on the recording medium
Solution Approach 1:
The coating layer is divided into multiple segments: a first coating layer with a protrusion and a second coating layer without a protrusion. The first coating layer's end is positioned between the heat-generating section and the protrusion, creating a stress-dispersing structure that prevents direct contact between the protrusion and recording medium, thereby eliminating print scratches while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The end of the first coating layer acts as an intermediary structure between the heat-generating section and the protrusion. This intermediate region disperses stress and guides the recording medium, preventing direct contact between the protrusion and the recording medium surface, thus avoiding print blurring and scratches
2Reliability
If the end of the first coating layer is positioned close to the heat-generating section, then stress dispersion is improved, but the coating layer complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first coating layer is designed with localized specific properties: it has a protrusion in its upstream portion and its end is strategically positioned in the downstream portion at a specific distance from the heat-generating section. This local quality differentiation optimizes stress dispersion in the critical region while keeping the overall structure manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The position of the end of the first coating layer is precisely controlled to be at a specific distance from the heat-generating section. This parameter optimization ensures effective stress dispersion and proper recording medium guidance while avoiding excessive structural complexity
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
The solution effectively reduces the occurrence of print scratches and blurring by dispersing stress and improving the guiding of the recording medium, enhancing image quality and printer performance.
Implementation Method 1
a heat-generating section disposed on the heat storage layer; an electrode electrically connected to the heat-generating section
Implementation Method 2
a heat storage layer disposed on the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal head includes: a substrate; a heat storage layer disposed on the substrate; a heat-generating section disposed on the heat storage layer; an electrode electrically connected to the heat-generating section; a protection layer which coats the heat-generating section and a part of the electrode; and a first coating layer which coats a part of the protection layer and is disposed downstream in a transportation direction of a recording medium, with respect to the heat-generating section, the first coating layer including a first protrusion protruding towards a recording medium side, an end on a heat-generating section side of the first coating layer being positioned between the first protrusion and the heat-generating section, and the end on the heat-generating section side of the first coating layer being positioned in a range of L/2 from the heat-generating section, in which L is a distance between the heat-generating section and the first protrusion.