Thermal Head Projection for Wrinkle Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing thermal heads suffer from poor contacting conditions between the recording medium and the thermal head, leading to the possibility of wrinkles due to height discrepancies between regions with and without the driving IC, resulting in inconsistent medium conveyance.
Innovation Solution
The thermal head incorporates a projection portion in the second regions closer to the heat generating portion, which contacts the recording medium to lift and support it, ensuring uniform conveyance and reducing the likelihood of wrinkles by providing additional support points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the thermal head has regions with and without driving IC, then the driving IC can be properly disposed and controlled, but the height difference between regions causes poor contacting condition and wrinkles in the recording medium
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing projection portions only in the second regions (without driving IC) rather than uniformly across the entire thermal head. These projection portions locally compensate for the height difference, ensuring the recording medium makes proper contact in the lower region without interfering with the driving IC disposal in the first region. This localized structural modification resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability.
2Area of stationary object
If the second region height is lower to accommodate without driving IC, then the driving IC area is optimized, but the recording medium contact becomes poor causing wrinkles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces projection portions that extend in the height dimension (vertical direction) from the substrate surface in the second regions. This dimensional addition compensates for the height difference between first and second regions, creating a more uniform effective contact surface for the recording medium while preserving the optimized driving IC area layout in the first region.
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 configuration stabilizes the recording medium's conveyance, reduces the occurrence of wrinkles, and ensures smooth and consistent contact with the heat generating portions, enhancing printing quality.
Implementation Method 1
a heat generating portion (9) disposed on the upper surface of the substrate (7)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4(a)~4(b)
AI summary
A thermal head capable of decreasing the possibility of causing wrinkles in a recording medium is provided. A thermal head (X1) includes: a substrate (7); a heat generating portion (9) disposed on the substrate (7); a driving IC (11) which is disposed on the substrate (7) and controls actuation of the heat generating portion (9); and a covering member (29) which covers the driving IC (11). When the substrate (7) is seen in a plan view, the thermal head is composed of a first region (R1) defined by extending a driving-IC (11) disposed area in a sub scanning direction, and second regions (R2) which are regions other than the first region (R1). In at least one of the second regions (R2) which lies closer to the heat generating portion (9) than the driving-IC (11) disposed area is provided a projection portion (2) which makes contact with a recording medium (P) under conveyance.