Thermal Print Head Heat Storage Recess Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal print heads face challenges in achieving clear image printing due to heat loss and blurring, requiring thicker glaze layers and increased power consumption to compensate for inefficient heat transmission to the printing medium.
Innovation Solution
A thermal print head design featuring a base member with a recess for a heat storage region, a resistor layer, and an electrode layer, where the heating portion overlaps the recess, and includes barriers and an intermediate layer to enhance heat accumulation and transmission efficiency, using materials with specific thermal conductivity ratios and configurations to reduce power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a thicker glaze layer is formed to accumulate sufficient heat, then image clarity on the printing medium is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases and requires high-level techniques
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the thermal conductivity parameter of the base member material to 100-300 W/(m·K), which is significantly higher than conventional materials. This parameter change allows the base member itself to function as an efficient heat accumulation structure, eliminating the need for a thick glaze layer and its associated manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the heat accumulation function from the glaze layer and transfers it to the base member through the high thermal conductivity material. This separation allows the glaze layer to be made thin while still achieving sufficient heat accumulation for clear image printing
2Device complexity
If the glaze layer is made thin to simplify manufacturing, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but heat accumulation becomes insufficient resulting in poor image clarity
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the thermal conductivity parameter of the base member to 100-300 W/(m·K), the invention enables a thin glaze layer to achieve sufficient heat accumulation. The high thermal conductivity base member compensates for the reduced heat storage capacity of the thin glaze layer
3Use of energy by moving object
If heat is transmitted efficiently through the cover layer to the printing medium, then power consumption is reduced, but heat loss to the substrate increases resulting in poor image clarity
Solution Approach 1:
The high thermal conductivity base member (100-300 W/(m·K)) acts as a heat guide that directs heat flow preferentially toward the cover layer and printing medium. This controlled heat guidance reduces both heat loss to the substrate and power consumption, while maintaining image clarity
Solution Approach 2:
The base member with high thermal conductivity serves as an intermediary that mediates heat flow between the heating portion and both the cover layer/substrate. It directs heat preferentially to the cover layer while minimizing loss to the substrate
4Manufacturing precision
If a larger amount of heat is generated by the heating portion, then image clarity on the printing medium is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The high thermal conductivity base member improves heat transmission efficiency to the printing medium, reducing the total heat generation requirement. This allows clear image printing at lower power consumption levels
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 design improves printing quality by efficiently transmitting heat to the printing medium, reducing power consumption, and simplifying the manufacturing process by optimizing heat storage and transmission mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
The heating resistor includes a plurality of heating portions. The heating portions are each spanned between two portions of the electrode spaced from each other.
Implementation Method 2
a heat storage region formed in the recess
Implementation Method 3
the heat generated by the heating portion is transmitted to the printing medium through the cover layer
Data Source
AI summary
The object is to provide a thermal print head capable of improving printing quality on a medium. The Solution is to provide a base member 11 including a recess 113a, a heat storage region 2 formed in the recess 113a, a resistor layer 4 formed on the base member 11, and an electrode layer 3 formed on the base member 11 and electrically connected to the resistor layer 4. The resistor layer 4 includes a heating portion 41 spanned between two portions of the electrode layer 3 spaced from each other as viewed in a thickness direction Z of the base member 11. The heating portion 41 is located so as to overlap the recess 113a as viewed in the thickness direction Z. The base member 11 is made of a material having a thermal conductivity of 100 to 300 W/(m·K).