Thermal print heads and printers including the same

• US 10,099,485 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Datamax-O'Neil Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Koh, Rudy Ye Ru
• Primary Examiner(s): Ameh, Yaovi M
• Application Number:
  US15/664,204
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/32 using thermal heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/325 by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/335 Structure of thermal heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/355 Control circuits for heating-element selection

Abstract

A thermal print head and printer including the same are provided. The thermal print head comprises a housing comprising a wall having an opening therein and a transparent glass-ceramic panel mounted in the opening. The wall is configured to abut a print zone in a printer. The housing houses an optical sensor and a heating element. The transparent glass-ceramic panel is substantially aligned with the optical sensor. The heating element contacts a portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel. The printer comprises a platen roller and the thermal print head that define the print zone therebetween.

Claims

1. A thermal print head comprising:

a housing for housing an optical sensor and a heating element, the housing comprising a wall having an opening therein and the wall configured to abut a print zone in a printer; and

a transparent glass-ceramic panel mounted in the opening and substantially aligned with the optical sensor, the heating element contacting a portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel.

2. The thermal print head according to claim 1, wherein the heating element directly contacts the portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel.

3. The thermal print head according to claim 2, wherein the heating element overlaps the portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel.

4. The thermal print head according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel contacted by the heating element comprises an inner surface portion of an inner surface of the transparent glass-ceramic panel.

5. The thermal print head according to claim 1, wherein the transparent glass-ceramic panel transfers heat from the heating element to a print medium as it travels through the print zone.

6. The thermal print head according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is disposed in the housing at an offset position relative to the transparent glass-ceramic panel and the optical sensor.

7. The thermal print head according to claim 1, wherein the thermal print head is configured to be installed in the printer to face a platen roller and define the print zone therebetween, the transparent glass-ceramic panel providing a light path between the print zone and the optical sensor for detecting a gap between individual print medium.

8. The thermal print head according to claim 7, wherein the wall comprises a bottom wall configured to abut the print zone, the bottom wall having a flat bottom configured to be disposed against a print medium as it travels through the print zone.

9. A thermal print head for a printer, the thermal print head comprising:

a housing comprising a bottom wall having an opening therein;

a transparent glass-ceramic panel mounted in the opening;

an optical sensor disposed in the housing and substantially vertically aligned with the transparent glass-ceramic panel; and

a heating element disposed in the housing and contacting a portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel,

wherein the bottom wall is configured to abut a print zone in the printer.

10. The thermal print head according to claim 9, wherein the heating element directly contacts the portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel.

11. The thermal print head according to claim 10, wherein the heating element overlaps the portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel.

12. The thermal print head according to claim 9, wherein the portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel contacted by the heating element comprises an inner surface portion of an inner surface of the transparent glass-ceramic panel.

13. The thermal print head according to claim 9, wherein the transparent glass-ceramic panel transfers heat from the heating element to a print medium as it travels through the print zone.

14. The thermal print head according to claim 9, wherein the heating element is disposed in the housing at an offset position relative to the transparent glass-ceramic panel and the optical sensor.

15. The thermal print head according to claim 9, wherein the thermal print head is configured to be installed in the printer to face a platen roller and define the print zone therebetween, the transparent glass-ceramic panel providing a light path between the print zone and the optical sensor for detecting a gap between individual print medium, wherein the presence of a print medium in the print zone blocks the light while the gap does not block the light.

16. The thermal print head according to claim 15, wherein the bottom wall has a flat bottom configured to be disposed against a print medium as it travels through the print zone.

17. A printer comprising:

a platen roller; and

a thermal print head comprising;

a housing for housing an optical sensor and a heating element, the housing comprising a wall having an opening therein; and

a transparent glass-ceramic panel mounted in the opening and substantially aligned with the optical sensor, the heating element contacting a portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel, wherein the platen roller and the thermal print head define a print zone therebetween and the wall abuts the print zone.

18. The printer according to claim 17, wherein the portion of the transparent glass-ceramic panel contacted by the heating element comprises an inner surface portion of an inner surface of the transparent glass-ceramic panel.

19. The printer according to claim 17, wherein the heating element is disposed in the housing at an off-center position relative to the transparent glass-ceramic panel and the optical sensor, the transparent glass-ceramic panel providing a light path between the print zone and the optical sensor for detecting a gap between individual print medium, wherein the presence of a print medium in the print zone blocks the light while the gap does not block the light.

20. The printer according to claim 17, wherein the wall comprises a bottom wall configured to abut the print zone, the bottom wall having a flat bottom configured to be disposed against a print medium as it travels through the print zone.