Abstract: This application discloses a thermal ink jet printhead and method of manufacture featuring an improved all-metal orifice plate and barrier layer assembly. This assembly includes constricted ink flow ports to reduce cavitation damage and smooth contoured convergent ink ejection orifices to prevent "gulping" of air during an ink ejection process. Both of these features extend the maximum operating frequency, fmax, of the printhead. The nickel barrier layer and the underlying thin film resistor substrate are gold plated and then soldered together to form a good strong solder bond at the substrate - barrier layer interface.

Abstract: Such a device comprises a plurality of modules (1) each having a body (4) presenting an ink inlet (2) and a purging orifice (3), co-operating with the gun (5) of which the periphery carries two sets of O-rings respectively delimiting the ink supply chamber and the purge chamber. Said particular arrangement provides for the sealing while permitting a rotation (.alpha.) on 360.degree. of the gun and therefore a setting of the jet direction with respect to the axis of the nozzle ejecting the ink drops. Each of the modules (1) is further orientable about an axis (31) according to an angle (.beta.). The invention applies to the printing of multiple writing lines and to the optional covering of said lines.

Abstract: In a continuous ink jet printing system a viscosity determining means (12) has a measuring tank (29). An inlet (32) to the tank is connected to the system ink circuit to receive ink under pressure and the inlet has a flow restriction. A vent/return pipe (34) vents the tank and enables ink to be returned to the reservoir. An outlet (33) drains ink from the tank and returns it to the pump, the outlet including a valve (13) to open and close the outlet. A level detector (30,31) in the tank is connected to a timer (38) to determine the time taken for the tank to fill from a first level to a second level detected by the level detector and hence to provide a representation of viscosity of the ink.

Abstract: A panel heating element comprising (a) a metal substrate, (b) an aluminum boron-silicate insulating glass which forms a coating on the metal substrate, (c) one or more metallic resistance tracks applied to the substrate and (d) a mixture of a zirconium phosphate glass and a boron-titanium enamel which is applied as a layer over the metallic resistance tracks.

Abstract: A heating element for textiles is disclosed, which comprises a plane textile element and, combined with this, metal conductors, which can be connected to a source of electrical current and which oppose the electrical current flowing through them with a heat-producing resistance. As resistance elements, the conductors have metallic fibers or filaments with a denier like that of natural or synthetic textile fibers. The metallic fibers or filaments have an average cross sectional thickness of about 8 to about 24 microns.

Abstract: A thermal head having a glass glaze layer, a heat generating resistance layer, an electric power supplying conductor layer and a protecting layer formed on an insulating substrate, wherein the glass glaze layer is so formed that the lower portion thereof is embedded in the insulating substrate and the upper portion thereof is protruded from the surface of the insulating substrate, and a metal layer is disposed in contact with the lower surface of the glass glaze layer.The heat generating portion can effectively be protruded to render the contact with the recording paper or ink ribbon favorable, thereby improving the heat efficiency. Further, temperature falling rate once after the temperature of the heat generating portion has been raised can be increased.

Abstract: An electroceramic heater including a pair of metallized electrodes disposed upon the sides of an electroceramic body and a pair of lead wires gap is welded to said heater. A specially sized copper pad is disposed between the lead wires and the electrodes.

Abstract: A thermal printing apparatus is disclosed in which ribbon advancing mechanism including a supply spool and a take-up spool operated by a stepping motor is disclosed. Mechanism is provided for reversing the direction in which the take-up spool is driven by a specified amount during the printing cycle, in order to provide ribbon slack, so as to avoid smudging of the transferred ink on the receiving document and possible ribbon breakage during printing. The circumference of the accumulated ribbon on the take-up spool at any given time is considered in determining the number of steps and the step rate of the stepping motor in the reverse direction which must be taken in order to produce the desired amount of ribbon slack and slack take-up.

Abstract: A thermal-transfer printer includes a carriage arranged for reciprocation along a recording paper and a thermal head movable together with the carriage. On the carriage is mounted a ribbon cassette having a pair of reels and repeatedly usable ink ribbon wound on the reels. The reels are rotated to transport the ink ribbon in a desired direction by a ribbon transport mechanism arranged in the carriage. The operation of the transport mechanism is controlled by a control device.

Abstract: A thermal label printer is provided with a label feeding mechanism which is adapted to operate either in a first mode in which the printer supplies peeled labels or in a second mode in which the printed labels are delivered while still adhered to their backing sheet. The labels are delivered out of the printer on a conveyor belt which extends to a label peeling member in the printer. The conveyor belt is tiltable in a manner which is effective to create a larger clearance between the conveyor belt and the peeling member to facilitate loading of the backing sheet prior to beginning printing operations.

Abstract: In a thermal printer for printing color images which uses a carrier having a repeating series of spaced frames of yellow, magenta and cyan colored heat transferable dyes, apparatus for identifying the different color frames of each series uses a source of red light and a source of yellow light. The apparatus responds to the intensity of red and yellow source light which passes through a dye frame to identify that dye frame.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a recording apparatus for using a semiconductor laser 1 as a light source so that the scanning operation may be conducted with the laser beam which has been modulated on the basis of picture information. The drive current of the semiconductor laser 1 for making the monitor current of an optical output constant is determined before the beginning of a recording period so that the drive current may be used as that of the semiconductor laser 1 during the recording period.

Abstract: A continuous tone temperature compensated thermal printing apparatus is described which uses a thermistor that produces a signal representative of the average temperature of a print head. This signal is used to control the pulse width of constant current pulses which are used to energize heating elements of a print head in printing an image pixel.

Abstract: An ink ribbon comprises an ink supporting member, an intermediate layer mounted on the ink supporting member, and ink mounted on the intermediate layer. The ink has supercooling property and is susceptible to softening or melting by heat, and the intermediate layer is adapted to reduce adhesion of the ink to the intermediate layer above a temperature at which the ink is softened or melted. A thermal-transfer recording apparatus best adapted for use of the ink ribbon described above, comprises a thermal head including a plurality of heating elements and being in sliding contact with the ink ribbon, the heating elements being adapted to be heated for predetermined patterns so that the ink of the ink ribbon in sliding contact with the thermal head is heated to be softened or melted into the predetermined patterns, and is transferred to the recording paper overlapping the ink ribbon.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the technical field of fluid heater devices, and more particularly to an electric immersion heater for use in electro-plating, metal preparation, finishing applications in the electronics industry (e.g. preparation of printed circuits). The invention more specifically provides a new and improved electric immersion heater design that includes, in combination, a unique flexible cable structure enabling small diameter coils (made primarily from a fluoroplastic material) which, in turn, are mounted on a support frame structure. This provides an inexpensive heater assembly that has optimum heat transfer capability in liquid treating mediums.

Abstract: A thermal recording apparatus including a thermal head provided with a plurality of heating elements each having a predetermined value of resolution in a feed direction of a recording paper sheet, and a printer control circuit having first and second feed control members for feeding, at the time of recording scanning of each line of the recording paper sheet, the recording paper sheet through an interval of a half of the predetermined value and an interval of the predetermined value multiplied by a natural number, respectively such that feed of the recording paper sheet is controlled by the first and second feed control members at the time of recording of hues of yellow, magenta and cyan and a hue of black, respectively.

Abstract: A thermal trasfer printer including a thermal head, and a platen positioned against the thermal head through a printing sheet. The thermal head has a substrate formed of heat insulating material, at least one glaze layer on a top surface of the substrate extending longitudinally thereof, a plurality of heat generating elements on the glaze layer, a plurality of electrodes each connected to the heat generating elements in a manner to form an opening for the heat generating elements and a protective layer for preventing the electrodes and heat generating elements from contacting the printing sheet to avoid their wear. A portion of the protective layer for protectng the heat generating elements has a height which is greater by more than 5 .mu.m than the height of a portion of the protective layer for protecting the electrodes. The width of the glaze layer transversely of the substrate is less than 200 .mu.m at a location which is 10 .mu.

Abstract: A method of thermally printing a multicolor image on a print paper is disclosed. With this method, a lengthy multicolor image can be printed on a paper over a plurality of pages of a length determined by a length of each ink zone of an ink ribbon. First, the ink ribbon is set over a platen roller with the paper being interposed therebetween, the ink ribbon having plural groups of ink zones, the ink zones of each group carrying a plurality of heat-dissolving inks of different colors, respectively. One of the ink zones is positioned at a printing position where a thermal head contacts with the platen roller through the ink ribbon and paper. The thermal head is then activated in accordance with image data stored in a memory, and the ink ribbon and paper are advanced to effect transfer of ink so that one of color component images of the image is printed on the paper. The ink ribbon and paper are then advanced by a predetermined distance to separate the paper from the ink ribbon.

Abstract: An electrically heatable fixed rear window of a motor vehicle has resistance heating strips extending over part of the window area and a bus bar which electrically connects the resistance heating strips to each other and provides a contact on the window which cooperates with, and a counter-contact on the motor vehicle body which is connected to an electrical power source such as the motor vehicle battery.The counter-contact on the motor vehicle body comprises a compression spring-loaded pin which moves in the direction perpendicularly of the window surface, which is connected at its rear end to a power cable connected to the electrical power source and which is operatively connected to the bus bar at its front end surface.

Abstract: This invention relates to a unit type thermal label printer capable of receiving and transmitting data. The unit type thermal label printer is comprised of detachable components consisting of a label printer unit, a data terminal unit, an applicator unit, and a handle unit. These units can be partially or completely connected and disconnected as desired thereby enabling the device to be configured according to the particular needs of the user and the situation.