Abstract: A cyan thermal coloring layer, a magenta thermal coloring layer, and a yellow thermal coloring layer are successively formed on a base of a thermo-sensitive recording paper. A yellow thermal head, a magenta thermal head, and a cyan thermal head are disposed along a conveyance path. While the thermo-sensitive recording paper is being conveyed in the sub scanning direction along the conveyance path, three colors images are sequentially recorded by the three thermal heads. When the length of heat elements of the respective thermal heads are Ly, Lm and Lc in a sub scanning direction, it follows that Ly<Lm<Lc. When heated by the yellow thermal head, the isothermal curve shows minimum width in the surface of the thermo-sensitive recording paper. Meanwhile the isothermal curve of the cyan thermal head shows maximum width. By changing the isothermal curves of the three colors, the dots of the three colors are made equal in size.

Abstract: Thermal line head includes an electrically-insulated base member, plural sets of at least two electric resistance elements formed on a surface of the base member and aligned with each other, and a driver circuit that selectively and electrically energizes the at least two electric resistance elements in each set in accordance with an associated digital image-pixel signal and an associated digital gradation-signal. When the digital image-pixel signal has a value “0”, none of the at least two electric resistance elements in a corresponding set are electrically energized, and, when the digital image-pixel signal has a value “1”, the selective and electrical energization of the at least two electric resistance elements in the corresponding set are performed in accordance with values of the digital gradation-signal, wherein a total thermal energy output of each of the plural sets of at least two electric resistance elements is stepwisely adjustable.

Abstract: A stencil is made by thermally perforating a stencil material by the use of a thick film thermal head. The thermal head includes an electrical insulating substrate and a glaze layer superposed on a heat radiating plate in this order, a resistance heater formed on the glaze layer to continuously extend in a main scanning direction, a plurality of electrodes of at least two lines which extend in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction in contact with the resistance heater and are alternately arranged in the main scanning direction, and a protective layer which covers exposed part of the resistance heater and the electrodes. The resistance heater is not smaller than lam and not larger than 1 &mgr;m in thickness, and the space between each pair of adjacent electrodes in the main scanning direction is not smaller than 20% and not larger than 60% of the center distance between the adjacent electrodes.

Abstract: A stencil is made by thermally perforating a stencil material by the use of a thick film thermal head. The thermal head includes an electrical insulating substrate and a glaze layer superposed on a heat radiating plate in this order, a resistance heater formed on the glaze layer to continuously extend in a main scanning direction, a plurality of electrodes of at least two lines which extend in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction in contact with the resistance heater and are alternately arranged in the main scanning direction, and a protective layer which covers exposed part of the resistance heater and the electrodes. The resistance heater is not smaller than 1 &mgr;m and not larger than 10 &mgr;m in thickness, and the space between each pair of adjacent electrodes in the main scanning direction is not smaller than 20% and not larger than 60% of the center distance between the adjacent electrodes.

Abstract: A thermal printhead includes a substrate, an electrode layer formed on the substrate, and a heating resistor which is formed on the electrode layer and contains a conductive substance and glass. The conductive substance of the heating resistor is doped in advance with an insulating substance which is identical in crystalline structure to the conductive substance. The heating resistor is formed by mixing powder of the insulating substance, which is identical in crystalline structure to the conductive substance, with the conductive substance powder, baking the obtained mixture, pulverizing the baked mixture, mixing the pulverized mixture with glass powder to prepare a resistor paste, and printing and baking the obtained resistor paste.

Abstract: A multi power type thermal head which has a heating element for producing heat with different energies, an added resistor being connected to the heating element, first switch element for controlling the heating element in an operation state or a nonoperational state, and second switch element for controlling the heating element and the added resistor in an operation state or a nonoperational state. To control the thermal head in a first energy state, heating the heating element is controlled by the first switching element. To control the thermal head in a second energy state, the heating element and the added resistor are controlled by the second switching element with the heating element and the added resistor connected in series.

Abstract: A thermal head includes a metal substrate; an insulating layer formed on the surface of the metal substrate; a plurality of heating elements disposed on the surface of the insulating layer, the heating elements being arranged with a predetermined pitch along a plurality of lines in a main scanning direction, the plurality of lines being spaced from each other in a paper feeding direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction; and a heat radiating element projecting from the surface of the metal substrate to the side where the insulating layer is disposed. In this structure, although most of heat generated by the respective heating elements is transferred to an ink ribbon or print paper, residual partial heat is absorbed by heat radiating means via the insulating layer and radiated into the atmosphere. This suppresses thermal interference among the heating elements. A thermal head controller is provided for controlling the thermal head for use in a printer.

Abstract: A thermosensitive display device including a thermosensitive material applied in a thin layer, and an array of resistors arranged on a thin flexible film. Each one of said resistors has a thin planar configuration and extends in the plane of said flexible film and essentially covers a square-shaped area. The resistors are arranged to emit host energy all over said square-shaped area when fed with electricity. The thin layer with thermosensitive material is applied directly in thermal contact with the thin flexible film. The device further including means for controlling the temperature in each of said areas.

Abstract: Disclosed is the stamp device 11 in which the average pore diameter of the porous base plate used for the stamp plate 1 and the processed stamp plate 10 is set in a range of 10 &mgr;m-40 &mgr;m, the hardness of the stamp surface 2 is set in a range of 20°-50°, the thickness of the porous base plate is set in a range of 1 mm-4 mm, and the annealing temperature of the porous base plate is set in a range of 40° C.-60° C., thereby various stamping characteristics are improved.

Abstract: A thick film type thermal head for thermally perforating a stencil material in an imagewise pattern to make a stencil is moved along the stencil material in a sub-scanning direction while energizing a plurality of heater elements arranged in an array extending in a main scanning direction. The thermal head includes an electric heater strip extending in the main scanning direction direction, and a plurality of first and second electrodes which are alternately disposed spaced from each other in the main scanning direction and extend across the heater strip in contact with the electrodes. The parts of the heater strip between adjacent first and second electrodes form the heater elements. An electrical insulating layer is disposed between the first and second electrodes and the heater strip at least on one side of the heater strip so that the width of the electrical contact area between the first and second electrodes and the heater strip becomes smaller than the width of the heater strip.

Abstract: A melting type thermal transfer recording system capable of providing multi-gradation images of high resolution and high image quality comparable to those of ink jet recording system or sublimation type thermal transfer recording system is disclosed which comprising: a donor film comprising a thin film and a thermal melting type ink layer provided on the thin film, the thermal melting type ink layer having a thickness in a range of 0.5 to 2.5 .mu.m, a surface porous type recording medium comprising a base material and a porous ink receiving layer having numerous minute pores provided on the base material, the ratio of the first total area of aperture portions that are occupied by all the pores to the whole surface area of the porous ink receiving layer being in a range of 10 to 60%, and the ratio of the second total area of aperture portions that are occupied by pores having a pore diameter of 0.5 to 20 .mu.

Abstract: A heat transfer printer which produces an image on a sheet by heating an ink member in accordance with image data and thereafter transfers a transparent overcoat material on the image formed. The heat transfer printer is provided with a thermal head having a heat insulating portion at a region other a region where the overcoat material is transferred for insulating heat produced within the overcoat material transfer region.

Abstract: A thermal master making device includes a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements arranged in an array in the main scanning direction. The thermal head is caused to contact a stencil including a thermoplastic resin film. While the master is fed at a preselected feed pitch in the subscanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, the heating elements selectively heat and perforate the film of the stencil in accordance with image data to thereby form an image in the stencil in the form of a dot pattern. A pitch at which the heating elements are arranged and the feed pitch are substantially equal to each other. The heating elements each have a length in the subscanning direction smaller than one-half of the feed pitch inclusive and have a length in the main scanning direction greater than the length in the subscanning direction. The device is capable of stably forming desired perforations in the stencil and extending the life of the heating element and therefore the life of the head.

Abstract: A thermal head comprises a number of heating elements arranged on an electrically insulating substrate as a straight line and a plurality of driver ICs which are electrically connected to the heating elements so as to control generation of heat at the respective heating elements, wherein electric resistance values of the respective heating elements are within a range of .+-.1.8% with respect to a reference value, and the electric resistance values of the respective heating elements are distributed in the form of a meandering shape. A maximum value of the distribution of the electric resistance values of the heating elements is set at +0.5% to +1.8% with respect to the reference value and a minimum value of the distribution is set at -0.5% to -1.8% with respect to the reference value. In this manner, it is possible to eliminate inconsistencies in density of the plurality of heating elements connected to the driver ICs and print an image of excellent quality.

Abstract: A thermal ink-jet printhead includes ejectors wherein a heating surface is disposed within a channel retaining liquid ink. The heating element within each ejector includes a converter for converting applied electrical energy to heat energy, and a distributor, for distributing the heat energy over a portion of the heating surface. The structure of the heating element allows the effective area of nucleation within the heating area, the size of which directly affects the volume of the ejected liquid ink droplet, to be varied with voltage and/or pulse width.

Abstract: A thermal head having an array of a predetermined number of heating elements, wherein the length of the heating elements in the feed direction is set at a value which is in the range of from 2 to 3.5 times the feed pitch in the feed direction. Thus, when color printing is effected by heating color recording paper, it is possible to increase the size of dots even if the color of the dots has a relatively low sensitivity, thereby obtaining an image which gives no sensation of roughness and also obtaining a high density, without causing damage to the surface of color recording paper or undesired color mixing.

Abstract: An optical scanning system includes a first lens for receiving a light beam from a light source and allowing the light beam to pass therethrough, and a polygon mirror having at least one reflection surface for deflecting the light beam from the first lens by reflecting the light beam on the reflection surface thereof. A second lens is provided for receiving the light beam from the polygon mirror and focusing the light beam on a first plane to be scanned. The second lens has a first surface facing toward the polygon mirror and a second surface facing toward the first plane.

Abstract: Provided is a device which can form favorable perforated images corresponding to the resolution of the thermal head, reproduce faithful printed images for all kinds of original picture images, avoid ink transfer, and adapt itself to different environmental conditions, and is suitable for use with different thermal recording materials such as thermal recording paper, OHP TP sheets, and thermal stencil master plates.

Abstract: A thermal head comprises a plurality of parallelogrammatic resistors for generating heat formed on an insulated substrate made of, such as ceramics or alumina. The resistors are aligned at regular intervals, and one pair of opposite sides of each resistor are connected individually to lead electrodes. These opposite sides are equal to or longer than the other opposite sides, and an acute angle formed between each two intersecting sides is 45.degree. or less. The resistor is heated by various electric currents to record printing dots of various sizes.

Abstract: A thermal head is used on a thermal transfer recording apparatus which can record a continuous, fine line or curve by recording many dots, by a thermal transfer system, on a recording sheet. The thermal head comprises a one-dimensional array of heat generation element groups each comprised of a plurality of heat generation elements, such as heat generation resistors of, for example, a parallelogram, a diamond or an elliptic configuration, continuously arranged in a direction perpendicular to that in which recording is made on a recording sheet and lead electrodes connected adjacent to each other in predetermined positions, in which the longitudinal sides of the heat generation resistors are made oblique at a predetermined angle.

Abstract: A liquid jet recording head includes a liquid path communicating with a discharge opening through which a liquid is discharged; a plurality of heating elements disposed in the liquid path, each of the heating elements having a different minimum power requirement for enabling the liquid to be discharged; and electrodes for allowing electric power to be simultaneously supplied to the plurality of heating elements. This invention further provides a liquid jet recording apparatus having a liquid jet recording head constructed in the above-described manner. The power density of each heating element is varied by the application of a drive voltage, thereby enabling stable step control over the gradation of an image recorded without the need for complicated wiring.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a printing master by forming perforations in a thermosensitive stencil paper. Thermal energy is applied by a thermal head to the stencil paper, the other side of the paper being free from contact with any other element at a location opposite the thermal head while thermal energy is applied.