(19)
(11) EP 0 640 487 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
04.12.1996 Bulletin 1996/49

(43) Date of publication A2:
01.03.1995 Bulletin 1995/09

(21) Application number: 94113071.8

(22) Date of filing: 22.08.1994
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6: B41J 2/345
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB NL

(30) Priority: 24.08.1993 JP 209128/93
07.09.1993 JP 221682/93
07.09.1993 JP 221683/93
05.10.1993 JP 249242/93

(71) Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-02 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Takeuchi, Eiichi, c/o Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Hamura-shi, Tokyo 205 (JP)
  • Mizushina, Takahiro, c/o Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Hamura-shi, Tokyo 205 (JP)

(74) Representative: Grünecker, Kinkeldey, Stockmair & Schwanhäusser Anwaltssozietät 
Maximilianstrasse 58
80538 München
80538 München (DE)

   


(54) Thermal dot printer


(57) A thermal dot printer controls energy applied to individual heat generating members (101) to control the amount of heat generated by the heat generating members (101), thereby controlling the ink melting area on an ink ribbon, and transfers the melted ink on a paper to print a gradation image on the paper. The size Lm of each heat generating element (101) in the main scanning direction and the arranging pitch DOPm of the heat generating elements (101) in the main scanning direction have a relationship of

, while the size Ls of each heat generating element (101) in the sub scanning direction has a relationship of

with respect to the pitch DOPs in the sub scanning direction and the size Lm of the heat generating elements (101) in the main scanning direction.






Search report