International Business Machines Corporation

Ta C Ku

Willie Goff, Jr

James M Rakes

Rowland V Firth, Iii

Donald Joseph Stiles

A plurality of arrays of heating elements, forming printing zones, are arranged separated from each other a predetermined distance (SL) on a substrate along a line (X) transverse the media transport direction (Y). The heating elements in each zone are arranged parallel to the transport direction (Y). Mover elements sweep the head back and forth relative to print line, a distance of SL. Releasable backing element is formed by rollers and each printing zone, the length of which is SL, is associated with a roller. The backing-rollers are moved together with the head for urging the print media against the thermal transfer ribbon and the latter against the multi-zone thermal print head.

Multi-zone thermal print head

In a thermal printer the transfer ribbon such as one having sets of transverse color stripes is guided over of a ribbon support which carries the heat applying print head. The ribbon support is movable relative to the paper by an eccentric to move the ribbon into and out of contact with the paper. A support beam and a guiding roller are provided immediately behind print area to guide the ribbon away from the paper path in an angle of more than 45 degrees. This assures a separation of the ribbon from the paper essentially normal to its surface, thus avoiding shear upon relative movement between paper and ribbon and negates the need for a relatively bulky ribbon carrier material. Color printing is performed by clamping paper and ribbon, applying heat, transferring color material, retracting the ribbon from the paper, advancing the ribbon to the next color area, printing again on the very same paper area as often as desired, repeating this as often as necessary and advancing the paper after finishing the present print line.

Thermal print apparatus using a thermal transfer ribbon such as a

A serial printer which includes a print element which traverses back and forth in front of the paper. The print element is in the shape of a cup. The sides of the cup are formed by a plurality of fingers, each of which has a number of characters thereon. A hammer is located in the center of the cup. The fingers can be selectively raised whereby any one of the characters on each finger can be moved to the print position. Printing is accomplished by rotating the cup so that the desired finger is located between the hammer and the paper. If necessary, the finger is raised so that the desired character is positioned in the print position. The hammer is then fired to print the desired character.

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