Head unit and printing unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11932026-B2
Application number	US-202117554039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2021
Priority date	Jun 19, 2019
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A head unit is used for production of a media sheet that has a medium region row including a plurality of medium regions, the medium regions being to be separate personal information media. The head unit includes a plurality of thermal heads configured to thermally transfer dots exhibiting a structural color from a ribbon to a target. The plurality of thermal heads are arranged so that each thermal head corresponds to a respective one of the medium regions constituting the medium region row.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head unit used for production of a media sheet that has a medium region row including a plurality of medium regions, the medium regions being to be separate personal information media, the head unit, comprising:
a plurality of thermal heads configured to thermally transfer dots exhibiting structural color from individual ribbons to respective targets, and
the plurality of thermal heads being arranged so that each of the thermal heads corresponds to a respective one of the medium regions constituting the medium region row.

2. A printing unit, comprising:
the head unit according to claim 1 ;
platen rollers facing the respective thermal heads; and
a ribbon transport module configured to transport the ribbons between the respective thermal heads and platen rollers.

3. The printing unit of claim 2 , wherein the ribbon transport module is configured to transport the ribbons each having a width larger than a length of a row of resistive heating elements included in the thermal heads.

4. The printing unit of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of thermal heads constitutes a head row, and the head unit includes a plurality of the head rows aligned in parallel.

5. The printing unit of claim 2 , wherein the thermal heads are used for printing facial images in the medium regions.

Assignees

• Toppan Inc

Inventors

• Kubota Masashi
• Marugame Tomoyuki

Classifications

• B41J2/33 Primary

  from ink roller · CPC title

• B41J2/3354

  characterised by geometry · CPC title

• B41J11/04

  Roller platens · CPC title

• B41J2/325 Primary

  by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet · CPC title

• B41J17/02

  Feeding mechanisms · CPC title