Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
194 words
A printer (10), which forms an image on a sheet by ejecting ink onto the sheet in accordance with an image signal, including: a thermal head (106) having heating elements (104) heated in accordance with the image signal, a recording medium (108) in which a plurality of holes (109) to be filled with ink are formed, and which generates bubbles from the holes when ink is heated and ejects the ink due to pressure from the bubbles, holding means (204, 206) for holding said recording medium (108) to feed it toward said heating elements (104), and ink supply means (164, 166) for supplying the ink to said recording medium (108), characterized in that when a diameter of the hole (109) formed in said recording medium (108) is given as D, a pitch between two adjacent holes is given as P, a width of said heating element in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction (I) of said recording medium is given as H, and a width of said heating element in the moving direction of said recording medium is given as V, relations H > 2P and V > 2P + D are satisfied.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
194 words
A printer (10), which forms an image on a sheet by ejecting ink onto the sheet in accordance with an image signal, including: a thermal head (106) having heating elements (104) heated in accordance with the image signal, a recording medium (108) in which a plurality of holes (109) to be filled with ink are formed, and which generates bubbles from the holes when ink is heated and ejects the ink due to pressure from the bubbles, holding means (204, 206) for holding said recording medium (108) to feed it toward said heating elements (104), and ink supply means (164, 166) for supplying the ink to said recording medium (108), characterized in that when a diameter of the hole (109) formed in said recording medium (108) is given as D, a pitch between two adjacent holes is given as P, a width of said heating element in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction (I) of said recording medium is given as H, and a width of said heating element in the moving direction of said recording medium is given as V, relations H > 2P and V > 2P + D are satisfied.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A printer according to claim 1, characterized in that in said recording medium (108), a hole is formed to be separated at the same distance from other two adjacent holes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A printer according to claim 1, characterized in that in said recording medium, an extending direction of an array (S) of holes formed adjacent to each other is perpendicular to the moving direction (I) of said recording medium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
A printer according to claim 1, characterized in that an extending direction of an array (S) of holes (109) formed in said recording medium (108) is substantially perpendicular to the moving direction (I) of said recording medium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
129 words
A printer (10), which forms an image on a sheet by ejecting ink onto the sheet in accordance with an image signal, including: a thermal head (106) having heating elements (104) heated in accordance with the image signal, a recording medium (108) in which a plurality of holes (109) to be filled with ink are formed, and which generates bubbles from the holes when inK is heated and ejects the ink due to pressure from the bubbles, holding means (204, 206) for holding said recording medium (108) to feed it toward said heating elements (104) of said thermal head (106), and ink supply means (164, 166) for supplying the ink to said recording medium, characterized in that said recording medium (108) has a hydrophobic surface facing said sheet (14).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
129 words
A printer (10), which forms an image on a sheet by ejecting ink onto the sheet in accordance with an image signal, including: a thermal head (106) having heating elements (104) heated in accordance with the image signal, a recording medium (108) in which a plurality of holes (109) to be filled with ink are formed, and which generates bubbles from the holes when inK is heated and ejects the ink due to pressure from the bubbles, holding means (204, 206) for holding said recording medium (108) to feed it toward said heating elements (104) of said thermal head (106), and ink supply means (164, 166) for supplying the ink to said recording medium, characterized in that said recording medium (108) has a hydrophobic surface facing said sheet (14).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A printer according to claim 5, characterized in that said recording medium (108) has a hydrophilic surface facing said heating elements.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A printer according to claim 6, characterized in that said recording medium (108) comprises a nicKel film as a hydrophilic material, whose surface facing said sheet is covered with a hydrophobic material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A printer according to claim 5, characterized in that said ink supply means (164, 166) comprises inK removing means (170, 172, 174, 176), which is in contact with said recording medium, for removing excessive ink supplied to said ink supply means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A printer according to claim 8, characterized in that said ink removing means (170, 172, 174, 176) is in contact with the hydrophobic surface of said recording medium (108).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
A printer according to claim 9, characterized in that said ink removing means (170, 172, 174, 176) is formed of a hydrophilic material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A printer according to claim 10, characterized in that said ink removing means (170, 172, 174, 176) has an elasticity.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
A printer according to claim 8, characterized in that said recording medium (108), said holding means (204, 206), said ink supply means (164, 166), and said ink removing means (170, 172, 174, 176) are integrally provided in a cartridge (110).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
A printer according to claim 12, characterized in that said holding means (204, 206) has a pair of rolls for winding said recording medium therearound, and said ink removing means (170, 172, 174, 176) extends substantially parallel to said roll adjacent thereto.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
49 words
A printer according to claim 13, characterized in that said ink removing means (170, 172, 174, 176) comprises four ink removing members (170, 172, 174, 176), which operate in pairs to clamp said recording medium therebetween at the side of each of said rolls in an exposing hole (184).