Parallel thermal printer

Claim 2

A thermal printer comprising: a. means for continuous advancement of a visual medium receptive web; b. means for continuous advancement of a visual medium carrier web; c. an elongated thermal element assemblage extending entirely across said visual medium receptive web; d. said thermal element assemblage comprising a series of elongated thermal elements; e. the direction of elongation of said thermal elements being transverse with respect to the direction of elongation of said thermal element assemblage; f. common bus means and individual terminal means, one extremity of each of said thermal elements being connected to said bus means, the other extremity of each of said thermal elements being connected to said terminal means, said bus means serving as an electrical ground and as a thermal heat sink; g. selection means for selecting certain of said thermal elements; h. drive means for energizing said certain of said thermal elements; and i. clock means for recycling said selection means and said drive means.

Claim 3

The thermal printer of claim 1 wherein each of said thermal elements ranges in width from 0.002 to 0.020 inch, ranges in length from 0.010 to 0.100 inch, and ranges in center-to-center spacing from 0.010 to 0.050 inch.

Claim 4

The thermal printer of claim 1 wherein each drive pulse applied to each of said thermal elements ranges in electromotive force from 0.02 to 0.10 volts, ranges in current from 1 to 6 amps, ranges in resistance from 0.01 to 0.50 ohms and ranges in duration from 100 microseconds to 100 milliseconds and the elapsed time between pulses ranges between 1 and 20 times the pulse duration.

Claim 5

The thermal printer of claim 1 wherein the web sheet speed ranges from 0.5 to 10 inches per second.

Claim 6

The thermal printer of claim 1 wherein said thermal element assemblage bears against said visual medium carrier and said web sheet at a pressure ranging from 0.1 to 10 grams per square centimeter.

Claim 7

The thermal printer of claim 1 wherein the direction of advancement of said web sheet and the direction of advancement of said visual medium carrier are the same.

Claim 8

The thermal printer of claim 1 wherein the direction of advancement of said web sheet and the direction of advancement of said visual medium carrier are crossed.

Claim 9

The thermal printer of claim 1 wherein said web sheet and said visual medium carrier are of substantially the same width and advance in the same direction at different speeds.

Claim 10

The thermal printer of claim 1 wherein said visual medium carrier is a ribbon advancing across the width of said web sheet and obliquely with respect to said thermal element assemblage.

Claim 11

The thermal printer of claim 1 wherein each of said thermal elements ranges in width from 0.002 to 0.020 inch, ranges in length from 0.010 to 0.100 inch, and ranges in center-to-center spacing from 0.010 to 0.050 inch, each drive pulse applied to each of said thermal elements ranges in electromotive force from 0.02 to 0.10 volts, ranges in current from 1 to 6 amps, ranges in resistance from 0.01 to 0.50 ohms and ranges in duration from 100 microseconds to 100 milliseconds and the elapsed time between pulses ranges between 1 and 20 times the pulse duration, the web sheet speed ranges from 0.5 to 10 inches per second, and said thermal element assemblage bears against said visual medium carrier and said web sheet at a pressure ranging from 0.1 to 10 grams per square centimeter.

Claim 12

The thermal printer of claim 10 wherein the direction of advancement of said web sheet and the direction of advancement of said visual medium carrier are the same.

Claim 13

The thermal printer of claim 10 wherein the direction of advancement of said web sheet and the direction of advancement of said visual medium carrier are crossed.

Claim 14

The thermal printer of claim 10 wherein said web sheet and said visual medium carrier are of substantially the same width and advance in the same direction at different speeds.

Claim 15

The thermal printer of claim 10 wherein said visual medium carrier is a ribbon advancing across the width of said web sheet and obliquely with respect to said thermal element assemblage.

Claim 16

A thermal printer comprising: a. means for continuous advancement of a visual medium receptive web; b. means for continuous advancement of a visual medium carrier web; c. an elongated thermal element assemblage extending entirely across said visual medium receptive web; d. said thermal element assemblage comprising a series of elongated thermal elements; e. the direction of elongation of said thermal elements being transverse with respect to the direction of elongation of said thermal element assemblage; f. common bus means and individual terminal means, one extremity of each of said thermal elements being connected to said bus means, the other extremity of each of said thermal elements being connected to said terminal means, said bus means serving as an electrical ground; g. selection means for selecting certain of said thermal elements; h. drive means for energizing said certain of said thermal elements; and i. clock means for recycling said selection means and said drive means; j. each of said thermal elements ranging in width from 0.002 to 0.020 inch, ranging in length from 0.010 to 0.100 inch, ranging in center-to-center spacing from 0.010 to 0.050 inch, and ranging in resistance from 0.01 to 0.50 ohms; k. each drive pulse applied to each of said thermal elements ranging in electromotive force from 0.02 to 0.10 volts, ranging in current from 1 to 6 amps, and ranging in duration from 100 microseconds to 100 milliseconds, and the elapsed time between pulses ranging between 1 and 20 times the pulse duration; l. the web sheet speed ranging from 0.5 to 10 inches per second; m. said thermal element assemblage bearing against said visual medium carrier and said web sheet at a pressure ranging from 0.1 to 10 grams per square centimeter.

Claim 17

A thermal printer comprising: a. means for continuous advancement of a visual medium receptive web; b. means for continuous advancement of a visual medium carrier web; c. an elongated thermal element assemblage extending entirely across said visual medium receptive web; d. said thermal element assemblage comprising a series of elongated thermal elements; e. the direction of elongation of said thermal elements being transverse with respect to the direction of elongation of said thermal element assemblage; f. common bus means and individual terminal means, one extremity of each of said thermal elements being connected to said bus means, the other extremity of each of said thermal elements being connected to said terminal means, said bus means serving as an electrical ground; g. selection means for selecting certain of said thermal elements; h. drive means for energizing said certain of said thermal elements; and i. clock means for recycling said selection means and said drive means; j. each of said thermal elements ranging in width from 0.002 to 0.020 inch, ranging in length from 0.010 to 0.100 inch, ranging in center-to-center spacing from 0.010 to 0.050 inch, and ranging in resistance from 0.01 to 0.50 ohms; k. each drive pulse applied to each of said thermal elements ranging in electromotive force from 0.02 to 0.10 volts, ranging in current from 1 to 6 amps, and ranging in duration from 100 microseconds to 100 milliseconds, and the elapsed time between pulses ranging between 1 and 20 times the pulse duration; l. the web sheet speed ranging from 0.5 to 10 inches per second; m. said thermal element assemblage bearing against said visual medium carrier and said web sheet at a pressure ranging from 0.1 to 10 grams per square centimeter.