Impact/electroconductive thermal printing apparatus

Claim 1

A printing apparatus comprising: an ink bearing member having an ink layer on a face thereof facing a recording medium and an electroconductible layer on the opposite face thereof; printing means comprising a plurality of type face pojections to be brought into contact with the electroconductible layer of said ink bearing member, said type face projections being at least electroconductible at said projections and normally maintained at a position spaced from said ink bearing member; means for applying an electric voltage to a first electrode which is the electroconductible layer of said ink bearing member and to a second electrode which is said type face projections; and hammer means for selectively striking a desired one of said type face projections against said ink bearing member and applying an electric current in the pattern of the selected type face projections, thereby generating heat and thus transferring the ink of said ink bearing member in said pattern of said type face projections onto the recording medium with thermal energy and striking force corresponding to a pattern of the selected type face projection.