Thermal plate making apparatus

Claim 2

A thermal plate making apparatus for forming a thermal stencil through which ink passes via holes in said stencil, the stencil advanced intermittently so as to be fed a predetermined distance a time, said apparatus comprising: a thermal head including a plurality of planar heating elements arranged side-by-side in a direction perpendicular to an advancing direction of the thermal stencil, wherein in a plane which extends parallel to the planar heating elements, each of said planar heating elements has a pair of parallel opposite sides separated from each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of stencil advancement, and top and bottom portions separated from each other in the direction of stencil advancement, said top and bottom portions being substantially V-shaped portions which protrude inwardly toward a center of each of the planar heating elements.

Claim 3

A thermal plate making apparatus for forming a thermal stencil through which ink passes via holes in said stencil, the stencil being advanced intermittently so as to be fed a predetermined distance at a time, said apparatus comprising: a thermal head including a plurality of planar heating elements arranged side-by-side in a direction perpendicular to an advancing direction of said thermal stencil, wherein in a plane which extends parallel to the planar heating elements, each of said planar heating elements has substantially parallel top and bottom sides separated from each other in said direction of stencil advancement, and opposite side portions are parallel to each other and separated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of stencil advancement, said side portions having rectangular cut-out notches formed at a center portion thereof extending inwardly toward a center of each of the planar heating elements.

Claim 4

A thermal plate making apparatus for forming a thermal stencil through which ink passes via holes in said stencil, the stencil being advanced intermittently so as to be fed a predetermined distance at a time, said apparatus comprising: a thermal head including a plurality of planar heating elements arranged side-by-side in a direction perpendicular to an advancing direction of said thermal stencil, wherein in a plane which extends parallel to the planar heating elements, each of said planar heating elements has substantially parallel top and bottom sides separated from each other in said direction of stencil advancement, and opposite side portions are parallel to each other and separated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of stencil advancement, said side portions having rectangular cut-out notches formed at a center portion thereof extending inwardly toward a center of each of the planar heating elements.

Claim 5

The thermal plate making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parallel opposite sides of the planar heating elements have cut-out notches formed at a center portion thereof extending inwardly toward a center of each of the planar heating elements.

Claim 6

The thermal plate making apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein a length of each of said planar heating elements in the direction of stencil advancement is greater than a pitch of said heating elements, said pitch being a distance in the direction perpendicular to stencil advancement from a center of one heating element to a center of an adjacent heating element, and said length of each heating element in the direction of stencil advancement is equal to or less than said pitch.

Claim 7

The thermal plate making apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein a length of each heating element, taken in the direction of stencil advancement, is greater than a width of the heating element taken in the direction perpendicular to stencil advancement.