THERMAL PRINTING DEVICE

摘要

A thermal printing device is disclosed which prints on ordinary paper using an ink which melts when heated but is solid at room temperature.
The device comprises an ink-carrier with an even outer surface which rotates to carry an ink-layer formed on said surface from an ink-source to a printing position. A cylindrical roller with an uneven surface in directions parallel to the axis of the roller is in contact with the ink-carrier along spaced lines lying in planes normal to the axis of the roller with the ink-source between the ink-carrier and the cylindrical roller. The ink of ink-source is melted and adheres to the surface of the ink-carrier in an ink-layer as the ink-carrier rotates. Means are provided at the printing position for generating thermal patterns to re-melt the solid ink-layer by generating thermal patterns in accordance with printing signals. Printing paper is fed to the printing position where the paper is forced into contact with the ink-carrier so that ink patterns are transcribed onto the printing paper.