PRINTHEAD FOR ELECTROCHROMIC PRINTING AND METHOD OF FABRICATING SUCH PRINTHEAD

摘要

An electrochromic printhead and a method of construction thereof in which the printhead is fabricated from an array of spaced, precisely positioned, small glass tubes. The array of glass tubes defines an array of cylindrical apertures extending through the printhead to form a printing pattern at a printing surface. Each cylindrical aperture has a conductor therein as an active electrode, which defines one dot of an array or matrix of dots possibly formed by the electrochromic printer. An additional conductor is provided as a reference electrode, such that a voltage may be applied between selected active electrodes and the reference electrode to define a particular printing pattern. Electrode wear is substantially eliminated by applying a coating of rutenium oxide crystals on each active electrode at the printing surface. In one disclosed embodiment, each active electrode is formed by a conductive coating applied along the interior surface of each cylindrical aperture. In a further disclosed embodiment, each active electrode comprises a cylindrical wire positioned within each cylindrical aperture. In yet another embodiment, each active electrode is formed by a conductive filler placed within each cylindrical aperture.