Laptop page printer realized by thermal transfer technology

摘要

Abstract: The only appropriate printing technology for a page printer which corresponds in size and performance to a high-end laptop computer is thermal transfer with a line head (printing simultaneously over the paper width). The printer 'MT735 COMPACT' uses such a thermal transfer line head engine. For high speed printing (4 to 8 ppm) this printing technique results in a high power consumption. To reach small outline dimensions and also print without line connection the authors used rechargeable batteries as a power supply. A battery has no problem supplying a large current, but at the same time it shows voltage drops and homogeneous print quality is not self-evident. The authors investigated these effects and developed a realtime process-control of the thermal line head to compensate for these problems. Simultaneously, printing pattern inhomogeneities of the line head are equalized (internal wire resistance).!