RESISTIVE RIBBON FOR HEAT TRANSFER, PRINTER USING SAID RIBBON AND MANUFACTURE OF SAID RIBBON

摘要

PURPOSE: To enable an image of high resolution to be printed by providing a dual resistive layer formed of a first resistive layer with low electric resistivity and a second resistive layer with high electric resistivity. CONSTITUTION: The ribbon 10 is formed of a dual resistive layer 16, a conductive metal layer 14 and a heat-softening ink layer 12, and the dual resistive layer 16 is formed of a low resistivity layer 4 and a high resistivity layer 6. Current runs into the dual resistive layer 16 by energizing a needle electrode 18 for printing in a specified pattern, and further, runs to a grounding electrode 20 after passing through the conductive metal layer 14. Thus a significantly resistive heat is generated in the small area of the resistive layer 16 to soften the area 30 of the ink layer 12 corresponding to a printing electrode, and this softened ink is transferred to a receiving medium such as paper. Consequently, the resistive layer around the needle electrode 18 is not heated by forming a high electric current path running through the conductive metal layer 14 from the low resistivity layer 4 and therefore, the resolution is not deteriorated and an ink dot which is almost of the same size as the needle electrode 18 can be transferred to perform high resolution printing.