A system and method for selective heating and/or sintering of a material including first and second substrates, an array of one or more resistive heating elements arranged on a planar surface of a substrate and material to be heated located on the other substrate.

A thermal head includes a substrate; a plurality of heat generating portions; a common electrode disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the plurality of heat generating portions; a plurality of individual electrodes disposed on the substrate and each electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of heat generating portions; a first insulation layer disposed on the heat generating portions, a part of the common electrode, and a part of the individual electrodes; a second insulation layer located adjacent to the first insulation layer and disposed on a part of the individual electrodes; and a static removing layer disposed on the first insulation layer and grounded. The static removing layer includes a first portion disposed on an upper surface of the first insulation layer and a second portion electrically connected to the first portion and disposed on an upper surface of the second insulation layer.

A thermal head includes a substrate; a plurality of heat generating portions; a common electrode disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the plurality of heat generating portions; a plurality of individual electrodes disposed on the substrate and each electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of heat generating portions; a first insulation layer disposed on the heat generating portions, a part of the common electrode, and a part of the individual electrodes; a second insulation layer located adjacent to the first insulation layer and disposed on a part of the individual electrodes; and a static removing layer disposed on the first insulation layer and grounded. The static removing layer includes a first portion disposed on an upper surface of the first insulation layer and a second portion electrically connected to the first portion and disposed on an upper surface of the second insulation layer.

A drum (10) and thermal control system (180) in this disclosure are suitable for use in systems for thermally processing imaging media. The drum comprises a cylindrical surface (11) disposed around and parallel to an axis of rotation (A) of the drum, end plates (12) each extending orthogonally to the axis of rotation of the drum, and lamp heaters (14A-14B) extending parallel to the axis of rotation within the interior of the drum. By making use of thermal sensor measurements, the lamp heaters may be controlled to maintain a uniform dmm surface temperature.

A drum (10) and thermal control system (180) in this disclosure are suitable for use in systems for thermally processing imaging media. The drum comprises a cylindrical surface (11) disposed around and parallel to an axis of rotation (A) of the drum, end plates (12) each extending orthogonally to the axis of rotation of the drum, and lamp heaters (14A-14B) extending parallel to the axis of rotation within the interior of the drum. By making use of thermal sensor measurements, the lamp heaters may be controlled to maintain a uniform dmm surface temperature.

A heating circuit having an array of switching heating elements (e.g., field effect transistors, thin film transistors) provides a transient heat pattern over a surface (e.g., substrate, imaging member surface, transfer roll surface) moving relative to the heating circuit, to produce a pixelated heat image and heat a target pattern on the surface. Heat is generated by current flow in the heating elements, and the power developed by the heating circuit is the product of source-drain voltage and current in the channel. Digital addressing may accomplished by matrix addressing the array. Current may be supplied along data address lines by an external voltage controlled by digital electronics understood by a skilled artisan to provide the desired heat at a respective heating element pixels addressed by a specific gate line. The circuit may include a current return line that may be low resistance, for example, by using a 2-dimensional mesh.

Printhead carriers and adapters are disclosed. An example disclosed print mechanism includes an adapter to simultaneously couple a printhead assembly to both a logic circuit of a media processing device and a power source of the media processing device; a printhead carrier coupled to the adapter; and wherein a first connection, between data input connector and the logic circuit, and a second connection, between the power input connector and the power source, are maintained when the printhead assembly is removed from the print mechanism.

Printhead carriers and adapters are disclosed. An example disclosed print mechanism includes an adapter to simultaneously couple a printhead assembly to both a logic circuit of a media processing device and a power source of the media processing device; a printhead carrier coupled to the adapter; and wherein a first connection, between data input connector and the logic circuit, and a second connection, between the power input connector and the power source, are maintained when the printhead assembly is removed from the print mechanism.

A thermal print head includes a heat-generating substrate, a resistor layer, a conductive layer, a first substrate, a second substrate, and a third substrate. The heat-generating substrate includes a heat-generating substrate obverse face and a heat-generating substrate reverse face that are spaced apart from each other in a thickness direction. The resistor layer is supported by the heat-generating substrate. The conductive layer is supported by the heat-generating substrate, and electrically connected to the resistor layer. The first substrate is located upstream of the heat-generating substrate in a sub-scanning direction. The second substrate is located upstream of the first substrate in the sub-scanning direction. The third substrate is bonded to the first substrate and the second substrate and higher in flexibility than the first substrate.

A thermal print head includes a heat-generating substrate, a resistor layer, a conductive layer, a first substrate, a second substrate, and a third substrate. The heat-generating substrate includes a heat-generating substrate obverse face and a heat-generating substrate reverse face that are spaced apart from each other in a thickness direction. The resistor layer is supported by the heat-generating substrate. The conductive layer is supported by the heat-generating substrate, and electrically connected to the resistor layer. The first substrate is located upstream of the heat-generating substrate in a sub-scanning direction. The second substrate is located upstream of the first substrate in the sub-scanning direction. The third substrate is bonded to the first substrate and the second substrate and higher in flexibility than the first substrate.