Disclosed herein is a method of managing a printing apparatus including a thermal print head. The method of managing a printing apparatus includes: starting, by the controller of a printing apparatus, the cleaning of a thermal print head when a predetermined condition is satisfied; selecting, by the controller, a cleaning method based on at least one the satisfied condition and previously stored information; and cleaning, by the controller, the thermal print head by driving at least one of heating elements, included in a plurality of recording elements constituting the thermal print head, according to the selected cleaning method.

Disclosed herein is a method of managing a printing apparatus including a thermal print head. The method of managing a printing apparatus includes: starting, by the controller of a printing apparatus, the cleaning of a thermal print head when a predetermined condition is satisfied; selecting, by the controller, a cleaning method based on at least one the satisfied condition and previously stored information; and cleaning, by the controller, the thermal print head by driving at least one of heating elements, included in a plurality of recording elements constituting the thermal print head, according to the selected cleaning method.

A printing apparatus heats a print medium in which color development layers that develop colors in accordance with heating are stacked in correspondence with a plurality of color. The apparatus includes a drive unit configured to drive each of heating elements of a printhead using a first pulse for preheating a predetermined color development layer, and a second pulse applied after the first pulse to cause the predetermined color development layer to develop the color, and a pulse control unit configured to, when developing a specific color, perform a control in which a pulse width of the first pulse is increased and/or a control in which the number of times of application of the second pulse is increased such that another color development layer that is not used to reproduce the specific color does not develop the color.

A printing apparatus heats a print medium in which color development layers that develop colors in accordance with heating are stacked in correspondence with a plurality of color. The apparatus includes a drive unit configured to drive each of heating elements of a printhead using a first pulse for preheating a predetermined color development layer, and a second pulse applied after the first pulse to cause the predetermined color development layer to develop the color, and a pulse control unit configured to, when developing a specific color, perform a control in which a pulse width of the first pulse is increased and/or a control in which the number of times of application of the second pulse is increased such that another color development layer that is not used to reproduce the specific color does not develop the color.

A thermal head includes a substrate; a heat generating section disposed on the substrate; an electrode which is disposed on the substrate and is electrically connected to the heat generating section; and a connector including a fixing ping electrically connected to the electrode, a movable pin which holds the substrate between the movable pin and the fixing pin, and a connection pin which connects the fixing pin and the movable pin. The movable pin includes a movable section which is bent or curved and a contact section making contact with the substrate. The movable pin is disposed so as to protrude from the connection pin beyond the fixing pin. The contact section is located closer to a connection pin side than a tip end of the fixing pin.

A thermal head includes a substrate; a plurality of heating elements; a plurality of electrodes; a first covering layer; and a covering member. The thermal head further includes a second covering layer extending from the first covering layer onto the end surface. The housing is in contact with the second covering layer.

A semiconductor device includes, an anti-fuse element, a transistor connected via the anti-fuse element to a power source terminal which may apply a voltage to the anti-fuse element, an ESD protection element connected to the power source terminal via a node, and a first resistive element disposed in an electric path between the node and the anti-fuse element, wherein resistance of the first resistive element increases with an increase of a voltage applied to the first resistive element.

A thermal head includes a substrate; a heat generating section disposed on the substrate; an electrode which is disposed on the substrate and is electrically connected to the heat generating section; and a connector including a fixing ping electrically connected to the electrode, a movable pin which holds the substrate between the movable pin and the fixing pin, and a connection pin which connects the fixing pin and the movable pin. The movable pin includes a movable section which is bent or curved and a contact section making contact with the substrate. The movable pin is disposed so as to protrude from the connection pin beyond the fixing pin. The contact section is located closer to a connection pin side than a tip end of the fixing pin.

Disclosed herein is a method of managing a printing apparatus including a thermal print head. The method of managing a printing apparatus includes: starting, by the controller of a printing apparatus, the cleaning of a thermal print head when a predetermined condition is satisfied; selecting, by the controller, a cleaning method based on at least one the satisfied condition and previously stored information; and cleaning, by the controller, the thermal print head by driving at least one of heating elements, included in a plurality of recording elements constituting the thermal print head, according to the selected cleaning method.

Disclosed herein is a method of managing a printing apparatus including a thermal print head. The method of managing a printing apparatus includes: starting, by the controller of a printing apparatus, the cleaning of a thermal print head when a predetermined condition is satisfied; selecting, by the controller, a cleaning method based on at least one the satisfied condition and previously stored information; and cleaning, by the controller, the thermal print head by driving at least one of heating elements, included in a plurality of recording elements constituting the thermal print head, according to the selected cleaning method.