The present invention provides a thermal print head and a thermal printer that can deliver improved printing quality. The thermal print head includes a main substrate with a main surface, heating elements arranged along a main scanning direction, and a protection layer that covers the heating elements. A belt-shaped heating glaze layer is between the main surface and the heating elements, extends along the main scanning direction, and bulges towards the direction where the main surface faces. The surface shape of the protection layer has an equivalent radius of curvature Re between 6200 m and 15000 m. The equivalent radius of curvature Re is calculated by Hq and Wq. Hq is of the maximum height Hm of the bulging portion of the protection layer including the heating glaze layer. Wq is the width of the bulging portion along a sub-scanning direction, measured at a height equal to Hm minus Hq.

A thermal head capable of reducing a possibility of separation of a connector is provided. A thermal head includes a substrate; a plurality of heat generating portions disposed on the substrate; a plurality of electrodes which are disposed on the substrate and are electrically connected to the plurality of heat generating portions, respectively; and a connector including a plurality of connector pins which pinch the substrate and are electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes, respectively, and a housing for containing the plurality of connector pins. The housing is disposed adjacent to the substrate in a sub-scanning direction, and the housing includes a support portion disposed under the substrate. This can reduce a possibility of separation of the connector.

A thermal print head includes a semiconductor substrate, a resistor layer with heat generating portions arranged in the main scanning direction, a wiring layer included in a conduction path for energizing the heat generating portions, and a protective layer covering the resistor layer and the wiring layer. The semiconductor substrate includes a projection protruding from the obverse surface of the substrate and elongated in the main scanning direction. The projection has first and second inclined side surfaces spaced apart from each other in the sub-scanning direction. The heat generating portions are arranged to overlap with the first inclined side surface of the projection as viewed in plan view.

A thermal print head includes a semiconductor substrate, a resistor layer and a wiring layer. The resistor layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate and has a plurality of heat generating portions arranged in the main scanning direction. The wiring layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate to be included in a conduction path for energizing the plurality of heat generating portions. The conduction path includes a path or paths provided by the semiconductor substrate itself.

The present invention provides a thermal print head and a thermal printer that can deliver improved printing quality. The thermal print head includes a main substrate with a main surface, heating elements arranged along a main scanning direction, and a protection layer that covers the heating elements. A belt-shaped heating glaze layer is between the main surface and the heating elements, extends along the main scanning direction, and bulges towards the direction where the main surface faces. The surface shape of the protection layer has an equivalent radius of curvature Re between 6200 m and 15000 m. The equivalent radius of curvature Re is calculated by Hq and Wq. Hq is of the maximum height Hm of the bulging portion of the protection layer including the heating glaze layer. Wq is the width of the bulging portion along a sub-scanning direction, measured at a height equal to Hm minus Hq.

A thermal head includes: a substrate; a thermal storage layer disposed on the substrate and having a ridge portion; heat generating portions disposed on the ridge portion; and electrodes which are disposed on the substrate. At least one of the electrodes has a first corner portion at which a side surface and an upper surface intersect, more upstream in the conveyance direction of the recording medium than the top portion of the ridge portion. In a cross section of the thermal head, an inclination angle of an imaginary line which connects an intersection point of an imaginary line which hangs downward from the top portion (13b1) of the ridge portion and the substrate, with the first corner portion, is 75 or less from the substrate. Thus, printing residue is less likely to adhere to the thermal head.

A thermal print head includes a base member, an electrode layer formed on the base member, and a resistor layer formed on the base member. The electrode layer includes a common electrode and individual electrodes. The resistor layer includes heating units aligned in a main scanning direction. The heating units each include a first heating element and a second heating element spaced apart from each other. The first heating element and the second heating element are electrically connected to the common electrode and one of the individual electrodes to which the first heating element is electrically connected.

A thermal head includes: a substrate; a heat generating portion disposed on the substrate; a first electrode electrically connected to the heat generating portion; a driving IC which controls actuation of the heat generating portion; a first cover member which covers the driving IC; a connection member which is disposed on the substrate and has a connecting section electrically connected to a second electrode; and a second cover member which covers the connecting section and extends toward the first cover member. The second cover member includes a first portion and a second portion which is thinner than the first portion. The first portion is disposed next to the connection member. The second portion lies farther away from the connection member than the first portion, and includes an overlying part which overlies the first cover member.

A heater includes: a substrate including a first surface and a second surface located opposite to the first surface relative to the substrate; a first heating pattern disposed on a first-surface side of the substrate; a second heating pattern disposed on the first-surface side of the substrate and located at a position different from a position of the first heating pattern; a first terminal to which electricity is to be supplied; a first power-supply pattern electrically connecting the first terminal and the first heating pattern to each other and disposed on a second-surface side of the substrate; and a first electrically-continuous portion extending through the substrate and electrically connecting the first power-supply pattern and the first heating pattern to each other.

Provided is a thermal print head including: a substrate having a convex part thereon; a wiring layer over the convex part; a heat storage layer over the wiring layer; a heating resistive part that is formed over the heat storage layer and is arranged along a main scanning direction; a first electrode in contact with the heating resistive part on one side in a sub-scanning direction; a second electrode in contact with the heating resistive part on another side in the sub-scanning direction; and a connection wiring formed in an opening that passes through the heating resistive part and the heat storage layer and reaches the wiring layer, in which the first electrode is electrically connected to the wiring layer via the connection wiring.