PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
3.Printer Mechanism
3-1. Thermal Printhead
The TSP400 printers utilize thermal line printing. The thermal printhead consists of a horizontal line of 576 heat elements. These elements print one line of dots at a time as the paper passes over the head. The printhead is fixed in position; only the paper moves.
The printer prints a dot by heating the corresponding heat element. The heated element generates a chemical reaction in the coloring layer of the thermal paper, resulting in the formation of a visible dot.
Thermal head
Heat element
Coloring layer
Thermal paper
Printed point
Platen
Fig. 2-16 Principle of Thermal Printing
3-2. Paper-Feed Mechanism
The
Gear train
Thermal paper
Platen
Thermal head
Fig. 2-17 Paper-Feed Machanism
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