Patent ID: 6076981
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printing apparatus having a thermal head the printing apparatus applying a strobe pulse at a predetermined voltage to the thermal head based on information of dots of an image to be printed, to thereby heat the thermal head, and applying heat by the thermal head to an ink ribbon in an amount enabling thermal transfer of ink on said ink ribbon, the printing apparatus comprising:temperature-detecting means for detecting a temperature of the thermal head;split pulse-applying means for sequentially applying a plurality of split pulses obtained by dividing the strobe pulse, with quiescent periods respectively interposed between the plurality of split pulses; andcontrol means for controlling operation of the split pulse-applying means, the control means setting split pulse applying periods over which the plurality of the split pulses are respectively applied and the quiescent periods according to the temperature of the thermal head detected by the temperature-detecting means.