US 11,738,584 B2
Method of managing thermal printer and thermal printer for performing the same
Jin Gwan Kim, Seongnam-si (KR); and Jin Kook Kim, Seongnam-si (KR)
Assigned to BIXOLON CO., LTD., Seongnam-si (KR)
Filed by BIXOLON CO., LTD., Seongnam-si (KR)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/233,876.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2020-0051257 (KR), filed on Apr. 28, 2020; application No. 10-2020-0051258 (KR), filed on Apr. 28, 2020; application No. 10-2020-0051259 (KR), filed on Apr. 28, 2020; application No. 10-2020-0061560 (KR), filed on May 22, 2020; and application No. 10-2021-0013669 (KR), filed on Jan. 29, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2021/0331501 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. B41J 2/32 (2006.01); B41J 2/165 (2006.01); B41J 29/17 (2006.01); B41J 2/35 (2006.01); B41F 31/30 (2006.01); B41J 11/04 (2006.01); B41J 11/24 (2006.01); B41J 29/13 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 29/17 (2013.01) [B41F 31/304 (2013.01); B41J 2/32 (2013.01); B41J 2/35 (2013.01); B41J 11/04 (2013.01); B41J 11/24 (2013.01); B41J 2/165 (2013.01); B41J 29/13 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a printer including a thermal print head, and configured to perform printing on paper;
storage configured to store a program for performing cleaning of the thermal print head; and
a controller configured to control the printer to perform printing and to perform cleaning of the thermal print head by executing the program;
wherein the controller starts cleaning of a thermal print head when a predetermined condition is satisfied, selects a cleaning method based on at least one the satisfied condition and previously stored information, and cleans 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,
wherein the controller periodically performs cleaning of the thermal print head from a time when the thermal print head is replaced; and
wherein as an amount of printing accumulated from the time when the thermal print head is replaced increases, an interval at which cleaning of the thermal print head is performed becomes shorter.