Patent · US Expired

Metal-insulator resistive ribbon for thermal transfer printing

US4491431A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
3References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 30, 1982
Grant dateJan 1, 1985
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 30, 2002

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S428/914
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A resistive ribbon printing technique is described in which the ribbon includes a resistive layer comprised of a metal-wide bandgap insulator combination. The ribbon also includes a support layer, where the support function can be provided by the resistive layer, and a fusible ink layer. Electrical current through the resistive layer produces heat which locally melts the ink for transfer to an adjacent receiving medium. The wide bandgap insulator of the resistive layer must have a bandgap of at least three volts. Many different metals and insulators can be used, where the relative amounts of metal and insulator are chosen to provide a desired resistivity for any type of resistive ribbon printing application.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.