Thermal transfer printing process

US4860025A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Pitney Bowes Inc. · US

Inventors

• William Berson · Weston, US
• Julius Gluck · Norwalk, US
• Patrick M. Murphy · Irvine, US
• Duc H. Tran · Shelton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 28, 1987
• Grant date: Aug 22, 1989
• Expiry date: Dec 28, 2007

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07B2017/0054
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In printing apparatus of the type which includes a ribbon having a backing layer and an ink donor layer supported on the backing layer, wherein the apparatus includes a first thermal printhead for transfer printing a first ink pattern from the ink donor layer to the backing layer at a first printing station, a second thermal printhead for transfer printing a second ink pattern from the ink donor layer to a workpiece at a second printing station, there is provided a process including the steps of: sensing a letter being fed to the second printing station; starting feeding the ribbon; starting printing at the first printing station; moving the second printhead from a non-printing position to a printing position; starting printing at the second printing station; stopping printing at the first and second printing stations; stopping feeding the ribbon; and moving the second printhead from the printing position to the non-printing position.