Patent · US Expired

Thermal transfer print medium drum system

US5053791A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
10References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 16, 1990
Grant dateOct 1, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 16, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J13/10
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A holder for a thermal print medium is disclosed. The holder is adapted to be used in a thermal printer in which a donor element in a thermal print medium transfers dye to a receiver element upon receipt of a sufficient amount of thermal energy. The printer includes a plurality of diode lasers which can be individually modulated to supply energy to selected dots on the medium in accordance with an information signal. The print head of the printer includes a fiber optic array having a plurality of optical fibers coupled to the diode lasers. The holder for the thermal print medium includes a rotatable vacuum drum, and the fiber optic array is movable relative to the drum. The vacuum drum includes separate vacuum supplies for the donor sheet and for the receiver sheet so that the sheets can be independently handled.

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