Thermal transfer printing apparatus
US5733053A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 4, 1996 |
| Grant date | Mar 31, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 4, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB41J35/22
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A thermal transfer printing apparatus has an improved ink sheet interchanging device. A fusion type or sublimation type thermal transfer printing using a combination of many kinds of ink sheets can be carried out by a single printing apparatus. A desired ink sheet cassette or ink sheet is selected by a carrier from a plurality of ink sheet cassettes each having an ink sheet, and moved in the recording paper transfer direction to a printing portion. A plurality of ink sheet cassettes are arranged at the up-stream side and down-stream side of the cassette transferring direction with respect to the printing portion or stacked at either one of the up-stream side and the down-stream side of the cassette transferring direction. Each of the ink sheet cassettes includes a supply core and a take-up core of the ink sheet arranged horizontally or vertically, and each of the take-up cores is transferred from the ink sheet cassette over the printing portion and returned to the ink sheet cassette after the printing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.