EP0138221A2 — Color copier

Claim 1

Independent Claim 179 words

A color copier characterised by a platen (6) for mounting thereon a manuscript to be copied, a scanner unit (1) adapted to reciprocate relative to said platen (6) and generate image signals divided in three primary colors by reading said manuscript for each line or for each set of a plurality of lines, at least three thermal heads (183b,183c,183d) for receiving image signals and, in response thereto, selectively actuating heat generation elements, means for supplying said thermal heads (183b,183c,183d) with ink donor films (52,53,54) of respective colors, for example yellow, cyan, and magenta, first transfer means (153) for pressing a cut record paper into tight contact with the first thermal head through said medium of said ink donor film of a first recording part, a first peel means (155) for peeling said record paper from said first ink donor sheet film on completion of transfer thermal printing by said first transfer means, similar sets of second and third transfer means and peel means, and paper discharge means (59,60) for discharging said record paper peeled by said third peel means.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 179 words

A color copier characterised by a platen (6) for mounting thereon a manuscript to be copied, a scanner unit (1) adapted to reciprocate relative to said platen (6) and generate image signals divided in three primary colors by reading said manuscript for each line or for each set of a plurality of lines, at least three thermal heads (183b,183c,183d) for receiving image signals and, in response thereto, selectively actuating heat generation elements, means for supplying said thermal heads (183b,183c,183d) with ink donor films (52,53,54) of respective colors, for example yellow, cyan, and magenta, first transfer means (153) for pressing a cut record paper into tight contact with the first thermal head through said medium of said ink donor film of a first recording part, a first peel means (155) for peeling said record paper from said first ink donor sheet film on completion of transfer thermal printing by said first transfer means, similar sets of second and third transfer means and peel means, and paper discharge means (59,60) for discharging said record paper peeled by said third peel means.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 183 words

A color copier characterised by a platen (6) for mounting thereon a manuscript to be copied, a scanner unit (1) adapted to reciprocate relative to said platen (6) and generate image signals divided in three primary colors by reading said manuscript for each line or for each set of a plurality of lines, four thermal heads (183a,183b,183c,183d) for receiving image signals and, in response thereto, selectively actuating heat generation elements, means for supplying said thermal heads with ink donor films (51,52,53,54) of respective colors of black, yellow, cyan, and magenta, first transfer means (153) for pressing a cut record paper into tight contact with the first thermal head through said medium of said ink donor film of a first recording part, a first peel means (155) for peeling said record paper from said first ink donor sheet film on completion of transfer thermal printing by said first transfer means (153), similar sets of second, third, and fourth transfer means and peel means, and paper discharge means (59,60) for discharging said record paper peeled by said first peel means or said fourth peel means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 183 words

A color copier characterised by a platen (6) for mounting thereon a manuscript to be copied, a scanner unit (1) adapted to reciprocate relative to said platen (6) and generate image signals divided in three primary colors by reading said manuscript for each line or for each set of a plurality of lines, four thermal heads (183a,183b,183c,183d) for receiving image signals and, in response thereto, selectively actuating heat generation elements, means for supplying said thermal heads with ink donor films (51,52,53,54) of respective colors of black, yellow, cyan, and magenta, first transfer means (153) for pressing a cut record paper into tight contact with the first thermal head through said medium of said ink donor film of a first recording part, a first peel means (155) for peeling said record paper from said first ink donor sheet film on completion of transfer thermal printing by said first transfer means (153), similar sets of second, third, and fourth transfer means and peel means, and paper discharge means (59,60) for discharging said record paper peeled by said first peel means or said fourth peel means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 23 words

A color copier according to claim 2 characterised in that said black ink donor film (51) is fed to said first recording part.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 56 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that said platen (6) and said scanner unit (1) are stowed in one housing and said thermal heads, said means for feeding said ink donor films, said first through fourth transfer means, and said first through fourth peel means are stowed in another housing.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 67 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 further characterised by means for reciprocating either of said platen and said scanner unit, means for reading information of said manuscript during a forward and a backward travel, and means for reversing the sequence of image signals read during said backward travel, whereby a normal image is formed from said image signals read during said backward travel.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 47 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that the width of the pulse applied to said thermal head or the magnitude of electric power applied thereto is adjusted on the basis of the calculated condition of heat storage in said thermal head.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 55 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that the speeds of said record papers passing said first through fourth transfer means are equalized by providing means capable of detecting amounts of movement of said record papers and adjusting said amounts of movement to conform to a standard amount of movement.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 49 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that means capable of detecting presence of record paper are disposed one each at a plurality of points along paths for conveyance of said record papers so as to permit detection of any jam of record paper.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 43 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 further characterised by means capable of relieving pressure between said thermal heads and said back rolls forming said transfer means and thus enabling said thermal heads to be separated from said back rolls.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 23 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that said ink donor films are contained each in a cassette.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 41 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that switch means is disposed in said path for record papers so as to enable said record paper to be passed only through said transfer means for black color.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 44 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that said peel means is adapted to fulfill an additional function of discharging electrostatic charge from at least either of said ink donor film and said record paper after their mutual separation.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 37 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that said peel means is adapted to fulfill an additional function of applying heat on the entire surface of said ink donor film after separation.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 33 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 further characterised by means for overlaying said information of manuscript read by said scanner unit with information from an internal or external source.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 21 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 further characterised by means for automatically and manually feeding record paper.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 59 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that three light sources of red, green, and blue colors are prepared for the scanning of a manuscript containing a color image, said red light source is kept on throughout the entire period of scanning, and the other color light sources are kept flickered at prescribed intervals.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 48 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that said recording part is adapted so that said record paper is pressed tightly against said ink donor film and conveyed by virtue of frictional force produced between said ink donor film and said record paper.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 28 words

A color copier according to claim 2 characterised in that said recording parts are each provided with means for detecting the tailing end of said ink donor film.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 29 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that said recording parts are each provided with means for radiating the heat of said thermal head.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 42 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that said recording parts are each provided with a color conversion circuit for converting image signals read from said manuscript into record image signals of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 106 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that said recording parts are each provided with a heat storage compensation device and said heat storage compensation device comprises a heat storage calculator for calculating the condition of heat storage based on the dots to be printed and the image information surrounding said dots, a memory for storing the pulse width of the previous line, and a pulse width processor for calculating the pulse width of dots to be printed based on said condition of heat storage, the pulse width of the previous line, and the brightness level of dots to be printed.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 22 words

A color copier according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that said recording parts are adapted to enable halftone printing.

Color copier

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag