Printing method and apparatus using conductive fusible ink

Claim 1

A method of printing with an electrically conductive fusible ink on a printing medium, comprising the steps of: forming a solid layer of said conductive ink on a first surface of an ink support having a second surface parallel thereto, said ink support being formed with a plurality of narrow electrically conductive zones uniformly arranged to extend transversely in closely spaced side-by-side relationship between said first and second surfaces of the ink support, said zones being electrically insulated from one another in the support; placing said printing medium in contact with said ink layer; placing an array of electric conductors in the vicinity of said ink layer; arranging the electric conductors of said array so that one end thereof comes into contact with said second surface of the ink support for electrical connection of the conductors with said conductive zones; and connecting selected pairs of said conductors to a current source in accordance with printing signals, so as to produce a flow of electric current within said ink layer along selected paths extending between the conductors of the pairs to cause localized heating and melting of the ink and transfer thereof from the layer to said printing medium in accordance with printing patterns corresponding to said signals.

Claim 2

A method of printing with an electrically conductive fusible ink on a printing medium, comprising the steps of: forming a solid layer of said conductive ink on a first surface of an ink support having a second surface parallel thereto, said ink support being formed with a plurality of narrow electrically conductive zones uniformly arranged to extend transversely in closely spaced side-by-side relationship between said first and second surfaces of the ink support, said zones being electrically insulated from one another in the support; placing said printing medium in contact with said ink layer; placing an array of electric conductors in the vicinity of said ink layer; arranging the electric conductors of said array so that one end thereof comes into contact with said second surface of the ink support for electrical connection of the conductors with said conductive zones; and connecting selected pairs of said conductors to a current source in accordance with printing signals, so as to produce a flow of electric current within said ink layer along selected paths extending between the conductors of the pairs to cause localized heating and melting of the ink and transfer thereof from the layer to said printing medium in accordance with printing patterns corresponding to said signals.

Claim 5

An apparatus for printing with an electrically conductive fusible ink on a printing medium, comprising: an ink support having two parallel surfaces whereof a first surface is covered with a solid layer of said conductive ink, said ink support having a plurality of narrow electrically conductive zones uniformly arranged to extend transversely in closely spaced side-by-side relationship between said first and second surfaces of the ink support, said zones being electrically insulated from one another in the support; a printing head having an array of electric conductors for selectively providing different printing patterns; selection circuit means associated with the printing head for receiving control signals from a data source and for connecting selected pairs of said conductors to a current source in accordance with said control signals; a backing member facing said array of conductors; means for urging said printing head against said backing member with said ink support and said printing medium arranged therebetween; first drive and guide means for placing said ink support with said ink layer facing said backing member and with said second surface thereof adjacent to said printing head for contact thereof with the conductors of said array; and second drive and guide means for placing said printing medium between said backing member and said ink layer for contact of the medium with said layer, the electric conductors of said array extending side-by-side with one end thereof connected to said selection circuit means while their other end terminates at the surface of the printing head, so as to allow contact of the conductors of said array with said second surface of the ink support for electrical connection of said conductors with said conductive zones and thereby with said conductive ink layer on said first surface of the ink support, thereby providing current flow between the conductors of each said selected pair via the respective conductive zones in contact therewith and along selected paths extending within said conductive ink layer, to cause local heating and melting of the ink thereof by current flow along said selected paths in the layer.

Claim 6

An apparatus for printing with an electrically conductive fusible ink on a printing medium, comprising: an ink support having two parallel surfaces whereof a first surface is covered with a solid layer of said conductive ink, said ink support having a plurality of narrow electrically conductive zones uniformly arranged to extend transversely in closely spaced side-by-side relationship between said first and second surfaces of the ink support, said zones being electrically insulated from one another in the support; a printing head having an array of electric conductors for selectively providing different printing patterns; selection circuit means associated with the printing head for receiving control signals from a data source and for connecting selected pairs of said conductors to a current source in accordance with said control signals; a backing member facing said array of conductors; means for urging said printing head against said backing member with said ink support and said printing medium arranged therebetween; first drive and guide means for placing said ink support with said ink layer facing said backing member and with said second surface thereof adjacent to said printing head for contact thereof with the conductors of said array; and second drive and guide means for placing said printing medium between said backing member and said ink layer for contact of the medium with said layer, the electric conductors of said array extending side-by-side with one end thereof connected to said selection circuit means while their other end terminates at the surface of the printing head, so as to allow contact of the conductors of said array with said second surface of the ink support for electrical connection of said conductors with said conductive zones and thereby with said conductive ink layer on said first surface of the ink support, thereby providing current flow between the conductors of each said selected pair via the respective conductive zones in contact therewith and along selected paths extending within said conductive ink layer, to cause local heating and melting of the ink thereof by current flow along said selected paths in the layer.