US4350449A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Resistive ribbon printing apparatus and method
Assignee: IBM Information Products Corp
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Filing: 1980-06-23
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Granted: 1982-09-21
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Expires: 2000-06-23
Abstract
Abstract A printing apparatus and method employs a print head comprising a plurality of aligned printing electrodes. The print head is movable relative to a ribbon comprising a resistive layer, a conductive layer, and a layer of thermally transferrable ink to provide a desired image on conventional paper by selective energization of the printing electrodes. Each of the electrodes is energizable by a control circuit which includes a constant current driver for each printing electrode and a regulating circuit which permits a selected current to be maintained in each of the energized drivers.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerald P. Countryman
- 👤 Ronald G. Findlay
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 09:34
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/315; B41J2/32; B41J2/325
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
159 words
A method of marking a record medium comprising the steps of: providing a transfer medium consisting of a resistive layer, a conductive layer and a thermally transferrable marking material layer; providing a print head comprising a plurality of spaced printing electrodes disposed in close proximity to said transfer medium; interposing the transfer medium between the record medium and the print head with the resistive layer adjacent the print head; and selectively energizing said printing electrodes to cause current of a constant predetermined magnitude to flow between each selected print electrode and said conductive layer to produce heating in the resistive layer and thereby heat the adjacent localized area of said marking material layer for causing transfer of marking material from the marking material layer to the record medium such that uniform marking can be effected regardless of the number of electrodes simultaneously selectively energized and regardless of difference in contact resistance between said printing electrodes and said transfer medium.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
159 words
A method of marking a record medium comprising the steps of: providing a transfer medium consisting of a resistive layer, a conductive layer and a thermally transferrable marking material layer; providing a print head comprising a plurality of spaced printing electrodes disposed in close proximity to said transfer medium; interposing the transfer medium between the record medium and the print head with the resistive layer adjacent the print head; and selectively energizing said printing electrodes to cause current of a constant predetermined magnitude to flow between each selected print electrode and said conductive layer to produce heating in the resistive layer and thereby heat the adjacent localized area of said marking material layer for causing transfer of marking material from the marking material layer to the record medium such that uniform marking can be effected regardless of the number of electrodes simultaneously selectively energized and regardless of difference in contact resistance between said printing electrodes and said transfer medium.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method according to claim 1, including the steps of: producing relative motion between the print head, the record medium, and/or the transfer medium; and moving the record medium in a direction generally transversely of the print head.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of spaced printing electrodes are disposed in at least one line, said method including the step of moving the print head relative to the transfer medium and record medium in a direction which is generally at right angles to said at least one line.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the conductive layer comprises a thin layer of aluminum.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
137 words
A method of marking a record medium comprising the steps of: providing a transfer medium comprising a resistive layer and a conductive layer; providing a print head comprising a plurality of spaced printing electrodes disposed in close proximity to said transfer medium; interposing the transfer medium between the record medium and the print head with the resistive layer adjacent the print head; and selectively energizing said printing electrodes to cause current of a constant predetermined magnitude to flow between each selected print electrode and said conductive layer to produce heating in the resistive layer and thereby heat the adjacent localized area of said record medium such that uniform marking can be effected regardless of the number of electrodes simultaneously selectively energized and regardless of the difference in contact resistance between said printing electrodes and said transfer medium.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
137 words
A method of marking a record medium comprising the steps of: providing a transfer medium comprising a resistive layer and a conductive layer; providing a print head comprising a plurality of spaced printing electrodes disposed in close proximity to said transfer medium; interposing the transfer medium between the record medium and the print head with the resistive layer adjacent the print head; and selectively energizing said printing electrodes to cause current of a constant predetermined magnitude to flow between each selected print electrode and said conductive layer to produce heating in the resistive layer and thereby heat the adjacent localized area of said record medium such that uniform marking can be effected regardless of the number of electrodes simultaneously selectively energized and regardless of the difference in contact resistance between said printing electrodes and said transfer medium.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
159 words
Apparatus for marking a record medium comprising: a transfer medium consisting of a resistive layer, a conductive layer and a thermally transferrable marking material layer; a print head comprising a plurality of spaced printing electrodes disposed in close proximity to said transfer medium; means for interposing the transfer medium between the record medium and the print head with the resistive layer adjacent the print head; and means for selectively energizing said printing electrodes to cause current of a constant predetermined magnitude to flow between each selected print electrode and said conductive layer to generate resistance heating in the resistive layer and thereby heat the adjacent localized area of said marking material layer for causing transfer of marking material from the marking material layer to the record medium such that uniform marking can be effected regardless of the number of electrodes simultaneously selectively energized and regardless of the difference in contact resistance between said printing electrodes and said transfer medium.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
159 words
Apparatus for marking a record medium comprising: a transfer medium consisting of a resistive layer, a conductive layer and a thermally transferrable marking material layer; a print head comprising a plurality of spaced printing electrodes disposed in close proximity to said transfer medium; means for interposing the transfer medium between the record medium and the print head with the resistive layer adjacent the print head; and means for selectively energizing said printing electrodes to cause current of a constant predetermined magnitude to flow between each selected print electrode and said conductive layer to generate resistance heating in the resistive layer and thereby heat the adjacent localized area of said marking material layer for causing transfer of marking material from the marking material layer to the record medium such that uniform marking can be effected regardless of the number of electrodes simultaneously selectively energized and regardless of the difference in contact resistance between said printing electrodes and said transfer medium.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus according to claim 6 additionally comprising: means for moving the print head relative to the transfer medium and record medium; and means for moving the record medium in a direction generally transversely of the print head.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said plurality of spaced printing electrodes are uniformly spaced and are disposed in at least one line which is generally at right angles to the direction of movement of the print head.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said conductive layer comprises a thin layer of aluminum.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
77 words
The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said means for selectively energizing said printing electrodes includes drive circuit means comprising: a constant current driver circuit including an output transistor for energizing a printing electrode; a source of a reference voltage; and a regulating circuit comprising a current sampling resistor for sensing the output of said output transistor and a closed loop amplifier circuit to maintain the voltage across said current sampling resistor equal to said reference voltage.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus according to claim 10 additionally comprising: means for setting said reference voltage to a predetermined voltage level.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-09-20 | 1986-03-22 | 1986-09-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-09-20 | 1990-03-22 | 1990-09-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-09-20 | 1994-03-22 | 1994-09-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |