US4491431A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Metal-insulator resistive ribbon for thermal transfer printing
Assignee: IBM Information Products Corp
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Filing: 1982-12-30
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Granted: 1985-01-01
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Expires: 2002-12-30
Abstract
Abstract A resistive ribbon printing technique is described in which the ribbon includes a resistive layer comprised of a metal-wide bandgap insulator combination. The ribbon also includes a support layer, where the support function can be provided by the resistive layer, and a fusible ink layer. Electrical current through the resistive layer produces heat which locally melts the ink for transfer to an adjacent receiving medium. The wide bandgap insulator of the resistive layer must have a bandgap of at least three volts. Many different metals and insulators can be used, where the relative amounts of metal and insulator are chosen to provide a desired resistivity for any type of resistive ribbon printing application.
Inventors
- 👤 Ari Aviram
- 👤 Kwang K. Shih
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 22:30
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41M; B41M5/00; B41M5/26; B41M5/382; B41M5/3825; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/913; Y10S428/914
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
A resistive ribbon for thermal transfer printing, comprising at least a resistive layer and a fusible ink-bearing layer, where electrical current through said resistive layer causes localized heating of said fusible ink, said resistive layer being comprised of a metal-insulator composition where said insulator has a bandgap of at least three volts, the relative amounts of said metal and said insulator in said resistive layer being chosen to provide a desired resistivity.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
72 words
A resistive ribbon for thermal transfer printing, comprising at least a resistive layer and a fusible ink-bearing layer, where electrical current through said resistive layer causes localized heating of said fusible ink, said resistive layer being comprised of a metal-insulator composition where said insulator has a bandgap of at least three volts, the relative amounts of said metal and said insulator in said resistive layer being chosen to provide a desired resistivity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
The ribbon of claim 1, where said metal is selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ni, Cr, Mo, W, Cu, Au, Co, Sn, Al, Ta, Mg, and In, and said insulator is selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , SiO, SiO 2 , TiO, TiO 2 MgO, Cr 2 O 3 , SnO 2 , In 2 O 3 , AlN, Ta 2 O 5 , and Ge 3 N 4 .
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The ribbon of claim 1, where said resistive layer has a current-voltage characteristic exhibiting high and low resistance states and switching therebetween, said low resistance state exhibiting a holding voltage associated therewith which exceeds two volts.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The ribbon of claim 1, where said resistive layer composition is an amorphous composition.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The ribbon of claim 1, where said resistive layer composition is a cermet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The ribbon of claim 1, where said resistive layer composition includes microcrystalline portions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The ribbon of claim 1, where the composition of said resistive layer is substantially uniform over its length.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The ribbon of claim 1, where said resistive layer has a resistivity between about 100 ohm-cms. and 1000 ohm-cms.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The ribbon of claim 1, where said resistive layer is comprised of a two component composition.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
12 words
The ribbon of claim 1, further including a thin, highly conductive layer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The ribbon of claim 10, further including an insulator interface layer between said resistive layer and said highly conductive layer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
The ribbon of claim 11, where said insulator interface layer is chosen from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , SiO, SiO 2 , TiO, TiO 2 MgO, Cr 2 O 3 , SnO 2 , In 2 O 3 , AlN, Ta 2 O 5 , and Ge 3 N 4 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The ribbon of claim 1, further including a support layer located between said resistive layer and said ink-bearing layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The ribbon of claim 1, where said metal is also present in said insulator.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
101 words
A structure for thermal transfer printing in which heat is produced by current passing through a resistive layer to melt a fusible ink in an ink-bearing layer, said structure including at least a resistive layer comprised of a composition including a metal and an insulator, said insulator having a wide bandgap at least as great as three volts and said metal being present in said composition to provide an electrical conductivity in said composition, the proportions of said metal and said insulator in said composition being chosen to yield a resistivity of said composition between about 100 ohm-cms. and 1000 ohm-cms.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
101 words
A structure for thermal transfer printing in which heat is produced by current passing through a resistive layer to melt a fusible ink in an ink-bearing layer, said structure including at least a resistive layer comprised of a composition including a metal and an insulator, said insulator having a wide bandgap at least as great as three volts and said metal being present in said composition to provide an electrical conductivity in said composition, the proportions of said metal and said insulator in said composition being chosen to yield a resistivity of said composition between about 100 ohm-cms. and 1000 ohm-cms.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The structure of claim 15, where said resistive layer has a thickness between about 0.1 and 2 micrometers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
The structure of claim 15, where said resistive layer has a thickness greater than 2 micrometers.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
11 words
The structure of claim 15, where said composition is a cermet.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The structure of claim 15, where said resistive layer has substantially uniform composition along its length.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
11 words
The structure of claim 19, where said composition includes two components.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
12 words
The structure of claim 20, where said composition is an amorphous composition.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
76 words
The structure of claim 21, where said metal is selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ni, Cr, Mo, W, Cu, Au, Co, Sn, Al, Ta, Mg, and In, and said insulator is selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , SiO, SiO 2 , TiO, TiO 2 MgO, Cr 2 O 3 , SnO 2 , In 2 O 3 , AlN, Ta 2 O 5 and Ge 3 N 4 .
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
The structure of claim 21, where said resistive layer has a current-voltage characteristic exhibiting high and low resistance states and switching therebetween, said low resistance state exhibiting a holding voltage associated therewith which exceeds two volts.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The structure of claim 21, where the resistivity of said resistive layer is between 500 and about 2000 ohms/sq.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-01-01 | 1988-07-02 | 1989-01-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-01-01 | 1992-07-02 | 1993-01-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-01-01 | 1996-07-02 | 1997-01-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |