US4740801A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Non-impact printing apparatus
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
•
Filing: 1986-10-15
•
Granted: 1988-04-26
•
Expires: 2006-10-15
Abstract
Abstract A non-impact printing apparatus in which an ink carrier film is formed to have a plurality of holes or recesses, the holes are filled with ink, and then the film filled at the holes with the ink is selectively heated by a thermal printing head according to image information to generate bubbles within the ink in the heated holes and thus to eject the ink onto a printing paper under influence of the pressure of the generated bubbles. The effective diameter of each of hole provided on the ink carrier film is less than the thickness thereof thus improving the image quality.
Inventors
- 👤 Takashi Shimazaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 17:10
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/135; B41J2/14; B41J2/14016; B41J2/14161; B41J2/315; B41J2/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A non-impact printing apparatus comprising: an ink carrier film having a plurality of holes to receive ink therein and the diameter of each of said holes being no more than one-half of the depth of said holes; means for disposing said ink carrier film opposite to a recording medium; and means for selectively heating said ink carrier film in accordance with an image to be printed so as to eject ink filled in said holes onto said recording medium.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
A non-impact printing apparatus comprising: an ink carrier film having a plurality of holes to receive ink therein and the diameter of each of said holes being no more than one-half of the depth of said holes; means for disposing said ink carrier film opposite to a recording medium; and means for selectively heating said ink carrier film in accordance with an image to be printed so as to eject ink filled in said holes onto said recording medium.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
A non-impact printing apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said disposing means includes a first rotating member and a second rotating member, said ink carrier film being connected between said first and second rotating members to move said ink carrier film, said first and second rotating members being disposed to hold said ink carrier film against said heating means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A non-impact printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heating means comprises a plurality of selectively activatable heating elements.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A non-impact printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diameter of each of said holes provided on said ink carrier film lies in the range of about 15-35 um.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
An non-impact printing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depth of said holes lies in the range of about 5-100 um.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A non-impact printing apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said holes extend completely through said ink carrier film so as to force out ink in a straight trajectory.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
106 words
A thermal ink jet printing device comprising: an elongated thin film having a plurality of holes passed through said thin film, wherein the diameter of each of said holes is no more than one-half of the depth of said holes; means for disposing said thin film opposite to a recording medium transported in a predetermined direction; means for filling said holes with ink; means for selectively heating said thin film in accordance with an image to be printed so as to eject ink carried in said holes onto the recording medium; and means for reciprocating said thin film between said filling means and said heating means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
106 words
A thermal ink jet printing device comprising: an elongated thin film having a plurality of holes passed through said thin film, wherein the diameter of each of said holes is no more than one-half of the depth of said holes; means for disposing said thin film opposite to a recording medium transported in a predetermined direction; means for filling said holes with ink; means for selectively heating said thin film in accordance with an image to be printed so as to eject ink carried in said holes onto the recording medium; and means for reciprocating said thin film between said filling means and said heating means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
A new use for a film having a plurality of holes wherein the diameter of each of said holes is no more than one-half of the depth of said holes comprising the steps of: filling said holes with ink; and driving ink from said holes in a straight trajectory with a gas so as to reproduce a visible image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
59 words
A new use for a film having a plurality of holes wherein the diameter of each of said holes is no more than one-half of the depth of said holes comprising the steps of: filling said holes with ink; and driving ink from said holes in a straight trajectory with a gas so as to reproduce a visible image.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
65 words
A method of forming an image on a recording medium comprising the steps of: filling holes in a film with ink, said holes having a width no more than one-half of their depth; and driving ink from said holes to said recording medium in a straight trajectory with a gas so as to reproduce a visible image on said recording medium corresponding to said image.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
65 words
A method of forming an image on a recording medium comprising the steps of: filling holes in a film with ink, said holes having a width no more than one-half of their depth; and driving ink from said holes to said recording medium in a straight trajectory with a gas so as to reproduce a visible image on said recording medium corresponding to said image.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said driving step includes the step of heating ink in selected holes of said film.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
A thermal ink jet printing device as in claim 7, wherein the diameter of each of said holes provided on said thin film lies in the range of about 15-35 um.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
A thermal ink printing device as in claim 7, wherein the depth of said holes provided on said thin film lies in the range of about 5-100 um.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A thermal ink jet printing device as in claim 7, wherein said holes extend completely through said thin film so as to force out ink in a straight trajectory.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
97 words
An apparatus for reproducing a visible image comprising: means for disposing a thin film having a plurality of holes passed through said film to a recording medium transported laterally, said holes having a diameter of no more than one-half of their depth; means for moving said thin film in an opposed relationship with the recording medium; means for filling said holes with ink; and means for impressing said film upward to said thin film, said impressing means having a plurality of selectively activable heating elements for ejecting ink filled in said holes upward to the recording medium.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
97 words
An apparatus for reproducing a visible image comprising: means for disposing a thin film having a plurality of holes passed through said film to a recording medium transported laterally, said holes having a diameter of no more than one-half of their depth; means for moving said thin film in an opposed relationship with the recording medium; means for filling said holes with ink; and means for impressing said film upward to said thin film, said impressing means having a plurality of selectively activable heating elements for ejecting ink filled in said holes upward to the recording medium.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3834301A
Cited
US4298786A
Cited
US4387384A
Cited
US4401881A
Cited
US4543589A
Cited
US4506272A
Cited
US4562444A
Cited
GB2145974A
Cited
US4561789A
Cited
JPS6019550A
Cited
JPS6071260A
Cited
US4608577A
Cited
US4573059A
Cited
US4630075A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-04-26 | 1991-10-26 | 1992-04-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-04-26 | 1995-10-26 | 1996-04-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-04-26 | 1999-10-26 | 2000-04-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |