US6169560B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Thermal transfer recording apparatus with ink sheet slackness removal
Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1997-11-24
•
Granted: 2001-01-02
•
Expires: 2017-11-24
Abstract
Abstract There is disclosed a recording apparatus for recording an image by transferring the ink contained in an ink sheet onto a recording medium, wherein the apparatus comprises ink sheet driving unit for driving said ink sheet, recording medium conveying unit for conveying said recording medium, recording head for recording onto said recording medium by acting on said ink sheet, slackness removing device for removing the slackness of said ink sheet, and control unit for controlling said slackness removing device so as not to remove the slackness of said ink sheet, when it is impossible to record with said recording head.
Inventors
- 👤 Takehiro Yoshida
- 👤 Makoto Kobayashi
- 👤 Minoru Yokoyama
- 👤 Takeshi Ono
- 👤 Takashi Awai
- 👤 Yasushi Ishida
- 👤 Akihiro Tomoda
- 👤 Tomoyuki Takeda
- 👤 Masaya Kondo
- 👤 Masakatsu Yamada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 02:34
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J35/00; B41J35/04; B41J35/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
275 words
A recording apparatus for recording an image by transferring ink contained in an ink sheet onto a recording medium, the apparatus comprising: ink sheet conveying means for conveying said ink sheet, said ink sheet conveying means having a take-up roller and a supply roller, wherein said ink sheet extends between said take-up roller and said supply roller for conveyance by rotation of said take-up roller; conveyance detecting means for detecting a rotation amount of said supply roller to detect that said ink sheet has been conveyed by said ink sheet conveying means; opening/closing detecting means for detecting opening or closing of a cover for the apparatus; and slackness control means for removing a slackness of said ink sheet by rotating said take-up roller in a predetermined amount when said opening/closing detecting means detects that said cover is moved from an open state to a closed state, the predetermined amount for rotating the take-up roller being an amount of which rotation of said supply roller is detected by said conveyance detecting means even in a case where a diameter of said take-up roller is at a minimum because of an amount of said ink sheet thereon, wherein said slackness control means determines that the slackness of said ink sheet has been removed when said conveyance detecting means detects rotation of said supply roller and rotation of said take-up roller is stopped when said slackens control means determines that the slackness of said ink sheet has been eliminated, and wherein said slackness control means provides a warning when rotation of said supply roller is not detected by said conveyance detecting means during conveyance of a predetermined amount.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
275 words
A recording apparatus for recording an image by transferring ink contained in an ink sheet onto a recording medium, the apparatus comprising: ink sheet conveying means for conveying said ink sheet, said ink sheet conveying means having a take-up roller and a supply roller, wherein said ink sheet extends between said take-up roller and said supply roller for conveyance by rotation of said take-up roller; conveyance detecting means for detecting a rotation amount of said supply roller to detect that said ink sheet has been conveyed by said ink sheet conveying means; opening/closing detecting means for detecting opening or closing of a cover for the apparatus; and slackness control means for removing a slackness of said ink sheet by rotating said take-up roller in a predetermined amount when said opening/closing detecting means detects that said cover is moved from an open state to a closed state, the predetermined amount for rotating the take-up roller being an amount of which rotation of said supply roller is detected by said conveyance detecting means even in a case where a diameter of said take-up roller is at a minimum because of an amount of said ink sheet thereon, wherein said slackness control means determines that the slackness of said ink sheet has been removed when said conveyance detecting means detects rotation of said supply roller and rotation of said take-up roller is stopped when said slackens control means determines that the slackness of said ink sheet has been eliminated, and wherein said slackness control means provides a warning when rotation of said supply roller is not detected by said conveyance detecting means during conveyance of a predetermined amount.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising reading means for reading an original.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising transmitting means for transmitting recording image data through a signal line.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising recording means for recording onto said recording medium by acting on said ink sheet in accordance with an image signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising conveyance control means for maintaining a conveyance amount of said ink sheet and a conveyance amount of said recording medium constant, based on the rotation amount of the supply roller detected by said conveyance detecting means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising recording medium conveying means for conveying said recording medium.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The recording apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein a conveyance amount of said ink sheet per unit time with said ink sheet conveying means is less than a conveyance amount of said recording medium per unit time with said recording medium conveying means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
260 words
An image forming apparatus for recording an image by transferring ink contained in an ink sheet onto a recording medium, the ink sheet being supplied from a supply roller, the apparatus comprising: ink sheet conveying means for conveying said ink sheet by rotating a take-up roller; conveyance detecting means for detecting a rotation amount of the supply roller to detect that said ink sheet has been conveyed by said ink sheet conveying means; opening/closing detecting means for detecting opening or closing of a cover for the apparatus; and slackness control means for removing slackness of said ink sheet when said opening/closing detecting means detects that said cover is moved from an open state to a closed state, wherein said slackness control means determines that the slackness of said ink sheet has been removed when said conveyance detecting means detects rotation of said supply roller during that said ink sheet conveying means is driven and said ink sheet is conveyed by a predetermined amount, the predetermined amount being an amount of which rotation of said supply roller is detected by said conveyance detecting means even in a case where a diameter of said take-up roller is at a minimum because of an amount of the ink sheet thereon, and rotation of said take-up roller is stopped when said slackens control means determines that the slackness of said ink sheet has been eliminated, and wherein said slackness control means provides a warning when rotation of said supply roller is not detected by said conveyance detecting means during conveyance of a predetermined amount.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
260 words
An image forming apparatus for recording an image by transferring ink contained in an ink sheet onto a recording medium, the ink sheet being supplied from a supply roller, the apparatus comprising: ink sheet conveying means for conveying said ink sheet by rotating a take-up roller; conveyance detecting means for detecting a rotation amount of the supply roller to detect that said ink sheet has been conveyed by said ink sheet conveying means; opening/closing detecting means for detecting opening or closing of a cover for the apparatus; and slackness control means for removing slackness of said ink sheet when said opening/closing detecting means detects that said cover is moved from an open state to a closed state, wherein said slackness control means determines that the slackness of said ink sheet has been removed when said conveyance detecting means detects rotation of said supply roller during that said ink sheet conveying means is driven and said ink sheet is conveyed by a predetermined amount, the predetermined amount being an amount of which rotation of said supply roller is detected by said conveyance detecting means even in a case where a diameter of said take-up roller is at a minimum because of an amount of the ink sheet thereon, and rotation of said take-up roller is stopped when said slackens control means determines that the slackness of said ink sheet has been eliminated, and wherein said slackness control means provides a warning when rotation of said supply roller is not detected by said conveyance detecting means during conveyance of a predetermined amount.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising recording medium conveying means for conveying said recording medium.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising: image signal receiving means; and recording means for recording onto said recording medium by acting on said ink sheet, based on an image signal received by said image signal receiving means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
47 words
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising conveyance control means for maintaining a conveyance amount of said ink sheet and a conveyance amount of said recording medium constant, based on the rotation amount of the supply roller detected by said conveyance detecting means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
228 words
A recording method for recording an image by using an apparatus that transfers ink contained in an ink sheet onto a recording medium, said ink sheet extending between a take-up roller and a supply roller, the method comprising the steps of: detecting opening or closing of a cover for the apparatus; removing a slackness of said ink sheet by rotating said take-up roller and by conveying the ink sheet in a predetermined amount when said cover is moved from an open state to a closed state, the predetermined amount being an amount of which rotation of said supply roller is detected in said detecting step even in a case where a diameter of said take-up roller is at a minimum because of an amount of the ink sheet thereon; detecting rotation of the supply roller to detect conveyance of said ink sheet; determining that the slackness of said ink sheet has been removed in a case where the rotation of said supply roller is detected in said detecting opening step during which said ink sheet is conveyed by said detecting step even in the case where a diameter of said take-up roller is at a minimum because of the amount of the ink sheet thereon; and providing a warning when rotation of said supply roller is not detected in said detecting step during conveyance of a predetermined amount.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
228 words
A recording method for recording an image by using an apparatus that transfers ink contained in an ink sheet onto a recording medium, said ink sheet extending between a take-up roller and a supply roller, the method comprising the steps of: detecting opening or closing of a cover for the apparatus; removing a slackness of said ink sheet by rotating said take-up roller and by conveying the ink sheet in a predetermined amount when said cover is moved from an open state to a closed state, the predetermined amount being an amount of which rotation of said supply roller is detected in said detecting step even in a case where a diameter of said take-up roller is at a minimum because of an amount of the ink sheet thereon; detecting rotation of the supply roller to detect conveyance of said ink sheet; determining that the slackness of said ink sheet has been removed in a case where the rotation of said supply roller is detected in said detecting opening step during which said ink sheet is conveyed by said detecting step even in the case where a diameter of said take-up roller is at a minimum because of the amount of the ink sheet thereon; and providing a warning when rotation of said supply roller is not detected in said detecting step during conveyance of a predetermined amount.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3984809A
Cited
JPS587377A
Cited
JPS58201686A
Cited
US4527172A
Cited
US4614949A
Cited
JPS6124490A
Cited
US4771296A
Cited
JPS62202777A
Cited
US4712113A
Cited
US4788588A
Cited
JPS63221076A
Cited
US4878773A
Cited
US5384584A
Cited
US5497183A
Cited
JPH02121866A
Cited
US5786842A
Cited
US5117241A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-01-02 | 2004-07-03 | 2005-01-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-01-02 | 2008-07-03 | 2009-01-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-01-02 | 2012-07-03 | 2013-01-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |