US 5,373,350 A · Xerographic/thermal ink jet combined printing

Abstract

A printer combines the technologies of xerographic and thermal ink jet printing into a unit which is capable of high resolution text and color graphics. The printer is capable of forming a composite image including a xerographic printing portion and a Thermal Ink Jet (TIJ) printing portion by printing the xerographic portion using known xerographic techniques and the thermal ink jet portion by a thermal ink jet printing array associated with the printer. The portions may be printed in any order and may be dried by a drying station after printing of each portion or after both portions have been printed. At least one thermal ink jet printing array can serve as an annotator which is capable of printing additional information onto a copy such as company letterhead, special instructions, addresses or the like.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A one color copying machine capable of color annotation in a different color of the type having a transporting means for transporting a copy sheet along a transport path from an entrance location to an outlet location;

a recording member;
charging means for uniformly charging the recording member in preparation for imaging;
means for exposing the recording member to produce a latent electrostatic copy image on the recording member;
developing means for developing the image on the recording member;
transfer means for transferring the developed image to a copy sheet to reproduce an original;
and a fuser assembly for fusing developed images onto the copy sheet, said recording member, charging means, exposing means, developing means, transfer means and fuser assembly being located along said transport path, the machine further comprising:
a memory capable of storing annotated image data;
a thermal ink jet printing array, of a color, other than said one color copying machine, located along said transport path between said transfer means and said fuser assembly;
and
control means for controlling printing of annotated image data by said thermal ink jet printing array onto said copy sheet after transfer of a first unfused image portion to said copy sheet by said copying machine and before fusing by said fuser assembly.

7 more elements

A printing device comprising a black-only electrophotographic printing assembly and a thermal ink jet printing assembly capable of forming a composite image, comprising:

first data supplying means for supplying a first set of data signals representing a first portion of an image to be reproduced, the first portion being scanned from an original document;
second data supplying means separate from said first data supplying means for supplying a second set of data signals representing a second portion of an image to be reproduced:
receiving means for receiving and storing said first set of data signals and said second set of data signals;
a black-only electrophotographic printing assembly located along a copy sheet transport path;
a fuser located downstream of said electrophotographic printing assembly along said sheet transport path;
and
a thermal ink jet printing assembly located between said electrophotographic printing assembly and said fuser along said sheet transport path, wherein said first set of data signals is used to form an unfused first image portion onto a copy sheet using said electrophotographic printing assembly and said second set of data signals is used to form a second image portion onto the copy sheet using said thermal ink jet printing assembly, said second image being formed onto the copy sheet prior to fusing of said first portion.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Xerographic/thermal ink jet combined printing

Life of this patent

Xerographic/thermal ink jet combined printing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11