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US 5,641,372 AGranted
Transferring apparatus and transferring method
AssigneeNissha Printing Co., Ltd.
InventorShiro Okuno
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transferring apparatus and a transferring method are disclosed for pressing a transferring member against a three dimensional material. Fluid pressure is applied to a sheet which press the transferring member against and cause it to conform to the three-dimensional configuration of the material. Thus, the pattern of the transferring member can be easily and reliably transferred to the material (1) even though the material has the three-dimensional configuration.
Claims18
A transferring apparatus for transferring a pattern onto an article, comprising:
- a base for supporting the article;
- a supporting frame having an open end and a closed end, said open end facing said base;
- a flexible sheet mounted to said supporting frame to cover said open end thereof and form a substantially enclosed sheet pressurizing chamber between said flexible sheet and said supporting frame;
- means for heating said flexible sheet;
- a transferring member movably mounted between said base and said flexible sheet, with spacing between said transferring member and each of said flexible sheet and said base, for longitudinal movement relative to each of said flexible sheet and said base;
- a driving member for moving one of said supporting frame and said base toward and away from the other of said supporting frame and said base;
- a fluid supply member for supplying fluid into said sheet pressurizing chamber to press said flexible sheet toward said base;
- and
- wherein said driving member and said fluid supply member together constitute a means for pressing said transferring member against the article supported on said base.
6 more elements
A transferring method for transferring a pattern onto an article, comprising:
- placing the article on a support surface of a base;
- providing a supporting frame having an open end and a closed end, such that said open end faces said base;
- mounting a flexible sheet to said supporting frame to cover said open end thereof and form a substantially enclosed sheet pressurizing chamber between said flexible sheet and said supporting frame;
- heating said flexible sheet;
- movably mounting a transferring member between said base and said flexible sheet, with spacing between said transferring member and each of said flexible sheet and said base, such that the transferring member can be moved longitudinally relative to each of said flexible sheet and said base;
- operating a driving member to move one of said supporting frame and said base toward and away from the other of said supporting frame and said base;
- operating a fluid supply member to supply fluid into said sheet pressurizing chamber to press said flexible sheet toward said base;
- and
- wherein said step of operating said driving member and said step of operating said fluid supply member together cause said transferring member to be pressed against the article supported on said base.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.