Thermal printer and compliant platen for a thermal printer
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsXin Wen, Joseph C. Olsovsky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A platen roller for a thermal printer includes a compliant base material having a network stretch-resistant material embedded in it. The stretch-resistant material is preferably a network of nonwoven nylon, woven polyester, woven fiberglass, or similar structure which resists shear forces in a platen roller that transports a receiver through a nip in contact with a donor, which, in turn, is contacted by a thermal head. The reduction in shear forces improves the registration of color images in making a quality multicolor image.
Claims22
A thermal printer comprising:
- a platen member, and
- a thermal head forming a dye transfer nip with the platen member,
- wherein the platen member includes a compliant material and a network of linked strands of stretch-resistant material embedded in the compliant material.
A thermal printer of the type in which a dye donor and a receiver are fed in contact through a pressure nip, while being imagewise heated to transfer dye in image configuration from the donor to the receiver, said printer comprising:
- a thermal head,
- a platen roller positioned to form said pressure nip with the thermal head, and
- means for driving the platen roller to move the receiver through the nip,
- wherein the platen roller includes a compliant material and a network of linked strands of stretch-resistant material embedded in the compliant material.
A platen roller for a thermal printer of the type in which a donor sheet and a receiver are fed in contact through a pressure nip while being imagewise heated to transfer material in image configuration from the donor to the receiver, said platen roller comprising a compliant layer made up of a compliant material and a network of linked strands of stretch-resistant material embedded in the compliant material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.