Press for transferring video prints to ceramic mugs and other surfaces

An apparatus for printing a multiple color image using sublimable dyes comprising:

• means for creating a multiple color image which includes:
• color sublimation thermal heat printing means for printing said sublimable dyes in at least three colors in said multiple color image by sublimating them onto a medium;
• and
• transferring means for transferring said sublimable dyes from said medium to an object on which the image is to appear, said transferring means comprising thermal pressing means operated at a temperature which is in a range of about 350° F. to 450° F. which will cause said sublimable dyes to sublimate, said transferring means further causing said sublimable dyes to bond on said object in the multiple color image.

An apparatus for transferring a multiple color image using sublimable dyes which comprises:

• camera means for creating a video image;
• monitor means for viewing the video image created by said camera means;
• a computer interconnected to said camera means and to said monitor means for receiving and digitizing said multiple color image seen on said monitor and for manipulating said multiple color image;
• a color video dye sublimation printer means for receiving said multiple color image as manipulated by said computer transferring said multiple color image by means of sublimating sublimable dyes of said image onto a medium wherein said multiple color image is formed by said sublimable dyes;
• and
• transferring means for transferring said sublimation dyes from said medium to an object on which a multiple color image is to appear, said transferring means comprising thermal means which operates at a temperature in the range of about 350° F. to 450° F. which will cause said sublimable dues to sublimate and cause a sufficient quantity of said sublimable dyes to bond on said object and form said multiple color image thereon.

An Apparatus for use in a process of producing prints in a color video printer by sublimating multiple dyes to make images on said prints and transferring said images from said prints by sublimating said dyes of which said images on prints are composed by means of the apparatus to be transmitted to the surface of a drinking vessel having a surface receptive to sublimation dyes, the apparatus comprising:

• A. a base assembly;
• B. a first platen assembly mounted on an upper surface of said base assembly near an end of said base assembly;
• C. a second platen assembly slidably mounted on the upper surface of said base assembly, said second platen assembly disposed opposite said first platen assembly in an arrangement so that the drinking vessel is received therebetween;
• D. means for sliding said platen assemblies rectilinearly relative to each other so as to retain the drinking vessel with a print applied thereto under a pressure exerted by about two hundred to four hundred pounds of force on said drinking vessel between said first and said second platen assemblies;
• and
• E. means for heating said first and said second platen assemblies to a temperature in the range of about 320° F. to 480° F., said means for heating sufficiently heating said platen assemblies while said means for sliding retain said drinking vessel and said print under sufficient high pressure for a sufficient period of time while said print is being forced against said drinking vessel to effect a substantially faithful sublimation transfer of an image from said print to said drinking vessel;
• said means for sliding said second platen assembly comprising:
• a. a pressure application means for clamping the drinking vessel between said first and said second platen assemblies under pressure;
• and
• b. micro-adjustment means for achieving a desired high pressure applied by said pressure application means against said print without breaking the mug;
• said micro-adjustment means further comprising:
• (a) a right angle adjustment piece, said right angle adjustment piece having a horizontal arm slidably seated on said guide plate;
• (b) at least two vertical shafts passing through said horizontal arms, said two vertical shafts aligned with horizontal slots on said base assembly;
• (c) at least two pressure adjustment means, one said pressure adjustment means received in an alignment of one of said vertical shafts and one of said horizontal slots, said pressure adjustment means providing means for locking said right angle adjustment piece relative to said base assemblies;
• and
• (d) horizontal adjustment means for setting said right angle adjustment piece's position along the horizontal, long axis of said base assembly.

An apparatus, for use in a process of producing prints in a color video printer by sublimating multiple dyes to make images on said prints and transferring said images from said prints by sublimating said dyes of which said images on said prints are composed by means of the apparatus to be transmitted to the surface of a drinking vessel having a surface receptive to sublimation dyes, the apparatus comprising:

• A. a base assembly;
• B. a first platen assembly mounted on an upper surface of said base assembly near an end of said base assembly;
• C. a second platen assembly slidably mounted on the upper surface of said based assembly, said second platen assembly disposed opposite said first platen assembly in an arrangement so that the drinking vessel is received therebetween;
• D. means for sliding said platen assemblies rectilinearly relative to each other so as to retain the drinking vessel with said print applied thereto under pressure exerted by about 200 to 400 pounds of force on said drinking vessel between said first and said second platen assemblies;
• and
• E. means for heating said first and second platen assemblies to a temperature in the range of about 320° F. to 480° F., said means for heating sufficiently heating said platen assemblies while said means for sliding retain said drinking vessel and said print under sufficient high pressure for a sufficient period of time while said print is being forced against said drinking vessel to effect a substantially faithful sublimation transfer of an image from said print to said drinking vessel;
• said first platen assembly being resiliently mounted on the upper surface of said base assembly;
• the apparatus further comprising at least two compression assemblies mounted respectively to the rear of each of said first and second platen assemblies, said compression assemblies attached to said first platen assembly being attached on an opposite end to a fixed receiving plate, said compression assemblies attached to said second platen assembly being slidably received in said means for sliding said second platen assembly.

An apparatus for transferring a multiple color video image onto an article's solid surface which is capable of receiving and retaining sublimable dyes which comprises:

• (a) a video camera for producing a multiple color video image;
• (b) a color video printer that transmits via sublimation of sublimable dyes said multiple color video image produced by said video camera onto color video printer print paper in the form of a multiple color image defined by said sublimable dyes received by said print paper;
• and
• (c) a thermal transfer press that receives the aforesaid print paper with said multiple color image thereon and transfers said multiple color image onto said article's solid surface, said print paper being positioned in said press so that its front surface which received said multiple color image is urged against said article's solid surface and said print paper's back surface is engaged by said press to provide complete pressurized contact between the area of said multiple color image on said front surface of said print paper and said article's solid surface where it is intended to receive said multiple color image, said press including means for sufficiently heating and applying pressure against said print paper which is sufficiently high to transfer said multiple color image solely via said sublimable dyes to said article's solid surface substantially completely and with substantially no distortion and attenuation of the multiple color image so transferred by sublimation of said sublimable dyes from said print paper so that they solidify on said article's solid surface, said image transfer being a substantially faithful reproduction of said multiple color video image.

A system for placing images on surfaces which accept and retain sublimable dyes comprising:

• (a) means for creating a video multiple color image on a heat transfer printing sheet;
• (b) means for the sublimation transferring of said video multiple color image from said printing sheet to a video print wherein said multiple color image therein is formed by said sublimable dyes;
• (c) means for retaining said print with said multiple color image thereon in continuous contact with a said surface to which said multiple color image is to be transferred;
• (d) means for applying force of at least about two hundred pounds to the back of said print to provide a continuous pressurized contact between said multiple color image on said print and said surface;
• and
• (e) means for applying heat at a temperature within the range of about 320° F. to 480° F. to said print while said multiple color image on said print is in said continuous pressurized contact with said surface for a sufficient period of time so that said multiple color image on said print is sublimation transferred via said sublimable dyes to said surface with substantially no distortion and attenuation of said transferred image.

An apparatus for transferring a multiple color image onto article's solid surface which is capable of receiving and retaining sublimable dyes which comprises:

• (a) a multiple color image receiving device for converting a first multiple color image received thereby into electronic signals;
• (b) a multiple color printer that receives said signals and converts said signals into a second multiple color image which it transfers by the sublimation of a plurality of different color sublimable dyes onto print paper in the form of a multiple color transfer image composed of sublimable dyes received by said print paper;
• and
• (c) a thermal transfer press that receives the aforesaid print paper with said multiple color transfer image thereon and further transfers said multiple color transfer image onto said article's solid surface, said print paper being positioned in said press so that its surface which received said multiple color transfer image is urged against said article's solid surface and said print paper's opposite surface is engaged by said press to provide pressurized contact between the area of said multiple color transfer image on said first mentioned surface of said print paper and said article's solid surface, said press including means for sufficiently heating and applying pressure against said print paper which is sufficiently high to transfer said multiple color transfer image via the sublimation of said sublimable dyes from said print paper onto said article's solid surface substantially completely and with substantially no distortion and attenuation of the multiple color transfer image so transferred by sublimation of said sublimable dyes from said print paper so that they solidify on said article's solid surface, the image so transferred to said article being a substantially faithful reproduction of said first multiple color image.

A device for placing wear and light resistant images on surfaces adapted to absorb a sublimable dye comprising:

• means for creating a multi-color video image;
• means for transferring said video image to produce a print wherein said image is formed by sublimating multi-color sublimable dyes onto said print;
• means for retaining said print with said image thereon in continuous contact with said surfaces to be printed;
• means for applying force to the back of said print to provide a continuous pressurized contact between said image on said print and said surface;
• and
• means for applying heat in the range of about 350° F. to 450° F. to said print while said image on said print is in continuous pressurized contact with said surface at sufficient pressure so that said image on said print is transferred via sublimation of said dyes to said surface.