Reversed thermal head printing
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorMichael J. Ehmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printer and method for operating a printer are provided. The printer has a printhead adapted to heat a thermal donor medium to transfer donor material from a donor web to a receiver medium; a receiver medium path having guides shaped to direct receiver medium along a receiver medium travel path to and from a position in registration with the printhead with said receiver medium path having at least one change of receiver medium direction therein causing said receiver medium to bend; and a motorized platen for moving receiver medium through the receiver medium path, wherein said receiver medium path is further shaped so that the change in receiver medium direction occurs in a portion of the receiver medium path that takes the receiver medium from a position in registration with the printhead.
Claims13
A method for operating a printer having a printhead moveable toward and away from a platen, the printhead comprising a ceramic substrate for holding a plurality of heating elements and an integrated circuit laterally spaced from the ceramic substrate and connected to the heating elements for selectively operating the heating elements, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving the receiver medium along the path toward the printhead and the platen;
- moving the printhead toward the platen to clamp the receiver medium between the platen and a web of thermal donor material;
- moving the platen with respect to the printhead to advance the receiver medium and the donor web past the printhead in a direction where the donor web and receiver medium pass the ceramic substrate and thereafter pass the integrated circuit;
- and
- selectively energizing portions of the printhead to transfer donor material from the donor web to the receiver medium during said movement.
A printer for printing using a donor web and a receiver medium, said printer comprising:
- a donor web and a receiver medium for printing;
- a printhead moveable toward and away from a platen, the printhead comprising a ceramic substrate for holding a plurality of heating elements and an integrated circuit laterally spaced from the ceramic substrate and connected to the heating elements for selectively operating the heating elements;
- said receiver medium being positioned between the printer and the platen, said donor web disposed between the printhead and the receiver medium;
- a sheet feeder for moving the receiver medium toward the platen to register the receiver medium with the donor web;
- and
- a motor coupled to the platen for operating the platen to drive the receiver medium and the donor web during printing in a direction from the ceramic substrate toward the integrated circuit.
A printer comprising:
- a printhead moveable toward and away from a platen, the printhead comprising a ceramic substrate for holding a plurality of heating elements and an integrated circuit laterally spaced from the ceramic substrate and connected to the heating elements for selectively operating the heating elements;
- a donor web disposed between the printhead and the platen;
- a transport path shaped to guide receiver medium toward the platen to register the receiver medium between the donor web and the platen;
- and
- a motor to move the platen;
- and
- a control circuit to cause the motor to advance the receiver medium and the donor web along the transport path during printing in a direction from the ceramic substrate toward the integrated circuit.
A thermal printer comprising:
- a printhead adapted to heat a thermal donor medium to transfer donor material from a donor web to a receiver medium;
- a receiver medium path having guides shaped to direct receiver medium along a receiver medium travel path to and from a position in registration with the printhead with said receiver medium path having at least one change of receiver medium direction therein causing said receiver medium to bend;
- and
- a motorized platen for moving receiver medium through the receiver medium path,
- wherein said receiver medium path is further shaped so that the change in receiver medium direction occurs in a portion of the receiver medium path that takes the receiver medium from a position in registration with the printhead.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.