Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Patent
1997-01-28
2000-02-15
Le, N.
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
347188, 358298, H04N 140
Patent
active
060258608
ABSTRACT:
A digital decorating system for transferring a selected image to a surface of an article includes a thermal printhead, an advancing mechanism for producing relative movement between the printhead and the surface of the article, and a force member for exerting a selected amount of pressure between the thermal line of pixels and the surface of the article. The thermal printhead includes a plurality of energizable heater elements constructed to deliver heat to a thermal line of pixels on a surface of the printhead. The digital decorating system also includes a microcontroller operatively connected to the printhead, the force member and the advancing mechanism to provide control signals selectively delivering heat to pixels of the thermal line and selectively causing the movement thereby thermally transferring, over a two dimensional array of pixels, a two dimensional image to the article surface. The microcontroller can classify the pixels corresponding to the image into perimeter pixels and interior pixels and control energy levels delivered to produce heat at the perimeter pixels and interior pixels. The energy levels delivered to each pixel cooperatively depend on a level of energy previously delivered to the pixel, on levels of energy delivered to neighboring pixels and on a level of energy required at the pixel to thermally transfer the image to the surface.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3811030 (1974-05-01), Veach
patent: 4037008 (1977-07-01), Tugwell
patent: 4327636 (1982-05-01), Carey
patent: 4362529 (1982-12-01), Mizuno et al.
patent: 4415903 (1983-11-01), Kawanishi et al.
patent: 4541042 (1985-09-01), Kohashi
patent: 4568951 (1986-02-01), Hasegawa et al.
patent: 4650350 (1987-03-01), Dorner
patent: 4661393 (1987-04-01), Uchiyama et al.
patent: 4664672 (1987-05-01), Krajec et al.
patent: 4675701 (1987-06-01), Chu et al.
patent: 4686549 (1987-08-01), Williams et al.
patent: 4695850 (1987-09-01), Nubson
patent: 4740798 (1988-04-01), Shinoazaki
patent: 4800397 (1989-01-01), Afzali-Ardakani et al.
patent: 4810006 (1989-03-01), Katz
patent: 4816902 (1989-03-01), Yamanishi
patent: 4836105 (1989-06-01), Hoekstra et al.
patent: 4836697 (1989-06-01), Plotnick et al.
patent: 4837586 (1989-06-01), Brownstein
patent: 4839742 (1989-06-01), Nakatani et al.
patent: 4847237 (1989-07-01), Vanderzanden
patent: 4860025 (1989-08-01), Berson et al.
patent: 4860028 (1989-08-01), Ogawa
patent: 4868676 (1989-09-01), Matsuura et al.
patent: 4882593 (1989-11-01), Touma et al.
patent: 4963884 (1990-10-01), Kiguchi et al.
patent: 4968063 (1990-11-01), McConville et al.
patent: 4968996 (1990-11-01), Ebihara et al.
patent: 4973987 (1990-11-01), Koshizuka et al.
patent: 4983994 (1991-01-01), Mori et al.
patent: 4991287 (1991-02-01), Piatt et al.
patent: 5021805 (1991-06-01), Imaizumi et al.
patent: 5037216 (1991-08-01), Nubson et al.
patent: 5045865 (1991-09-01), Crystal et al.
patent: 5080512 (1992-01-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 5091735 (1992-02-01), Mohri et al.
patent: 5132705 (1992-07-01), Takeuchi et al.
patent: 5184344 (1993-02-01), Takeuchi et al.
patent: 5219641 (1993-06-01), Mehta et al.
patent: 5239926 (1993-08-01), Nubson et al.
patent: 5251988 (1993-10-01), Frazier
patent: 5617216 (1997-04-01), Wada
patent: 5625399 (1997-04-01), Wiklof et al.
patent: 5627580 (1997-05-01), Nelson
patent: 5706098 (1998-01-01), Clark et al.
"TDK Thin-Film Thermal Print-Heads" Jan. 20, 1997.
Aroneo Stephen L.
Pollara Nicolas J.
Rosenfeld Jon
GSI Lumonics Inc.
Le N.
Vo Anh T. N.
LandOfFree
Digital decorating system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Digital decorating system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Digital decorating system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1909754