Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Flying dot
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-30
2003-09-30
Coles, Edward (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Flying dot
C358S001400, C358S001700, C347S104000, C347S262000, C346S103000, C346S138000, C400S659000, C400S026000, C101S378000, C101S232000, C101S401100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06628423
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus for recording image information, text information, etc., on a recording medium by using K (black), C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow) color toner sheets and a dummy sheet on which a recording medium is placed for use with the apparatus.
In a related image recording apparatus irradiates a recording medium fixed on a rotary drum with a laser beam, etc., from an optical head for recording an image. In this case, a toner sheet having a thermal-transferable toner layer formed on a substrate such as a transparent PET base, etc., and an image receiving sheet having an image receiving layer for receiving transferred toner are used for the recording medium. The toner sheet is heated in response to image data and the heated portion of the toner layer is transferred to the image receiving layer of the image receiving sheet, thereby recording an image on the image receiving sheet.
Specifically, a toner sheet comprising heat-molten or heat-adhesive color material layers (a light-heat conversion layer and a toner layer) formed on a substrate is used. The toner sheet and an image receiving sheet are superposed on each other at least at a recording position and the toner layer and the image receiving sheet are brought into intimate contact with each other. A latent image is formed on the toner layer by heating based on image data with a laser beam, etc., from the rear side of the toner sheet or the image receiving sheet, then the toner sheet and the image receiving sheet are peeled off, whereby an exposed portion of the toner layer is transferred to the image reception layer for transferring an image onto the image receiving sheet.
First, the related image recording apparatus will be discussed with reference to
FIG. 9
, which is a perspective view of the related image recording apparatus.
In
FIG. 9
, numeral
1
denotes an optical head being movable in a one-dimensional direction and having a plurality of laser beams for on/off-modulating the laser beams according to record data and applying the modulated laser beam. Numeral
2
denotes a rotary drum rotating at high speed with a recording medium placed thereon and numeral
3
denotes a recording medium for CTP (computer to plate), DDCP (direct digital color proofer), lith, or the like having a different structure in response to the use. Numeral
4
denotes a stage (or subscan stage) movable with the optical head
1
mounted thereon on a rail in parallel with the recording medium
3
on the rotary drum
2
; while moving, the optical head
1
irradiates the recording medium
3
with a laser beam for recording an image. Such a movement corresponds to the subscanning direction at the time of image forming and the main scanning direction corresponds the rotation direction of the rotary drum
2
.
Next, the structure of the recording medium
3
placed in the image recording apparatus will be discussed with reference to FIG.
10
.
FIG. 10
is an illustration to show the structures of an image reception sheet
31
and a toner sheet
32
making up the recording medium
3
shown in FIG.
9
. An actual recording process on the recording medium
3
is executed by a thermal transfer sheet such as the toner sheet
32
forming a part of a recording medium (for CTP, DDCP, lith, etc.,) as shown in FIG.
10
. The toner sheet
32
is made up of a substrate
33
, a light-heat conversion layer
34
, and a toner layer
35
in order from the laser light application side. On the other hand, the image receiving sheet
31
is made up of an image receiving layer
36
, a cushion layer
37
, and a substrate
38
in order from the toner sheet
32
side. If the toner sheet
32
is superposed on the image receiving sheet
31
with the toner layer directed toward the image receiving sheet
31
side and laser light is applied, the toner layer portion to which the laser light is applied is heated and transferred to the light reception layer.
A material to allow laser light to transmit therethrough, such as a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) base, a TAC (cellulose triacetate) base, or a PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) base, is used as the substrate of the toner sheet
32
shown in
FIG. 10. A
substance for efficiently converting laser energy into heat, such as carbon, a black substance, an infrared absorption pigment, or a specific wavelength absorption matter, is used as the heat-light conversion layer. K, C, M, and Y color toner sheets are available as the toner layer; in addition, toner sheets of gold, silver, brown, gray, etc., may be used. The color toner sheets differ in heating and recording characteristics depending on the color.
The image receiving layer of the image receiving sheet
31
is adapted to receive transferred toner. The cushion layer serves as level difference absorption when toners are superposed at multiple stages. The structures also vary depending on the use; the used toner sheets and image receiving sheets are described in detail in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publications Nos. 4-26594A, 4-327982A, and 4-327983A according to the applications of the present applicant.
Next, a specific image recording procedure will be discussed with reference to FIGS.
11
(
a
) to (
f
).
FlGS.
11
(
a
) to (
f
) show recording process for executing a recording process on the image receiving sheet
31
shown in
FIG. 10
for each of K, C, M, and Y. The recording process in each of the four colors K, C, M, and Y consists mainly of a step for executing laser recording according to color data and a step for peeling the toner sheet
32
from the image receiving sheet,
31
after recording.
A process for recording K color on a medium will be discussed.
At step (
1
), the image receiving sheet
31
is wrapped around the rotary drum, which is not shown for sake of clarity, but would be located under image receiving sheet
31
(FIG.
11
(
a
)). Next, at step (
2
), to execute the K color recording process, a K color toner sheet
32
is put on the image receiving sheet
31
(FIG.
11
(
b
)). Next, at step (
3
), they are laminated as required (FIG.
11
(
c
)). Next, at step (
4
), the K color toner sheet side is irradiated with laser light for recording based on K color image, text data (FIG.
11
(
d
)). Further, at step (
5
), the K color toner sheet
32
is peeled off the image receiving sheet
31
and the K color recording process is complete (FIG.
11
(
e
)).
A process for recording C color on a medium like the K color recording process will be discussed.
At step (
6
), a C color toner sheet is put on the image receiving sheet
31
. Next, at step (
7
), they are laminated as required. Next, at step (
8
), the, C color toner sheet side is irradiated with laser light for recording based on C color image, text data. Further, at step (
9
), the C color toner sheet is peeled off the image receiving sheet
31
and the C color recording process is complete.
A process for recording M color on a medium like the C color recording process will be discussed.
At step (
10
), an M color toner sheet is put on the image receiving sheet
31
. Next, at step (
11
), they are laminated as required. Next, at step (
12
), the M color toner sheet side is irradiated with laser light for recording based on M color image, text data. Further, at step (
13
), the M color toner sheet is peeled off the image receiving sheet
31
and the M color recording process is complete.
A process for recording Y color on a medium like the M color recording process will be discussed.
At step (
14
), a Y color toner sheet is put on the image receiving sheet
31
. Next, at step (
15
), they are laminated as required. Next, at step (
16
), the Y color toner sheet side is irradiated with laser light for recording based on Y color image, text data. Further, at step (
17
), the Y color toner sheet is peeled off the image receiving sheet
31
and the Y color recording process is complete.
Thus, at the last step (
18
), the four colors K, C, M, and Y may or may not overlap each other on the image receiving sheet
31
, completing a n
Coles Edward
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Mitchell Monica
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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