Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes – Multicolor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-03
2001-07-10
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Multicolor
Reexamination Certificate
active
06259464
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming substrate coated with a layer of microcapsules filled with dye or ink, on which an image is formed by selectively squashing or breaking microcapsules in the layer of microcapsules, and also relates an image-forming apparatus using such an image-forming substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional type of image-forming substrate coated with a layer of microcapsules filled with dye or ink, a shell of each microcapsule is formed from a suitable photo-setting resin, and an optical image is recorded and formed as a latent image on the layer of microcapsules by exposing it to light rays in accordance with image-pixel signals. Then, the latent image is developed by exerting a pressure on the layer of microcapsules. Namely, the microcapsules, which are not exposed to the light rays, are broken, whereby the dye or ink is discharged from the broken microcapsules, and thus the latent image is visually developed by the discharging of the dye or ink.
The formation of the image on the layer of microcapsules is performed by producing image-pixel dots in accordance with image-pixel signals. Each of the image-pixel dots has a larger diameter than that of the microcapsules, and thus plural microcapsules are included in each image-pixel dot area. Each of the image-pixel dots is developed or colored by breaking the microcapsules included in the corresponding image-pixel dot area, and the colored image-pixel dot merely exhibits a given constant density. Namely, it is unknown to vary a density of the colored image-pixel dot per se.
Also, each of the conventional image-forming substrates must be packed so as to be protected from being exposed to light, resulting in a wastage of materials. Further, the image-forming substrates must be handled such that they are not subjected to excess pressure due to the softness of unexposed microcapsules, resulting in an undesired discharging of the dye or ink.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image-forming substrate coated with a layer of microcapsules filled with dye or ink, wherein it is possible to vary a density of an image-pixel dot per se, which is to be produced and colored on the image-forming substrate by selectively squashing and breaking the microcapsules included in a corresponding image-dot area.
Also, another object of the present invention is to provide an image-forming apparatus using such an image-forming substrate.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image-forming substrate which comprises a base member, and a layer of microcapsules, coated over the base member, containing a first type of microcapsule filled with a first type of first-single-color dye, and a second type of microcapsule filled with a second type of first-single-color dye. The first type of microcapsule exhibits a first temperature/pressure characteristic such that, when the first type of microcapsule is squashed under a first predetermined pressure at a first predetermined temperature, discharge of the first type of first-single-color dye from the squashed microcapsule occurs. The second type of microcapsule exhibits a second temperature/pressure characteristic such that, when the second type of microcapsule is squashed under the first predetermined pressure at a second predetermined temperature, discharge of the second type of first-single-color dye from the squashed microcapsule occurs.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, to form an image on the image-forming substrate featuring the first and second types of microcapsules, there is provided an image-forming apparatus which comprises a pressure applicator that exerts the first predetermined pressure on the image-forming substrate, and a thermal heater that selectively heats a localized area, on which the first predetermined pressure is exerted by the first pressure applicator, to one of the first predetermined temperature and the second predetermined temperature in accordance with image-pixel information carrying gradation information.
In the first aspect of the present invention, the layer of microcapsules also may comprise a third type of microcapsule filled with a first type of second-single-color dye, and a fourth type of microcapsule filled with a second type of second-single-color dye. The third type of microcapsule exhibits a third temperature/pressure characteristic such that, when the third type of microcapsule is squashed under a second predetermined pressure at a third predetermined temperature, discharge of the first type of second-single-color dye from the squashed microcapsule occurs. The fourth type of microcapsule exhibits a fourth temperature/pressure characteristic such that, when the fourth type of microcapsule is squashed under the second predetermined pressure at a fourth predetermined temperature, discharge of the second type of second-single-color dye from the squashed microcapsule occurs.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, to form an image on the image-forming substrate featuring the first, second, third and fourth types of microcapsules, there is provided an image-forming apparatus which comprises a first pressure applicator that exerts the first predetermined pressure on the image-forming substrate, a second pressure applicator that exerts the second predetermined pressure on the image-forming substrate, a first thermal heater that selectively heats a localized area, on which the first predetermined pressure is exerted by the first pressure applicator, to one of the first predetermined temperature and the second predetermined temperature in accordance with first-single-color image-pixel information carrying gradation information, and a second thermal heater that selectively heats a localized area, on which the second predetermined pressure is exerted by the second pressure applicator, to one of the third predetermined temperature and the fourth predetermined temperature in accordance with second-single-color image-pixel information carrying gradation information.
In the first aspect of the present invention, the layer of microcapsules may further comprise a fifth type of microcapsule filled with a first type of third-single-color dye, and a sixth type of microcapsule filled with a second type of third-single-color dye. The fifth type of microcapsule exhibits a fifth temperature/pressure characteristic such that, when the fifth type of microcapsule is squashed under a third predetermined pressure at a fifth predetermined temperature, discharge of the first type of third-single-color dye from the squashed microcapsule occurs. The sixth type of microcapsule exhibits a sixth temperature/pressure characteristic such that, when the sixth type of microcapsule is squashed under the third predetermined pressure at a sixth predetermined temperature, discharge of the second type of third-single-color dye from the squashed microcapsule occurs.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, to form an image on the image-forming substrate featuring the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth types of microcapsules, there is provided an image-forming apparatus which comprises a first pressure applicator that exerts the first predetermined pressure on the image-forming substrate, a second pressure applicator that exerts the second predetermined pressure on the image-forming substrate, a third pressure applicator that exerts the third predetermined pressure on the image-forming substrate, a first thermal heater that selectively heats a localized area, on which the first predetermined pressure is exerted by the first pressure applicator, to one of the first predetermined temperature and the second predetermined temperature in accordance with first-single-color image-pixel information carrying gradation information, a second thermal heater that selectively heats a localized area, on which the second predetermined pressure is exerted by the second pr
Furusawa Koichi
Orita Hiroshi
Saito Hiroyuki
Suzuki Katsuyoshi
Suzuki Minoru
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Feggins K.
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Le N.
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