Typewriting machines – Typing by other than type-face or type-die – Thermal
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-23
2001-09-04
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Typing by other than type-face or type-die
Thermal
C400S120020, C400S124080, C400S124090, C400S149000, C347S171000, C347S172000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283649
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system for forming an image on an image-forming sheet, coated with a layer of micro-capsules filled with dye or ink, by selectively breaking or squashing the micro-capsules in the layer of micro-capsules. Further, the present invention relates to such an image-forming sheet and an image-forming apparatus, which forms an image on the image-forming sheet, used in the image-forming system.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image-forming system per se is known, and uses an image-forming sheet coated with a layer of micro-capsules filled with dye or ink, on which an image is formed by selectively breaking or squashing micro-capsules in the layer of micro-capsules.
For example, in a conventional image-forming system using an image-forming sheet coated with a layer of micro-capsules in which a shell of each micro-capsule is formed from a photo-setting resin, an optical image is formed as a latent image on the layer of micro-capsules by exposing it to light rays in accordance with image-pixels signals. Then, the latent image is developed by exerting pressure on the layer of micro-capsules. Namely, the micro-capsules, which are not exposed to the light rays, are broken and squashed, whereby dye or ink seeps out of the broken and squashed micro-capsules, and thus the latent image is visually developed by the seepage of dye or ink.
Of course, in this conventional image-forming system, each of the image-forming sheets must be packed so as to be protected from being exposed to light, resulting in wastage of materials. Further, the image-forming sheet must be handled such that they are not subjected to excess pressure due to the softness of unexposed micro-capsules, resulting in an undesired seepage of dye or ink.
Also, a color-image forming system, using an image-forming sheet coated with a layer of micro-capsules filled with different color dye or ink, is known. In this system, the respective different colors are selectively developed on an image-forming sheet by applying specific temperatures to the layer of color micro-capsules. Nevertheless, it is necessary to fix a developed color by irradiation, using light of a specific wavelength. Accordingly, this color-image-forming system is costly, as an additional irradiation apparatus for the fixing of a developed color is needed, and electric power consumption is increased due to the additional irradiation apparatus. Also, since a heating process for the color development and an irradiation process for the fixing of a developed color must be carried out with respect to each color, hinder a quick formation of a color image on the color-image-forming sheet is hindered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image-forming system of a small size, using an image-forming sheet coated with a layer of micro-capsules filled with dye or ink, in which an image can be quickly formed on the image-forming sheet at a low cost, without producing a large amount of waste material.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image-forming system comprising an image-forming sheet that includes a layer of a plurality of types of micro-capsules, each type of micro-capsules being squashed under a predetermined pressure and temperature, the predetermined pressure and the predetermined temperature of one type of micro-capsules being different from those of other types of micro-capsules, and a conveyer for conveying the image-forming sheet in a conveyer direction. A plurality of thermal heads corresponding to the types of micro-capsules is also included that heats the corresponding types of micro-capsules. The thermal heads are staggeredly aligned in the conveyer direction, with neighboring ends of each neighboring pair of the thermal heads being positioned adjacent to each other. A pressure applying unit that selectively applies pressure corresponding to the predetermined pressure to said micro-capsules when the image-forming sheet is a pressure/temperature sensitive sheet. A moving apparatus is also included that moves the thermal heads in a direction perpendicular to the conveyer direction. A driving unit is also included that controls each of the thermal heads by a control signal corresponding to a partial image of the image to be developed by the thermal head so that all of the thermal heads simultaneously develop the partial image.
Preferably, the thermal heads are used as the pressure applying unit, with each applying a pressure on said micro-capsules different from a pressure applied by the other thermal heads corresponding to said predetermined pressure.
Preferably, the neighboring ends of each neighboring pair of the thermal heads are separated from one another and overlap in the direction perpendicular to the conveyer direction.
Preferably, a number of the thermal heads is three corresponding to colors of cyan, magenta and yellow. The number of the thermal heads may be four corresponding to colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and black.
Preferably, the thermal heads comprise a plurality of heating elements having a predetermined resistance equal to resistances of heating elements of other thermal heads, and each of the thermal heads is differently controlled from other thermal heads so that each of the thermal heads is heated to the predetermined temperature.
Preferably, each of the thermal heads comprises a plurality of heating elements having predetermined resistance, and each thermal head is controlled to have a heating time equal to a heating time of other thermal heads. The resistance of the heating elements of each of the thermal heads is adjusted so that each thermal head is heated to the predetermined temperature.
Preferably, the control signal comprises a strobe signal for determining a heating time and a signal corresponding to image-pixel data.
Preferably, each type of said micro-capsules comprises a wall of glass-transition temperature and thickness different from those of the types of micro-capsules.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image-forming system comprising a conveyer that conveys the heat-sensitive sheet in a conveyer direction, a plurality of thermal heads that heat a heat-sensitive sheet. The thermal heads extends substantially along the conveyer direction and are substantially serially aligned one after another along the conveyer direction, neighboring ends of each neighboring pair of the thermal heads being positioned adjacent to each other. A moving apparatus for moving the thermal heads in a direction perpendicular to the conveyer direction is also included. A driving unit is also included that controls each of the thermal heads by a control signal corresponding to a partial image of the image to be developed by the thermal head so that all of the thermal heads simultaneously develop the partial image.
Preferably, the image is automatically judged by a CPU whether it is color image or a mono-chrome image.
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Furusawa Koichi
Orita Hiroshi
Saito Hiroyuki
Suzuki Katsuyoshi
Suzuki Minoru
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Chau Minh H.
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Hilten John S.
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