Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Discontinuous or differential coating – impregnation or bond
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-23
2002-05-28
Hess, Bruce H. (Department: 1774)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond
C428S212000, C428S913000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06395377
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording sheet package, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith. More particularly, the present invention relates to a recording sheet package in which the number of remaining recording sheets can be recognized easily, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
There are two types of thermal printers, including a direct thermal printing type and a thermal transfer type, for each of which a recording sheet of a predetermined type is used. The recording sheet for the direct thermal printing is constituted by a support and three thermosensitive coloring layers overlaid thereon, which are cyan, magenta and yellow coloring layers. Heat energy of three values is applied to the recording sheet to develop colors of each of the coloring layers. Each coloring layer after being heated is optically fixed prior to thermal recording of a succeeding one of the coloring layers. For this optical fixation, ultraviolet rays of a predetermined range of the wavelength are applied to the recording sheet to destroy the coloring ability of each coloring layer. The succeeding coloring layer can be safely heated without influencing the density of the color developed in the preceding coloring layer. If the recording sheet of the direct thermal printing type is kept where it is subjected to light from lamps of widely used appliances, the coloring ability of the recording sheet is remarkably influenced. Consequently a stack of recording sheets is contained in a light-tight packaging bag, and furthermore, contained in a cardboard box to be shipped commercially.
There are two types of thermal transfer printers, including a wax-transfer type and a sublimation type. The wax-transfer printer melts or softens ink of ink film, and transfers it to the recording sheet. The sublimation printer sublimates or disperses dye of ink film on to the recording sheet. The recording sheet for the wax-transfer printer consists of coat paper having high smoothness. The recording sheet for the sublimation printer consists of paper coated with polyester resin. For both of the thermal transfer printers, a plurality of recording sheets are stacked and contained in a moisture proof bag, which is then contained in a cardboard box to be shipped for sale.
A recording sheet package is used for easy handling of a stack of the recording sheets. To load the printer with the recording sheets, at first, a packaging bag is opened to remove the recording sheet package, which is inserted in a sheet supply cassette. The sheet supply cassette is set in the printer. So the loading of the recording sheets is complicated to most of the users. While a user manually removes the recording sheets from the packaging bag, it is likely that the recording sheets are exposed to ambient light and touched by the user's hand. In the case of the recording sheets for the thermal transfer printing, touched portions are discolored by fingerprints. In the case of the recording sheets for the direct thermal printing, the coloring ability of the uppermost one of the recording sheets is influenced by the ambient light.
JP-A 5-116774 discloses the recording sheet package in which the recording sheets are not touched directly by user's hand, and with which the printer can be easily loaded with the recording sheets. A cutting line with a train of perforations is formed in a body of the recording sheet package. A portion of the body of the recording sheet package is cut away by tearing the cutting line, to form an opening for removal of the recording sheets. The tearing requires a user's manual operation prior to the loading into the printer.
Thermosensitive recording sheet characteristically has a problem in changes in the coloring ability, as the coloring ability is influenced by temperature, humidity, and other various conditions in the preservation of the recording sheet. If a recording sheet has been kept long in a harmful environment, there occurs failure in printing due to a change in the coloring ability. The recording sheet is wasted after the printing failure.
Another problem lies in difficulties in recognizing the remainder of the recording sheets. The recording sheet package must be removed from the printer before the remainder can be observed through a supply opening of the package. Such a complicated operation has been required for checking the remainder.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a recording sheet package with which the number of remaining recording sheets can be recognized easily, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a recording sheet package with which environmental influences to image recording with a recording sheet can be eliminated, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a recording sheet package with which degradation of recording sheets with time can be compensated for in the course of image recording, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a recording sheet package with which harmful conditions of preserving recording sheets can be compensated for in the course of image recording, a correction information sheet for the same, and a thermal printer for use therewith.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, a recording sheet package includes a stack of plural recording sheets. A packaging body contains the recording sheets. A detection cutout is formed in the packaging body, for receiving insertion of a sheet remainder counter, so as to allow the sheet remainder counter to push the recording sheets in a thickness direction thereof, the sheet remainder counter being adapted to detect a number of remaining ones of the recording sheets in the packaging body.
By this construction, the number of remaining recording sheets can be recognized easily, because the detection cutout enables the remaining sheets to be counted readily.
In a preferred embodiment, the detection cutout is formed in a top plate portion of the packaging body opposed to the recording sheets, and the sheet remainder counter is moved in the thickness direction when inserted in the detection cutout.
Furthermore, a protective sheet is disposed between a lowest one of the recording sheets and a bottom plate portion of the packaging body opposed to the recording sheets, for protecting the recording sheets. An auxiliary cutout is formed in the protective sheet, disposed under the detection cutout, and greater than the detection cutout.
In the sheet remainder counter, (A) a pusher is inserted in the detection cutout, for pushing the recording sheets in a thickness direction. (B) At least one train of graduation indicia is arranged substantially in parallel with a path of shifting of the pusher, and disposed at an interval determined in consideration of a thickness of the recording sheets. (C) A pointer is disposed in a predetermined position on the pusher, for pointing one position in the at least one train of the graduation indicia, to indicate a number of remaining ones of the recording sheets inside the packaging body.
In another aspect of the present invention, a correction information sheet is used with a recording material package. The correction information sheet includes a temperature indicator portion for detecting a present temperature, and for visibly indicating a selected one of at least first and second predetermined temperature ranges within which the present temperature is. At least first and second sets of correction information are predetermined in accordance with states of the recording material conditioned by respecti
Fujishiro Takeshi
Inui Fuyuki
Ishizuka Yoshio
Sasaki Hidemi
Hess Bruce H.
Shewareged B.
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