Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-06
2001-04-10
Tran, Huan (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
C347S214000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215508
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to thermal and ink jet image printing apparatuses, cartridges and labels and, in particular embodiments, to a reverse image printing apparatus to provide improved images with greater durability.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traditionally, thermal printing is used to produce labels that can be applied to objects such as containers, books, computer disks, equipment or the like. Typical thermal image label printers are manufactured by Brother of Japan and Kroy, Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Generally, thermal image printers provide input capabilities, power and a housing designed to accept a label cartridge containing the material used to form the label. The label cartridge generally includes one or more spools of material that are combined and fed over a thermal printing head to generate an image on a label.
In conventional systems, the label is formed from three basic components: a plastic or wax ink coated on a plastic ribbon film, a paper or plastic ink receiving layer, and an adhesive backing layer.
In operation, the plastic ribbon with the ink and receiving layer are passed over the heating element of the thermal printing head, which melts the ink on the plastic ribbon so that it adheres to the receiving layer. The heating element is selectively heated, based on the input to the printing apparatus, to print letters, symbols or the like, on the receiving layer, while leaving ink on the plastic film that is not needed to form the image. After the plastic ribbon and receiving layer are passed over the heating element, the plastic ribbon is removed from the receiving layer to expose the image produced on the receiving layer. If the adhesive backing has not already been applied to the back of the receiving layer, opposite the side that received the ink, the adhesive layer is applied to the receiving layer and the final label is outputted from the cartridge and the printer. Once outputted, the label may be applied to an object for identification.
Labels produced by this method of printing have several drawbacks. First, since the ink is melted onto the receiving layer, the image tends to blur around the edges, with the amount of blurring being dependent on the type of ink and the type of receiving layer. Second, the image produced on the receiving layer is exposed and can be affected by light, weather or rubbing so that the image on the label is ultimately unusable and must be replaced.
To overcome these drawbacks, better inks and receiving layers have been produced to provide sharper images. However, these procedures increase costs. In addition, laminating a clear layer over the image on the receiving layer to cover and protect the image has been done. However, this step requires extra material and extra steps to produce the laminated product, which increases the cost of the label. Also, application of the clear layer may further blur the image, with the amount of blurring being dependent on the manner in which the clear layer is applied to the receiving layer.
Ink jet printers have also be used to generate labels. However, labels generated by inkjet printers suffer from many of the same drawbacks that thermal image labels suffered from. For example, the image is exposed and can be affected by light weather and rubbing so that the image on the label is ultimately unusable and must be replaced. Also, many ink jet inks are water based and subject to smearing and deterioration when exposed to moisture.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
It is an object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide an improved image printing apparatus, which obviates for practical purposes the above- mentioned limitations.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a printing apparatus for generating an image includes a housing; a ribbon supply holder, a tape supply holder, an input device, a thermal printing head and a tape attachment device. The ribbon supply holder is operatively coupled to the housing to hold a supply of ink ribbon. The ink ribbon includes a film layer with an ink layer disposed thereon and a receptor layer for receiving ink from the film layer. The tape supply holder is operatively coupled to the housing to hold a supply of tape, and the tape includes an adhesive layer. The input device is operatively coupled to the housing to enter data used to generate the image by the printing apparatus. The thermal printing head is operatively coupled to the housing to print the entered data on the ink ribbon. The tape attachment device attaches the tape to the film layer of the ink ribbon. In preferred embodiments, the thermal printing head generates the image by leaving a portion of the ink layer, representing the image corresponding to the data, on the film layer such that a negative of the image is transferred to the receptor layer, and the tape attachment device attaches the adhesive layer of the tape to the film layer to sandwich the remaining portion of the ink layer between the film layer and the adhesive layer. Other embodiments of the present invention include a cutter that is operatively coupled to the housing to cut the tape and the ribbon.
In additional embodiments, the printing apparatus further includes a cartridge casing for holding the ribbon supply holder, the tape supply holder and the thermal printer head. Also, the housing is adapted to receive the cartridge casing.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a cartridge for use in a printing apparatus for generating an image with a thermal printing head includes a housing, a ribbon supply holder, a tape supply holder, a tape attachment device and a drive mechanism. The ribbon supply holder is operatively coupled to the housing to hold a supply of ink ribbon. The ink ribbon includes a film layer with an ink layer disposed thereon, and a receptor layer for receiving ink from the film layer. Then a tape supply holder is operatively coupled to the housing to hold a supply of tape, and the tape includes an adhesive layer. The tape attachment device attaches the tape to the film layer of the ink ribbon. The drive mechanism is operative to feed the ink ribbon and the tape through the cartridge to generate the image. The cartridge is formed so that when the thermal printing head generates the image, it leaves a portion of the ink layer, representing the image corresponding to the data on the film layer such that a negative of the image is transferred to the receptor layer, and the tape attachment device attaches the adhesive layer of the tape to the film layer to sandwich the remaining portion of the ink layer between the film layer and the adhesive layer.
In further embodiments, the cartridge further includes a receptor layer stripping mechanism that strips the receptor layer from the ink ribbon after the thermal print head prints the image representing the data. In addition, the tape attachment device attaches the tape to the ink layer after stripping the receptor layer. In additional embodiments, the tape further includes a base film layer attached to the adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer attached to the base film layer and a release liner layer attached to the second adhesive layer to produce a label that has a protected second adhesive layer to facilitate application of the label to a surface. Also, the release liner layer can be peeled of the second adhesive layer to attach the second adhesive layer to the surface.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a label formed with a printing apparatus for generating an image with a thermal printing head that includes an ink ribbon and a tape having an adhesive layer. The ink ribbon includes a film layer with an ink layer disposed thereon, and a temporary removable receptor layer for receiving ink from the film layer prior to removal of the receptor layer. When the thermal printing head generates the image, it leaves a portion of the ink layer, representing the image corresponding to the data, on the film layer such that a negative of the image is transferred to the receptor layer prior to removal of the r
Bryan Robert A.
Namiki Yoshitaka
Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP
Tran Huan
LandOfFree
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