Zink Imaging, Inc.

Polaroid Corporation

Zink Holdings, LLC

Chien Liu

William T Vetterling

Stephen J Telfer

Brian David Busch

Fariza B Hasan

Jay E Thornton

Daniel P Bybell

Jayprakash C Bhatt

Anemarie DeYoung

F Richard Cottrell

Suhail Shabbir Saquib

Peter K Chu

Peter Zelten

Dana Frederic Schuh

Michael A Young

Yulin Hardin

Willilam T Vetterling

F Richard Courell

Stephen Robert Herchen

Fariza B Hansan

Michael Armour Young

The present invention relates generally to a printing system, and more specifically to an ordering of color-forming layers in a direct thermal printing medium. The present invention provides a direct thermal print medium with an ordering of the color layers that improves the perceived image sharpness and color uniformity of prints.

Ordering of color-forming layers in a direct thermal printing medium

In one aspect of the invention there is disclosed a multicolor thermal imaging system wherein different heating elements on a thermal print head can print on different color-forming layers of a multicolor thermal imaging member in a single pass. The line-printing time is divided into portions, each of which is divided into a plurality of subintervals. All of the pulses within the portions have the same energy. In one embodiment, every pulse has the same amplitude and duration. Different colors are selected for printing during the different portions by varying the fraction of subintervals that contain pulses. This technique allows multiple colors to be printed using a thermal print head with a single strobe signal line. Pulsing patterns may be chosen to reduce the coincidence of pulses provided to multiple print head elements, thereby reducing the peak power requirements of the print head.

Print head pulsing techniques for multicolor printers

An optical disc is described that bears, on one surface, a plurality of color-forming layers that can form a multicolored image when heated in contact with a thermal print head. The color-forming composition comprises color-forming layers and thermally-insulating spacers and is designed such that warping of the optical disc in conditions of changing temperature and humidity is minimized. The compliance of the color-forming composition is such that intimate contact between the thermal print head and the printable surface of the disc can be maintained as one is translated relative to the other. Methods for assembling such an optical disc are provided.

Optical disc with thermally-printable surface

A multicolor direct thermal imaging method wherein a multicolor image is formed in a thermal imaging member comprising at least first and second different image-forming compositions and a thermal printer for use in practicing the method. Heat is applied to at least the second image-forming composition while the first image-forming composition is at a first baseline temperature (T) to form an image in at least the second image-forming composition, and heat is applied to at least the first image-forming composition while it is at a second baseline temperature (T) to form an image in at least the first image-forming composition, wherein Tis different from T.

Multicolor thermal imaging method and thermal printer

There are disclosed imaging members wherein a chemical compound in a crystalline form is converted, at least partially, and preferably substantially completely or completely, to an amorphous form that has intrinsically a different color from the crystalline form. Also described are imaging methods utilizing the imaging members. The conversion of the compound from the crystalline form to an amorphous form can be effected by laser exposure.

Imaging system

In one aspect of the invention there is disclosed a multicolor thermal imaging system wherein different heating elements on a thermal print head can print on different color-forming layers of a multicolor thermal imaging member in a single pass. The line-printing time is divided into segments, each of which is divided into a plurality of subintervals. All of the pulses within the segments have the same energy. In one embodiment, every pulse has the same amplitude and duration. Different colors are selected for printing during the different segments by varying the fraction of subintervals that contain pulses. This technique allows multiple colors to be printed using a thermal print head with a single strobe signal line. Pulsing patterns may be chosen to reduce the coincidence of pulses provided to multiple print head elements, thereby reducing the peak power requirements of the print head.

A multicolor direct thermal imaging method and an imaging member for use therein, wherein a multicolor image is formed in a thermal imaging member having at least two different image-forming compositions capable of forming two different colors. Heat is used to form an image in the first color at a first speed of travel of the thermal imaging member with respect to the source of heat, and heat is used to form an image in the second color at a second speed of travel of the thermal imaging member with respect to the source of heat, where the first speed of travel and the second speed of travel are different from each other.

Multicolor thermal imaging method and thermal imaging member for use therein

A multicolor imaging system is described wherein at least two, and preferably three, different image-forming layers of a thermal imaging member are addressed at least partially independently by a thermal printhead or printheads from the same surface of the imaging member by controlling the temperature of the thermal printhead(s) and the time thermal energy is applied to the image-forming layers. Each color of the thermal imaging member can be printed alone or in selectable proportion to the other color(s). Novel thermal imaging members are also described.

Thermal imaging system

There are disclosed imaging members wherein a chemical compound in a crystalline form is converted, at least partially, and preferably substantially completely or completely, to a liquid in the amorphous form, the liquid having intrinsically a different color from the crystalline form. Also described are imaging methods utilizing the imaging members. The conversion of the compound from the crystalline form to the liquid form can be effected by the application of thermal energy or by other imaging techniques.

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Wayland, MA, United States of America

Chien Liu