Ing C. Olivetti C., S.p.a.

Giovanni Gianolini

Franco Knirsch

Mario Buat

Gian D Dagna

The inked element which is preferably in ribbon form comprises a flexible plastics carrier of a thickness of from 5 to 15.mu., covered with a thermotransferable coating which is 2 to 6.mu. in thickeness. The mixture of the coating comprises a blend of thermoplastic resins of non-polymeric type with natural or synthetic waxes with a melting point of between 60.degree. and 80.degree. C. The waxes and the resins are so selected as to be compatible with each other and to provide a melting point of between 60.degree. and 80.degree. C. and a melt viscosity of between 50 to 1000 cps. The ribbon makes it possible to print at a printing rate of 40 to 120 characters/sec on papers having a Bendtsen roughness of 10 to 100 ml/min. The ribbon can be prepared with bands of different colors for multi-color printing.

Heat sensitive inked element for high speed thermal printers

The device comprises a plurality of ink reservoirs, each connected to a number of nozzles (22) equidistant along a corresponding row. The nozzles connected to the various reservoirs are spaced apart vertically by at least one line space. The device can be used for printing different lines in parallel, moreover subdividing the length of the line, or for printing different zones of the sheet in facsimile. The ink is kept in circulation between the reservoirs and the nozzles by a common peristaltic pump which acts by a series of actuating elements on the discharge ducts for the inks in the reservoirs. The reservoirs may contain inks of different colors to permit printing in different colors or polychrome facsimile printing by additive or subtractive synthesis of the colors. The ink is conductive and is kept at earth potential, while electrodes (23) disposed outside the corresponding nozzles (22) are energized selectively to produce sprays of particles of ink from the nozzles. The ink contains a mixture of a dye of direct or solvent or acid type with a solution of water, electrolytic compounds, moistening agents, thickeners, preserving agents and antifoaming agent. The ink is prepared by mixing the compounds under agitation, then mixing in the dye until a predetermined acidity is obtained and finally filtering it and sealing it in the pack in the absence of air.

Ink-jet printing device

The inked element in the form of a ribbon comprises a plastics support coated on one side with a thin layer (2 to 4 mm) of thermotransferable inking mixture which comprises, in addition to a pigment or dye, a binder of thermoplastic resin, in particular a styrene or terpene resin, a plasticizer and a softening compound constituted by one or more waxes in a percentage between 18 and 50%. The plasticizer is constituted by an ester of phthalic or phosphoric acid or another polymer.

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Lozza, Italy

Giovanni Gianolini