Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Soichiro Mima

Yoshikazu Goto

Hiroshi Onishi

Norikatsu Yoshida

Yuji Takashima

Benichi Miyazaki

Narito Shibaike

Kimiaki Sano

Hiroyuki Matsuo

Noboru Katakabe

Nobuyoshi Taguchi

Akihiro Imai

Yasuo Fukui

Kouji Ikeda

Tadao Kohashi

Seiko Minamide

Hiroshi Esaki

Takahiko Nankou

Hiroshi Onhisi

A cartridge adaptor accommodates a second cartridge which is smaller than a first cartridge so as to allow the second cartridge to be mounted in a disk apparatus designed to receive the first cartridge. The cartridge adaptor includes a shutter opener engageable with a shutter opener of the disk apparatus to open and close a shutter of the second cartridge, a projection engageable with a recess of the second cartridge to restrict insertion direction of the second cartridge into the disk apparatus, and a conveying member which is too be inserted into a transmission aperture formed in correspondence with an identification hole formed in the second cartridge, thereby opening and closing a detection hole of the cartridge adaptor formed at a corresponding position to an identification hole of the first cartridge. When the cartridge adaptor accommodating the second cartridge is mounted in the disk apparatus, the shutter of the second cartridge is opened, and the information on a disk housed in the second cartridge provided by the identification hole is correctly detected by the disk apparatus.

Cartridge adaptor and a cartridge to be accommodated in the cartridge

A cartridge adaptor accommodates a second cartridge which is smaller than a first cartridge so as to allow the second cartridge to be mounted in a disk apparatus designed to receive the first cartridge. The cartridge adaptor includes a shutter opener engageable with a shutter opener of the disk apparatus to open and close a shutter of the second cartridge, a projection engageable with a recess of the second cartridge to restrict insertion direction of the second cartridge into the disk apparatus, and a conveying member which is inserted into a transmission aperture formed in correspondence with an identification hole formed in the second cartridge, thereby opening and closing a detection hole of the cartridge adaptor formed at a corresponding position to an identification hole of the first cartridge. When the cartridge adaptor accommodating the second cartridge is mounted in the disk apparatus, the shutter of the second cartridge is opened, and the information on a disk housed in the second cartridge provided by the identification hole is correctly detected by the disk apparatus.

The present invention provides a thermal transfer printing method, an intermediate medium and a transfer medium therefor, which make it possible to obtain printed image having deep color and high light resistance without back diffusion of dye. The method of the present invention comprises:

Thermal dye transfer printing method, intermediate media and transfer

A thermal transfer printing method includes the steps of overlapping a surface of a printing layer of an intermediate transfer member having the printing layer on a base member with an ink sheet. Thermal transfer printing from the ink sheet to the printing layer is effected, subsequently overlapping the intermediate transfer member with an image receiver for transfer of the printing layer onto the image receiver. Thereafter, the printing layer is fixed on the image receiver by causing the printing layer to penetrate into the image receiver through direct application of pressure and heat to the printing layer on the image receiver. A printing apparatus is employed for effecting the thermal transfer printing method.

Thermal transfer printing method and printing apparatus employed therefor

An ink recording apparatus used with printers or the like is manufactured by semiconductor device manufacturing techniques. One wall of an ink chamber is formed of a single-crystal substrate and an ink jet port is formed by etching the single-crystal substrate. The ink chamber has a pressure-applying unit therein, and the pressure is applied to ink within the ink chamber so that the ink is jetted through the ink jet port. The pressure-applying unit has piezoelectric elements. A shutter and electrodes composed of polycrystalline-silicon film are formed on the single-crystal substrate by film forming in the LPCVD method and patterning through plasma etching. A front wall is formed by coating the shutter and electrodes further with a polycrystalline-silicon film. The shutter is movable between the wall surface of the ink chamber and the front wall, being driven by an electrostatic attracting force produced between voltage-applied electrodes and the shutter. The electrodes are formed at positions corresponding to those where the shutter blocks the ink jet port and releases the same.

Ink recording apparatus

An ink jet recording method utilizes an inking medium containing a liquid electrolyte. A chamber is provided for accommodating the liquid inking medium and having a pair of electrodes disposed therein. A signal generator is provided for applying to the pair of electrodes an electrolyzing signal for electrolyzing at least a portion of the electrolyte contained in the inking medium, and a subsequent discharge signal for effecting a discharge explosion of gases produced as a result of the electrolyzing signal. The inking medium is discharged from the chamber in response to the discharge explosion pressure resulting from the application of the electrolyzing and discharge signals.

Ink jet recording method utilizing electrolysis to effect ink discharge

A thermal transfer recording apparatus is disclosed and includes a recording medium sheet formed of a plastic film material having numerous minute voids therein, and a thermal recording sheet formed of a heat resistive base sheet with opposing surfaces and a thermal transfer layer coated onto one of the opposing surfaces of the base sheet. The thermal transfer layer comprises an ink material containing a binder material and being transferable to the recording medium sheet, and particles which are solid at room temperature and are mixed into the transfer layer in order to form minute protrusions on a surface of the thermal transfer layer. The apparatus also includes a heater for raising the temperature of the thermal transfer layer in a controlled manner so as to decrease the viscosity of the thermal transfer layer. The recording medium sheet can, alternatively, be provided with a coated layer coated onto the surface of the plastic film and comprises a coated layer material, and particles which are solid at room temperature and have a diameter greater than the thickness of the coated layer material, so as to provide a roughened surface to the coated layer.

Thermal transfer recording apparatus using a thermal transfer material

An ink recording apparatus used with printers or the like and manufactured by applying semiconductor device manufacturing techniques. One wall of an ink chamber is formed of a single-crystal substrate and an ink jet port is formed by etching on the single-crystal substrate. A slider and electrodes composed of polycrystalline-silicon film are formed on the single-crystal substrate by film forming in the LPCVD method and patterning through plasma etching. The slider has a plurality of ink passing holes which have respectively different diameter, being driven by electrostatic attracting force produced between voltage-applied electrodes and the slider. The electrodes are formed at positions corresonding to those where the each ink passing hole is aligned with the ink jet port.

Ink recording apparatus with slider to control jetted ink amount

An ink jet recording apparatus includes an inking medium containing a liquid electrolyte. A chamber is provided for accommodating the liquid inking medium and having a pair of electrodes disposed therein. A signal generator is provided for applying to the pair of electrodes an electrolyzing signal for electrolyzing at least a portion of the electrolyte contained in the inking medium, and a subsequent discharge signal for effecting a discharge explosion of gases produced as a result of the electrolyzing signal. The inking medium is discharged from the chamber in response to the discharge explosion pressure resulting from the application of the electrolyzing and discharge signals.

Ink jet recording apparatus utilizing electrolysis to effects ink

An ink recording apparatus used with printers or the like and manufactured by applying semiconductor device manufacturing techniques. One wall of an ink chamber is formed of a single-crystal substrate and an ink jet port is formed by etching on the single-crystal substrate. A shutter and electrodes composed of polycrystalline-silicon film are formed on the single-crystal substrate by film forming in the LPCVD method and patterning through plasma etching. A front wall is formed by coating the shutter and electrodes further with a polycrystalline-silicon film. The shutter is movable between the wall surface of the ink chamber and the front wall, being driven through electrostatic attracting force produced between voltage-applied electrodes and the shutter. The electrodes are formed at positions corresponding to those where the shutter blocks the ink jet port and releases the same.

Ink recording apparatus provided with shutter

A printing apparatus is disclosed. A toner image is formed on an image carrier. A solvent supply device supplies a solvent to the toner image in a direction toward such a side that the toner image makes contact with an image bearing medium, the solvent lowering the viscosity of the powder image. A transfer device presses the image bearing medium against the toner image of which viscosity is lowered by the solvent, thereby transferring the toner image to the image bearing medium.

Growing community of inventors

Nishinomiya, Japan

Soichiro Mima