The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 28, 1989
Filed:
Oct. 30, 1987
Masayoshi Nagashima, Kanagawa, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Kawasaki, JP;
Abstract
Method and apparatus for the thermal transfer printing upon a record medium utilizing a print ribbon so as to form a protective transparent layer over a printed area upon a record medium. The thermal transfer print film includes plural colored ink regions separated by transparent ink regions. The method and apparatus of the present invention thus provide for the initial printing via thermal transfer of the colored ink regions onto an area of the record medium. Subsequent alignment of a region of the transparent ink with the printed area on the record medium and selective operation of thermal print heads thus thermally transfers portions of the thermal transparent ink to the previously colored ink printed area to provide a transparent ink layer over the printed information upon the record medium thereby protecting the same. The transparent ink layer thus serves to protect the colored ink printed information from abrasive rubbing and the like during processing and/or handling thereby preventing degradation of the print quality.