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:
Sep. 19, 1995
Filed:
Jul. 26, 1993
Teruyuki Mizumoto, Suwa, JP;
Hajime Kurihara, Suwa, JP;
Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A thermal transfer type image formation device employs a new regeneration method for reconditioning ink sheets employed in the thermal inking process. The ink sheet has a transparent base layer, which also serves as a dielectric layer, an ink layer and a transparent conductive layer, functioning also as an electrode, on a side of the base layer opposite the ink layer. A fixing device is provided for the transfer of photoconductive powder ink to bare areas of the ink sheet to be rejuvenated. A bias voltage is impressed on the photoconductive powder ink, and the photoconductive powder ink which comes in contact with bare areas becomes conductive when exposed with light through the transparent conductive layer and ink adheres to the base layer due to an established electrostatic force between the ink and the conductive layer electrode on the light exposing side of the ink sheet. After the powder ink has been selectively supplied to the bare areas, the ink sheet is then regenerated by heating the sheet melting and thereafter hardening the powder ink.