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:
May. 20, 1997
Filed:
Apr. 10, 1996
Ikuo Hibino, Iwate-ken, JP;
Hirotoshi Terao, Iwate-ken, JP;
Shinichi Sagawai, Iwate-ken, JP;
Hiroshi Kobayashi, Iwate-ken, JP;
Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Disclosed is a thermal transfer printer which makes it possible to perform both recording using an ink ribbon coated with a hot melt ink and recording using an ink ribbon coated with a hot sublimation ink. In the thermal transfer printer, a thermal head mounted on a carriage is driven to thereby effect printing on printing paper while moving the carriage with the thermal head being held in press contact with a platen through the intermediation of an ink ribbon and printing paper, wherein the thermal transfer printer further comprises a control section which makes it possible to selectively switch, in accordance with a mode signal, between a first recording mode in which printing by hot melt transfer is effected on the printing paper by using a hot melt type ink ribbon as the ink ribbon and a second recording mode in which printing by hot sublimation transfer is effected on the printing paper by using a hot sublimation type ink ribbon as the ink ribbon.