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:
Jan. 13, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 14, 1995
Masanori Yoshikawa, Osaka, JP;
Atsushi Sogami, Sanda, JP;
Hiroyuki Matsuo, Osaka, JP;
Nobuyoshi Taguchi, Ikoma, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A thermal printing apparatus includes an intermediate medium. A color developing layer transfer member includes a first base member and a color developing layer on a surface of the first base member. A dye layer transfer member includes a second base member and a dye layer on a surface of the second base member. The dye layer contains dye. At least a part of the color developing layer is transferred from the color developing layer transfer member onto the intermediate medium in response to at least one of heat and pressure. The dye is transferred from the dye layer of the dye layer transfer member onto the color developing layer on the intermediate medium to form a recorded picture on the color developing layer in response to both heat and pressure while the dye layer on the dye layer transfer member and the color developing layer on the intermediate medium are in contact with each other. The color developing layer with the recorded picture is transferred from the intermediate medium onto an image receptor. A releasing device is operative for implementing separation between the intermediate medium and one of the color developing layer transfer member and the dye layer transfer member. The releasing device includes a releasing blade and a belt support member associated with the releasing blade. The releasing blade engages one of the color developing layer transfer member and the dye layer transfer member. The belt support member supports the intermediate medium along one of a flat plane or an outwardly-projecting plane.