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:
Apr. 25, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 17, 1998
James E Pickering, Holcomb, NY (US);
Werner Fassler, Rochester, NY (US);
Charles D DeBoer, Palmyra, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for printing on a moveable receiver images corresponding to a digital image includes a re-inkable belt which includes a polymer support layer and an ink transfer layer having a plurality of colored patches provided over the polymer support layer wherein ink can be transferred to and from the ink transfer layer, the polymer support layer including heating elements disposed in the colored patches in the re-inkable belt which, when a potential is applied to them, heats their corresponding patch the ink transferable layer to facilitate ink transfer. The apparatus selectively applies potential to the heating elements in the re-inkable belt at an image transfer system and causes the moveable receiver to move into proximate contact with the re-inkable belt at an image transfer position. The apparatus further applies energy to selected heating elements to heat an appropriate patch of the re-inkable belt at the image transfer position to facilitate ink transfer and responsive to the digital image to imagewise transfer ink from the re-inkable belt to the receiver.