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:
Feb. 27, 2001
Filed:
May. 15, 1998
Jule William Thomas, Jr., Hendersonville, NC (US);
Bernard Allen Apple, Hendersonville, NC (US);
C. Wayne Jaeger, Beaverton, OR (US);
Stephen M. Kroon, Sherwood, OR (US);
Agfa Gevaert N.V., Mortsel, BE;
Abstract
An improved apparatus for recording a gradient image on transparent media. The apparatus has at least one solid phase change ink and a solid null image element. A printing head melts the solid phase change ink to form a molten phase change ink and melts the solid null image element to form a molten null image element. The molten phase change ink and the molten null image element are deposited, in an imagewise pattern, onto a transfer surface. A cooling mechanism cools the molten phase change ink and the molten null image element in the imagewise pattern to form a malleable phase change ink and a malleable null image element in the imagewise pattern on the transfer surface. The malleable phase change ink and the malleable null image element are transfered to a media from the transfer surface in the imagewise pattern.