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. 23, 2002
Filed:
Feb. 20, 2001
Toppan Printing Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus uses an ink ribbon having ink layers of different colors, and a long, film-like intermediate transfer medium. A platen for holding the medium during transfer is driven by a motor via a synchronous reduction gear whose speed reducing ratio is an integer multiple. The ink ribbon is selectively heated by a thermal head having regular polygonal or circular heat-generating portions. Under the control of a controller, the thermal head is driven on the basis of image information, and a record image containing an area gradation image is formed on the medium. This area gradation image has a color set by stacking dots having different colors in the same spot. The medium on which the record image is formed is overlapped on a target body and heated and pressed by a heat roller, thereby transferring the record image from the medium onto the target body.