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:
Nov. 26, 2002
Filed:
Feb. 25, 2002
Minoru Suzuki, Tochigi, JP;
Hiroshi Orita, Saitama, JP;
Hiroyuki Saito, Saitama, JP;
Katsuyoshi Suzuki, Tokyo, JP;
Koichi Furusawa, Tokyo, JP;
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image-forming system has an image-forming sheet, and a printer for forming an image on the sheet. The sheet has a sheet of paper, and a layer of microcapsule, coated over the paper sheet, that contains a plurality of microcapsules filled with a dye. A shell wall of each microcapsule is composed of a resin exhibiting a pressure/temperature characteristic such that, when each microcapsule is squashed under a predetermined pressure at a predetermined temperature, the dye seeps from the squashed microcapsule. The microcapsules are covered with an infrared absorbent coating that-absorbs infrared rays having a specific wavelength. The printer has a transparent glass plate, and a roller platen elastically pressed against the plate at the predetermined pressure, with the sheet being interposed between the plate and the platen. Further, the printer has an optical scanner for scanning the layer of microcapsules with an infrared beam having the specific wavelength, such that the microcapsules, irradiated by the infrared beam, are heated to the predetermined temperature.