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. 27, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 12, 2002
Terrence L. Fisher, Rochester, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
A donor web having successive dye transfer areas and opposite longitudinal edge areas alongside each one of the dye transfer areas is subjected to a longitudinal tension when the donor web is advanced in a dye transfer printer, which can stretch the dye transfer areas more than the edge areas because the dye transfer areas, but not the edge areas, are heated at a print head in the printer. According to the invention, the edge areas are pre-weakened before the donor web is used in the printer to weaken a resistance of the edge areas, relative to the dye transfer areas, to being stretched so that the edge areas can be stretched substantially the same as the dye transfer areas when the donor web is used in the printer. The edge areas can be pre-weakened, for example, by perforating or piercing them to create holes in them, or by slitting or cutting them to create cuts in them. If the edge areas alongside a dye transfer area being used in the printer are stretched substantially the same as the dye transfer area, the likelihood of any creases being created in the next unused transfer area is substantially reduced. Thus, no line artifacts will be printed on a dye receiver in the printer.