Pre Or Post Image Recording Treatment Patents (Class 347/212)
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Patent number: 11807026Abstract: According to an embodiment, a card issuing system which issues cards includes: a print image generation portion which generates print data to perform printing on the card; an overcoat image generation portion which generates overcoat data, which is data on an overcoat for the print data generated by the print image generation portion; and a printing portion which performs printing of the print data generated by the print image generation portion, and the overcoat data generated by the overcoat image generation portion on the card. The overcoat image generation portion generates the overcoat data with which an area where a design quality is required in the print data is subjected to overcoating based on pixels to be printed by the print data, and an area where durability is required in the print data is subjected to overcoating which covers the area.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2021Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATIONInventor: Shinya Morozumi
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Patent number: 11188016Abstract: A fixing device includes: a heater including (i) a substrate having conductivity, (ii) a first insulating layer provided on a first surface of the substrate, and (iii) a heating pattern constituted by a heating resistor and provided on an opposite side of the first insulating layer from the substrate; and an endless belt configured to rotate around the heater in a state in which an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt is in contact with the heater. The substrate is grounded.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2020Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kei Ishida
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Patent number: 10989868Abstract: An item such as a fabric-based item may have a layer of fabric such as a layer of woven fabric. The fabric layer may include warp and weft strands. The fabric may cover keys in a keyboard or may be used in forming other structures in the fabric-based item. Each key may have an illuminated key label. Portions of the fabric may be processed by pressing heated protrusions on a textured mold into polymer optical fibers in the fabric. The protrusions form corresponding light-scattering recesses in cladding portions of the optical fibers. Light-emitting diodes or other light sources may be coupled to respective end surfaces of the optical fibers. The light-emitting diodes emit light that is emitted from the thermally imprinted light-emitting regions formed by pressing the heated protrusions into the optical fibers.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2018Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yi Zou, Hua Song, Liming Wang, Daniel A. Podhajny
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Patent number: 10792936Abstract: A coating device includes a coating member, a nip forming member, a pair of conveying members, and circuitry. The nip forming member forms a coating nip together with the coating member. The pair of conveying members is opposed each other to nip and convey a recording medium to the coating nip. The circuitry is configured to cause the pair of conveying members to release nipping of the recording medium at timing when a leading end of the recording medium reaches the coating nip.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2019Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Kohei Chike
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Patent number: 10630855Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a control method of an image forming apparatus which offers high convenience are described. An image forming section forms a toner image in a print medium, and fixes the toner image by a heated fixing device. A power circuit supplies power to the image forming section to heat the fixing device. A communication interface receives a facsimile call signal and a facsimile image signal. A system controller controls the image forming section and the power circuit such that, when the facsimile call signal and the facsimile image signal are received, the image forming section and the power circuit are controlled to form an image by the image forming section on the basis of the facsimile image signal and, when the facsimile call signal is received and the facsimile image signal is not received, the power circuit supplies power to the image forming section to heat the fixing device.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2018Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Nobuyuki Kato
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Patent number: 10029494Abstract: The disclosure discloses a printer including an opening/closing lid, a first spring member, and a second spring member. The second spring member is separated from the opening/closing lid without applying an urging force in the closing direction to the time the opening/closing lid has pivoted from a closed state by a first predetermined angle and comes into contact with the opening/closing lid to apply the urging force when the opening/closing lid has pivoted from the closed state in the opening direction by the first predetermined angle. The opening/closing lid comprises a contacting part configured to be separated from a contacted part of the housing in the closed state, and to come into contact with the contacted part from the time the opening/closing lid has pivoted from the closed state by a second predetermined angle to the time the opening/closing lid has pivoted by a third predetermined angle.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2017Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Toshihiro Takahashi
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Patent number: 9789699Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for thermal transfer printing include, in at least one aspect, a printing apparatus includes: a band capable of holding hot melt ink thereon; rollers configured and arranged to hold and transport the band with respect to a substrate; a printhead configured and arranged to thermally transfer a portion of the ink from the band to the substrate to print on the substrate; and a heating device configured and arranged to heat the band to cause ink on the band to re-melt, flow and replace at least some of the portion of the ink transferred to the substrate previously before arriving at the printhead again for a next print.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2017Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Dover Europe SarlInventor: Frances H. Benton
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Patent number: 9669638Abstract: A method of forming hydrophobic structures in a hydrophilic print medium includes operating a plurality of inkjets to form an arrangement of hydrophobic material on first side of a print medium that moves in a process direction at a predetermined velocity. The method further includes moving the print medium through a convection heater at the predetermined velocity to enable the hydrophobic material to penetrate the print medium to form hydrophobic structures within the print medium.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2016Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Joseph M. Ferrara, Jr., Jing Zhou, Wayne A. Buchar, Nancy Y. Jia
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Patent number: 9662911Abstract: In a printer that performs printing on a label of a continuous paper while feeding the continuous paper unwound from a paper sheet supply unit to a side of a printing head portion via a damper portion, a head pressure plate is arranged between an operating portion that adjusts a pressing force against a thermal head portion and a printing line of the thermal head portion such that the head pressure plate is formed extended to connect them.Type: GrantFiled: December 25, 2014Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignee: SATO HOLDINGS KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hitoshi Onodera, Takayoshi Jinnouchi
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Patent number: 9623674Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a platen roller, an ink ribbon, a transfer target, a thermal head, and a controller. When continuous n-spot transfer regions set on the transfer target are named as first to n-th (n is an integer of 2 or more) transfer regions in a reverse direction to an alignment sequence of first to n-th ink layers, the controller executes transfer operations of transferring inks of first to k-th (1?k?n) ink layers to the n-spot transfer regions by using first to n-th ink sets from k=1 to k=n. By the transfer operations, a color image to which n-color inks are transferred is formed on the first transfer region.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2016Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: JVC KENWOOD CORPORATIONInventors: Keiji Ihara, Yuji Okada
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Patent number: 9604468Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for thermal transfer printing include, in at least one aspect, a printing apparatus includes: a band capable of holding hot melt ink thereon; rollers configured and arranged to hold and transport the band with respect to a substrate; a printhead configured and arranged to thermally transfer a portion of the ink from the band to the substrate to print on the substrate; and a heating device configured and arranged to heat the band to cause ink on the band to re-melt, flow and replace at least some of the portion of the ink transferred to the substrate previously before arriving at the printhead again for a next print.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2016Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: Markem-Imaje CorporationInventor: Frances H. Benton
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Patent number: 9399356Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a printer apparatus comprises a printing medium supply shaft configured to supply the mounted printing medium; a ribbon supply shaft configured to supply a mounted ink ribbon driven by a driving source; a fixing shaft; a winding driving core configured to be freely rotatably mounted on the fixing shaft to rotate driven by the driving source; and a ribbon winding shaft configured to be freely rotatably mounted on the winding driving core to wind the ink ribbon which is transferred onto and printed on the printing medium using a thermal head, wherein the ribbon winding shaft is configured to transmit the rotation of the driving source through an elastic component arranged between the ribbon winding shaft and the winding driving core.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2015Date of Patent: July 26, 2016Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Kazuaki Sugimoto
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Patent number: 9299743Abstract: A light-emitting apparatus according to the present invention includes: an elongated substrate; a plurality of LEDs arranged in a straight line on the substrate in a longitudinal direction of the substrate; and a sealing member that includes an optical wavelength converter and seals the LEDs, wherein the sealing member is formed in a straight line in a direction of arrangement of the LEDs and seals the LEDs collectively.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2012Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventor: Kenji Sugiura
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Patent number: 9261246Abstract: Provided is a light-emitting module, a light source device and a liquid crystal display device in which unevenness in the luminance and color hardly occurs as compared to conventional technology. A light-emitting module 100 is structured such that a plurality of element columns, each composed of light-emitting elements 120 arranged in line, are mounted on a substrate 110, and each element column is individually sealed by a separate sealing member 130. The light source device and the liquid crystal device each include the above light-emitting module 100.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2011Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Toshifumi Ogata, Kenji Sugiura, Makoto Morikawa
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Patent number: 8917301Abstract: There is provided a double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape which includes a first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed by using any of different types of adhesive samples. Thereby the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is adjusted so as to satisfy conditions that, slow peel strength when a printing tape made of a PET film is peeled off from the substrate film of the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape by 5 mm at peel rate of 0.5 mm/minute is 0.45 N/20 mm or higher and storage modulus of the adhesive layer is in a range from 90.7 kPa to 435 kPa. By improving adhesiveness to the printing tape under environmental temperature from a low temperature to a normal temperature, the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive layer renders the printing tape less apt to peel off.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2014Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Takahiro Norimatsu
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Publication number: 20140340462Abstract: A printing apparatus having an adhesive applying function is provided with a transporting mechanism for transporting an elongated print member, a transferring mechanism for transporting a transferring member having adhesive, contained in a cartridge installed on the apparatus, and for selectively bringing the transferring member into contact with the print member transported by the transporting mechanism, thereby transferring the adhesive of the transferring member onto the surface of the print member which no data is to be printed on, a controlling unit for controlling whether the transferring mechanism transfers the adhesive of the transferring member onto the surface of the print member which no data is to be printed on, and a printing mechanism provided on the downstream side of the transferring mechanism, for processing print data including rotation of the data in unit of 90 degrees, and for printing the data on the surface of the print member.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2014Publication date: November 20, 2014Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.Inventors: Hirotaka KURONUMA, Akio TSUJI
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Publication number: 20140333707Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus which prints a protective coat, on the basis of input image data, onto a recording sheet on which an image is printed with a dye ink, the printing apparatus comprising: an area dividing unit configured to divide the input image data into a plurality of areas; a conversion unit configured to convert the input image data into print control data by using conversion information provided to convert the input image data into the print control data; and a printing unit configured to print the protective coat on the basis of the print control data acquired by the conversion unit, wherein the conversion unit is configured to include a plurality of pieces of the conversion information and convert the input image data into the print control data by using a piece of the conversion information different for each area divided by the area dividing unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2014Publication date: November 13, 2014Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yasushi Hozumi, Yoshinobu Shiraiwa
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Patent number: 8873103Abstract: Uneven glossiness is effectively suppressed between areas where light inks are mainly used and areas where dark inks are mainly used. The gloss is raised in areas where dark cyan ink C is used. In other words, the application amount of second clear ink applied by after application printing is set to 32% at primary cyan (grid point 16) to equalize the gloss with areas where light cyan ink LC is used. Also, the application amount of first clear ink applied by common printing is set to 32% in a highlight portion (grid point 8) to equalize the gloss with the maximum gloss reached using dark cyan ink C. In so doing, it is possible to keep the gloss nearly constant over the entire range from white to cyan, or in other words, suppress uneven glossiness.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2013Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Okinori Tsuchiya, Tohru Ikeda, Akihiko Nakatani, Yugo Mochizuki
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Patent number: 8854685Abstract: Provided is an image determination device including a sheet detecting unit that detects a sheet on which a code image is printed, a first acquiring unit that acquires information on the code image and an absorption wavelength of the code image, a second acquiring unit that acquires a reading unit necessary for decoding a code portion of the code image, a third acquiring unit that acquires a document image of an electronic document, a dividing unit that divides the document image into plural blocks corresponding to the reading unit, a detecting unit that detects a block in which an image portion of the document image that uses a color having an absorption band at the absorption wavelength of the code image overlaps with the code portion of the code image as an undecodable block, and an output unit that outputs a warning indicating the generation of an undecodable area.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2012Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Inventor: Suguru Nakaso
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Patent number: 8817057Abstract: An image erasing device includes first and second erasing sections. The first erasing section includes a first heating roller and a first pressing roller. The first heating roller and the first pressing roller are disposed on opposite sides of a conveying path. The first heating roller is configured to contact a first side of the sheet. The second erasing section is disposed downstream from the first erasing section, and includes a second heating roller and a second pressing roller. The second heating roller and the second pressing roller are disposed on opposite sides of the conveying path. The second heating roller is configured to contact a second side of the sheet. At least one of the second heating roller and the second pressing roller has a diameter smaller than one of a diameter of the first heating roller and a diameter of the first pressing roller.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yoichi Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 8786905Abstract: A problem that setting (setting the kind of a paper or a printout method) for achieving the print effect (gloss effect or matte effect) at a maximum is very complicated and therefore, a manual setting thereof by a user is very difficult. When image data which a user desires to print and a desire for a print effect to transparent form image data are input, the paper type, conversion of the transparent form image data and a printout method for realizing the print effect are automatically set and printed out.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2013Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Osamu Iinuma
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Patent number: 8780154Abstract: A method for reducing variations in gloss in a solid ink jet image, is disclosed. The method includes: jetting marking solid ink jet droplets onto a receiver to form an image; heating the receiver to a temperature so that the marking solid ink melts; spreading the marking solid ink on the receiver; and controlling the temperature of the marking solid ink on the receiver to provide a desired specularly reflective surface of the solid ink so that variations in gloss are reduced.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2012Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventor: Donald Saul Rimai
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Patent number: 8749604Abstract: A printing system comprising two thermal printheads and an apparatus for smoothing a side of thermal media which may be compromised by an aggressive drive roller design. The smoothing apparatus in one embodiment is a heater which optionally comprises a heated roller for contacting and smoothing the receiver media.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2012Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Kodak Alaris Inc.Inventors: Mark Anthony Harris, Richard Steven Paoletti, Richard William Bauer, Jr.
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Patent number: 8743163Abstract: A printing method comprising a printhead and rollers for printing. A page of a print job is printed which causes depressions in the non-printed side of the print medium. The print medium is heated to reduce the depressions before printing the non-printed side.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2012Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Kodak Alaris Inc.Inventors: Mark Anthony Harris, Richard Steven Paoletti, Richard William Bauer, Jr.
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Publication number: 20140085394Abstract: A roll-fed duplex thermal printing system, comprising a supply roll of receiver media, a printing path, a reversing path, a pivotable diverter and a cutter positioned between the diverter and the reversing path. When the diverter is in a first position the receiver media is directed from the supply roll, when the diverter is in a second position the receiver media is directed from the supply roll into the reversing path, and when the diverter is in the third position the receiver media is directed from the reversing path into the printing path. During a printing operation, the diverter is sequentially repositioned to feed the receiver media into the printing path where a first side image is printed, into the reversing path where it is cut, and into the printing path again where a second side image is printed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2013Publication date: March 27, 2014Applicant: KODAK ALARIS INC.Inventors: Robert F. MINDLER, Alex D. HORVATH, Steven J. TOMANOVICH, Richard SALTER, Joseph Anthony MANICO
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Patent number: 8643687Abstract: A printing surface processing method includes first forming, second forming and applying. In the first forming, a substantially flat first image expressed with unevenness sense based on a touch and/or a stroke of a brush is formed on a first face of a thermal expansion sheet. In the second forming, a second image constituted of a grayscale image is formed on a second face of the sheet. The grayscale image includes a dark portion and a light portion with densities set to form a substantially uneven shape on the first face. The uneven shape corresponds to the unevenness sense of the first image and unevenness sense of fabric where the first image is supposed to be formed. In the applying, thermal energy is applied to the second image to expand the sheet to form the uneven shape on the first face.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2013Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yuji Horiuchi
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Patent number: 8599231Abstract: A method and apparatus for indicating a part number for a consumable to be used in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include generating a pre-printed label that includes one or more potential part numbers for the consumable with an indication area proximate to the one or more potential part numbers, the indication area including reactive material, attaching the preprinted label on packaging for the consumable, determining a desired part number from the one or more potential part numbers for the consumable, and indicating the desired part number for the consumable by activating the reactive material proximate to the desired part number.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2011Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Kip L. Jugle, Andrew Scott Bradford, Heiko Rommelmann
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Patent number: 8547408Abstract: A thermal transfer printer comprises a print head drive mechanism that is configured to reciprocally move a print head parallel to movement of a carrier ribbon past the print head. A controller is configured to control the print head drive mechanism to move the print head in a first direction along the carrier ribbon to transfer ink material from the carrier ribbon to a substrate to print a first portion of an image on a first area of the substrate. The controller is also configured to control movement of the print head in a second direction opposite to the first direction as the carrier ribbon and substrate are also moved in the second direction to position the print head relative to the carrier ribbon so that a second portion of the image is printed on a second are of the substrate adjacent to the first area of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2011Date of Patent: October 1, 2013Assignee: Videojet Technologies (Nottingham) LimitedInventors: Martin McNestry, Philip Hart
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Patent number: 8540361Abstract: A printing system that has a print zone, a drive roller positioned at an input side of the print zone, a vacuum platen assembly positioned under the print zone, a printhead assembly overlaying and spanning the print zone and a vacuum belt assembly configured to receive media from the print zone.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2010Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: Zamtec LtdInventors: Robert Rosati, David Petch, David Burney, Jim Sykora, Kenneth A Regas, Andy Bound, Neil Doherty, Scott Dennis, Ben Jones, Oksana Buyda, Locson Tonthat, Andrew Buyda, Patrick Kirk, Loren Hunt, Jason Dewey, Jim Trinchera, Bill Cressman, Ron Zech
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Patent number: 8531724Abstract: A problem that setting (setting the kind of a paper or a printout method) for achieving the print effect (gloss effect or matte effect) at a maximum is very complicated and therefore, a manual setting thereof by a user is very difficult. When image data which a user desires to print and a desire for a print effect to transparent form image data are input, the paper type, conversion of the transparent form image data and a printout method for realizing the print effect are automatically set and printed out.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2009Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Osamu Iinuma
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Patent number: 8520263Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of recording image information and additional information added separately from the image information to a photographic printing medium is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes: image information acquisition means for acquiring the image information, additional information acquisition means for acquiring the additional information, and recording means for recording the image information acquired by the image information acquisition means and the additional information acquired by the additional information acquisition means to the photographic printing medium, wherein the recording means can record the additional information by applying a transparent material that absorbs light of a specific wavelength to the area that does not absorb the light on a recording surface of the photographic printing medium.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2006Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Naoki Takizawa, Ken Higuchi
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Patent number: 8472074Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus that can avoid difficulty in the folding of a print sheet that has been printed using clear toner. In order to achieve this objective of the present invention, a printing apparatus includes a storage unit for storing data which indicates positions to be printed by using a transparent color material on a print sheet according to a registration instruction and a synthesizing unit for synthesizing image which is printed by using non-transparent color material based on contents data and image which is printed by using transparent color material based on form data stored in the storage unit on a print sheet according to a synthesis instruction.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2009Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kenta Yabe
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Patent number: 8459886Abstract: A first cutter 130 (cutting unit) is provided between a color recording unit 120 (the first printing unit) and an overcoat recording unit 140 (the second printing unit). A portion whereon color printing is completed by the color recording unit 120 of a recording paper 200 (printing medium) is cut off by the first cutter 130 and detached. An overcoat recording unit 140 performs an overcoat process on the detached recording paper (printing medium strip). In parallel with this, the color recording unit 120 performs next color printing on the recording paper 200. This makes it possible to reduce a printing time in a printing device including a plurality of printing processes without deteriorating printing quality. Further, an useless paper feeding is eliminated by optimally arranging the color recording unit 120, the first cutter 130, the overcoat recording unit 140, and the second cutter 160, etc. in accordance with a size of a printing area.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2006Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Ichirou Furuki, Takaaki Kase, Keiki Yamada, Hisashi Yamada, Makoto Sakuwa, Yoshihito Matsuura
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Patent number: 8446633Abstract: A print data generating apparatus to generate print data is provided. The print data generating apparatus includes a maximum density setting unit, through which a maximum allowable density of a white colorant is designated, an image storing unit to store originally inputted image data, a data convertor unit to convert the inputted image data into a colorant-enabled data, which is information concerning pixels composing the image in scale values of the plurality of colors, and a density-adjusted data generating unit to generate white density-adjusted data, in which the scale values of the pixels in the colorant-enabled data are adjusted according to the maximum allowable density of the white colorant. The density-adjusted data generating unit adjusts the scale values of white in the pixels in the colorant-enabled data to be lower than or equal to scale values corresponding to the maximum allowable density.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2009Date of Patent: May 21, 2013Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KasihaInventor: Takeshi Watanabe
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Patent number: 8441509Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transport unit that transports a recording medium; a thermal transfer sheet that has an ink layer, and a protective material layer thermally transferred onto the recording medium to form a protective layer; a reforming sheet that has a printing opening portion for causing the ink layer and the protective material layer to come into contact with a surface of the recording medium, and a surface property reforming portion for reforming surface properties of the protective layer; and a thermal head that heats and causes the surface property reforming portion to come into pressing contact with the recording medium through the thermally transferred protective material layer, wherein a temperature limitation area is set in an outer peripheral portion of an area where the surface properties are reformed, and heating of the surface property reforming portion in the temperature limitation area is restricted.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2011Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Jun Matsuoka, Ken Higuchi
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Patent number: 8421831Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance unit conveying a medium to be recorded in a predetermined direction, a thermal transfer sheet including an ink layer thermally transferred onto the medium to form a printing layer, and a protective material layer thermally transferred onto the medium to form a protection layer, a transfer sheet traveling unit causing the thermal transfer sheet to travel, a reforming sheet including a printing opening for bringing the ink layer and the protective material layer into contact with a surface of the medium, and a surface property reforming unit reforming the surface property of the protection layer, a reforming sheet traveling unit causing the reforming sheet to travel, and a thermal head pressing the surface property reforming unit on the medium through the protective material layer having been thermally transferred to thereby heat the pressed surface property reforming unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2011Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Inventors: Jun Matsuoka, Ken Higuchi
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Patent number: 8350879Abstract: An imaging device includes a media transport system configured to transport print media along a media path. A first print station is positioned along the media path that is configured to apply ink to a first side of the media. A first fixing assembly is positioned along the media path downstream from the first print station. A second print station is positioned along the media path downstream from the first fixing assembly that is configured to apply ink to a second side of the media. A second fixing assembly is positioned along the media path downstream from the second print station. A heater is positioned along the media path downstream from the second fixing assembly that is configured to heat the media to a gloss reducing temperature.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2009Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: James Rodney Larson, Jeffrey J. Folkins, Paul John McConville
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Patent number: 8269988Abstract: A print terminal includes a memory reader for reading image data recorded in a recording medium, an image-capturing unit for capturing the image data read by the memory reader, and an image-processing unit for processing the image data captured by the image-capturing unit. The image-processing unit has a first rotation-processing function for rotating a print image to be used in printing the image data, a second rotation-processing function for rotating a print-medium image to change the orientation of a print medium to be used in printing the image data, and a third rotation function for simultaneously rotating both the print image and the print-medium image.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2004Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Tatsuya Kuroda, Kohei Sakura
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Patent number: 8264511Abstract: Provided is a printing apparatus including: a medium transporting unit configured to transport a printing target medium; a sheet traveling unit configured to allow a thermal transfer sheet, in which a color material layer and a protection layer are formed on a sheet in a line along a travel direction, to travel; a printing unit configured to sequentially and thermally transfer the color material layer and the protection layer onto the printing target medium by applying thermal energy to the printing target medium and the thermal transfer sheet which are sandwiched by the printing unit; and a pressure changing mechanism configured to change the sandwiching force acting on the printing target medium and the thermal transfer sheet so as to have a relationship of force P1<force P2.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2010Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Yoshihiro Yoshimura, Yoshihiro Okamoto
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Patent number: 8248441Abstract: A support for an article onto which an image is to be printed by thermal transfer printing from a retransfer intermediate sheet has a surface shaped for engagement with the article, at least a portion of the surface being formed from an elastomeric material. Also disclosed are a method of making a support, apparatus for thermal transfer printing, a method of printing and an article bearing a printed image.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2008Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: Akzo Nobel Coatings International B.V.Inventor: Jeffrey Michael Howell
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Patent number: 8203584Abstract: A thermal processor including an oven and a cooling section. The oven is configured to heat an imaging media to a development temperature. The cooling section is configured to cool the imaging media from the development temperature to a desired exit temperature as imaging media moves along a transport path from an entrance to an exit. The cooling section provides a varying rate of heat transfer from the imaging media along the transport path so as to create a varying cooling temperature gradient in the imaging media substantially equal to and not exceeding a varying maximum cooling temperature gradient of imaging media.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2011Date of Patent: June 19, 2012Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.Inventors: Kent R. Struble, David J. McDaniel, Duane A. Preszler, Paul Stelzig
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Patent number: 8204397Abstract: A fixing apparatus of the invention includes a heating roller, a fixing roller, a fixing belt that is wound around the heating roller and the fixing roller and circulates between the heating roller and the fixing roller, a pressing roller to press the fixing roller through the fixing belt, a first heater that is included in the heating roller and mainly heats a center part of the heating roller, a second heater that is included in the heating roller and mainly heats a peripheral part of the heating roller, and a temperature control unit to control a temperature of the heating roller by an on/off control of the first heater and the second heater, and the temperature control unit performs the on/off control in which when one of the first heater and the second heater is turned on, the other is turned off.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2008Date of Patent: June 19, 2012Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kaushiki KaishaInventor: Noboru Furuyama
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Patent number: 8174549Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeding device feeding a recording medium to be recorded, a thermal transfer sheet having an ink layer to form an image and a protective material layer to form a protective layer protecting the image, a thermal transfer sheet transporting device, a surface property reforming sheet having an image printing opening disposed in such a way that the thermal transfer sheet comes into direct contact with a surface of the recording medium to be recorded and a surface property reforming portion to reform the surface state of the protective layer protecting the image, a reforming sheet moving device, and a thermal head to thermally transfer the ink layer or the protective material layer, wherein a non-adhesion treatment layer is formed on at least a surface of the surface property reforming sheet on the side to come into contact with the thermal transfer sheet.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2009Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Takaaki Murakami
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Patent number: 8130412Abstract: When a color image is formed on a transparent sheet with a white color material as background color material and C, M, Y, K color materials as process color materials and has colors determined by the total amount of the color materials that are applied per unit area, image formation failures such as ink drooping and ink fixation failures are prevented from occurring. Of four colors or more including white represented by a CMYKW 1-bit pixel signal, the three colors C, M, Y (gray) are replaced with the color K. After the replacement, for three or more of C, M, Y, K, no white color ink is applied since the transparent sheet is opaque without the white color ink. This control process is effective to reduce the number of applications, i.e., the total amount of inks applied, thereby preventing image formation failures such as ink drooping from occurring.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2008Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Fujifilm CorporationInventor: Kiyomi Tamagawa
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Patent number: 8050613Abstract: A method of reusing a sheet includes receiving a sheet having a printed image, scanning a new image, determining whether the sheet is acceptable for reuse, covering at least one portion of the printed image on the sheet with a white-out toner via a white-out unit, fusing the white-out toner to the at least one portion of the sheet, printing a new image onto the sheet, and performing the receiving, scanning, determining, covering, fusing and printing operations on the sheet a plurality of times. A printing device for covering and printing over a printed image includes a receiving subsystem configured to receive a sheet, a processing module configured to determine whether the sheet is acceptable for reuse, and a fuser module configured to fuse a white-out toner.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2008Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Gerald A. Domoto, Stephan V. Drappel, Ruddy Castillo
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Patent number: 8040366Abstract: When printing on a printing medium, a second image adjacent to a first image, which is already printed, control is performed such that the trailing edge of a first coating layer of the first image transferred onto the printing medium does not reach the trailing edge of the first image, and the leading edge of a second coating layer transferred onto the second image is either the same as the trailing edge of the first coating layer of the first image or is made to overlap with the trailing edge of the first coating layer.Type: GrantFiled: December 25, 2008Date of Patent: October 18, 2011Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hiroyuki Yaguchi
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Patent number: 7965306Abstract: A thermal transfer printing method for forming a screen on photographic paper without providing a margin between the screen and a screen adjacent thereto. Photographic paper is unwound from a roll and then a screen having an image is formed on the paper, by transferring yellow, magenta, and cyan colorants onto the paper using a first heating means, without providing a margin between the screen and an adjacent screen. The paper is then cut at a rear edge of the screen so as to manufacture an individual photographic paper on which the screen has been formed, which is then conveyed to a second heating means. A screen protective layer is then formed on an overall surface of the screen formed on the individual photographic paper, by thermally transferring the screen protective film onto the overall surface of the screen formed on the individual photographic paper by the second heating means.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2009Date of Patent: June 21, 2011Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.Inventor: Jiro Onishi
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Patent number: 7924300Abstract: A thermal processor including an oven and a cooling section. The oven is configured to heat an imaging media to a development temperature. The cooling section is configured to cool the imaging media from the development temperature to a desired exit temperature as imaging media moves along a transport path from an entrance to an exit. The cooling section provides a varying rate of heat transfer from the imaging media along the transport path so as to create a varying cooling temperature gradient in the imaging media substantially equal to and not exceeding a varying maximum cooling temperature gradient of imaging media.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2006Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.Inventors: Kent R. Struble, David J. McDaniel, Duane A. Preszler, Paul Stelzig
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Publication number: 20100289863Abstract: The invention provides a neutralization apparatus which simplifies an apparatus composition, lowers an apparatus cost and removes electrical charge effectively from a ribbon-like substance which is charged by stripping, and provides a printer having the neutralization apparatus. The neutralization apparatus neutralizes an ink ribbon. The neutralization apparatus has a conductive roller which is arranged so as to contact the surface of the ink ribbon and a neutralization brush which counters the back of the ink ribbon. A balance of the electrical charge of the surface and the electrical charge of the back of the ink ribbon is broken by electrical discharge caused by the conductive roller. And thereby, the charged voltage of the electrical charge of the back of the ink ribbon becomes large and the neutralization brush remove the electrical charge charged to the back of the ink ribbon effectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2010Publication date: November 18, 2010Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBAInventors: Takanobu Nishimura, Yukio Asari
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Patent number: 7819517Abstract: In an ultraviolet ray irradiation apparatus capable of forestalling printed material jams between a paper discharge unit of a printing apparatus and a reception unit of the ultraviolet ray irradiation apparatus, a signal line for exchanging electric signals with the printing apparatus is provided, and control is performed such that rotational driving of a paper conveyance belt of the ultraviolet ray irradiation apparatus is begun upon reception of a printing drum rotation start signal or a paper feeding unit paper conveyance start signal, and the rotational driving of the belt is halted after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed following reception of a printing completion signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2007Date of Patent: October 26, 2010Assignee: Tohoku Ricoh Co., Ltd.Inventor: Mitsuo Sato