Abstract: In a thermal transfer recording apparatus, an ink sheet and a recording medium are separately conveyed, an image is recorded on the recording medium, and the recording mode is discriminated. The conveyance amounts of the ink sheet and recording medium are controlled in accordance with the recording mode so that the density of the recorded image is maintained constant.

Abstract: Thermal image recording apparatus which can be set for recording on any of a plurality of different types of recording sheets, e.g. opaque or transparent, and wherein a sheet is fed by a suitable sheet feeder, preferably a rotatably drive sheet feeding rollers, from a supply a cassette or other supply source to a printing head for recording thereon, has a sensor for detecting the type of recording sheet used for the recording and for generating a control signal which is effective in the event a given sheet sensed by said sensor is of a type different from the type for which the apparatus is set, to disable the sheet feeding rollers from further feeding of the sheet to the printing head. Preferably, in the event of a mis-match between the type of sheet being fed and the machine setting, the direction of the sheet feeder is reversed and the mis-matched sheet is returned to its supply cassette.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus for transferring an ink contained in an ink sheet onto a recording medium to record an image on the recording medium, includes a take-up roller for taking up the ink sheet, a driving unit for driving the take-up roller to take up the ink sheet, and a control unit for controlling a drive amount of the driving unit to maintain an almost constant conveyance ratio of the ink sheet to the recording medium in correspondence with a change in take-up amount by the take-up roller.

Abstract: A color video printer for producing a full-colored image on a dye-absorbing receiver sheet by thermally transferring three different colored dyes of Y, M and C applied to a ribbon in response to video signals.

Abstract: A printer is disclosed for printing on plastic film which comprises a pivotal printer carriage carried by a printer frame of the printer. The printer carriage includes a thermal transfer print head and at least one driven ribbon roll for drawing an ink ribbon across the print head. The print frame includes a plurality of directional rollers which direct the plastic film to a driven platen roller and to a downstream driven film roller. The drives of the film and ribbon rollers are synchronized so that the film and ribbon are advanced in a superposed relation across the print head. The printer carriage is pivoted to a printing position from a non printing position by a rotary actuator. In the printing position, the platen roller which consists of an neoprene roller having a durometer of 45, is spring biased against the print head with a controlled spring rate, and with the film and ribbon sandwiched therebetween.

Abstract: The heat transfer ribbon can be held by a heat transfer ribbon feed roller and a heat transfer ribbon pinch roller and can be fed in the direction opposite to the normal feeding direction for printing and also effectively used even if there appears a large blank space between the printed portions on the paper by returning it by the length corresponding to such a blank space. Furthermore, since the heat transfer ribbon feed roller or the heat transfer ribbon pinch roller is provided with a mechanism for applying turning effort to give directly tension to the heat transfer ribbon, a given tension is always applied to the heat transfer ribbon to thereby prevent the wrinkle from generating thereon even if the outer diameter of the heat transfer ribbon wound around a supply roller is varied. Still furthermore, the heat transfer ribbon pinch roller and the paper pinch roller are integrated with each other to form a pinch roller unit for facilitating the assembly thereof and improving the maintenance thereof.

Abstract: A heat transfer recording method and apparatus for recording images onto a recording medium is realized by transferring ink contained in an ink sheet onto said recording medium. The apparatus comprises means for conveying the ink sheet in both the positive direction and the direction opposite to the positive direction, means for conveying the recording medium, and means for recording images onto the recording medium by acting on the ink sheet. The method is characterized in that a determination is made whether or not the length of images recorded onto the recording medium is less than or equal to that of the recording medium, and if so, the ink sheet is stopped and the recording medium is conveyed so that an end portion of said recording medium may be positioned at a recording position with the recording means.

Abstract: A holder for a thermal print medium is disclosed. The holder is adapted to be used in a thermal printer in which a donor element in a thermal print medium transfers dye to a receiver element upon receipt of a sufficient amount of thermal energy. The printer includes a plurality of diode lasers which can be individually modulated to supply energy to selected dots on the medium in accordance with an information signal. The print head of the printer includes a fiber optic array having a plurality of optical fibers coupled to the diode lasers. The holder for the thermal print medium includes a rotatable vacuum drum, and the fiber optic array is movable relative to the drum. The vacuum drum includes separate vacuum supplies for the donor sheet and for the receiver sheet so that the sheets can be independently handled.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer includes a rotating drum for transporting a sheet of paper together with and at the periphery of the drum, a plurality of guide rollers for guiding the paper sheet disposed on the periphery of the drum and rotated while in contact with the drum, an ink film which moves with the paper sheet, and a thermal transfer printing head for heating the ink film by irradiating light modulated according to image data so that the ink of the ink film is transferred onto the paper sheet. The printer further includes a tube for pressing the ink film and paper sheet against the drum, the tube containing the printing head therein and being formed of a transparent material, and a device for supporting the tube so that the tube comes into contact with the drum.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for forming a laser-induced thermal dye transfer image. A slide for brings a dye donor and dye receiver into dye transferring proximity, and a laser emits a beam of light toward the donor to image-wise transfer dye to the receiver. The slide, along with the donor therein, is tilted to eliminate intensity noise in the laser caused by light reflecting from the slide and donor back to the laser. By tilting the slide, specular reflections from the dye donor do not intercept optical path and do not propagate along the optical path.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus is improved by providing mounting section for mounting and conveying an ink sheet and a recording medium in good condition, discriminating devices for detecting and discriminating width sizes of the ink sheet and the recording medium, a recording unit for recording an image on the recording medium by effecting the ink sheet, and a control unit for controlling a recording operation according to a detection result obtained through the discriminating devices. The image is thus ready for recording subject to the width sizes of both ink sheet and recording medium being coincident.

Abstract: In a heat transfer recording apparatus, ink of an ink sheet is transferred to a recording medium to record images on the recording medium. The apparatus includes conveying motors for the ink sheet and recording medium, and a timer for counting a recording interval from the termination of the image recording until the next conveyance of the ink sheet or recording medium is started. A waiting time is determined which corresponds to the recording interval. The apparatus is controlled so that image recording is effected on the recording medium after the lapse of the waiting time after the start of ink sheet conveyance.