Single pass imaging using rapidly addressable laser lamination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776442-B2
Application number	US-201514985055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2015
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A system is provided for transferring a marking material from a ribbon to a substrate. The system includes a ribbon take-up device; a ribbon supply source that supplies the ribbon to the ribbon take-up device such that the ribbon is moved in a process direction; a pressure roll located between the ribbon supply source and the ribbon take-up device in the process direction, the pressure roll being configured to apply pressure to the ribbon at a pressure location when the ribbon is positioned between the pressure roll and the substrate; and a laser beam source that directs a plurality of laser beams through the pressure roll and onto the ribbon at the pressure location such that a marking portion of the ribbon is heated by the laser beams and transferred to the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for transferring a marking material from a ribbon to a substrate, the system comprising:
a ribbon take-up device;
a ribbon supply source that supplies the ribbon to the ribbon take-up device such that the ribbon is moved in a process direction;
a pressure roll located between the ribbon supply source and the ribbon take-up device in the process direction, the pressure roll being configured to apply pressure to the ribbon at a pressure location when the ribbon is positioned between the pressure roll and the substrate; and
a laser beam source that directs a plurality of laser beams through the pressure roll and onto the ribbon at the pressure location such that a marking portion of the ribbon is heated by the laser beams and transferred to the substrate.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the laser beam source is a digitally addressable laser beam source that is stationary in a direction perpendicular to the process direction.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the digitally addressable laser beam source is stationary in the process direction.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the laser beams are positioned along a line at the pressure location.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the pressure roll includes a glass cylinder and a silicone layer applied to an outer surface of the glass cylinder such that an outer surface of the pressure roll is the silicone layer.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a compensating lens positioned between the laser beam source and the pressure roll,
wherein the compensating lens alters the laser beams to compensate for distortion of the laser beams caused by the cylindrical shape of the pressure roll.

7. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a compensating lens positioned between the laser beam source and the pressure roll,
wherein the compensating lens alters the laser beams to compensate for distortion of the laser beams caused by the cylindrical shape of the pressure roll.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the laser beams are positioned along a line at the pressure location.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the laser beam source produces the laser beams having a power to generate heat that is sufficient to melt the adhesive layer of the ribbon thus adhering the marking portion to the substrate.

10. A system for transferring a marking material from a ribbon to a substrate, the system comprising:
a ribbon having a marking portion;
a ribbon take-up device;
a ribbon supply source that supplies the ribbon to the ribbon take-up device such that the ribbon is moved in a process direction;
a pressure roll located between the ribbon supply source and the ribbon take-up device in the process direction, the pressure roll applying pressure to the ribbon at a pressure location when the ribbon is positioned between the pressure roll and the substrate; and
a laser beam source that directs a plurality of laser beams through the pressure roll and onto the ribbon at the pressure location such that the marking portion of the ribbon is heated by the laser beams and transferred to the substrate.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the laser beam source is a digitally addressable laser beam source that is stationary in a direction perpendicular to the process direction.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the ribbon includes a metallic layer and a laser clear support layer, and
the marking portion of the ribbon is a portion of the metallic layer.

13. A method of transferring a marking material from a ribbon to a substrate, the method comprising:
applying pressure to the ribbon at a pressure location, the pressure being applied between a pressure roll and the substrate, the pressure roll being located between a ribbon supply source and a ribbon take-up device in a process direction, the pressure roll applying pressure to the ribbon at the pressure location when the ribbon is positioned between the pressure roll and the substrate; and
heating a marking portion of the ribbon with a plurality of laser beams generated by a laser beam source, the laser beams being directed through the pressure roll and onto the ribbon at the pressure location such that the marking portion of the ribbon is heated and transferred to the substrate,
wherein the process direction is a direction in which the ribbon moves from the ribbon supply source to the ribbon take-up device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the laser beam source is a digitally addressable laser beam source that is stationary in a direction perpendicular to the process direction.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the digitally addressable laser beam source is stationary in the process direction.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the laser beams are positioned along a line at the pressure location.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising altering the laser beams with a compensating lens positioned between the laser beam source and the pressure roll,
wherein the pressure roll includes a glass cylinder and a silicone layer applied to an outer surface of the glass cylinder such that an outer surface of the pressure roll is the silicone layer,
the compensating lens alters the laser beams to compensate for distortion of the laser beams caused by the cylindrical shape of the pressure roll,
the laser beam source is a digitally addressable laser beam source that is stationary in the process direction and is stationary in a direction perpendicular to the process direction, and
the laser beams are positioned along a line at the pressure location.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the ribbon includes a metallic layer and a laser clear layer,
the marking portion of the ribbon is a portion of the metallic layer, and
the laser beams pass through the laser clear layer and heat the marking portion.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pressure roll includes a glass cylinder and a silicone layer applied to an outer surface of the glass cylinder such that an outer surface of the pressure roll is the silicone layer.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising altering the laser beams with a compensating lens positioned between the laser beam source and the pressure roll,
wherein the compensating lens alters the laser beams to compensate for distortion of the laser beams caused by the cylindrical shape of the pressure roll.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Stowe Timothy D

Classifications

• B41J2/475

  for heating selectively {by radiation or ultrasonic waves} · CPC title

• B41J2/325

  by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet · CPC title

• B41J2/455

  using laser arrays {, the laser array being smaller than the medium to be recorded} · CPC title

• B41J33/14 Primary

  Ribbon-feed devices or mechanisms · CPC title