METHOD FOR THERMALLY PRINTING A DYE IMAGE ONTO A THREE DIMENSIONAL OBJECT USING FLEXIBLE HEATING ELEMENTS

The present invention relates to a method for thermally printing a pre-selected dye image (45) onto a three dimensional object (16). The method involves placing an image carrier sheet (24) containing a pre-selected dye image (45) over the object (16). A flexible membrane (26) is lowered over the obj...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser:	FERGUSON, PATRICK, NEWTON, PAUL GEOFFREY, NERI, KENNETH
Format:	Patent
Sprache:	eng ; fre ; ger
Schlagworte:	CALCULATING COLOUR PRINTING COMPUTING COUNTING DECORATIVE ARTS IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL LAYERED PRODUCTS LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM LINING MACHINES MOSAICS PAPERHANGING PERFORMING OPERATIONS PHYSICS PRINTING PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS STAMPS TARSIA WORK TRANSPORTING TYPEWRITERS
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:	The present invention relates to a method for thermally printing a pre-selected dye image (45) onto a three dimensional object (16). The method involves placing an image carrier sheet (24) containing a pre-selected dye image (45) over the object (16). A flexible membrane (26) is lowered over the object (16) and the image carrier sheet (24). A vacuum is established under the membrane (26) causing the image carrier sheet (24) to conform to the shape of the object (16). The membrane (26) or image carrier sheet (24) carry flexible heating elements (36), which are heated, to thermally transfer the dye image (45) onto the object (16). The flexible heating elements (36) can be made by etching an electrical circuit in a metal foil (34) which is bonded to a film substrate (30).