Double shuttle diffusion printer
Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000
United States of America Patent
Stats
-
May 8, 1990
Issued Date -
N/A
app pub date -
Jul 24, 1986
filing date -
Apr 22, 1985
priority date (Note) -
Expired
status (Latency Note)
Importance
Abstract
A diffusion printer for creating indicia in the top of the keys (67) of a keyboard, such as a computer keyboard (69), is disclosed. The diffusion printer includes a hot stamp press (11) that has a heated, vertically movable platen (15) positioned above a table (13). Mounted on the table is a double tray shuttle (23) whose trays (27) are alternately shuttled between loading positions and a print position located between the platen and the table. Each tray (27) supports a plurality of fixtures (51) each formed to receive a keyboard (69) that includes a plurality of keys (67) to receive indicia. Each fixture (51) includes a fixture base (53) having a plurality of spring loaded pedestals (65). The pedestals are positioned such that a pedestal (65) lies beneath each of the keys (67) to receive indicia. The keys (67) are maintained in a fixed position by a key cap locator plate (55) mounted atop the fixture base (53). The key cap locator plate (55) also functions as a heat shield. Overlying the key cap locator plate (55) is a sheet of transfer paper (81) that includes dry dye crystals in the form of reverse indicia positioned to be alignable with the tops of the keys. Alignment pins (73) are utilized to maintain alignment of the fixture base (53), key cap locator plate (55) and sheet of transfer paper (81). When the fixtures (51) are in the print position, each key is aligned with a key protrusion (87) formed in the bottom of a printing plate (85), which is mounted on the underside of the heated platen (15). When the platen (15) is lowered, the protrusions (87) press the indicia regions of the transfer paper (81) against the keys (67). Because the keys (67) are each backed by a separate spring loaded pedestal (65), uniform platen pressure is applied. The heat produced in the platen is transferred by the printing plate (85) to the indicia paper (81) resulting in the indicia being diffusion printed into the tops of the underlying keys (67).
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