Patent ID: 7275880

Claim:
A thermal activation apparatus comprising: a housing having an insertion slot for insertion therethrough of a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet into the housing, the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet having a printable surface formed on one side of a sheet-like base and a heat-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the other side thereof; insertion-detecting means for detecting the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet inserted through the insertion slot and for outputting a detection signal for determining a start time of the thermal activation apparatus when the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet is detected; transfer means for transferring along a transfer path in the housing the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet that has been inserted through the insertion slot; thermal activation means for thermally activating the heat-sensitive adhesive layer of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet transferred by the transfer means; ejection means for ejecting from the housing the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet after the heat-sensitive adhesive layer has been thermally activated; control means disposed within the housing for controlling operation of the thermal activation apparatus, the control means including printer communication means for communicating the thermal activation apparatus with a controller of a separate and independent printer that is configured to print on the printable surface of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet; and ejection detecting means for sending a detection signal indicating that the heat sensitive adhesive sheet is being ejected, the printer communication means sending a signal to the printer controller for starting a printing operation in response to the ejection detection signal.