Patent ID: 7137426

Claim:
An apparatus for simultaneously transferring preselected dye images to a three dimensional object with a plastic outer surface and having a top surface and a first side surface adjacent to said top surface, by utilizing a flexible sheet bearing said dye images in the mirror images of said preselected images, said dye being of the type requiring heat for the application thereof, comprising: a base; a bed mounted on said base, said bed having a support surface for receiving said three dimensional object and said flexible sheet thereon with said sheet overlying said top surface of said three dimensional object so that said dye images face said three dimensional object in a predetermined orientation; a continuous resilient, flexible membrane attached to said apparatus and positionable in overlying relation on said three dimensional object, said flexible sheet and on the portion of said bed surface adjacent thereto; means for establishing a pressure differential between opposite sides of said membrane to urge the membrane overlying said bed surface portion into engagement therewith and to urge said membrane overlying said three dimensional object into pressurized communication with said flexible sheet to conform said sheet to said top and first side surface of said three dimensional object, registering said dye images on said flexible sheet with said top and first side surface of said three dimensional object to thereby effect the pressurized engagement of said dye images with said top and first side surface; and radiant heating means for uniformly heating said membrane from a plurality of angles relative to said membrane and thereby heating said sheet to apply said preselected images to said top and first side surface of said three dimensional object; said radiant heating means including a first radiant heating means arranged at a first angle to direct radiation toward the top surface of the three dimensional object; said radiant heating means including a second radiant heating means arranged at a second angle to direct radiation toward the first side surface of the three dimensional object; the first angle and the second angle being different from one another and the first radiant heating means being approximately the same distance away from the top surface as the second radiant heating means is from the first side surface.