Patent Document ID: 4161749
Application ID: 05891704
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A printer for use with electronic image recording apparatus for providing a color print of an electronically recorded image of a scene on an image receiving sheet, the apparatus being of the type including means for providing a plurality of distinct electronic image signals that collectively represent a color record of an optical image of the scene in electronic data form and individually represent different color components of the optical image, the apparatus also including means for holding a plurality of image receiving sheets and a transfer sheet including thereon a number of sequentially arranged sets of a plurality of adjacent parallel stripes of different colored printing mediums for selective transfer to an image receiving sheet, in accordance with a corresponding electronic image signal, to provide a color print of the recorded image thereon, said printer comprising: a frame; a cylindrical drum having an axis and being mounted on said frame for rotation about the axis, said drum also including a support surface on which an image receiving sheet is adapted to be located for support and rotation with said drum and means for releasably receiving and securing one end of an image receiving sheet to said drum such that the image receiving sheet is wrapped onto said support surface in response to an initial revolution of said drum; means being operative for advancing an image receiving sheet relative to the apparatus holding means such that one end thereof is brought into operative engagement with said receiving and securing means on said drum and for advancing the transfer sheet relative to the apparatus holding means to present a set of stripes of the different colored printing mediums at a fixed position adjacent said support surface of said drum with the stripes extending along the length of said drum in parallel relation to the axis and in proximate facing relation to an image receiving sheet wrapped on said support surface in response to an initial revolution of said drum; a printing head including a plurality of printing transducers mounted thereon, each of said printing transducers being adapted to have a different one of the plurality of distinct electronic image signals applied thereto for converting the signal into a printing signal in a form of energy which when applied to a corresponding one of the different colored printing medium stripes is effective to cause the selective transfer of the colored printing medium from the one stripe to the image receiving sheet on said drum support surface; means for mounting said printing head on said frame for linear movement along the length of said drum in a direction parallel to the drum axis between first and second positions such that each of said printing transducers is located in operative alignment with a corresponding one of the plurality of colored printing medium stripes located at said fixed position so as to track along the corresponding stripe as said printing head is advanced from said first position to said second position; and drive means for rotatably driving said drum and simultaneously linearly driving said printing head from said first position to said second position in coordinated relation with the rotation of said drum while the plurality of distinct electronic image signals are applied simultaneously to corresponding ones of said plurality of printing transducers to effect the selective transfer of the different colored mediums to the image receiving sheet, wrapped onto said support surface during the initial revolution of said drum, to provide a color print of the recorded image on the image receiving sheet.