Patent · US Expired

Thermal film development apparatus

US4322158A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
12References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 30, 1980
Grant dateMar 30, 1982
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 30, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03B21/118
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A compact thermal developer is mounted in a microfiche reader printer. The developer is a two-stage unit having a pair of roller-heater units located to pass on exposed copy sheet in one direction through succeeding stages in an over-and-under movement to develop the copy and produce a flat hard copy. Each roller-heater unit includes a roller having an outer thin friction coating rotatably supported within an arcuate recess portion of a heater bar. The heater bar and roller are arranged with roller biased toward the heater to grasp the copy sheet. The roller includes a thin aluminum tube supported by heat insulating end members mounted on a shaft with a floating connection to support the tube with a permission relative axial movement to compensate for different coefficients of thermal expansion. A thin silicone rubber coating on the tube establishes positive sheet movement while providing sufficient thermal transmission to present a thermally light background member. The roller-heater units shafts are mounted in plastic end caps supports. The microfiche reader includes a double-faced mirror unit pivotally mounted to transmit the microfiche image onto a front viewing screen or alter…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.