Filter for a photothermographic developer

US5510871A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company · US

Inventors

• Robert M. Biegler · Woodbury, US
• Rosanne E. Gronseth · Minneapolis, US
• Robert J. Ryther · Saint Paul, US
• Michael P. Juaire · Maple Grove, US
• John Arild Svendsen · Stillwater, US
• Youngtzung Shih · North Oaks, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 9, 1994
• Grant date: Apr 23, 1996
• Expiry date: May 9, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03D13/002
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A process for thermally developing a photothermographic media within an enclosed processor comprising the steps of transporting a photothermographic element with a latent image thereon to a thermal heating element comprising a rounded heating element such as a drum, placing said photothermographic media with a latent image into contact with said drum, heating said photothermographic media with a latent image thereon with said drum to generate a photothermographic media with a visible image thereon, then removing said media with a visible image thereon, said process comprising venting gas from at least two separate areas within said processor, said at least two areas including a first vent at a position above the axis of the heating drum, and a second vent at a position sufficiently near a point on the drum where the photothermographic media with a visible image thereon is removed from the drum so that at least some vapor material leaving said photothermographic media with a visible image thereon exits through said second vent.