Patent · US Expired

Thermal Processor with air flow preventing structure

US5790069A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
4References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 6, 1995
Grant dateAug 4, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 6, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03D13/002
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A thermal processor includes an air flow preventing means that substantially prevents the flow of air from a processor exit into a thermal processing compartment. The prevention of air flow reduces processing defects that otherwise could occur in sheets of thermally processed material handled by the thermal processor. The reduction of processing defects enhances the quality of the sheet of thermally processed material. In particular, the reduction of processing defects can enhance image quality of a sheet of photothermographic imaging material. The prevention of air flow reduces processing defects by maintaining a substantially uniform temperature within a thermal processing compartment of the thermal processor, and by reducing the condensation of fatty acids on interior surfaces of the thermal processing compartment prior to filtration.

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