Sheet turnaround assembly

A laser imaging system comprising:

• a processing system configured to provide a developed sheet of photothermographic imaging media along a transport path;
• and
• a turnaround assembly including:
• a drive shaft positioned laterally across a transport path from a processing system;
• a plurality of drive wheels axially coupled to and positioned in a spaced fashion along the drive shaft;
• and
• a plurality of belts, one belt corresponding to each drive wheel, wherein each belt is positioned so that its outside surface is tensioned against and forms a desired wrap angle about the corresponding drive wheel to create an arcuate turnaround path there between extending between input and output nips formed by initial and final points of contact between the belt and the drive wheel, wherein the turnaround assembly is configured to receive the developed sheet at the input nip, and wherein rotation of the drive wheels by the drive shaft causes the outside surface of each belt to run along the corresponding drive wheel and drive the developed sheet along and expel the developed sheet from the turnaround path at the output nip to an output system after turning the developed sheet from the transport path by an angle substantially equal to the desired wrap angle.

A method for transporting a developed sheet of thermally developed photothermographic imaging media from a processing unit to an output of an imaging apparatus, the method comprising:

• tensioning a plurality of continuous belts against a corresponding plurality of drive wheels such that an outside surface of each belt wraps around the corresponding drive wheel by a desired wrap angle to form an arcuate turnaround path between the outside surface and the drive wheel which extends between input and output nips formed by initial and final points of contact between the belt and drive wheel;
• driving the drive wheels so cause the outside surface of each belt to move along the circumference of the corresponding drive wheel between the input and output nips;
• and
• receiving a developed sheet of imaging media at the input nip, wherein rotation of the drive wheels and movement of the corresponding belts drives the sheet of developed imaging media along the arcuate turnaround path and expels the sheet of developed imaging media from the output nip.