Lithographic and etching apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorYoshiharu Iwanaga
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A feed unit (17) feeds a master sheet (14) from an etching unit (28) to a master drum (13), the distance from the etching unit (28) to the feed unit (17) being smaller than the length of the master sheet (14). The feed unit (17) includes a support member (48); (73) disposed above the etching unit (28) and a retractable stopper (41). A lifting member (48); (72) lifts the trailing edge portion of the master sheet (14) onto the support member (48); (73) after the leading edge portion of the master sheet (14) is abuttingly stopped by the stopper (41). The support member (48); (73) and lifting member (48); (72) may be integral and constituted by a conveyor belt (48). Alternatively, the support member (48); (73) may be constituted by a support plate (73) and the lifting member (48); (72) constituted by a rocker frame (72).
Claims9
A lithographic apparatus including a master drum for holding a master sheet and etching means for etching the master sheet and having means for feeding the master sheet therethrough, characterized by comprising:
- feed means disposed between the etching means and the master drum for feeding the master sheet from the etching means into engagement with the master drum, a distance from the etching means to the feed means being smaller than a length of the master sheet, the feed means including retractable stop means against which a leading edge of the master sheet is stoppingly abutable, support means disposed above the etching means for supporting a trailing edge portion of the master sheet and lifting means for lifting the trailing edge portion of the master sheet onto the support means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.