US 5,159,656 A · Optical fiber scanning/imaging/printing system

Abstract

A cathode ray tube provides a two-dimensional sequential scan pattern on which dots for scanning or printing are presented as spots of light provided in sequence. A single multi-scan linear raster sweep of the cathode ray tube electron beam produces a single line of dots on the scanned image or photosensitive medium. A fiber optics array with one end facing the cathode ray tube, is configured two-dimensionally in a pattern that corresponds to the sequential sweep pattern of the cathode ray tube. The trace of dots on the cathode ray tube has sufficient length to accommodate the number of dots required for the width of the finished product or scanned image. A lens positioned between the cathode ray tube and optical fiber array, focuses the cathode ray tube image onto the fiber ends with a reduction in size. At the other end of the fiber optics array, the fibers are abutted together linearly to form the desired final output line width with coherence of the fibers from input to output. The output line width can be any desired length by abutting more optical fibers and increasing the length of the cathode ray tube sweep. Individual "fibers" may be a sub-bundle including a cluster of small diameter fibers. The speed of the cathode ray tube sweep determines the speed of the printer or scanner.

Claims33

Dependent claims

An optical system wherein lines of sequential dots are formed on a receptor, comprising:

addressable light spot generator means for producing a two-dimensional pattern of light emitting spots;
a transmission array of optical fibers having input and output ends arranged with physical coherence, said array having a two-dimensional arrangement at said input ends in a first pattern geometrically corresponding to the two-dimensional spot generator pattern, said array having said output ends of said fibers arranged in a linear pattern with a width corresponding to the width of said receptor and a thickness exceeding the diameter of the respective individual fibers, said fibers being arranged in two dimensions as clusters of fiber ends, said input ends being positioned relative to said spot generator pattern so as to receive light therefrom, the diameters of the spots received at said input ends of said fibers from said two-dimensional spot generator pattern exceeding the diameter of the respective individual optical fibers, said output ends facing said receptor and directing light thereto, said light from said generator means being transmitted through and emerging from said array, said linearly arranged output ends corresponding sequentially and coherently with sequential spots of light from said generator pattern.

An optical printer system for producing hard copy, wherein photo images are formed from lines of sequential dots on a photosensitive receptor, comprising:

a cathode ray tube including means for providing a focused electron beam impacting on the face of said tube, said face glowing with light where impacted,
circuit means for determining a two-dimensional sweep of said electron beam on said tube face, and for modulating said electron beam to produce glowing spots on said face in response to signals corresponding to information to be imaged on a line of said dots on said photosensitive receptor;
and
a transmission array of coherent optical fibers having input and output ends arranged with physical coherence, said array having a two-dimensional arrangement of said input ends in a first pattern geometrically equivalent to the two-dimensional sweep of said cathode ray tube, said array having said output ends of said fibers arranged in a linear pattern with a width corresponding to the width of said image and a thickness exceeding the diameter of the respective individual fibers, said fibers being arranged in two dimensions as clusters of fiber ends, the diameters of the spots received at said input ends of said fibers from said cathode ray tube exceeding the diameter of the individual optical fibers in said array, said input ends facing said tube face for receiving images of light spots therefrom, said output ends facing said receptor and directing light dot images thereto, said light being transmitted through said array with light spots from said cathode ray tube sweep corresponding sequentially with dots formed sequentially along a line on said receptor.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optical fiber scanning/imaging/printing system

Life of this patent

Optical fiber scanning/imaging/printing system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33