US 5,475,415 AGranted

Optical head and printing system forming interleaved output laser light beams

AssigneeEastman Kodak Company

InventorMark L. Noethen

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Abstract

An optical head and printing system for printing an image on a light sensitive print medium includes polarized beam splitting means, and a first and a second group of lasers. The polarized beam splitting means passes light beams with a first polarization propagating from a first surface to a second opposing surface thereof, and reflects light beams with a second orthogonal polarization propagating from a third surface to the second surface thereof. The first group of lasers are disposed in a first plane adjacent the first surface of the polarized beam splitting means for transmitting a first group of diverging laser light beams which are polarized with the first polarization. The second group of lasers are disposed in a second plane adjacent the third surface of the polarized beam splitting means for transmitting a second group of diverging laser light beams which are polarized with the second polarization. The lasers in the first and second group of lasers are positioned at the first and second planes, respectively, with spacings that provide interleaved first and second polarized light beams exiting the second surface of the polarized beam splitting means.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An optical head for printing an image on a light sensitive print medium using polarized laser light beams, the optical head comprising:

polarizing beam splitting means having a first surface, a second surface and a third surface for directly passing light beams with a first polarization passing through said first surface of the polarized beam-splitting means to said second surface which is located opposite the first surface, and for reflecting light beams with a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization passing through said third surface of the polarizing beam splitting means to the second surface thereof;
a first group of lasers disposed in a first plane adjacent the first surface of the polarizing beam splitting means for transmitting a first group of laser light beams that are polarized with said first polarization, wherein the first group of laser light beams pass through said first surface and are transmitted directly to and pass through said second surface;
a second group of lasers disposed in a second plane adjacent the third surface of the polarizing beam splitting means for transmitting a second group of laser light beams that are polarized with said second polarization, wherein the second group of laser light beams pass through said third surface and are reflected to and pass through said second surface;
wherein the first group of laser light beams from said first group of lasers and the second group of laser light beams from said second groups of lasers have equal path length through said polarizing beam splitting means;
and
wherein said first group of lasers and said second group of lasers are located at predetermined spacing so that said first group of light beams and said second group of light beams form interleaved output laser light beams as said first and second groups of light beams exit the polarization beam splitting means from the second surface.

3 more elements

A printing system for printing an image on a light sensitive print medium, the printing system comprising:

polarizing beam splitting means having a first surface, a second surface and a third surface for directly passing light beams with a first polarization passing through said first surface of the polarized beam-splitting means to said second surface which is located opposite the first surface, and for reflecting light beams with a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization passing through said third surface of the polarizing beam splitting means to the second surface thereof;
a first group of lasers disposed in a first plane adjacent the first surface of the polarizing beam splitting means for transmitting a first group of laser light beams which are polarized with said first polarization, wherein the first group of laser light beams pass through said first surface and are transmitted directly to and pass through said second surface;
a second group of lasers disposed in a second plane adjacent the third surface of the polarizing beam splitting means for transmitting a second group of laser light beams which are polarized with said second polarization, wherein the second group of laser light beams pass through said third surface and are reflected to and pass through said second surface;
wherein the first group of laser light beams from said first group of lasers and the second group of laser light beams from said second groups of lasers have equal path length through said polarizing beam splitting means;
wherein said first group of lasers and said second group of lasers are located at predetermined spacing so that said first group of light beams and said second group of light beams form interleaved output laser light beams as said first and second group of light beams exit the polarization beam splitting means from the second surface;
and
an optical system for causing the first group of light beams and the second group of light beams to form at least one row or column of corresponding spots on the light sensitive print medium.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/375,058Filed 19 Jan 1995 · continuation
Priority: 3 Jun 1992
Granted: 12 Dec 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B41J 2/45
Using arrays of radiation sources: using light-emitting diode [LED] or laser arrays
G02B 26/0891
The refracting element being a prism: forming an optical wedge
G02B 27/283
For polarising: used for beam splitting or combining
H04N 1/1911
The array comprising a one-dimensional [1D] array: simultaneously or substantially simultaneously scanning picture elements on more than one main…