Thermal imaging system with a transparent pinch roller
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorsRanjan C. Patel, Ronald G. Tye
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal imaging assembly for imaging a heat-sensitive material comprising: a source of radiant or projected energy (9) two surfaces (1,3) which co-operate to form a pinch (5), one of the two surfaces being the surface of a solid roller (1) which is transparent to the exposing radiation; means to bias one or both surfaces against the other so as to exert a minimum pinch pressure of at least 10 g/mm.sup.2, the assembly being constructed and arranged such that radiation from the source is focused at the pinch by means of the solid roller (1).
Claims22
A method of imaging a heat sensitive material which comprises passing the material through a pinch formed by two co-operating surfaces, the two surfaces exerting a pinch pressure of at least 10 gmm.sup.-2 and at least one of said surfaces being the surface of a solid roller, and simultaneously exposing the material to a source of radiant or projected energy, the solid roller being transparent to the exposing radiation which is focused at the pinch by means of the solid roller.
A thermal imaging assembly for imaging a heat-sensitive material comprising:
- a source of radiant or projected energy;
- two surfaces which co-operate to form a pinch, one of the two surfaces being the surface of a solid roller which is transparent to the exposing radiation;
- means to bias one or both surfaces against the other so as to exert a minimum pinch pressure of at least 10 g/mm.sup.2,
- the assembly being constructed and arranged such that radiation from the source is focused at the pinch by means of the solid roller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.