US 6,146,028 AGranted

Apparatus and method for cooling a thermally processed material

AssigneeEastman Kodak Company

InventorDuane A. Preszler

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for cooling a thermally processed, imaging material which has been heated to a first temperature by a thermal processor is disclosed. The cooling apparatus includes a cooling article, on which the imaging material rides after the imaging material exits the thermal processor, and an imaging material transport mechanism. The cooling article is at a lower temperature than the first temperature to cool the imaging material. The transport mechanism conveys the imaging material over the cooling article. The imaging material transport mechanism includes a first roller, a second roller and a displacement mechanism. The displacement mechanism effects relative movement between the first and second rollers between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the first and second rollers engage the imaging material to convey the imaging material over the cooling article. In the second position, The imaging material is substantially freely movable relative to the first and second rollers. By allowing the imaging material to move freely relative to the first and second rollers prior to the imaging material substantially exiting the thermal processor, imaging material defects during cooling are minimized.

Claims37

Dependent claims

An apparatus for cooling a thermally processed, imaging material which has been heated to a first temperature by a thermal processor, the cooling apparatus comprising:

an imaging material conveyance device associated with said thermal processor;
a cooling article on which the imaging material rides after the imaging material exits the thermal processor at the first temperature, the cooling article having a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature so as to cool the imaging material;
and
an imaging material transport mechanism adjacent the cooling article for engaging the imaging material to convey the imaging material over the cooling article, the transport mechanism including:
a first roller;
a second roller;
a displacement mechanism for effecting relative movement between the first and second rollers, such that in a first position of the first and second rollers, the first and second rollers engage the imaging material to convey the imaging material over the cooling article, and in a second position of the first and second rollers the imaging material is substantially freely movable relative to the first and second rollers;
and
control means for controlling said imaging material conveyance device and said imaging material transport mechanism:
(1) to transport said imaging material over said cooling article using only said imaging material conveyance device, said displacement mechanism being in said second position;
(2) to further transport said imaging material over said cooling article using both said imaging material conveyance device and said imaging material transport mechanism, said displacement mechanism being in said first position;
and (3) to additionally transport said imaging material over said cooling article using only said imaging material transport mechanism, said displacement mechanism being in said first position.

9 more elements

A method of cooling a thermally processed imaging material which has been heated to a first temperature by a thermal processor having an imaging material conveyance device, the method comprising the steps of:

transporting the heated imaging material over a cooling article at an exit of the thermal processor using only the imaging material conveyance device, the cooling article having a second temperature lower than the first temperature so as to cool an initial portion of the imaging material, the imaging material being substantially freely movable relative to an imaging material transport mechanism located subsequent to the cooling article;
further transporting the heated imaging material over the cooling article using both the imaging material conveyance device and the imaging material transport mechanism to cool a further portion of the imaging material;
and
additionally transporting the heated imaging material over the cooling article using only the imaging material transport mechanism to cool a final portion of the imaging material.

1 more element

An apparatus for cooling a thermally processed, imaging material which has been heated to a first temperature by a thermal processor having an imaging material conveyance device operating at a first operational rate of speed, the cooling apparatus comprising:

a cooling article on which the imaging material rides after the imaging material exits the thermal processor at the first temperature, the cooling article having a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature so as to cool the imaging material;
and
an imaging material transport mechanism adjacent the cooling article for engaging the imaging material to convey the imaging material over the cooling article, the transport mechanism including:
a first roller having an outer surface and being rotatable about a first rotational axis;
a second roller having an outer surface and being rotatable about a second rotational axis, the outer surfaces of the first and second rollers being separated by a nip opening having a width greater than a thickness of the imaging material, such that the imaging material is substantially freely movable through the nip opening and upon inadvertent contact of the imaging material with the outer surface of one of the first and second rollers, rotation of the first and second rollers about the first and second rotational axes has a non-wrinkling, smoothing effect on the imaging material.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.