Printing system and method for improving print quality of laser thermal printers
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsDavid Kessler, Timothy J. Tredwell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser thermal printing system and method utilizes a blur filter (3) made of one or more pieces of double refractive crystal material to smooth printing or laser spots or fill up gaps in an array of laser spots. Blur filter (3) is disposed between a light source (1) and a media or image plane (100). Light source (1) provides for an original array of laser spots (30) at media plane (100) and blur filter (3) splits an image of each of the original array of laser spots (30) to create a displaced duplicate array of laser spots (31) with improved spot uniformity.
Claims14
A laser thermal printing system comprising:
- a light source which provides for a first array of laser spots in the form of a line on media located at a media plane;
- and
- a double refracting device disposed between said light source and the media plane, said double refracting device splitting an image of each of said first array of laser spots so as to create a second array of laser spots.
A method of controlling a uniformity of spots of a laser thermal printer, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a first array of laser spots;
- imaging said first array of laser spots onto media at a media plane;
- and
- splitting said images of said first array of laser spots so as to create a second array of laser spots, wherein said step of splitting said images of said first array of laser spots comprises the step of placing a double refractive material between a light source which provides for said first array of laser spots and said media plane.
A laser thermal printing system comprising:
- a light source which provides for a first array of laser spots in the form of a line on media located at a media plane;
- a double refracting device disposed between said light source and the media plane, said double refracting device splitting an image of each of said first array of laser spots so as to create a second array of laser spots;
- and
- wherein said second array of laser spots overlaps said first array of laser spots.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.