Thermal processor having flexible duct
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorBradley B. Rassatt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal processor including a heated drum assembly for thermally developing an image in an imaging media. Thermal processor includes an enclosure spaced from and forming an oven around heated drum assembly, enclosure having a media entrance, a media exit, and a vent. Thermal processor further includes a condensation trap and a duct positioned external to enclosure and coupled between vent and condensation trap, duct configured to communicate air from oven to condensation trap.
Claims25
A thermal processor comprising:
- a heated drum assembly for thermally developing an image in an imaging media;
- an enclosure spaced from and forming an oven around the heated drum assembly, the enclosure having a media entrance, a media exit, and a vent;
- a condensation trap positioned external to the enclosure;
- and
- a duct positioned external to the enclosure and coupled between the vent and the condensation trap, the duct configured to communicate air from the oven to the condensation trap.
A thermal processor comprising:
- a heated drum assembly for thermally developing an image in an imaging media;
- an enclosure spaced from and forming an oven around the heated drum assembly, the enclosure having a media entrance, a media exit, and a vent;
- a condensation trap;
- and
- a duct positioned external to the enclosure and coupled between the vent and the condensation trap, the duct configured to communicate air from the oven to the condensation trap;
- wherein the duct comprises a material having low thermal conductivity characteristics.
A thermal processor comprising:
- a heated drum assembly for thermally developing an image in an imaging media;
- an enclosure spaced from and forming an oven around the heated drum assembly, the enclosure having a media entrance, a media exit, and a vent;
- a condensation trap;
- and
- a duct positioned external to the enclosure and coupled between the vent and the condensation trap, the duct configured to communicate air from the oven to the condensation trap;
- wherein an interior of the duct is configured to have a temperature above a threshold temperature during thermal development of the imaging media.
A thermal processor comprising:
- a heated drum for thermally developing an image in an imaging media which produces gaseous contaminants during development;
- a plurality of rollers spaced about a circumferential segment of the heated drum;
- a housing substantially enclosing the heated drum and rollers, the housing including:
- a first curved cover generally enclosing the rollers and the circumferential segment of the heated drum and having a vent;
- and
- a second curved cover generally enclosing a remaining circumferential segment of the heated drum, the first and second curved covers each having first ends spaced from one another to define an entrance region and second ends spaced from one another to define an exit region;
- a condensation trap external to the housing;
- and
- a flexible duct external to the housing and coupled between the vent and condensation trap for communicating air from within the housing to the condensation trap.
A method of operating a thermal processor for heat developing a media which produces gaseous contaminants during development, the method comprising:
- providing a heated drum enclosed within a housing having a bottom cover and a hinged top cover that can be rotated to an open position that enables access to the heated drum;
- providing a flexible duct external to the housing from the top cover to a condensation trap;
- maintaining an internal temperature of the flexible duct above a condensation temperature of the gaseous contaminants;
- maintaining the condensation trap at a temperature below the condensation temperature of the gaseous contaminants;
- creating an air flow that draws the gaseous contaminants from within the enclosure to the condensation trap via the flexible duct;
- and
- condensing the gaseous contaminants with the condensation trap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.