EP0139850A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Colour laser printer
Assignee: Polaroid Corp
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Filing: 1984-07-02
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-07-02
Abstract
Abstract A multispectral laser printing system in which beam splitting and beam recombination are accomplished by light refracting optical elements instead of beam splitters in order to materially improve efficiency. In one embodiment such beam splitting and recombination can be achieved by a single light refracting optical element such as a prism.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard G. Egan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:33
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/10; G02B27/1006; G02B27/1013; G02B27/12; G02B27/126; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/12; G06K15/129
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
Multispectral laser printing apparatus of the type in which at least two laser beams of different spectral characteristics are provided, and further comprising means for photomodulating each laser beam in response to an electrical signal representative of that spectral characteristic of the image to be printed, means for recombining the modulated laser beams into a single multispectral beam, and exposure means for line scanning a photosensitive material with said single multispectral beam comprising said modulated laser beams in order to print the image onto the photosensitive material, characterized by said means for recombining the modulated laser beams into a single multispectral beam including at least one light refracting optical element (36, fig. 1; 48, fig. 3) structured and situated to effect said recombination of the modulated laser beams into said single beam (57) which is thereafter directed to the exposure means (46).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
Multispectral laser printing apparatus of the type in which at least two laser beams of different spectral characteristics are provided, and further comprising means for photomodulating each laser beam in response to an electrical signal representative of that spectral characteristic of the image to be printed, means for recombining the modulated laser beams into a single multispectral beam, and exposure means for line scanning a photosensitive material with said single multispectral beam comprising said modulated laser beams in order to print the image onto the photosensitive material, characterized by said means for recombining the modulated laser beams into a single multispectral beam including at least one light refracting optical element (36, fig. 1; 48, fig. 3) structured and situated to effect said recombination of the modulated laser beams into said single beam (57) which is thereafter directed to the exposure means (46).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 1, characterized by including another light refracting optical element (16, fig. 1) structured and positioned to receive a single laser beam and to disperse the received laser beam to provide at least the two laser beams therefrom.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said light refracting optical element(s) comprise prisms (36,16; 48).
Claim 5
Independent Claim
82 words
The apparatus of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said multispectral laser includes an argon laser (14); said other prism (16) operates to disperse the laser beam from said argon laser into a first laser beam having a blue spectral characteristic and a second laser beam having a green spectral characteristic; and said one prism (36) operates to recombine the blue and green modulated laser beams into the single beam which is thereafter directed to the exposure means (46, fig. 1).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus of claim 4, characterized in that said multispectral laser printing apparatus further includes a helium neon laser (12) which provides another laser beam having a red spectral characteristic, and said one prism (36) operates to recombine the red, green and blue modulated laser beams into the single beam which is thereafter directed to the exposure means (46).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that said one refracting optical element (48, fig. 3) receives a single las-er beam (from 14) and disperses the received laser beam to provide at least the two laser beams therefrom.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 6, characterized in that said light refracting optical element comprises a prism (48, figg. 2 and 3).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
The apparatus of claim 7, characterized in that said multispectral laser printing apparatus includes an argon laser (14) and said prism (48) operates to disperse the laser beam from said argon laser into a first laser beam having a blue spectral characteristic and a second laser beam having a green spectral characteristic and to thereafter recombine reflections of the blue and green modulated laser beams into said single beam (57) which is thereafter directed to said exposure means (38,46).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
73 words
The apparatus of claim 8, characterized in that said multispectral laser printing apparatus further includes a helium neon laser (12) which provides another laser beam having a red spectral characteristic, and said one prism (48) operates to refract said red laser beam from said helium neon laser and to thereafter recombine the red, green and blue modulated laser beams into said single beam (57) which is thereafter directed to said exposure means (38,46).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The multispectral laser printing apparatus in accordance with any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by including light means (12,14) for providing at least two laser beams of different spectral characteristics.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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