Patent US3904875A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3904875A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Single radiation ray path for thermographic imaging and transfixing or fusing
Assignee: Xerox Corp
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Filing: 1973-12-27
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Granted: 1975-09-09
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Expires: 1993-12-27
Abstract
Abstract A copying machine is provided wherein a heat image is formed on a heat sensitive intermediate member at an imaging station by exposing the same and an original to a radiation source, then moving the intermediate in one direction to a developing station and developing the image thereon with toner particles, and then reversing the direction of movement of the intermediate back along the same path to the imaging station whereat a copy medium is brought into engagement with the developed image and heat is applied thereto by the same radiation source and the developed image transferred to the copy medium. Rather than transfer the developed image to a copy paper, the toner particles may be fixed or fused to the heat sensitive member, if desired.
Inventors
- 👤 James D Rees
- 👤 James A Critchlow
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 22:14
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41M; B41M5/00; B41M5/26; B41M5/398; G; G03; G03B; G03B27/00; G03B27/02; G03B27/14; G03B27/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
AN IMAGE COPYING METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: EXPOSING A HEAT SENSITIVE MEMBER HAVING A DELAYED TACK ADHESIVE COATING AT A FIRST STATON TO AN IMAGE-LIKE PATTERN OF THERMAL RADIATION FROM A RADIANT SOURCE, THEREBY THERMALLY IMPARTING SAID IMAGE TO SAID MEMBER. MOVING THE IMAGED MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION TO A DEVELOPMENT STATION, DEVELOPING SAID IMAGE AT SAID DEVELOPEENT STATION, MOVING THE MEMBER WITH THE DEVELOPED IMAGE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION BACK INTO SAID FIRST STATION, AND
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
77 words
AN IMAGE COPYING METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: EXPOSING A HEAT SENSITIVE MEMBER HAVING A DELAYED TACK ADHESIVE COATING AT A FIRST STATON TO AN IMAGE-LIKE PATTERN OF THERMAL RADIATION FROM A RADIANT SOURCE, THEREBY THERMALLY IMPARTING SAID IMAGE TO SAID MEMBER. MOVING THE IMAGED MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION TO A DEVELOPMENT STATION, DEVELOPING SAID IMAGE AT SAID DEVELOPEENT STATION, MOVING THE MEMBER WITH THE DEVELOPED IMAGE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION BACK INTO SAID FIRST STATION, AND
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of holding a copy medium in pressure contact with the developed image while said member is being reexposed, whereby said image is transfixed onto said copy medium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the heat sensitive member travels back and forth in a predetermined path while moving in said one direction and said opposite direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the heat sensitive member passes the development station while moving in each of said directions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the image on the heat sensitive member is developed with toner particles.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the copy medium is brought into engagement with the developed image after the heat sensitive member has been moved back into said first station, and the transfixing of the developed image onto the copy medium takes place while the heat sensitive member and copy medium are stationary.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein said image is imparted to said heat sensitive member by exposing said heat sensitive member, and an original bearing said image, to radiation from said source while said heat sensitive member and said original are stationary.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein said heat sensitive member is a web which is fed from a supply roll to a take-up roll when moved in said one direction and from the take-up roll to the supply roll when moved in the opposite direction, said method further comprising the step of moving the web in said one direction to move an unused portion thereof into position to make a new copy in preparation for each successive copying cycle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the developed image is fixed to the heat sensitive member when said member is re-exposed to radiation from said source.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the heat sensitive member travels back and forth in a predetermined path while moving in said one direction and said opposite direction.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the heat sensitive member passes the development station while moving in each of said directions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A methoD as recited in claim 9 wherein the image on the heat sensitive member is developed with toner particles.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the heat sensitive member is stationary while said image is being fixed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as recited in claim 9 wherein said image is imparted to said heat sensitive member by exposing said heat sensitive member, and an original bearing said image, to radiation from said source while said heat sensitive member and said original are stationary.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
80 words
A method as recited in claim 9 wherein said heat sensitive member is a web which is fed from a supply roll to a take-up roll when moved in said one direction and from the take-up roll to the supply roll when moved in the opposite direction, said method further comprising the step of moving the web in said one direction to move an unused portion thereof into position to make a new copy in preparation for each copying cycle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
126 words
A thermographic copier comprising the combination of a first station including a radiant source, a development station spaced from said first station, means for moving a heat sensitive member having a delayed tack adhesive coatiing back and forth along a predetermined path extending between said first station and said development station, means for exposing said heat sensitive member to an imagewise pattern of radiation from said source during a first pass of said member through said first station to thereby thermally impart an image to said member, means for developing said image at said development station, and means for re-exposing said heat sensitive member to radiation from said source during a second pass of said member through said first station to thereby fix the developed image.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
126 words
A thermographic copier comprising the combination of a first station including a radiant source, a development station spaced from said first station, means for moving a heat sensitive member having a delayed tack adhesive coatiing back and forth along a predetermined path extending between said first station and said development station, means for exposing said heat sensitive member to an imagewise pattern of radiation from said source during a first pass of said member through said first station to thereby thermally impart an image to said member, means for developing said image at said development station, and means for re-exposing said heat sensitive member to radiation from said source during a second pass of said member through said first station to thereby fix the developed image.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
51 words
The copier of claim 16 wherein said first station further includes means for holding an original bearing an image in pressure contact with said heat sensitive member while said heat sensitive member is being exposed, whereby the image imparted to said heat sensitive member corresponds to the image of said original.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
73 words
The copier of claim 17 wherein said means for holding said original and said heat sensitive member in pressure contact comprises a radiation transparent member positioned between the radiant source and one side of said path, a pressure plate disposed on the opposite side of said path, means for supporting said original between said pressure plate and said path, and means for moving said pressure plate toward and away from said transparent member.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
48 words
The copier of claim 16 wherein said first station further includes means for holding a copy medium in pressure copy contact with the developed image on said heat sensitive member while said heat sensitive member is being re-exposed, whereby the developed image is transfixed onto said copy medium.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
75 words
The copier of claim 19 wherein said means for holding said copy medium and said heat sensitive member in pressure contact comprises a radiation transparent member positioned between said radiant source and one side of said path, a pressure plate disposed on the opposite side of said path, means for supporting said copy medium between said pressure plate and said path, and means for moving said pressure plate toward and away from said transparent member.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
131 words
The copier of claim 16 wherein said first station further includes a radiation transparent member positioned between said radiant source and one side of said path, a pressure plate disposed on the opposite side of said path, means for moving said pressure plate toward and away from said transparent member, means for sandwiching an original bearing an image between said pressure plate and said heat sensitive member while said heat sensitive member is being exposed such that the image imparted to said heat sensitive member corresponds to the image of said original, and means for sandwiching a copy medium between said pressure plate and the developed image on said heat sensitive member while said heat sensitive member is beIng re-exposed such that the developed image is transfixed onto said copy medium.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
88 words
The copier of claim 16 wherein said heat sensitive member is a web; and said copier further includes a supply roll and a take-up roll attached to said web upstream and downstream, respectively, of said first station and said development station, and reversible drive means coupled to said web so that a given portion of said web is sequentially available during each copying cycle for imaging at said first station, development of said image at said second station, and fixing of said image back at said first station.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
49 words
The copier of claim 22 wherein said first station further includes means for holding an original bearing an image in pressure contact with said portion of said web during the exposure thereof, whereby the image imparted to said portion of said web corresponds to the image of said original.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
74 words
The copier of claim 23 wherein said means for holding said original in pressure contact with said portion of said web comprises a radiation transparent member positioned between said radiant source and one side of said path, a pressure plate disposed on the opposite side of said path, means for supporting said original between said pressure plate and said path, and means for moving said pressure plate towards and away from said transparent member.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
45 words
The copier of claim 22 wherein said first station further includes means for holding a copy medium in pressure contact with the developed image on said portion of said web while said portion is being re-exposed, whereby said image is transfixed onto said copy medium.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
80 words
The copier of claim 25 wherein said means for holding said copy medium in pressure contact with the developed image on said portion of said web comprises a radiation transparent member positioned between said radiant source and one side of said path, a pressure plate disposed on the opposite side of said path, means for supporting said copy medium between said pressure plate and said path, and means for moving said pressure plate towards and away from said transparent member.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
91 words
The copier of claim 22 wherein said first station further includes means for holding selected documents in pressure contact with said portion of said web while said portion is being exposed and re-exposed; said document holding means comprising a radiation transparent member positioned between said radiant source and one side of said path, a pressure plate supported on the opposite side of said path, means for supporting a selected document between said pressure plate and said path, and means for moving said pressure plate towards and away from said transparent member.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
65 words
The copier of claim 27 wherein said selected document is an original bearing an image when said portion of said web is being exposed and a copy medium when said portion of said web is being re-exposed, whereby an image corresponding to the image of said original is imparted to said portion of said web and subsequently transfixed in developed form onto said copy medium.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-08 | 1979-03-10 | 1979-09-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-08 | 1983-03-10 | 1983-09-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-08 | 1987-03-10 | 1987-09-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |