Apparatus for curing photo-developing inks

Claim 2

Apparatus to dry photodeveloping ink printed on sheet material, said apparatus comprising a housing, a sheet material conveyor passing through the housing, suction means in the housing to draw sheet material into contact with the conveyor whilst the sheet material is passing through the housing, a line source of ultra-violet light in the housing with the line of said source extending laterally across the conveyor and directing the rays therefrom toward the conveyor, reflector means to reflect ultra-violet rays from the light source onto the conveyor, a transparent heat sink filter for infra-red rays disposed between the conveyor and the ultra-violet light source and adapted for filtering between about 20% and 30% of the direct infra-red rays and substantially all of the reflected infra-red rays from the ultra-violet light source which would normally impinge on the conveyor within the housing.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the heat sink filter is a transparent glass tube through which a fluid cooling medium is continuously passed.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the cooling medium is water.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including a closed cooling system coupled to the heat sink tube; means for circulating cooling water in the closed cooling system; and weir means for ensuring that the heat sink tube is always completely filled.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the closed cooling system includes an air trap to ensure that air is not included in the cooling medium.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the closed cooling system includes a heat exchanger to remove heat from the cooling medium.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including mounting means for mounting the ultra-violet light source and duct means located in the mounting means for passing cooling air on the opposite side of the ultra-violet light source from the conveyor.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ultra-violet light source comprises a mercury vapor tube lamp of 200 watts linear inch, the distance from the ultra-violet light source to the heat sink filter is 52 to 180 mms. and the distance from the heat sink filter to the conveyor is 100 to 240 mms.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is more than one ultra-violet light source each with an associated heat sink filter means.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing is maintained at a negative pressure.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the filter is formed from transparent quartz glass.

Claim 15

Apparatus to dry photo-developing ink printed on sheet material, said apparatus comprising a housing, a sheet material conveyor passing through the housing, suction means in the housing to draw sheet material into contact with the conveyor whilst the sheet material is passing through the housing, a line source of ultra-violet light in the housing with the line of said source extending laterally across the conveyor and directing the rays therefrom toward the conveyor, reflector means to reflect ultra-violet rays from the light source through a focal point onto the conveyor, a transparent heat sink filter for infra-red rays disposed between the conveyor and the ultra-violet light source and adapted for filtering between about 20% and 30% of the direct infra-red rays and substantially all of the reflected rays from the ultra-violet light source which would normally impinge on the conveyor within the housing.

Claim 16

Apparatus to dry photo-developing ink printed on sheet material, said apparatus comprising a housing, a sheet material conveyor passing through the housing, suction means in the housing to draw sheet material into contact with the conveyor whilst the sheet material is passing through the housing, a line source of ultra-violet light in the housing with the line of said source extending laterally across the conveyor and directing the rays therefrom toward the conveyor, reflector means to reflect ultra-violet rays from the light source through a focal point onto the conveyor, a transparent heat sink filter for infra-red rays disposed between the conveyor and the ultra-violet light source and adapted for filtering between about 20% and 30% of the direct infra-red rays and substantially all of the reflected rays from the ultra-violet light source which would normally impinge on the conveyor within the housing.

Claim 17

Apparatus to dry photo-developing ink printed on sheet material, said apparatus comprising a housing, a sheet material conveyor passing through the housing, suction means in the housing to draw sheet material into contact with the conveyor whilst the sheet material is passing through the housing, a line source of ultra-violet light in the housing with the line of said source extending laterally across the conveyor and directing the rays therefrom toward the conveyor, reflector means to reflect ultra-violet rays from the light source through a focal point onto the conveyor, a transparent heat sink filter for infra-red rays disposed between the conveyor and the ultra-violet light source and positioned so that substantially all of the reflected light rays impinge upon the filter.

Claim 18

Apparatus to dry photo-developing ink printed on sheet material, said apparatus comprising a housing, a sheet material conveyor passing through the housing, suction means in the housing to draw sheet material into contact with the conveyor whilst the sheet material is passing through the housing, a line source of ultra-violet light in the housing with the line of said source extending laterally across the conveyor and directing the rays therefrom toward the conveyor, reflector means to reflect ultra-violet rays from the light source through a focal point onto the conveyor, a transparent heat sink filter for infra-red rays disposed between the conveyor and the ultra-violet light source and positioned so that substantially all of the reflected light rays impinge upon the filter.

Claim 19

Apparatus to dry photo-developing ink printed on sheet material, said apparatus comprising a housing, a sheet material conveyor passing through the housing, suction means in the housing to draw sheet material into contact with the conveyor whilst the sheet material is passing through the housing, a line source of ultra-violet light in the housing with the line of said source extending laterally across the conveyor and directing the rays therefrom toward the conveyor, reflector means to reflect ultra-violet rays from the light source through a focal point onto the conveyor, a transparent heat sink filter for infra-red rays disposed between the conveyor and the ultra-violet light source, said filter positioned substantially at the focal point and adapted for filtering between about 20% and 30% of the direct infra-red rays from the ultra-violet light source which would normally impinge on the conveyor within the housing.

Claim 20

Apparatus to dry photo-developing ink printed on sheet material, said apparatus comprising a housing, a sheet material conveyor passing through the housing, suction means in the housing to draw sheet material into contact with the conveyor whilst the sheet material is passing through the housing, a line source of ultra-violet light in the housing with the line of said source extending laterally across the conveyor and directing the rays therefrom toward the conveyor, reflector means to reflect ultra-violet rays from the light source through a focal point onto the conveyor, a transparent heat sink filter for infra-red rays disposed between the conveyor and the ultra-violet light source, said filter positioned substantially at the focal point and adapted for filtering between about 20% and 30% of the direct infra-red rays from the ultra-violet light source which would normally impinge on the conveyor within the housing.