US4329045A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Illumination system for microfilm printer
Assignee: Xerox Corp
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Filing: 1980-04-09
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Granted: 1982-05-11
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Expires: 2000-04-09
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to a xerographic printer capable of reproducing microfilm or microfiche images over a broad enlargement range. The printer includes a light housing completely enclosed except for an aperture in the bottom wall. Microfilm or fiche images are successively presented adjacent this aperture. The walls of the housing are coated with a diffusely reflective material and cause light from a flash illumination source mounted within the housing to diffusely illuminate the surface of the image adjacent the aperture.
Inventors
- 👤 James D. Rees
- 👤 George R. Simpson
- 👤 David C. Bliek
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 13:52
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B27/00; G03B27/32; G03B27/52; G03B27/54; G03B27/545
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
An illumination system providing diffusely uniform illumination of a microfilm image comprising: a housing having a top and bottom surface, the bottom surface adapted to provide an aperture having dimensions at least equal to that of the microfilm image to be reproduced, said housing completely enclosed by side walls joined to said top and bottom surfaces, said housing further characterized by having its interior surfaces completely covered with a high reflectivity material, such that said surfaces are highly diffusely reflective to light incident herein, means to position a microimage directly beneath said aperture, at least one flash illumination source positioned within said housing, and means to energize said illumination source to produce light flashes which undergo multiple reflections from said coated surfaces to produce a uniformly diffuse illumination of said microimage.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
131 words
An illumination system providing diffusely uniform illumination of a microfilm image comprising: a housing having a top and bottom surface, the bottom surface adapted to provide an aperture having dimensions at least equal to that of the microfilm image to be reproduced, said housing completely enclosed by side walls joined to said top and bottom surfaces, said housing further characterized by having its interior surfaces completely covered with a high reflectivity material, such that said surfaces are highly diffusely reflective to light incident herein, means to position a microimage directly beneath said aperture, at least one flash illumination source positioned within said housing, and means to energize said illumination source to produce light flashes which undergo multiple reflections from said coated surfaces to produce a uniformly diffuse illumination of said microimage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
Illumination system of claim 1 further comprising a blocking element positioned between the illumination source and the aperture and of sufficient length and width to prevent direct illumination from reaching any portion of the aperture.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
Illumination system of claim 2 wherein the blocking element is coated with a high reflectivity material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The illumination system of claim 1 wherein said housing has a configuration approximating a cube.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
141 words
A microfilm printer comprising: a housing having a top and bottom surface, the bottom surface adapted to provide an aperture having dimensions at least equal to that of the microfilm image to be reproduced, said housing completely enclosed by side walls joined to said top and bottom surfaces, said housing further characterized by having its interior surfaces completely covered with a high reflectivity material, such that said surfaces are highly diffusely reflective to light incident thereon, means to position a microimage directly beneath said aperture, at least one flash illumination source positioned within said housing, means to energize said illumination source to produce light flashes which undergo multiple reflections from said coated surfaces to produce a uniformly diffuse illumination of said microimage, and optical means for projecting an enlarged image of said microimage positioned beneath said aperture onto a photosensitive surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
141 words
A microfilm printer comprising: a housing having a top and bottom surface, the bottom surface adapted to provide an aperture having dimensions at least equal to that of the microfilm image to be reproduced, said housing completely enclosed by side walls joined to said top and bottom surfaces, said housing further characterized by having its interior surfaces completely covered with a high reflectivity material, such that said surfaces are highly diffusely reflective to light incident thereon, means to position a microimage directly beneath said aperture, at least one flash illumination source positioned within said housing, means to energize said illumination source to produce light flashes which undergo multiple reflections from said coated surfaces to produce a uniformly diffuse illumination of said microimage, and optical means for projecting an enlarged image of said microimage positioned beneath said aperture onto a photosensitive surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The microfilm printer of claim 5 wherein said optical means is a zoom lens having a capability of projecting images at enlargements of 8X to 40X.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
11 words
The printer of claim 5 wherein said images are microfiche images.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
Illumination system of claim 1 further including optical means for projecting an enlarged image of said microimage onto an imaging plane.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-05-10 | 1985-11-09 | 1986-05-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-05-10 | 1989-11-09 | 1990-05-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-05-10 | 1993-11-09 | 1994-05-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |