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US4841154A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Thermal copying apparatus
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1987-06-10
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Granted: 1989-06-20
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Expires: 2007-06-10
Abstract
Abstract A thermal copying apparatus disclosed holds an original and a recording sheet in intimate contact with each other between a holding member and a transparent member and operates a light source to irradiate the original through the transparent member thereby to effect a copying operation thermosensitively. The apparatus further has at least one of a heater for heating the transparent member at a portion where the original and the recording sheet are fed into prior to the copying operation, a cooling fan for generating a cooling gas flowing perpendicularly to the conveying direction of the original and the recording sheet and reversing its flowing direction at predetermined cycles, a sensor for detecting temperature of the transparent member, and a circuit for controlling energy of the light source in accordance with the detected temperature, thus being capable of always obtaining uniform copying density.
Inventors
- 👤 Masanori Yoshikawa
- 👤 Shuichi Watanabe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 08:02
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B27/00; G03B27/02; G03B27/14; G03B27/30; G03D; G03D13/00; G03D13/002
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
A thermal copying apparatus comprising: a holding member and a transparent member for holding therebetween an original having thereon an image pattern corresponding to which heat is accumulated when said original is irradiated by a light and a recording sheet so that said original and said recording sheet are in intimate contact with each other at a predetermined area; a conveying means for conveying said original and said recording sheet; a light source for producing a light for irradiating said original through said transparent member each time when said original and said recording sheet are conveyed by a predetermined distance to effect a copying operation in which said original accumulates heat in a pattern corresponding to said image pattern so that said image pattern is thermosensitively copied on said recording sheet; and a temperature control means for making a surface temperature of said transparent member uniform during the copying operation by at least one of heating and cooling.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
158 words
A thermal copying apparatus comprising: a holding member and a transparent member for holding therebetween an original having thereon an image pattern corresponding to which heat is accumulated when said original is irradiated by a light and a recording sheet so that said original and said recording sheet are in intimate contact with each other at a predetermined area; a conveying means for conveying said original and said recording sheet; a light source for producing a light for irradiating said original through said transparent member each time when said original and said recording sheet are conveyed by a predetermined distance to effect a copying operation in which said original accumulates heat in a pattern corresponding to said image pattern so that said image pattern is thermosensitively copied on said recording sheet; and a temperature control means for making a surface temperature of said transparent member uniform during the copying operation by at least one of heating and cooling.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said temperature control means comprises a heating means for preheating said transparent member at least at a portion thereof where said original and said recording sheet are fed thereinto prior to the copying operation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
66 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said heating means heats all of said transparent member prior to the copying operation in such a way that the portion wherein said original and said recording sheet are fed into is higher in temperature than a portion where they are fed out so as to thereby produce a temperature gradient between the two portions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said temperature control means further comprises: a temperature sensing means for detecting the temperature of said transparent member; and a heat controlling means for controlling an amount of heat generated by said heating means in accordance with the temperature detected by said temperature sensing means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said heating means heats the portion where said original and said recording sheet are fed more into than a portion where they are fed out during the copying operation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said heating means comprise a transparent heating element which is disposed on said transparent member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A thermal copying apparatus set forth in claim 6, wherein said heating element is divided into a plurality of parts to produce a temperature gradient within said transparent member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
62 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said temperature control means further comprises: a cooling means for generating a periodically reversing flow of cooling gas to cool said transparent member; and a wind path for causing said cooling gas to flow in opposite directions perpendicular to a direction in which said original and said recording sheet are conveyed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
58 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said temperature control means further comprises: a temperature sensing means for detecting the temperature of said transparent member; and a light energy control means for controlling light energy of said light source in accordance with the temperature of said transparent member detected by said temperature sensing means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said temperature control means comprises: a cooling means for generating a periodically reversing flow of cooling gas to cool said transparent member; and a wind path for causing said cooling gas to flow in opposite directions perpendicular to a direction in which said original and said recording sheet are conveyed.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said cooling means comprises a single cooling fan which periodically reverses its rotating direction to generate a periodically reversing flow of cooling air.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 10, a wherein said cooling means reverses at intervals of time ranging from six to twelve seconds.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
58 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said temperature control means further comprises: a temperature sensing means for detecting the temperature of said transparent member; and a light energy control means for controlling light energy of said light source in accordance with the temperature of said transparent member detected by said temperature sensing means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said temperature control means comprises: temperature sensing means for detecting the temperature of said transparent; member; and a light energy control means for controlling light energy of said light source in accordance with the temperature of said transparent member detected by said temperature sensing means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
63 words
A thermal copying apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein said light source comprises an electronic flash tube, and said light energy control means comprises: a capacitor for storing energy to be applied to said electronic flash tube; and a charging control means for controlling the energy stored in the capacitor in accordance with the temperature detected by said temperature sensing means.
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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) | 1992-06-19 | 1992-12-19 | 1993-06-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-06-19 | 1996-12-19 | 1997-06-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-06-19 | 2000-12-19 | 2001-06-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |