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Apparatus, system, and method for processing photothermographic elements
| Details |
Inventors: Star, Paul C.; Svendsen, John A.; Viglienzoni, Alfredo G.; Allen, John J.; Juaire, Michael P.; Griffin, Anderson L.; Kirkwold, John O.; Sorensen, Steven W.; Peterson, Ralph E.;
Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (St. Paul, MN)
Primary Examiner: Chea; Thorl
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bauer; William D., Weimer; William K.
An apparatus, system, and method for processing photothermographic elements. The apparatus thermally develops a photothermographic element by heating the photothermographic element between a heated member, having a resilient layer, and a plurality of rollers. The apparatus can be a component of other apparatus and systems including those having the ability to expose the photothermographic element to form a latent image. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention addresses and overcomes these problems by providing a thermal processor, as well as other apparatuses, systems, and methods using or working in conjunction with the thermal processor.
Summary One embodiment of the invention includes a thermal processor, adapted to thermally develop an image in a photothermographic element.
The photothermographic element is transported at a transport rate.
The thermal processor includes a moveable heated member positioned to receive the photothermographic element and to heat the photothermographic element to at least a threshold development temperature for a dwell time to develop an image in the photothermographic element.
The photothermographic element also includes a plurality of rotatable guiding members positioned at guiding positions adjacent to the heated member for guiding the photothermographic element against the heated member by applying a total biasing force to the photothermographic element of not greater than 200 grams per centimeter of width of the photothermographic element.
The heated member is moveable and the guiding members are rotatable at rates which approximately match the transport rate of the photothermographic element.
Another embodiment includes a thermal processor, adapted to thermally develop an image in a photothermographic element at a throughput rate.
The thermal processor includes a moveable heated member positioned to receive the photothermographic element to heat the photothermographic element to at least a threshold development temperature.
The heated member includes a resilient layer having a thickness and thermal conductivity for contacting the photothermographic element.
The resilient layer is sufficiently thick so that a foreign particle can be depressed into the resilient layer to reduce an image defect in the image due to insufficient heat transfer causable by the foreign particle.
And, the resilient layer is sufficiently thin and sufficiently thermally conductive so that the resilient layer delivers to the photothermographic element sufficient heat to thermally develop the photothermographic element at the throughput rate
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