Incremental printing of symbolic information – Light or beam marking apparatus or processes – Scan of light
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-12
2003-12-30
Pham, Hai (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Light or beam marking apparatus or processes
Scan of light
C347S185000, C430S349000, C430S350000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06670978
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for recording an image on recording media by illumination with light in a heated mode. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and a method for recording an image on recording media which experiences transfer, color formation or a change in density at a specified site when the temperature of the specified site exceeds a threshold upon illumination with light.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a recording material consisting of a colorant sheet including a photothermal conversion layer, a colorant layer, etc and an image-receiving sheet including an image-receiving layer. The photothermal conversion layer is superposed on the image-receiving sheet. Applied light is converted to thermal energy in the photothermal conversion layer of the colorant sheet and the resulting thermal energy elevates the temperature of the colorant layer beyond a threshold, whereupon the colorant layer is urged against the image-receiving layer by ablation to form an image on the image-receiving layer (see JP-A-8-132654).
Since no image is formed unless the temperature of the colorant layer rises beyond a threshold, this type of recording materials has lower sensitivity to light than other conventional recording materials such as silver salt photosensitive materials. To compensate for this characteristic, an apparatus for recording an image on that type of recording materials equips a heating source in the form of a lamp such as a halogen lamp or an IR (infrared) lamp or a heater such as a Nichrome wire. There are some constitutions for such an apparatus for recording an image. A first example is a constitution that sub-heating light (i.e., the light emitted from the lamp as a heating source) and writing light (i.e., the recording light emitted from a recording light source via a half-mirror) are superposed and emitted (so-called “simultaneous heating” and see JP-A-64-71771, etc.). A second example is a constitution that the recording material is preliminarily heated by application of the heat of radiation from the heater as a heating source (so-called “preheating”). A third example is that the sub-heating light is applied after the writing light to give additional heat (so-called “post-heating”).
FIGS. 15A
to
15
C exemplify applications of sub-heating light B for a single channel of writing light A. Preheating is possible if the sub-heating light B is applied in a position downstream to the writing light A in a recording direction of main scanning as shown in FIG.
15
A. Simultaneously heating is possible if the writing light A and the sub-heating light B are applied in the same position as shown in FIG.
15
B. Post-heating is possible if the sub-heating light B is applied in position upstream to the writing light A in a recording direction of main scanning as shown in FIG.
15
C.
In order to get the desired effect with a limited amount of heat, the sub-heating light B is occasionally applied in a large width. In the case of preheating, the sub-heating light B extends parallel to the direction of movement of the recording material as shown in
FIG. 16A
or it extends perpendicular to the direction of movement of the recording material as shown in FIG.
16
B. Otherwise, it may be inclined at a predetermined angle to the direction of movement of the recording material as shown in FIG.
16
C.
The sub-heating light B may sometimes be applied in the presence of a one-dimensional array of writing light channels. In this case, preheating (or post-heating) can be accomplished by applying the sub-heating light B parallel to the writing light A channels that are arranged perpendicular to the direction of movement of the recording material as shown in
FIG. 17A
(which refers particularly to preheating). Preheating, simultaneous heating and post-heating can be accomplished by applying the sub-heating light B perpendicular to the direction of movement of the recording material in the presence of the writing light A channels that are arranged at a predetermined angle to the direction of movement of the recording material as shown in FIG.
17
B. Preheating, simultaneous heating and post-heating can also be accomplished by applying the sub-heating light B at a predetermined angle to the direction of movement of the recording material in the presence of the writing light A channels that are arranged perpendicular to the direction of movement of the recording material as shown in FIG.
17
C.
If the recording material is illuminated with the sub-heating light B that is applied either upstream or downstream in a recording direction of main scanning with respect to the writing light A that is to be or was applied to the recording material at a specified site, the temperature of the colorant layer at the specified site will rise beyond a threshold within a short time. Thus, the sensitivity of the recording material to the writing light A can be sufficiently increased to enable rapid recording of an image.
If recording is to be done by a plurality of writing light A channels which are positionally related to the sub-heating light B as shown in
FIG. 17A
, all channels of the writing light A are equally spaced from the sub-heating light B in the main scanning direction in which the recording material moves (rotates). However, the individual writing light A channels have different positional (distance) relationships if they are positionally related to the sub-heating light B as shown in
FIGS. 17B and 17C
.
If a plurality of writing light channels A are in a one-dimensional array, the positional relationship with the sub-heating light B shown in
FIG. 17A
, if not those shown in
FIGS. 17B and 17C
, is sufficient for each of the channels to be similarly adapted to have the same distance from the sub-heating light B. However, if one attempts to increase the recording density by narrowing the recording gap between adjacent channels of the writing light A as shown in
FIG. 18
, the approach illustrated in
FIG. 17A
cannot be taken since the channels are arranged in a two-dimensional pattern with all channels being inclined at a predetermined angle to the main scanning direction.
Hence, given the positional relationship between the writing light channels A and the sub-heating light B that is shown in
FIG. 18
, three heating modes, i.e., preheating, simultaneous heating and post-heating, occur in combination such that channel Nos. 1 and 5 of the writing light A are the farthest from the sub-heating light B. channel Nos. 2 and 4 of the writing light A are the second farthest, and channel No. 3 of the writing light A combines with the sub-heating light B to cause simultaneous heating. If the distance from the first to the fifth channel in the main scanning direction is short (100-200 &mgr;m), the result of recording will not be seriously affected. However, if the distance is as great as 400 &mgr;m, different recording channels have different recording characteristics and sensitivity, recording speed and even the quality of a recorded image may be deteriorated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished under these circumstances and has as an object providing a recording apparatus that allows the individual recording channels to maintain sufficiently uniform recording characteristics that a high-quality image can be recorded in high sensitivity and at high speed. Another object of the invention is to provide a recording method for implementing this apparatus.
The first object of the invention can be attained by a recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium in a heated mode. The recording medium being moved along a main scanning direction. The recording apparatus includes:
a first emitting portion emitting writing light for providing a plurality of recording spots on the recording medium, the recording spots being inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the main scanning direction; and
a second emitting portion emitting sub-
Pham Hai
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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