Eastman-kodak Company

James T Barton

Jimmy P Walker

William T Matthias

Kevin C Koek

Svetlana Reznik

Sabet Kamel Salib

James M Warner

A printing apparatus having a fixed focal point for a recording medium to which the printing apparatus writes, the apparatus comprises a rotor; an intensity-modulated light source adapted to emit a light beam along an optical path; a platform having three variably positioned ball feet to which platform the light source is fixed for maintaining the positional relationship of the light source in relation to the focal point; a plate having three grooves attached to the printing apparatus which cooperatively receives the ball feet; and a housing that receives the plate and platform and cooperatively attaches to the rotatable rotor to move the light source for scanning the light beam along the recording medium, for permitting removal and replacement of the light source in a precise fashion.

Field-replaceable optical assemblies for digital printers

A method of calibrating an image sensor having an array of pixel sensor sites, and an area light source having a corresponding array of pixel emission sites, comprising the steps of:

Method and apparatus for independently calibrating light source and

A support for a linear source of radiation such as a linear LED array is fixed to a support for a linear light focusing means. A flange having a plurality of apertures which flange is fixed with respect to one of the supports receives a pin in each aperture which pin has a small cross-section compared to its respective aperture. A washer around each pin is fixed by adhesive to the flange and restricts movement of the pin laterally relative to the flange. The opening in the washer permits movement of the pin longitudinally which allows for thermal expansion of one support compared to the other.

Assembly containing a linear focusing means and method of making same

A mount maintains a linear assembly, for example an LED printhead assembly, in operative relation to a rotary component whose location and orientation is not always precisely determinable. The mount is particularly useful when the rotary component is routinely removable from the apparatus, for example, if the rotary component is a roller about which is trained a web which must be replaced periodically and upon which the printhead assembly acts. The mount contacts the rotary component restricting movement of the printhead assembly relative to the rotary component about x and y axes generally orthogonal to the primary axis of the rotary component but permits movement of the printhead assembly with the rotary component. The printhead assembly is supported by a mechanism which includes a set of flexure members which in combination both resiliently urge the assembly against the rotary component and also permit its rotation about the x and its y axes and linear movement parallel to all axes while preventing its rotation about the primary axis.

Mount for linear assembly

A linear printhead writer assembly has a rigid box-like support housing which independently supports and protects an LED printhead and a linear lens array. The housing has a front wall to which locating surface means are fixed and which are intended to engage locating bearing surfaces on a printer or similar apparatus.

Linear printhead writer assembly

Apparatus is disclosed for locating an imaging lens array formed of a plurality of gradient index optical fibers on a print head having a linear array of light sources, such that the light sources are readily spaced from a photosensitive surface a distance equal to the total conjugate of the imaging lens array and the optical fibers are accurately spaced from the light sources in a direction along their optical axes so as to be midway between the light sources and the photosensitive surface.

Imaging lens array and optical print head

Apparatus is disclosed for mounting an imaging lens array formed of a plurality of gradient index optical fibers onto a print head having a linear array of light sources, such that the optical fibers are accurately spaced from and aligned with the light sources. The apparatus includes attachment means for totally constraining one end of the imaging lens array relative to the print head and for constraining the other end of the imaging lens array to inhibit movement of the lens in two directions, while permitting at least limited relative movement between the imaging lens and the print head in a direction along the length of the light source array to accommodate different rates of thermal expansion of the imaging lens array and of the print head.

Growing community of inventors

Fairport, NY, United States of America

James T Barton