The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 06, 1987
Filed:
Jan. 30, 1986
Gerald A Domoto, Briarcliff Manor, NY (US);
Aron Sereny, Briarcliff Manor, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A thermo-optic light modulation array is disclosed for use in an imaging system of an electrophotographic printer to produce electrostatic latent images. The array comprises a light transmitting medium arranged in contact with an array of pixel shaped heaters which are selectively energized in response to digitized data signals for pulse heating the portions of the medium in vicinity of the heaters. Temperature gradients in the medium produced by the energized heaters cause changes in the index of refraction of the medium, so that selected portions of a sheet of collimated light directed through the temperature gradients in the light transmitting medium are deflected or modulated. The modulated light may be blocked by a stop and the unmodulated light may be directed to the precharged photoconductive member of the printer to form the latent images or visa versa. Several modes of light modulation are disclosed. In one mode, the light is directed through the medium just above and closely adjacent the heaters in a grazing fashion. A second transmissive mode directs the light through both the medium and transparent heaters, while a third reflective mode directs the light through the medium into reflective surfaces on the heaters. The reflective mode of modulation may be either for the production of linear, one-dimensional lines of picture elements or for the production of full two-dimensional alpha-numeric information. The other modes produce latent images one line of picture elements or pixels at a time.