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:
Aug. 04, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 06, 1995
David J McDaniel, Minneapolis, MN (US);
John J Allen, Mendota Heights, MN (US);
Robert M Biegler, Woodbury, MN (US);
Imation Corp., Oakdale, MN (US);
Abstract
A thermal processor includes an air flow preventing means that substantially prevents the flow of air from a processor exit into a thermal processing compartment. The prevention of air flow reduces processing defects that otherwise could occur in sheets of thermally processed material handled by the thermal processor. The reduction of processing defects enhances the quality of the sheet of thermally processed material. In particular, the reduction of processing defects can enhance image quality of a sheet of photothermographic imaging material. The prevention of air flow reduces processing defects by maintaining a substantially uniform temperature within a thermal processing compartment of the thermal processor, and by reducing the condensation of fatty acids on interior surfaces of the thermal processing compartment prior to filtration.