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:
Mar. 02, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 23, 1997
Kenneth M Strong, Hockessin, DE (US);
MacDermid Imaging Technology, Incorporated, Waterbury, CT (US);
Abstract
An assembly for producing printing plates from photopolymerizable resins includes an upper fixture assembly and a lower fixture assembly. The upper fixture assembly includes an upper glass plate, and an upper shutter box in which an upper UV light source is located. The upper fixture is mounted on a guide post so that the upper fixture assembly can be raised and lowered relative to a lower fixture assembly. The lower fixture assembly includes a lower light bank table containing a lower UV light source, and a lower glass plate on which the resin layer is cast. A doctor blade is drawn over the resin layer to smooth the latter on the lower glass plate. The resin layer is then exposed to UV light through a print pattern-defining negative so as to selectively harden the resin layer and form a printing plate that is defined by the negative pattern. In order to maintain the flatness of the lower glass plate, and thus the thickness of the resin layer during the doctor blade step, a support post is positioned in the lower fixture to support the center of the lower glass plate. The support post has transparent portions so as not to interfere with subsequent light transmission to the resin layer.