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:
Apr. 24, 2007
Filed:
Jun. 16, 2004
Koichi Isono, Kyoto, JP;
Makoto Hirosawa, Kyoto, JP;
Ichiro Watanabe, Kyoto, JP;
Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd., Kyoto, JP;
Abstract
A plate fixed to a recording drum is irradiated with a laser beam emitted from an objective lens of a recording head, to generate gas. The recording head has a gas diffusion/suction unit forming an air stream in front of the objective lens. Further, a second suction unit elongated along the rotational axis of the recording drum is arranged between a transport unit supplying the plate to the recording drum and the recording head. Thus, it is possible to prevent the gas not only from contaminating the objective lens but also from diffusing in a housing following rotation of the recording drum. Consequently, an image recorder employing a photosensitive material generating gas in reaction to heat resulting from the laser beam emitted from the recording head can minimize contamination of the recording head, the transport unit etc. arranged in the housing of the apparatus with the gas.