Abstract: An improved reusable media carrier having positive alignment capability and improved carrying characteristics for advancing one or more pieces of printable card stock media or the like through a computer printer, word processing printer, or copy machine. Such means is in the form of a flexible rectangularly configured carrier, particularly suited for use with printers or copy machines having friction, sheet-feed mechanisms. The carrier is comprised of an essentially rectangular sheet of paper or other flexible material folded in such a way as to provide retainers for positively engaging at least two adjacent side edges of a piece of media to be printed. In addition, the retainer means may include hard stops for effecting positive media alignment and location. Furthermore, the carrier may include embedded strips of stiffener material for minimizing curl of the media carrier.

Abstract: An electrostatic precipitator is provided within the housing of a gas discharge laser, such as an exciter laser, to collect and trap dust particles generated in the course of laser operation. The precipitator comprises a plurality of spaced collector plates mounted within the laser housing for flow-through passage of a lasing gas circulated by a fan through a laser discharge zone disposed between a pair of main electrodes. The collector plates are appropriately charged to define one precipitator pole, the opposite pole being defined by the laser discharge zone and the ionization and fluorescent discharge associated therewith during laser operation. The collector plates are shaped and spaced for changing the lasing gas flow direction and for reducing the flow velocity as the lasing gas circulates between the plates, to achieve enhanced electrostatic collection of dust.

Abstract: An actuator for an objective lens in an optical head which provides a compact structure that does not move the laser beam relative to the objective lens in the tracking mode. The low profile optical head design is accomplished by designing the optical beam path in the same space occupied by the tracking and focusing motor. A mirror reflects a laser beam from a laser at an angle to an objective lens. The objective lens and the mirror are coupled together in a manner allowing movement of the objective lens relative to the mirror along the path of a laser beam from the mirror to the objective lens. The objective lens, mirror and the coupling mechanism are all moved along the path of the laser beam between laser and the mirror for tracking control. Because the mirror moves with the objective lens, there is no beam clipping or beam distortion. For focusing, the objective lens is moved relative to the mirror.