Abstract: In a marking device, by illuminating a laser beam onto an X-ray film which is a light-photosensitive heat-developing photosensitive material, an inner portion of a surface layer is melted, a cavity is formed, and a dot, which projects a surface out in a convex shape, is formed. At this time, an illumination time of the laser beam is controlled in order to control melting of the surface layer. In the marking device, when conveying of an X-ray film is stopped, oscillation of a laser oscillating tube is continued until a predetermined period of time elapses. When stoppage is for a short time, control is carried out such that marking can be started quickly.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system and program product for performing multiple-pel print quality enhancement (PQE) using amplitude modulation. A determination is made of an adjusted peak amplitudes value of each pel of an image. At least two adjacent pels are then grouped together and a determination is made of a peak amplitudes value that will serve as a gray amplitude value for each pel in the pel group. Also determined is position information indicating the alignment of the peak amplitudes within the combined area. The combined peak amplitudes and position information is sent as input to an amplitude modulator operating at a speed equal to the video data rate of the printer divided by the number of pels for which the peak amplitudes data is combined.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first writing control device configured to control a writing of a first latent image, a second writing control device configured to control a writing of a second latent image, and a criterion timing determination device configured to determine a criterion timing for a series of image forming operations based on an image forming instruction and to transmit to the first writing control device one of (i) a signal of the criterion timing, or (ii) a signal of a writing instruction determined based on the criterion timing. The first writing control device is configured to start a writing process of the first latent image based on one of the signal of the criterion timing or the signal of the writing instruction received from the criterion timing determination device, and to transmit a signal of a timing for starting a writing process to the second writing control device.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming an image is disclosed which includes a scanner motor rotatably driving a polygon mirror; a laser light emitter emitting laser light; a generator detecting the laser light reflected off from the polygon mirror, thereby generating a first periodic signal; a generator detecting rotation of the scanner motor, thereby generating a second periodic signal; and a controller performing speed control of the scanner motor, based on at least one of the first and the second periodic signal. The controller makes a first determination as to whether a pre-selected one of the first and the second periodic signal is abnormal. Upon the pre-selected signal being abnormal, the controller makes a second determination as to whether a remaining one of the first and the second periodic signal is normal, and based on a result of the second determination, the controller identifies at least one failed element of the apparatus.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording drum rotatable with a printing plate mounted peripherally thereof, a recording head for recording an image on the printing plate mounted on the recording drum, a rotary encoder for detecting a rotation angle of the recording drum, a first and a second sensors for detecting the printing plate mounted on the recording drum, a detection range setting circuit for setting a range of detection of the first and second sensors with respect to the rotation angle of the recording drum according to information on the material of the printing plate, information on reflectance of the printing plate and the presence or absence and the type of positioning holes formed in the printing plate, and a determining circuit for determining a position of an edge of the printing plate mounted on the recording drum, by fetching signals from the first and second sensors based on the rotation angle of the recording drum and the range of detection set by the detection range setting circui

Abstract: An imaging device (10) for a printing form (12), in particular in a printing unit (82) of a printing press (84), having at least one light source (14) and an imaging optics (18) for projecting the at least one light source (14) onto the printing form (12), at least one optical element (20), in particular a lens, of the imaging optics (18), being movable by way of an actuator element (48), and the imaging optics (18) including one sensor (24) for measuring the actual position of the optical element (20), the sensor having one coil (26) and at least one sensor target (28). The sensor (24) is assigned to a control element (66) for adjusting the position of the optical element (20) via the actuator element (48), so that a highly precise, dynamic positioning of the optical element (20) can be achieved.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer provided on the conductive substrate; a charging unit for charging the electrophotographic photoreceptor; an exposure unit for exposing the charged electrophotographic photoreceptor to light thereby forming an electrostatic latent image; a developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image with toner thereby forming a toner image; and a transfer unit for transferring the toner image from the electrophotographic photoreceptor to a transferred image-receiving medium. The exposure unit is a multi beam exposure unit which has a surface emitting laser array and which carries out the electrostatic latent image formation by scanning the electrophotographic photoreceptor with eight or more light beams where electrophotographic photoreceptor gives a quantum efficiency of 0.

Abstract: A system converts graphic images, such as those created by graphics applications, to a format that can be efficiently printed on a material by a laser printing system. An image can be converted to a set of locations by defining progressively smaller contours of the image, and a material can be marked by directing a laser beam according to the locations. Converting the image can involve identifying a set of points that trace boundary pixels of a marking area of the image such that the set of points form a contour of the marking area, removing the boundary pixels from further consideration with respect to defining the contours for the marking area, repeating the identifying and the removing until all pixels of interest in the marking area have been considered, and determining the locations from the identified points.

Abstract: An optical scanner for writing an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier includes a scanning optical system that forms an optical scanning path, a pair of optical detecting units arranged at two positions on the optical scanning path for detecting a write-start position and a write-end position to measure a time for scanning from the write-start position to the write-end position, and an optical housing that houses at least the scanning optical system and the optical detecting units. The optical detecting units are mounted on the optical housing via an intermediate member having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the optical housing.

Abstract: The invention generally concerns a method involving emitting polarization light waves through an aperture with a dimension of maximum size lower than or equal to 100 nm, wherein the aperture is circumferentially bound by an opaque area that prevents the light waves from being propagated outside the aperture during use, and wherein the emitted polarization light waves (1) contact a material layer comprising a photosensitive compound whose surface is located at a distance lower than 100 nm from said aperture, and (2) induce a topographic modification of the material layer. In this manner, a stable structure is printed in relief in the material layer without requiring any additional development step. The invention is applicable, in certain embodiments, to ophthalmic optics.

Abstract: An exposure device is provided with a shutter member having a slit. The shutter member is provided between a member to be scanned and a housing of a main device unit that has an optical transmission member. The shutter member is freely movable between an open position at which the slit is in opposition to the optical transmission member and a shut position at which the slit is not in opposition to the optical transmission member, and a light beam is irradiated through the optical transmission member and the slit to the member to be scanned. Furthermore, in the exposure device, a depressed portion is provided below the slit, and an aperture portion of the depressed portion is in opposition to the slit at least in a state where the shutter member is moved to the shut position at which a light path of the light beam is shut.

Abstract: A replaceable ink supply comprises an ink container with an internal chamber formed from a plurality of walls. An ink reservoir block can be located within the internal chamber. Further, a channel can be formed in at least one wall of the internal chamber and the channel having an open side exposing a portion of the ink reservoir block.

Abstract: In a disclosed optical scanner, an optical axis adjustment is made by moving a circuit board on which a light emitting device open-type semiconductor laser is mounted along a base face of an optical box. For a high-quality optical scanning, the circuit board is attached to the base face of the optical box. The invention provides a light emitting element open-type in which a semiconductor laser is disposed in an optical box which is almost hermetically sealed with a cover to avoid adhesion of dusts, electrostatic destroy, and deterioration in picture quality.

Abstract: A printing apparatus with a plate-making mechanism with a data modification part for modifying width of an original image in a subscan direction by computation to obtain a modified image and a controller for recording an image with its length in a main scan direction modified by shifting a writing clock in image recording. This allows reduction in the amounts of computation as compared with a case where modification against extension of a paper in the main scan direction and subscan direction is performed only by computation and makes it easy to control modification as compared with a case where the modification in the main scan direction and subscan direction is performed only by shifting the writing clock and a moving clock for a writing head. Thus, it becomes possible to easily correct the influence of extension of paper in printing.

Abstract: An exposure device for an electrophotographic apparatus including one or more laser light sources which expose an image carrier in accordance with a print information signal supplied from an external information processing apparatus, a resolution switching lens, and a switching unit to switch over a low resolution and a high resolution by inserting and extracting the resolution switching lens into and from a laser optical path. Preferably, a light emission time of each of the laser light sources with respect to the print information signal is changeable.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink chamber; a communication chamber that is capable of communicating with the ink chamber; a valve that is movable; a support disposed within the communication chamber, the support including a valve seat and an opening exposing a bottom of the valve at an approximately central portion, wherein the valve seat is adjacent to the valve at an outer periphery of the opening; and an urging device that extends from the valve seat, the urging device directly contacting the valve and urging the valve toward the valve seat, wherein the valve separates from the valve seat when a predetermined force is applied to the valve and the support and the urging device are formed as a one-piece member.

Abstract: A visible light characteristic changing layer formed from photosensitive or heat-sensitive material is formed in a location which can be viewed from a part of a label surface of an optical disk. The optical disk is set on a turntable of an optical disk unit while the label surface of the optical disk is directed downward. The optical disk and an optical pickup are moved mutually along the plane of the optical disk. In synchronism with the relative movement, the power of a laser beam output from the optical pickup is modulated in accordance with image data, such as characters or graphic images to be printed, and the laser beam is emitted onto the visible light characteristic changing layer. As a result of the visible light characteristic changing layer being exposed to the laser beam, a visible-light reflectivity of the visible light characteristic changing layer is changed, thereby forming a image corresponding to the image data on the label surface.

Abstract: A visible light characteristic changing layer formed from photosensitive or heat-sensitive material is formed in a location which can be viewed from a part of a label surface of an optical disk. The optical disk is set on a turntable of an optical disk unit while the label surface of the optical disk is directed downward. The optical disk and an optical pickup are moved mutually along the plane of the optical disk. In synchronism with the relative movement, the power of a laser beam output from the optical pickup is modulated in accordance with image data, such as characters or graphic images to be printed, and the laser beam is emitted onto the visible light characteristic changing layer. As a result of the visible light characteristic changing layer being exposed to the laser beam, a visible-light reflectivity of the visible light characteristic changing layer is changed, thereby forming a image corresponding to the image data on the label surface.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink containing section including an ink absorbing body made of a porous material for retaining ink. The ink cartridge satisfies 200?N·R?320, where N is the cell density, expressed in the number of pores per inch, of the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink containing section; and R is a compressibility, which is a volume ratio of the ink absorbing body when the ink absorbing body is contained in a compressed state in the ink containing section to the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink containing section.

Abstract: A laser shutting device blocks laser beams in a laser scanning unit that includes a light source that emits laser beams and a beam deflecting unit that deflects the laser beams in a main-scanning direction and is adapted to form an image on a photosensitive body using the laser beams. The laser shutting device includes a shutter movably installed in a light path between the light source and the photosensitive body, an opening formed in the shutter that allows the laser beams to pass therethrough, and a laser shutting unit that moves the shutter using an electromagnet according to a start signal for operating the beam reflecting unit so that the laser beams can pass through the opening.