Abstract: An energy (i.e. laser) beam directed to a photoresist layer is scanned in a first direction through lines progressively displaced in a second coordinate direction. In this way, stripe areas of a wafer are exposed sequentially in a first direction with a thickness dependent upon the size of the laser spot focussed on the beam. The beam scanning rate is adjustable to obtain a time coincidence between the occurrence of markers in a computer and the scanning of a particular position in each line. The beam is modulated during the scan to inscribe a pattern on the layer. The beam is focussed on, and reflected from, the photoresist layer. The reflection is used to maintain the focussing of the beam on the layer by adjusting individual elements in an active mirror in accordance with the reflected beam characteristics.

Abstract: A printing apparatus for use in a printer with a photo-sensitive drum. The printing apparatus includes a spotlight source for generating a light provides essentially a point source. A fiber-optical converter which is optically coupled to the spotlight source converts the light from the spotlight source to linear rays of light. A plurality of shutter window optically coupled to the fiber-optical converter selectively transmits the light at selected portions of the array to the photo-sensitive drum. As a result, a light path is defined from the spotlight source through the fiber-optical converter and the microshutters to the photo-sensitive drum.

Abstract: A thermal printer having a mechanism for alleviating the pressure between the print head and the resilient roller when the printer is not operational is provided. The printer includes a cam member for camming the print head and resilient roller apart during non-printing in order to prevent a permanent or semi-permanent flat from being formed on the roller because of pressure exerted thereon by the print head.

Abstract: In a laser printer wherein a photoconductive drum is scanned by utilizing a plurality of laser beams, there are detected spacings between the plural laser beams, such detection being confined to a blanking time. On the basis of the detected results, the spacings between the plural laser beams are controlled; and this state is maintained for a printing time. With this arrangement, it is possible to accurately detect the spacings between the plural laser beams thereby to obtain the practicable laser printer employing the plural laser beams.

Abstract: A card ejecting apparatus for a thermal printer includes a rotatable drum having a clamp which holds a card when the drum is rotated in a first printing direction and releases the card when the drum is rotated in the opposite ejecting direction, a spring having a hooked free end, a transport mechanism which receives a card as it is being ejected from the drum and drives it into the hooked free end of the spring to cock such spring, and such cocked spring propelling such card onto a stack of cards.

Abstract: A printer using ink balls includes ink balls, an injection pipe, an ink ball driving mechanism, a force applying mechanism, and a heating unit. The ink balls are made of an ink material and having a spherical shape at room temperature. The injection pipe injects said ink balls. The ball driving mechanism supplies each ink ball to a predetermined injection position in the injection pipe. The flying force applying mechanism applies a force to cause said ink ball located at the predetermined injection position to fly in response to a drive signal representing a printing timing. The heating unit heats and melts said flying ink ball.

Abstract: An electron gun printer, having an electrically insulating vacuum enclosure, in which is located the gun, which gun emits an electron beam to a printing medium outside the enclosure, a focussing anode for modulating the intensity of the beam, deflecting coils or plates controlling an alternating movement of the beam to scan the lines of the printing medium, motor-driver rollers for controlling a displacement of the printing medium and a clock for synchronizing the anode and deflecting coils. One enclosure wall has at least two rows of windows arranged in staggered manner parallel to the scanned lines and respectively sealed by conductive plates, which are transparent to the electrons. The printer also includes plates or coils for deflecting the beam so that the beam alternately scans each row of windows during the displacement of the medium.

Abstract: In an optical disc structure for information recording comprising two discs in the form of an annular coaxial plate having optical recording thin layers of one surface thereof, the discs being melt-adhered by ultrasonication via annular coaxial sealing members composed of an outer annular spacer and an inner annular spacer to form an air sandwich structure so that the optical recording thin layers face each other through an air space, provided that one of the optical recording thin layers may be omitted.The sealing members and said discs are formed of a copolymer of ethylene. The ethylene copolymer forming the sealing members has an ethylene content (a) of 55 to 80 mole % and the ethylene copolymer forming the discs has an ethylene content (b) of 50 to 70 mole %, where (a) is larger than (b).

Abstract: Image setting apparatus is disclosed for producing two-dimensional images on photosensitive sheet material. The apparatus includes a device for transporting the photosensitive sheet material past an image point to provide a first dimension of the two-dimensional image; a light source for producing a modulated beam of light, a scanning device for converting the light beam into a scanning beam; and a scan lens in the path of the scanning beam such that a focused beam spot moves repeatedly in a linear direction across the photosensitive material at the image point to provide the other dimension of the two-dimensional image. According to one improvement the scanning device is a rotatable prism having two mirror facets whose planes intersect in a common line. The prism is arranged to rotate about an axis perpendicular to this line so as to reflect the light beam into a scanning beam having a substantially constant angular velocity.

Abstract: An optical scanner for use with a laser printer, a laser display or the like includes an optical deflector for directly scanning a photoconductive drum with a beam which is emitted from a semiconductor laser and to be focused as a minute spot on the drum. The frequency of an image scanning clock is continuously varied as an approximation to scanning speeds of a spot which is produced by the deflector. The intensity of the beam is controlled by an intensity control circuit.

Abstract: In a laser beam printer wherein the quantity of light of the laser beam is fed back to maintain the light quantity at a constant value, the temperature sensor means is provided for detecting the temperature of the photosensitive member, and the feedback circuit is so constructed that the light quantity setting reference signal of the circuit is adjusted in accordance with the output of the temperature sensor means. Consequently, the quantity of light of the laser beam is adjusted according to the temperature-sensitivity characteristics of the photosensitive member to give a constant image density.

Abstract: A laser recording apparatus has a laser light source, an acousto-optical element for optically modulating the laser beam from the laser light source, a beam expander scanning optical system for optically scanning a diffracted light emerging from the acousto-optical element toward a recording surface, an f.theta. lens system for imaging the light passed through the scanning optical system on the recording surface, a first plate on which the laser light source and the acousto-optical element are disposed as a first unit, and a second plate on which the beam expander the scanning optical system and the f.theta. lens system are disposed as a second unit.

Abstract: A laser materials treatment system in which the (1) laser head and delivery optics, (2) power supply, (3) cooling unit, (4) microprocessor and (5) keyboard and display units are each contained in a separate modular unit. The entire device can therefore be arranged in various ways to conform to particular spatial requirements.

Abstract: A method and means of exposing a movable light-sensitive layer by means of an array of LED's are disclosed. The invention comprises energizing for each image line and for a variable time each LED in the array symmetrically with respect to an imaginary line extending parallel to the array by using comparator circuits connected to a signal generator for a selected period of time used to generate a uniformly decreasing and increasing signal and to buffers for storing a corrected image signal so that the LED's are energized by the compared signal from an associated comparator circuit.

Abstract: Image recording apparatus is disclosed in which a laser beam is modulated in accordance with a digital input which includes character information as well as the type of font and the point size. The modulated beam is scanned onto a photoconductive belt to form a latent electrostatic image, and the image is developed by a xerographic process. In order to produce a high-quality print of subject matter which includes a variety of fonts and point sizes, each font is exposed at a preselected level which provides the optimum exposure for that particular font.

Abstract: In the optical information recording apparatus, the form slide film having the sensor mark is two-dimensionally scanned so as to detect the drift amount in the vertical scanning direction due to the fluctuation of the optical system of the optical information recording apparatus. The scanning device scans the sensor mark within a predetermined scanning period to produce the pulse signals. The number of these pulse signals is counted and then compared with the reference number so as to produce a difference, i.e., the drift amount. The vertical scanning pitch of the scanning device is controlled based upon the drift amount.

Abstract: In a character imaging system, a selected one of a plurality of different characters (letters, numerals, symbols etc.) arrayed as windows in an otherwise opaque mask, is projected optically onto a selected location on a working surface. In this manner, laser light can be used to burn an impression into a workpiece, with successive characters spelling out words and sentences. Alternatively, the system can be used to project non-coherent light onto photographic film or onto a screen. The improvement in this type of system provided by the invention resides in the avoidance of a need to move the mask, or the working surface, or the final lens that projects the light beam onto such surface. And yet the improved system nevertheless enables sequential selection of different characters in the mask, as necessary to build up words and sentences on the working surface.

Abstract: The print head includes a stationary block of non-conductive material having a plurality of openings into which spark jet capsules are received and a plurality of openings into which electrodes with off-set parts are received. Each electrode is located proximate the end of a different one of the capsules with the off-set part thereof situated in a channel on the block surface extending therebetween. The capsules are arranged in rows transverse to the direction of paper movement. The capsules in each of the rows are slightly off-set with respect to the corresponding capsules in the preceding row. The paper is moved continuously past the block. Actuation of the individual capsules is synchronized with the movement of the paper.

Abstract: A process for recording an information on a surface of a substrate, which includes steps of irradiating the substrate surface with radiation modulated according to the information to be recorded and subjecting the surface of the substrate to a deposition treatment to form deposited areas and non-deposited areas in correspondence with the non-irradiated areas and the irradiated areas, respectively. By this process, a recording density of from 10.sup.8 to 10.sup.9 bit/mm.sup.2 can be obtained.

Abstract: A photographic film printer that forms an image on film based upon received or stored digital information is provided. While maintained in a stationary position, the film is exposed in a sequence of raster scans by a rotating disk traversing the photographic film surface. At least one optical film is attached to the rotating disk in a manner that transmits optical energy directed towards the center of the disk to a peripheral location on the disk. Exposure of the film occurs by controlling the emission of optical energy by the fiber in accordance with the received or stored digital information as the peripheral edge of the disk rotates past the film surface.