Abstract: The hard copy has a transparent coat layer which is formed on an image recording surface of a recording medium on a side of which an image is recorded and covers at least a part of the image recording surface. The transparent coat layer has asperities corresponding to three-dimensional information of the image, materials of objects forming the image, or density variation in the surface area of the image. The hard copy creation method records the image on the recording medium on the side of the image recording surface and then forms on the image recording surface the transparent coat layer having the asperities.

Abstract: An image reading device in which an image can be read efficiently and at high speed and with high image quality with little heat being generated at a time of light emission, and the device can be made compact. After lights of respective colors are collected and focused, the light is diffused in a vicinity of a film. Therefore, almost all of lights emitted from LED chip groups can be guided to a surface of the film.

Abstract: Since amounts of illuminated light of each color are well-balanced by using a light source generating a small amount of heat and emitting light of a high color temperature during light emission, images can be read at high speed and with high accuracy. LED chips are applied for a light source, and are arranged by color so as to form substantially straight lines on an aluminum substrate, at a high density. Emitted light is made to be incident on a photographic film via an acrylic block. Since light emitted from the LED chips 64 has a high color temperature and includes a large amount of light of short wavelengths, an SN ratio of a read image is excellent and the image can be read at high speed. A heat pipe is piped at the rear surface side of the aluminum substrate and a coolant is circulated inside the pipe.

Abstract: A back-flow prevention apparatus includes a screw body; a screw head attached to the screw body; a first resin passage formed on a first ring; a second resin passage formed on a second ring located adjacent to and rotatable relative to the first ring; a drive unit for rotating a screw; and a controller. A rotation restriction mechanism is disposed between the first and second rings such that communication is established between the first and second resin passages or sealing is effected upon rotation of the screw. The controller includes a resin-pressure reduction unit for reducing the pressure of resin in the space located forward of the screw head after completion of a metering step but before initiation of sealing. Since the pressure of resin in the space located forward of the screw head has been reduced when sealing is effected upon rotation of the screw, the resin in the space located forward of the screw head is prevented from flowing in the opposite rotational direction upon rotation of the screw.

Abstract: A back-flow prevention apparatus includes a screw which includes a metering portion and a screw head; a seal ring which is removably disposed on a rear portion of the screw head and which has a first resin passageway formed therein; a back-flow prevention ring which is disposed on a front portion of the screw head in such a manner as to be rotatable with respect to the seal ring and which has a second resin passageway formed therein; and a drive unit for selectively rotating the screw in a regular or reverse direction. A first positioning mechanism is disposed between the screw head and the seal ring and adapted to position the seal ring at a predetermined position with respect to the screw head.

Abstract: According to the improved apparatus for recording images using exposing optics equipped with a dust excluding mechanism which prevents optical paths of light beams from being blocked by dust particles, the dust excluding mechanism has a fan and at least two filters, and at least one of the filters which is provided upstream of an air stream generated by the fan is fitted to be detachable. With the improved image recording apparatus of the invention, not only during scanning exposure, in a standby mode and in a power OFF mode but also during filter replacements, one can prevent the entrance of the dust particles into the duct, thereby ensuring that the light beams issuing from the exposing optics during scanning exposure will not have any part of their paths blocked by the dust particles. As a result, one can record defect-free images of high quality that do not have any density unevenness occurring in the form of streaks due to the dust particles.

Abstract: A light scanning optical system includes a plurality of lasers spaced from each other and a deflector which deflects laser beams emitted from the lasers so that the laser beams scan a recording medium while forming beam spots on the recording medium spaced from each other in the scanning direction. A plurality of reflecting surfaces which are provided on a single base body to reflect the respective laser beams toward the deflector at different angles is disposed on the optical path of the laser beams between the lasers and the deflector.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording and reading radiation image information includes an image recording unit, an image reading unit, and an erasing unit. Radiation image information of an object such as a human body is recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet in the image recording unit, and the recorded radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet in the image reading unit. After the recorded radiation image information has been read, any residual radiation image information is erased from the stimulable phosphor sheet. When the radiation image information of an object of large size, e.g., a vertebral column, is to be recorded, first and second stimulable phosphors are successively positioned in the image recording unit with their confronting ends superimposed on each other in a recording position.

Abstract: A radiographic system includes an image exposure device for exposing a stimulable phosphor sheet to a beam of radiation transmitted from a radiation source through an object, thereby storing a radiation image of the object in the stimulable phosphor sheet, an image reading device for reading the radiation image information stored in the stimulable phosphor sheet, and a feed system interconnecting the image exposure device and the image reading device, for feeding the stimulable phosphor sheet from the image exposure device to the image reading device. A single radiation shield plate is disposed behind the image exposure device for blocking a beam of radiation transmitted through the image exposure device. A plurality of radiation shield plates are disposed in substantially surrounding relation to the feed system, for blocking a stray beam of radiation transmitted through a region outside of the image exposure device.

Abstract: A sheet feed mechanism in a light scanning apparatus includes two pairs of rollers for gripping and feeding a sheet-like medium such as a stimulable phosphor sheet or a photographic film in a subscanning direction. The two pairs of rollers are spaced a distance smaller than the length of the sheet-like medium in the subscanning direction. While the sheet-like medium is being fed by the sheet feed mechanism in the subscanning direction, the sheet-like medium is scanned by a light beam deflected in a main scanning direction substantially normal to the subscanning direction, for thereby two-dimensionally scanning the sheet-like medium.

Abstract: A sheet feed mechanism in a light scanning apparatus includes two pairs of rollers for gripping and feeding a sheet-like medium such as a stimulable phosphor sheet or a photographic film in a subscanning direction. The two pairs of rollers are spaced a distance smaller than the length of the sheet-like medium in the subscanning direction. While the sheet-like medium is being fed by the sheet feed mechanism in the subscanning direction, the sheet-like medium is scanned by a light beam deflected in a main scanning direction substantially normal to the subscanning direction, for thereby two-dimensionally scanning the sheet-like medium.

Abstract: A light beam scanning system two-dimensionally scans a recording medium with a light beam to record image information on or read out recorded image information from a recording medium such as a stimulable phosphor sheet. The light beam scanning system includes a main scanning light deflector for deflecting a light beam in a main scnning direction, an auxiliary scanning light deflector angularly movable about an axis for deflecting the light beam in an auxiliary scanning direction normal to the main scanning direction, and an image-forming lens disposed between the main and auxiliary scanning light deflectors. The recording medium is supported by a recording medium support and scanned with the light beam deflected by the main and auxiliary scanning light deflectors. The recording medium support includes an arcuate support surface having a center of curvature substantially aligned with the axis of angular movement of the auxiliary scanning light deflector.