United States Patent
Anderle
(io) Patent No.: (45) Date of Patent:
US 7,907,249 B2 Mar. 15, 2011
(54) FILM EXPOSER AND METHOD FOR EXPOSING LIGHT-SENSITIVE FILMS
(75) Inventor: Klaus Anderle, Darmstadt (DE)
(73) Assignee: GBW Holdings S.A.R.L., Luxembourg (LU)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 1563 days.
(21) Appl.No.: 11/196,077
(22) Filed: Aug. 3, 2005
(65) Prior Publication Data
US 2006/0054777 Al Mar. 16, 2006
(30) Foreign Application Priority Data
Aug. 6, 2004 (DE) 10 2004 038 554
(51) Int. CI.
G02B 27/14 (2006.01)
G02B 27/28 (2006.01)
G02F1/01 (2006.01)
U.S. CI 352/46; 352/26; 352/92; 349/2
Field of Classification Search 352/5, 6,
352/8, 11, 22, 26, 27, 28, 55, 92, 46, 12;
349/2, 3; 355/33, 35, 50 See application file for complete search history.
References Cited
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6,480,259 Bl* 11/2002 Wong etal 355/52
6,580,490 Bl* 6/2003 Wong etal 355/40
6,624,949 B2 * 9/2003 Roddy etal 359/634
6,686,947 B2 * 2/2004 Drazynski et al 347/239
6,778,290 B2* 8/2004 Oehlbecketal 358/1.15
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2003/0193556 Al * 10/2003 Drazynski et al 347/239
2007/0171373 Al* 7/2007 Bjerkestrand 352/11
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
DE 198 47 565 Al 4/2000
EP 1 033 873 A2 2/2000
WO 03/096 685 Al 11/2003
* cited by examiner
Primary Examiner — William C Dowling
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Arent Fox LLP
(57) ABSTRACT
A film exposer has a modulator which modulates light from a light source and projects it onto a light-sensitive film guided continuously past the modulator. The modulator comprises a two-dimensional arrangement of elements which each project a specific quantity of light onto the film. A pixel entering the projection area of the modulator of the film on one side integrates the light which is projected onto the pixel by elements arranged in a row in the transport direction of the film. The quantity of light integrated by the pixel depends on how many elements are switched on, that is to say project light onto the film, while the film passes through the projection area of the modulator. The total quantity of the light to be integrated can be adjusted for each pixel by appropriate control of the elements respectively lying in a row in the transport direction of the film. In one embodiment of the film exposer, the quantity of light projected by individual elements or groups thereof can be adjusted individually or differs by area.
15 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets
