Slatted collimator
First Claim
1. A collimator, in combination with a source of curing radiation and a working surface, for use in a process for curing a photosensitive resin disposed on the working surface, wherein the working surface is structured and configured to move in a machine direction relative to said collimator and has a cross-machine direction perpendicular to said machine direction, the collimator comprising a plurality of discrete collimating elements spaced from one another at a distance in the cross-machine direction within an open area through which said curing radiation is capable of reaching said photosensitive resin to cure it, each of said collimating elements being substantially perpendicular to said working surface, wherein at least one pair of mutually adjacent collimating elements form a machine directional clearance A and a cross-machine directional clearance B between said two mutually adjacent collimating elements, said machine-directional clearance A being greater than said cross-machine directional clearance B.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A collimator, in combination with a source of curing radiation and a working surface, for use in a process for curing a photosensitive resin disposed on the working surface having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction perpendicular to said machine direction, is disclosed. The collimator comprises a plurality of mutually parallel collimating elements spaced from one another in the cross-machine direction and disposed between the source of radiation and the resin. Each of the collimating elements is substantially perpendicular to the working surface, and every two of the mutually adjacent collimating elements have a machine-directional clearance and a cross-machine-directional clearance therebetween. The collimating elements and the machine direction form an acute angle therebetween such that the machine-directional clearance is greater than the cross-machine directional clearance. This allows to provide a greater collimation of the curing radiation in the cross-machine direction relative to the machine direction. The collimator can be beneficially used in processes for making papermaking belts.
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Citations
16 Claims
- 1. A collimator, in combination with a source of curing radiation and a working surface, for use in a process for curing a photosensitive resin disposed on the working surface, wherein the working surface is structured and configured to move in a machine direction relative to said collimator and has a cross-machine direction perpendicular to said machine direction, the collimator comprising a plurality of discrete collimating elements spaced from one another at a distance in the cross-machine direction within an open area through which said curing radiation is capable of reaching said photosensitive resin to cure it, each of said collimating elements being substantially perpendicular to said working surface, wherein at least one pair of mutually adjacent collimating elements form a machine directional clearance A and a cross-machine directional clearance B between said two mutually adjacent collimating elements, said machine-directional clearance A being greater than said cross-machine directional clearance B.
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6. A collimator, in combination with a source of curing radiation and a working surface, for use in a process for curing a photosensitive resin disposed on the working surface, wherein the working surface is structured and configured to move in a machine direction and has a cross-machine direction perpendicular to said machine direction, the collimator comprising a plurality of mutually parallel collimating elements spaced from one another at a distance in the cross-machine direction within an open area through which said curing radiation is capable of reaching said photosensitive resin to cure it, each of said collimating elements being substantially perpendicular to said working surface, wherein every pair of mutually adjacent collimating elements form a machine-directional clearance A and a cross-machine-directional clearance B between said two mutually adjacent collimating elements, said machine-directional clearance A being greater than said cross-machine directional clearance B, said collimating elements and said machine direction forming an angle λ
- therebetween, the angle λ
being less than 45°
. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
- therebetween, the angle λ
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10. A collimator, in combination with a source of curing radiation and a working surface, for use in a process for curing a photosensitive resin disposed on the working surface, wherein the working surface is structured and configured to continuously travel in a machine direction and has a cross-machine direction perpendicular to said machine direction, the collimator comprising:
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a frame defining an open area through which said curing radiation from said source is capable of reaching said photosensitive resin to cure it; and
a plurality of mutually parallel collimating elements consecutively spaced from one another at a distance in the cross-machine direction within said open area, each of said collimating elements having a first end and a second end opposite to said first end, said plurality of collimating elements being oriented within said open area such that the first end of one of said plurality of collimating elements is aligned in the machine direction with the second end of another of said plurality of collimating elements. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification