Patent Grant
7963708
Reference is made to commonly-assigned copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/371,667, filed Feb. 16, 2009, entitled DEVELOPER WASTE REUSE, by Marom et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein.
This present invention relates to an apparatus and method for reducing carbonization of developer liquid in a plate developer.
Printing plates are imaged on special opto-mechanical plate setters. The imaged plates undergo a chemical development process which is usually performed by a plate developing device 100 shown in
During the filling of the developer tank with developer liquid 108, air 132 may cause carbonization of liquid 108. The carbonization of the developer liquid results in degraded performance of the plate developing process. The intention of this invention is to prevent, or substantially reduce, the carbonization of the developer liquid inside the plate developing machinery.
Briefly, according to one aspect of the present invention an apparatus minimizes carbonization of developer liquid within a printing plate developer device.
The apparatus includes at least one open tank containing developer waste positioned in proximity to a plate developer tank inside a developer device, and a replenishment element. The replenishment element is configured to replenish at least one open tank with developer waste. The developer waste traps air in proximity to the printing plate developer tank. The waste developer generates a carbonization reaction and prevents or reduces carbonization of developer liquid in the developer tank.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is applicable to other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The carbonization of the plate developer liquid 108 occurs in the open areas of plate developer tank 104 top surface. Portions of plate developer liquid 108 are spilled over from the top surface spill over barrier 124 via conduit 120 into waste liquid tank 116. Fresh portions of plate developer liquid 108 will be replenished into plate developer tank 104, to compensate for the wasted liquid portions.
Open containers 204 are filled with developer waste 148 directly from plate developer tank 104 when liquid is spilled over barrier 124 into open container 204. Spilled over developer waste liquid 148 may spill over barrier 208 from open container 204 trough spill over conduit 216 into waste liquid tank 116.
Open containers 220 may be placed directly over the top surface of plate developer liquid 108 where developer waste 148 is replenished into open container 220 through replenishment conduit 212 from waste liquid tank 116.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as are commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods are described herein.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and includes both combinations and sub-combinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof, which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3774521 | Beck | Nov 1973 | A |
| 6149320 | Ichikawa et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 7024996 | Sasayama | Apr 2006 | B2 |
| 7153045 | Ginther | Dec 2006 | B2 |
| 7854558 | Marom et al. | Dec 2010 | B2 |
