Apparatus for forming a printing form having a cylindrical support

Abstract

The invention pertains to an apparatus and a process for forming a printing form from a photosensitive element having a cylindrical support, and in particular, to an apparatus and a process for thermally treating the photosensitive element to form a relief pattern and particularly to form a cylindrically-shaped flexographic printing form. The apparatus and process includes supporting the cylindrical support to accommodate thermal treating of photosensitive elements with various sizes of the cylindrical support.

1 . An apparatus for forming a printing form from a photosensitive element comprising a cylindrical support and a composition layer adjacent the support opposite an interior surface of the support, the composition layer capable of being partially liquefied, comprising:
 first means for supporting the photosensitive element by contacting a first part of the interior surface of the cylindrical support;   second means for supporting the photosensitive element by contacting a second part of the interior surface of the cylindrical support different from the first part, wherein the cylindrical support has one or more unsupported parts between the first part and the second part; and   means for treating an exterior surface of the photosensitive element opposite the support to form a relief surface in the element.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising means for heating the composition layer to a temperature sufficient to cause a portion of the layer to liquefy. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the means for treating comprises means for contacting a development medium to the exterior surface. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the means for contacting comprises means for supplying the development medium to the exterior surface of the element. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the means for contacting comprises means for delivering the exterior surface of the element to the development medium. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the development medium contacts the exterior surface adjacent the first means for supporting. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 3  further comprising means for separating the photosensitive element from the development medium. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising:
 means for pressing the photosensitive element and a development medium into contact at a pressure sufficient for at least a portion of the liquefied material to be absorbed by the development medium.   
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising means for heating the composition layer to a temperature sufficient to cause a portion of the layer to liquefy and wherein the means for treating is selected from the group consisting of air stream, liquid stream, and vacuum. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first part and the second part are opposite or substantially opposite each other. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising means for providing relative movement between the first means and the second means. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first means is stationary and the second means is moveable relative to the first means. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising means for moving the second means for supporting. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a means for moving the second means for supporting comprising: a moving assembly comprising an arm having one end pivotally mounted to the apparatus and an opposite end engaging an end of the second support means, and an actuating device coupled to the arm. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising means for tensioning the cylindrical support between the first means and second means. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising means for loading and unloading the cylindrical support about the first means for supporting and the second means for supporting. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising means for providing relative movement between the first means for supporting and a means for supplying a development medium to the exterior surface. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a carriage assembly comprising a carriage having mounted thereon at least the first supporting means and a motor-driven spindle which is rotated to move the carriage and thereby position the first supporting means relative to the means for treating. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the photosensitive element has an axial length and the first means supports the first part along the axial length of the element. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the photosensitive element has an axial length and the second means supports the second part along the axial length. 
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first means for supporting comprises a roller. 
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  further comprising means for rotating the roller. 
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the roller has an outer circumferential surface, the apparatus further comprising means for increasing the circumference of the outer surface. 
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the roller is an air-shaft having radial passages for supplying air to an outer circumferential surface of the roller. 
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 24  further comprising an adapter sleeve mounted to the air-shaft. 
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein the adapter sleeve comprises a resilient layer. 
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein the adapter sleeve comprises a resilient layer as an outermost circumferential surface. 
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the second means for supporting has an outer surface having an arcuate shape contacting the second part. 
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the second means for supporting is selected from the group consisting of a roller and a platform member. 
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the second means for supporting comprises a platform member having an arcuate outer surface. 
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 30  wherein the outer surface of the platform member has a fixed curvature. 
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 30  wherein the outer surface of the platform member has a changeable curvature that can conform or substantially conform to a curvature of the interior surface of the cylindrical support. 
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 30  wherein the platform member is segmented in at least two parts that are flexibly coupled together. 
   
   
       34 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the outer surface of the second means for supporting is a layer of a reduced friction material. 
   
   
       35 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the means for treating comprises means for supplying a development medium to the exterior surface of the element wherein the means for supplying is selected from the group consisting of a roll and a non-cylindrical supplying member. 
   
   
       36 . The apparatus of  claim 31  wherein the non-cylindrical supplying member has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of elliptical, arcuate, parabolic, circular, semi-circular, wedge, triangular, rectangular, and polygonal shapes. 
   
   
       37 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising means for heating the composition layer to a temperature sufficient to cause a portion of the layer to liquefy, wherein the heating means is selected from the group consisting of
 a first heating means for applying heat to the exterior surface of the composition layer adjacent where a development medium contacts the layer;   a second heating means for heating a means for supplying the development medium to a temperature capable of heating the exterior surface of the composition layer while the development medium is contacting the exterior surface of the layer;   a third heating means for heating the first means for supporting to a temperature capable of heating the exterior surface of the composition layer;   a combination of the first heating means and the second heating means;   a combination of the first heating means and the third heating means;   a combination of the second heating means and the third heating means; and   combination of the first heating means, the second heating means, and the third heating means,   wherein the first heating means, the second heating means, and the third heating means, individually or in the above combinations, is capable of heating the exterior surface of the composition layer sufficiently to cause a portion of the layer to liquefy.   
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 37  wherein the first heating means comprises an infrared heating device. 
   
   
       39 . The apparatus of  claim 37  further comprising at least one sensor for sensing at least one of the temperatures of the means for heating, and a controller to maintain the at least one sensed temperature at predetermined temperature. 
   
   
       40 . The apparatus of  claim 37  wherein the means for heating is a combination of the first heating means and the second heating means. 
   
   
       41 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising means for cooling the photosensitive element. 
   
   
       42 . The apparatus of  claim 41  wherein the cooling means is selected from the group consisting of
 a first cooling means for cooling the first means for supporting;   a second cooling means for cooling the second means for supporting; and   a combination of the first cooling means and the second cooling means.   
   
   
       43 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the second means for supporting includes a cavity for transporting a temperature controlled fluid. 
   
   
       44 . The apparatus of  claim 43  wherein the temperature controlled fluid is water. 
   
   
       45 . The apparatus of  claim 44  wherein the water cools an outer surface of the second means for supporting, and thereby cools the second part of the interior surface of the cylindrical support. 
   
   
       46 . The apparatus of  claim 44  wherein the water heats an outer surface of the second means for supporting, and thereby heats the second part of the interior surface of the cylindrical support. 
   
   
       47 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 means for heating the composition layer to a temperature sufficient to cause a portion of the layer to liquefy, and   means for contacting a development medium to the exterior surface.   
   
   
       48 . The apparatus of  claim 47  wherein the first means for supporting is a roller, and the means for contacting is a hot roil for supplying a web of the development medium. 
   
   
       49 . The apparatus of  claim 48  further comprising means for synchronizing a linear speed of the exterior surface of the photosensitive element rotating on the roller with a linear speed of the web transporting on the hot roll. 
   
   
       50 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first means for supporting and the second means for supporting are mounted on a first frame of the apparatus, and the means for treating is mounted on a second frame of the apparatus, wherein the first frame and second frame are each a module removable from the apparatus. 
   
   
       51 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising means for rotating the cylindrical support about the first means for supporting and the second means for supporting. 
   
   
       52 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the means for treating comprises:
 means for contacting a development medium to the exterior surface of the photosensitive element opposite the support, comprising a supplying member; and   means for heating the exterior surface of the composition layer to a temperature sufficient to cause a portion of the layer to liquefy.   
   
   
       53 . The apparatus of  claim 52  further comprising means for rotating the roller and means for synchronizing a linear speed of the exterior surface with a linear speed of a web of the development medium. 
   
   
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