Apparatus for thermal development with supporting surface for a development medium

1. An apparatus for forming a relief pattern from a photosensitive element having an exterior surface and containing a composition layer capable of being partially liquefied comprising:

means for heating the exterior surface to a temperature sufficient to cause a portion of the layer to partially liquefy;

means for supporting a development medium to provide contact with the exterior surface adjacent the partially liquefied portion; and

means for providing relative movement between the development medium and the means for supporting to cause the development medium to traverse the means for supporting;

wherein the means for supporting comprises a non-rotating surface that contacts a side of the development medium opposite the partially liquefied portion, and wherein the non-rotating surface is resistant to displacement under operating forces encountered during formation of the relief pattern, and

wherein the means for supporting further comprises means for pressing the photosensitive element and the development medium into contact at a pressure sufficient for at least a portion of the liquefied material of the composition layer to be absorbed and removed in depth by the development medium, to form the relief pattern on the element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for supporting comprises a non-cylindrical support member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for supporting further comprises a support member having a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of elliptical, arcuate, parabolic, circular, semi-circular, wedge, triangular, rectangular, and polygonal shapes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for supporting further comprises a support member having a means for providing heat to the support member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-rotating surface is selected from the group consisting of planar surfaces and arcuate surfaces.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the non-rotating surface is arcuate, and selected from the group consisting of convex surfaces and concave surfaces, wherein the concave surfaces conform to a portion of the exterior surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-rotating surface comprises a radius of curvature less than 40 millimeters.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-rotating surface comprises a radius of curvature between 8 and 15 millimeters.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-rotating surface comprises a projecting edge about which the development medium traverses.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for supporting comprises more than one non-rotating surface each having a radius of curvature, wherein each radius of curvature can be the same or different.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for supporting 5 comprises a support member having more than one non-rotating surface, the apparatus further comprising means for indexing the support member to position each of the more than one non-rotating surface adjacent the exterior surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for supporting comprises a support member having a semi-circular cross-sectional shape and having a cylindrical surface portion coinciding with the non-rotating surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the means for supporting further comprises means for buttressing the support member.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the cylindrical surface portion has a radius of curvature less than 40 millimeters.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for supporting comprises a support member having a circular cross-sectional shape and having a cylindrical surface portion coinciding with the non-rotating surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for buttressing the support means opposite the non-rotating surface.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising

means for supporting the photosensitive element; and

means for delivering the development medium to the exterior surface.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for moving the means for supporting.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for removing the development medium from the exterior surface.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for applying tension to the development medium.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the photosensitive element is a photopolymerizable printing element.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for heating is selected from the group consisting of

a first heating means that applies heat to the exterior surface of the composition layer adjacent where the development medium contacts the layer, the first heating adapted to heat the exterior surface of the layer;

a second heating means to heat the means for supporting 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 to heat the means for supporting the photosensitive element to a temperature capable of heating the exterior surface of the composition layer;

combination of the first heating means and the second heating means;

combination of the first heating means and the third heating means;

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.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-rotating surface is stationary.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-rotating surface moves less than one revolution about an axis.