JP2000181043A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cope with plural sizes of sheet type recording material and to eliminate the need of interrupting image-forming processing, even if the recording material is rans out in a tray by providing plural paper supply trays, with recording material supplied. SOLUTION: Each tray 100 of a recording medium supply part 12 is equipped with a presser means, capable of moving positionally corresponding to each size and supporting the edge of a recording sheet A, so that it copes with the change of the size. When the sheet A having the different size is housed, the desired size of the sheet A is designated by the use of an operation means provided in an image recorder 10, and the tray is selected. Thus, a series of image processings is not interrupted, until using up the sheets A in the tray 100 run out. Furthermore, the first tray which is empty is prepared, being replenished with the sheets A after finishing a series of image processing, so that it is ready to be switched over again, whereby a series of image processings is prevented from being interrupted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly to an image recording apparatus including a step of heating a sheet-like recording material for visualization.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Digital radiography systems,
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an image recording apparatus for recording medical images such as CT and MR, a wet system for obtaining a reproduced image by performing wet processing after photographing or recording on a silver halide photographic photosensitive material has been used. On the other hand, in recent years, there is an image recording apparatus which does not include wet processing using a photothermographic material and includes a step of heating a sheet-like recording material for visualization.

[0003] As such an image recording apparatus, there is an image recording apparatus of a thermal development system using a dry system, and this dry system will be briefly described below. In the image recording apparatus of the thermal development type, first, for example, a laser light beam modulated by a laser modulation section based on image data is applied to a recording medium (a film such as a photothermographic material) in an exposure section.
(Scan) to form a latent image. Thereafter, the exposed recording medium (having the latent image formed thereon) is brought into contact with a heating means in a heat developing section to carry out heat development to obtain a developed film on which a predetermined image is formed. There is also an image recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium (for example, a thermosensitive recording material) using a thermal head or the like.

[0004] The image recording apparatus of this heat development type (especially,
A dry system using a photothermographic material has the following features. It has better image quality consistency than conventional wet silver halide photography. (There is no change in developing conditions due to deterioration of the developing solution and fixing solution, temperature change, etc.) The operating cost is lower than in the conventional method. (It does not use a developing solution, a fixing solution, and water, does not need to have a stock of a developing solution and the like, does not generate a developing waste solution, and is easy to maintain.) The equipment cost is smaller than the conventional system. (There is no need for water piping, exhaust pipes, and dark rooms for equipment, and no silver collection device is required.) The burden on users and workers can be reduced. (Routine maintenance such as various liquid management such as a wet developing machine is unnecessary,
No pollution or odor. )

[0005]

A heat development type image recording apparatus using a dry system having the above-mentioned features as compared with a wet system is required. ing. Here, when performing the above-described series of heat development processing, the recording material is transported from a tray mounted on the image recording apparatus to the exposure unit, and from the exposure unit to the heat development unit via a transport roller or the like. In such a configuration, when a different size of the recording material is required, an operation of replacing the tray is required. Further, if the number of sheets of recording material in the tray is small and a larger number of sheets are requested, the operation is temporarily stopped during the image forming process, and the recording material must be supplied to the tray each time. Did not.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an image forming apparatus which can cope with recording materials of a plurality of sizes and does not need to interrupt the image forming process even when the recording material in the tray runs out. It is intended to provide.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, an image recording apparatus according to the present invention is an image recording apparatus comprising a step of heating a sheet-like recording material for visualization.
The apparatus is provided with a plurality of paper feed trays containing the sheet-like recording material. Further, the sheet-like recording material can be a photothermal recording material. Further, the sheet-like recording material can be a heat-sensitive recording material.

That is, according to the image recording apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to set a configuration in which films of different sizes can be set in a plurality of paper feed trays containing the sheet-like recording material, respectively. There is no need to replace the work. Further, for example, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a change in the size of the recording material is instructed by an operation means or the like provided in the image recording apparatus, and the tray is automatically changed. Further, when the same type of recording material is put in these plural trays, after the recording material in one tray is completed, the supply of the recording material in the next tray is started.
Thus, a series of image processing is not interrupted. The photothermal recording material is a recording material in which an image is recorded as a latent image by light and visualized by heat,
The heat-sensitive recording material is a recording material that is used as a final recorded image only by heat.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the image recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. First, the configuration of the thermal development recording device 10 as an image recording device will be described. In this embodiment, the heat development recording apparatus 10 uses a heat development photosensitive material (hereinafter, referred to as a recording sheet A) that does not require a wet developing process, and scans the recording sheet A by scanning exposure using a laser beam L. This is a device that obtains a visible image by performing heat development after forming a latent image by exposing to light. The thermal development recording apparatus 10 basically includes a recording medium supply unit 12, a width shift unit 14, an image exposure unit 16
And a thermal developing section 18, and the recording sheet A is transported by transport rollers shown by circles in the figure.

The recording medium supply section 12 has, for example, two tiers. The recording sheets A (for example, B4 size and half cut size) loaded in each tier through the tray 100 in the respective insides 22 and 24 are provided. It can be used selectively. The recording sheet A is a recording medium on which an image is recorded (exposed) by a laser beam L and then developed by heat to develop a color. In response to a print command, one sheet of the recording sheet A in the tray 100 selected by the suckers 26 and 28 of the sheet-feeding mechanism is taken out from the upper part of the stacking state 80 with the lid of the tray 100 opened, and is moved downstream in the transport direction. The sheet is guided by the supply roller pairs 30 and 32, the conveyance roller pairs 34 and 36, and the conveyance guides 38, 40, and 42, and is conveyed to the width shifter 14.

The width shifter 14 adjusts the position of the recording sheet A in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (hereinafter referred to as a radiation direction) so that the position of the recording sheet A in the main scanning direction in the downstream image exposure unit 16 is adjusted. Then, the recording sheet A is conveyed to the downstream image exposure unit 16 by the conveyance roller pair 44 after removing the so-called side resist. The image exposure unit 16
The recording sheet A is exposed imagewise by a light beam, and includes an exposure unit 46 and a sub-scanning conveyance unit 48.

The recording sheet A on which the latent image has been recorded in the image exposure section 16 is then transferred to a pair of conveying rollers 64, 66, 1
32, and is conveyed to the thermal developing unit 18.
The heat developing section 18 heats the recording sheet A,
The plate heater 320 inside is a plate-shaped heating member in which a heating element such as a nichrome wire is laid and accommodated in a planar shape, and is a recording sheet. A is maintained at the developing temperature.

Further, as shown in FIG.
Is upwardly convex, a supply roller 326 as a transfer means for moving the recording sheet A relative to the plate heater 320 while making the recording sheet A contact the surface of the plate heater 320, and a transfer roller 326 from the plate heater 320 to the recording sheet A. For heat transfer, the holding roller 322 is
0 is disposed on the lower surface side. The pressing roller 32
A heat retaining cover 325 for keeping the temperature is provided on the side opposite to the second plate heater 320.

With such a configuration, the recording sheet A passes between the pressing roller 322 and the plate heater 320 by the drive and transfer of the pair of rollers 326, is thermally developed by heat treatment, and a latent image recorded by exposure is formed. It becomes a visual image. At this time, the leading end of the recording sheet A is
Since the recording sheet A is conveyed so as to be pressed against the recording sheet A, buckling of the recording sheet A can be prevented.

The above description has been made with respect to an apparatus using a plate heater. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may employ another type of heat development, for example, a heat drum + belt type. Needless to say, this may be done. The recording sheet A discharged from the thermal developing unit 18 is guided by a guide plate 142 by a pair of conveying rollers 140,
The paper is collected and delivered to the tray 146 from the discharge roller pair 144.

Each tray 100 of the recording medium supply section 12 is provided with a holding means capable of moving the position corresponding to each size and supporting the edge of the recording sheet A, so as to cope with a change in size. are doing. When the recording sheets A having different sizes are accommodated as described above, a desired size of the recording sheets A is instructed by operating means (not shown) provided in the image recording apparatus 10, and tray selection is performed. Is done. Further, since the size of the recorded image can be based on the image data in the image exposure unit 16, the size can be automatically set based on this data.

On the other hand, when the same type of recording sheets A are to be placed in the plurality of trays 100, at least one of the trays is provided with an in-tray sheet detection sensor (not shown).
In the processing control of the image recording apparatus 10, after the recording sheet A in the tray is completed, it is possible to set so as to perform a control of starting the supply from the tray in which the recording sheet A is sufficiently stored. As a result, a series of image processing is not interrupted until the recording sheet A on this tray runs out. The first empty tray is replenished with the recording sheet A after the end of the series of image processing and is prepared to be switched again, so that the interruption of the series of image processing can be always prevented.

A photothermographic material which is a dry silver material used as the recording sheet A in the first embodiment will be described below. The photothermographic material includes, from the laser beam incident side, a PC layer as a surface protective layer for protecting the image forming layer and preventing adhesion, an Em layer as an emulsion layer for forming an image, and a support layer. It is composed of a PET layer which usually uses PET, and a back (BC) layer (in some cases, an antihalation AH layer is provided).

The Em layer is an image forming layer in which at least 50% of the binder is composed of latex on the side of the support layer where the laser beam L is incident, and contains a reducing agent of an organic silver salt. When the image forming layer is exposed by the incidence of the laser beam L, a photocatalyst such as photosensitive silver halide forms a latent image nucleus, and when heated, the silver of the organic silver salt ionized by the action of the reducing agent is formed. Move to combine with the photosensitive silver halide to form crystalline silver, forming an image. Examples of the organic silver salt include a silver salt of an organic acid, preferably a silver salt of a long-chain fatty carboxylic acid having 10 to 30 carbon atoms, and an organic or silver ligand having a complex stability constant of 4.0 to 10.0. Examples of inorganic silver salt complexes include, specifically, silver behenate, silver arachidate, silver stearate, silver oleate, silver laurate, silver caproate, silver myristate, silver palmitate, silver maleate, and silver maleate.
Examples thereof include silver fumarate, silver tartrate, silver linoleate, silver butyrate, and silver camphorate. The image forming layer of the recording medium contains a substance that becomes a photocatalyst upon exposure, for example, photosensitive silver halide (hereinafter, referred to as silver halide).

In order to improve the optical density, an additive known as a toning agent is preferably added to the image forming layer of the recording medium or another layer on the same surface as the image forming layer, preferably in an amount of 0.1% per mol of silver. About 1 mol% to 50 mol% may be contained. Note that the color tone agent may be a precursor that is derivatized so as to have a function effectively only during development. As the color tone agent, various known colorants used for recording media can be used, and specifically, phthalimide compounds such as phthalimide and N-hydroxyphthalimide; cyclic imides such as succinimide and pyrazolin-5-one; Naphthalimides such as -hydroxy-1,8-naphthalimide;
Cobalt complexes such as cobalt hexamine trifluoroacetate; mercaptans such as 3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole and 2,4-dimercaptopyrimidine; phthalazinone derivatives such as 4- (1-naphthyl) phthalazinone and metal salts thereof Are added to the coating solution as a solution, powder, or solid fine particle dispersion.

As the sensitizing dye, any dye can be used as long as it can spectrally sensitize the silver halide grains in a desired wavelength range when adsorbed on the silver halide grains. To add sensitizing dyes to the silver halide emulsion, they may be dispersed directly in the emulsion, or may be dispersed in water, methanol,
Ethanol, N, N-dimethylformamide or the like may be added to the emulsion alone or in a mixed solution.

The surface protective PC layer is formed of an anti-adhesion material, for example, wax, silica particles, styrene-5 elastomeric block copolymer (such as styrene-butadiene-styrene), cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and cellulose propionate. Etc. are used.

When an antihalation dye is used, the dye has a desired absorption in the wavelength range, has a sufficiently low absorption in the visible region after treatment, and has an antihalation A
Any compound may be used as long as a preferable absorbance spectrum shape of the H layer can be obtained. For example, the following are disclosed, but the invention is not limited thereto. As a single dye, JP-A Nos. 7-11432 and 7-132 can be used.
Compounds disclosed in each publication of No. 95 are exemplified,
JP-A-52-139136 discloses a dye which is decolorized by the treatment.
And the compounds disclosed in JP-A-7-199409. This recording medium preferably has an image forming layer on one side of the support and a back layer on the other side.

A matting agent may be added to the back BC layer to improve transportability. The matting agent is generally fine particles of an organic or inorganic compound insoluble in water. Preferred examples of the organic compound include polymethyl acrylate, methyl cellulose, carboxy starch, and carboxynitrophenyl starch as examples of the water-dispersible vinyl polymer. Examples of the inorganic compound include silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, magnesium dioxide, and aluminum oxide. Barium sulfate and the like are preferably exemplified.

As the binder for forming the back layer,
Preferably, various colorless, transparent or translucent resins can be used, and examples thereof include gelatin, gum arabic, polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxyethylcellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butylate, casein, starch, and poly (meth). Acrylic acid, polymethyl methacrylic acid, polyvinyl chloride and the like are exemplified. The back layer preferably has a maximum absorption of 0.3 to 2 in a desired wavelength range. If necessary, an antihalation dye used in the antihalation layer may be added.

Although the recording material sheet A is a photothermographic material, the present invention is not limited to the construction described in the above-described embodiment, but may be any of various other types in which an image is recorded as a latent image by light and visualized by heat. There is a dry development method using a photothermal recording material, and more specifically, the following method and a recording material used therefor. (1) An image corresponding to the latent image formed on the photosensitive material by the exposure is formed on the image receiving material by superposing the imagewise exposed photosensitive material on the image receiving material and heating (and pressing if necessary). Transfer method (for example, see JP-A-5-11
3629, JP-A-9-258404, JP-A-9-6
1978, JP-A-8-62803, JP-A-10-7
No. 1740, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-152705, Japanese Patent Application No.
90181, Japanese Patent Application No. 10-13326, Japanese Patent Application No. 10
-18172).

(2) A method in which an image corresponding to a latent image formed on the photosensitive material by exposure is formed on the photosensitive material by superposing the imagewise exposed photosensitive material on the processing material and heating the material (for example, Systems described in JP-A-9-274295 and Japanese Patent Application No. 10-17192).

(3) A photosensitive material having a photosensitive layer in which a silver halide acting as a photocatalyst, a silver salt acting as an image forming substance, a reducing agent for silver ions, and the like are dispersed in a binder, is imagewise exposed. A method of visualizing a latent image formed by exposure by heating to a predetermined temperature (for example, "Thermally Processed Silver System" by B. Shely
s) "(Imaging Processes and Materials Neblette 8th edition, Sturge, V. Walwort
h), A. Edited by Shepp, page 2, 1996
Year), Research Disclosure 17029 (1978), EP
803764A1, EP803765A1, and a method described in JP-A-8-211151).

(4) A method using a light- and heat-sensitive recording material, wherein the light- and heat-sensitive recording layer is the same as the electron-donating colorless dye encapsulated in the thermo-responsive microcapsules, and the same molecule in addition to the microcapsules. A method using a recording material containing a compound having an electron-accepting portion and a polymerizable vinyl monomer portion and a photopolymerization initiator (for example, a method described in JP-A-4-249251) or a photosensitive and heat-sensitive recording layer, A system using a recording material containing an electron-donating colorless dye encapsulated in a thermoresponsive microcapsule and an electron-accepting compound, a polymerizable vinyl monomer and a photopolymerization initiator in addition to the microcapsule (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. No. 4-211252). In this specification, the above (1),
In the dry development method (2), a small amount of water may be used to promote development or image formation.

Next, an image recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. A thermal image recording device 212 is shown as this image recording device,
In this embodiment, a heat-sensitive recording material (hereinafter, referred to as a heat-sensitive sheet B) that does not require a wet developing process is used, and a heat-sensitive sheet B is used to record a heat-sensitive image. Then, the loading unit 21 for loading the tray 224 in which the thermal sheet B taken out from the thermal recording sheet package (hereinafter, referred to as a package) 210 is stored.
4, supply / conveyance section 216, recording / conveyance section 218, recording section 220 where thermal head 266 is arranged, and discharge section 22
2.

The tray 224 accommodates the heat-sensitive sheet B and is loaded in the loading section 214 of the recording device 212. Loading unit 21
4 is loaded into a predetermined position of the recording device 212 by being pushed to a position where it contacts the insertion port 230 formed in the housing 228 of the recording device 212, the guide plate 232, the guide roll 234, and the stop member 236. The supply / transportation means 216 includes a tray 224 loaded in the loading section 214.
And transports the sheet B to the recording transport unit 218 downstream in the transport direction, and includes a suction mechanism, a transport unit 242, and a transport guide 244. Conveying means 24
Reference numeral 2 conveys the heat-sensitive sheet B downstream by nipping the leading end of the heat-sensitive sheet B sheet-fed by the suction cup 240 between the conveyance roller 246 and the nip roller 250.

In the recording device 212, when a recording start instruction is issued, the cover 22 is opened and closed by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown).
6 is opened, and the sheet feeding mechanism using the suction cup 240
The leading end of the heat-sensitive sheet B is supplied from 24 to the conveying means 242. The supplied heat-sensitive sheet B is guided by the conveyance guide 244 while the recording means 21
8. When the heat-sensitive sheet B is nipped by the transport roller 246 and the nip roller 250,
The suction by the suction cup 240 is released, and when the heat-sensitive sheet B to be used for recording is completely discharged from the tray 224, the lid 226 is closed by the opening / closing means.

Further, another tray 2 of the same type as the tray 224
Reference numeral 92 stores the heat-sensitive sheet B and is loaded in the loading section 294 of the recording device 212. The transport unit 290 is a transport unit 242
And an endless belt or the like using the same sucker 298 as the one described above. The heat-sensitive sheet B conveyed by the conveyance means 290 is guided by the conveyance guide 202,
Transport guide 244 for heat-sensitive sheet B from tray 224
After that, the sheet is guided by the conveyance guide 244 and conveyed to the recording conveyance section 218.

The recording conveyance section 218 includes a regulating roller pair 25.
2. The heat-sensitive sheet B has a pair of conveying rollers 256 and a guide 258. First, the leading end of the heat-sensitive sheet B reaches the pair of regulating rollers 252. Therefore, the distance from the conveying means 242 defined by the conveying guide 244 to the regulating roller pair 252 is set to be slightly shorter than the length of the heat-sensitive sheet B in the conveying direction. The regulating roller pair 252 is initially stopped,
When the leading end of the heat-sensitive sheet B reaches the regulating roller pair 252, if the temperature of the thermal head 266 is a predetermined temperature, the conveyance of the heat-sensitive sheet B by the regulating roller pair 252 is started, and the heat-sensitive sheet B is guided by the guide 258. Recording unit 22
Transported to zero.

The recording section 220 includes a thermal head 266,
It has a platen roller 260, a fan 276 for cooling the thermal head 266, and a guide 262. The thermal head 266 is supported by a support member 268 that is rotatable around a fulcrum 268a in the direction of arrow a and in the opposite direction.
Before the heat-sensitive sheet B is conveyed, the support member 268 is rotated upward (in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow a), and the thermal head 266 and the platen roller 260 are not in contact with each other.
When the leading end of the heat-sensitive sheet B is conveyed to the recording start position by the recording conveyance unit 218, the support member 268 rotates in the direction of arrow a, and the heat-sensitive sheet B is held between the thermal head 266 and the platen roller 260. The thermal head 266 heats each recording dot on the head according to the recording image while holding the thermal sheet B at a predetermined position by the platen roller 260 and transporting the thermal sheet B to the downstream. Is done.

The heat-sensitive sheet B on which the heat-sensitive image recording has been completed is
While being guided by the guide 262, the sheet is conveyed to the platen roller 260 and the conveying roller pair 263, and is discharged to the tray 272 of the discharge section 222. The tray 272 is located in the housing 2
28, is discharged to the outside through a discharge port 274 formed in
Taken out.

Each tray 2 of the loading sections 214 and 294
24, 292 are provided with holding means capable of moving the position corresponding to each size and supporting the edge of the heat-sensitive sheet B, and responding to a change in size. When the heat-sensitive sheets B having different sizes are accommodated, a desired size of the heat-sensitive sheets B is instructed by operating means (not shown) provided in the image recording apparatus 212, and the tray is selected. Further, since the size of the image to be recorded can be based on the image data in the recording unit 220, the size can be automatically set based on this data.

On the other hand, when the same type of heat-sensitive sheet B is placed in the plurality of trays 214 and 294, at least one of the trays has an in-tray sheet detection sensor (not shown).
In the processing control of the image recording apparatus 212, it is possible to set such that after the recording sheet B in this tray is completed, the control for starting the supply from the tray in which the heat-sensitive sheet B is sufficiently stored is performed. . As a result, a series of image processing is not interrupted until the heat-sensitive sheet B on the tray runs out. The first tray that is empty is replenished with the heat-sensitive sheet B after the end of the series of image processing and is prepared to be switched again, so that the interruption of the series of image processing can always be prevented.

The heat-sensitive recording material used as the heat-sensitive sheet B in the second embodiment will be described below. This heat-sensitive recording material is, for example, a material described in Japanese Patent Application No. 62-88197, and is a heat-sensitive recording material in which a support is provided with a microcapsule containing at least a color former and a heat-sensitive layer having a developer. Using a colorless or pale-colored basic dye precursor as a color former, dissolving at least the developer in an organic solvent that is hardly soluble or insoluble in water, and then applying a coating agent comprising an emulsified dispersion and an emulsified dispersion and the microcapsules Was adjusted and coated on a support and dried.

[0040]

As described above, the image recording apparatus according to the present invention is an image recording apparatus including a step of heating a sheet-shaped recording material for visualization. By providing the tray, it is possible to set a film of a different size in each of the plurality of paper feed trays, and it is not necessary to exchange trays when the recording material size is changed. Further, for example, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a change in the size of the recording material is instructed by an operation means or the like provided in the image recording apparatus, and the tray is automatically changed. Further, when the same type of recording material is put in these plural trays, after the recording material in one tray is completed, the supply of the recording material in the next tray is started. This makes it possible to provide an image recording apparatus in which a series of image processing is not interrupted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 212 Image recording device 12 Recording medium supply unit 14 Width adjustment unit 16 Exposure unit 18 Thermal development unit 132 Dust roller 140 Transport roller 144 Discharge roller 214, 294 Loading unit 216 Supply / conveyance unit 218 Recording / conveyance unit 220 Recording unit 222 Ejection unit 320 Plate heater 322 Pressing roller A Photothermographic material (recording medium) B Thermal sheet L Laser beam

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image recording apparatus including a step of heating a sheet-like recording material for visualization, comprising: a plurality of paper feed trays containing the sheet-like recording material. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sheet-like recording material is made of a photothermal recording material. 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sheet-like recording material comprises a heat-sensitive recording material.