JP2001125207A - Optical shutter type exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical shutter type exposure device which is made higher in light control resolving power by light control filters while the light control filters of the same color density are used, in an optical shutter type exposure device provided with a light source for forming a luminous flux, plural optical shutter elements for exposing photosensitive materials in accordance with instructed image information, a condensing means for condensing the luminous flux and sending the condensed luminous flux to the optical shutter elements, the light control filters which are arranged in the luminous flux and are capable of regulating a light wavelength distribution, and a filter drive means for changing the advance quantity of the light control filters into the luminous fluxes. SOLUTION: The light control filters 20 are arranged in the positions on the upstream side from the condensing means 18 on the course for the luminous fluxes so as to advance into the luminous flux LB1 of a greater cross-sectional area.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical shutter type exposure apparatus, and more particularly, to a light source capable of forming a light beam and a light source for exposing a photosensitive material with the light beam based on designated image information. A plurality of light shutter elements, a light condensing means for condensing the light beam and sending the light beam to the light shutter element, and a dimming filter which can be arranged in the light beam to adjust a light wavelength distribution held by the light beam And an optical shutter type exposure apparatus provided with filter driving means for changing an amount of the light control filter entering the light flux.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the above-mentioned optical shutter type exposure apparatus, in order to compensate for a shortage of light quantity which tends to occur when light from a light source lamp is directly input to an input section of an optical shutter element,
The light emitted from the side of the lamp is collected by a converging mirror behind the lamp to form a light beam of light rays nearly parallel, and the light beam is further condensed by a condenser lens such as a convex lens provided as a condensing means. Thus, the light is input to a glass light guide rod provided as an input portion of the optical shutter element. As a result, the light beam having a relatively large cross-sectional area from the light source consisting of the light source lamp and the condensing mirror is largely condensed to a light beam having a small cross-sectional area comparable to the input portion of the optical shutter element by the convex lens as the light condensing means. Then, a light beam whose light amount per unit area is sufficiently increased is input to the input section of the optical shutter element. Generally, between the light source lamp and the optical shutter element, R, G, B (or Y, M,
A light control filter such as C) is disposed. These dimming filters have a function of adjusting the light wavelength distribution of the irradiation light from the light source lamp to match the characteristics of the photographic paper as the object to which the image is finally exposed. In addition, these dimming filters are configured so that the amount of light entering the light flux can be changed by the filter driving means, so that the irradiation light from the light source lamp can be finely adjusted. Conventionally, the dimming filter has been disposed on the downstream side of the convex lens as the light collecting means with respect to the path of the light beam emitted from the light source lamp.

[0003]

In the above-described optical shutter type exposure apparatus, the dimming filter is configured so as to diminish the light beam condensed by the convex lens. Greatly affects the subsequent light wavelength distribution,
As a result, it is difficult to control the amount of light entering the light flux of the light control filter by the filter driving means in a sufficiently fine manner. In other words, there is a problem that the light control resolution is low, and there is room for improvement.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a light shutter type exposure apparatus according to the prior art, which has the above-mentioned drawbacks.
An object of the present invention is to provide an optical shutter type exposure apparatus in which the dimming resolution by a dimming filter is further enhanced.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an optical shutter type exposure apparatus according to the present invention has the characteristic configuration described in claim 1. Incidentally, the optical shutter type exposure apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention is:
The light control filter is arranged so as to enter the light beam at a position on the path of the light beam upstream of the light collecting means.

[0006] In order to have such a characteristic configuration,
In the optical shutter type exposure apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the dimming filter is configured to diminish a light beam from a light source constituted by, for example, a light source lamp and a reflection mirror before being converged by the convex lens. Therefore, the influence of the fixed amount of insertion and removal of the dimming filter on the light wavelength distribution after dimming is smaller than in the conventional configuration in which the dimming filter is arranged downstream of the convex lens. An optical shutter system equipped with a dimming filter having a high dimming resolution while using a dimming filter having the same color density as that of the related art while enabling a sufficiently fine control of the amount of light entering the dimming filter by the filter driving means. An exposure apparatus was obtained.

[0007] Other features and advantages of the present invention include:
The description will become apparent from the description of the embodiment using the drawings.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of a printer processor known as a so-called digital minilab machine, and FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the same. The digital print section 5 of the printer processor employs an optical shutter type exposure apparatus according to the present invention.

(Schematic Configuration of Printer Processor) The printer processor employs a digital exposure system.
Here, a film scanner unit 3 for reading a photographed image from an image frame of a developed photographic film (hereinafter simply referred to as a film) 1 and digital image data read through the film scanner unit 3 are processed to generate print data. A controller 7, a digital printing unit 5 for exposing an image corresponding to the frame image to the photographic paper 2 based on the print data, and a development processing unit 6 for developing the exposed photographic paper 2 are provided. The photographic paper 2 developed by the development processing section 6 is discharged as a finished print through a drying process.

The film scanner unit 3 includes, as main components, an illumination optical system 30, an imaging optical system 40, and a photoelectric conversion unit 5 using a line CCD sensor 51 as a photoelectric conversion element.
0, an automatic film mask 1 that determines the irradiation range of the light to the film 1 and conveys the film 1 in the sub-scanning direction for scanning by the line CCD sensor.
0 is provided. The illumination optical system 30 includes a halogen lamp 31 housed as a white light source in the first lamp house 3a.
The light beam from the halogen lamp 31 irradiates the film 1 on the auto film mask 10 after the color distribution and the light intensity distribution are adjusted by the light control filter 32 and the mirror tunnel 33. An imaging optical system 40 for processing a transmitted light beam from the film 2 includes a lens unit 41 and a mirror 42 for changing the direction of light. The dimming filter 32 is provided with a setup filter 32a used at the time of adjustment.
a can be set on the optical axis.

The photoelectric conversion unit 50 that photoelectrically converts the light beam guided by the imaging optical system 40 includes three CCD sensors 51a and 51b assigned as line CCD sensors 51 for detecting each of R, G, and B colors. , 51c, and each CCD sensor has a large number (for example, 5000).
Are arranged in the main scanning direction, that is, in the width direction of the film 1. A color filter that allows only the red component of the light transmitted through the film 1 to pass through the imaging surface of the red CCD sensor 51a, and allows only the green component of the light that has passed through the film 1 to pass through the imaging surface of the green CCD sensor 51b. A color filter is provided on the imaging surface of the blue CCD sensor 51c so as to pass only the blue component of the light transmitted through the film 1. Each color filter basically filters only the blue component, the red component, and the green component. Perform photoelectric conversion.

When the frame image of the film 1 is positioned at the scan position set on the auto film mask 10, the reading process of the frame image is started, and the transmitted light of the frame image is
By feeding the film 1 by the film transport mechanism 9, three CCD sensors 51a, 51b of R, G, B are sequentially output.
Read by 51c. Since the R, G, and B CCD sensors are arranged at intervals of several pixels along the transport direction of the film 1, the R, G, and B CCD sensors are arranged at the same pixel.
There is a time difference between the detection timings of the G and B component colors, which is determined by the controller 7 by associating the R, G, and B image signals of the same pixel by signal processing in the subsequent stage of the photoelectric conversion unit 50. Is stored in the memory. Such an illumination optical system 30 and an imaging optical system 4 of the film scanner unit 3
0, each control of the photoelectric conversion unit 50 is performed by the controller 7. Incidentally, a monitor 7 for displaying various processing information
and a controller 7 to which a console 7b for inputting various processing instructions is connected includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an I / O
A microcomputer system composed of an O interface and the like is configured as a core member, and realizes various functions necessary for controlling each unit as described above by hardware and / or software.

As described above, the digital printing unit 5
Comprises an optical shutter type exposure apparatus according to the present invention, and here is mainly constituted by a line exposure head of a PLZT shutter type. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the exposure head for exposing the latent image on the photographic paper 2 includes:
A shutter array 25a in which shutter elements made of PLZT elements are gathered in a line is employed (FIG.
Two rows of shutter elements are described in the form of a first row 25A1 formed by odd-numbered shutter elements in the main scanning direction and a second row 25B1 formed by even-numbered shutter elements). The shutter array 25a made of this PLZT element is made of a transparent ferroelectric ceramic material obtained by adding lanthanum to lead zirconate titanate, and utilizes the electro-optic effect of this material. The light of each color of R, G, and B is alternately introduced into each shutter element via a number of optical fibers 25c. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, between the light source 5b and the optical fiber 25c, there is provided a rotary filter 22f composed of optical filters of three colors of R, G, and B, and the rotary filter 22f is approximately 12 And a motor 22M that drives at a high speed of 2,000 revolutions / min. By controlling the rotation phase of the rotation filter 22f, only one of R, G, and B selectively enters the optical axis from the light source at each instant, and selects the selected color through the color filter. Is transmitted to each shutter element of the shutter array 25a through the bundle of optical fibers 25c. When a voltage of a predetermined level is applied to each shutter element, the shutter element enters a light transmitting state, and when the application of the voltage is stopped, the shutter element enters a light blocking state. Therefore, when a drive voltage is applied from the controller 7 to the shutter corresponding to each pixel based on the print data, the shutter is opened and light of the color introduced from the light source is irradiated on the photographic paper 2. .

The light source 5b of the digital print section 5 is
It comprises a halogen lamp 15 housed as a white light source in a lamp house 5a (installed behind the first lamp house 3a), and a light beam from the halogen lamp 15 forms a first light flux BL1. Part of the first light beam BL1 is formed by a concave mirror 16 provided as a reflection means. The first light beam BL1 passes through an infrared absorption filter 17 provided for cutting off heat rays contained in the light beam, and thereafter, a condenser lens 18 provided as a condensing means.
Head for. Then, between the halogen lamp 15 and the condenser lens 18, more specifically, the infrared absorption filter 1
7 and a condenser lens 18, a dimming filter 20
Is arranged. The dimming filter 20 is composed of R, G, B
(Or Y, M, C) composed of three light control filters 20R, 20G, 20B. Each of these three dimming filters 20R, 20G, and 20B is an actuator 21R, 21G, and 21B that can be independently operated in response to an instruction signal sent from the controller 7.
Since it is supported by (an example of filter driving means), the amount of each filter 20R, 20G, 20B entering the first light flux BL1 depends on the characteristics of the photographic paper used, the emission characteristics of the halogen lamp 15, and the like. (In FIG. 3, as an example only, the red dimming filter 20 </ b> R enters the first light beam BL <b> 1 most deeply,
The other green and blue dimming filters 20G and 20B show a state of entering relatively shallowly, but the entering amount of the dimming filter of each color can be set arbitrarily. Further, these three light control filters 20R, 20G, and 20B are arranged such that the cross-sectional area before being converged by the condenser lens 18 enters the first light flux BL1 having a relatively large diameter. Therefore, compared to the case where the cross-sectional area after condensing by the condenser lens 18 is arranged so as to enter the second light flux BL2 having a small diameter, the same actuators 21R and 2R are used.
A more subtle dimming effect can be obtained by driving the 1G and 21B. In other words, a higher dimming resolution can be obtained while using a dimming filter having the same color density and an actuator having the same driving characteristics.

The light that has passed through the condenser lens 18 becomes a second light beam BL2 having a smaller cross-sectional area than the first light beam BL1 and enters a light receiving window 22w provided in the rotary dimmer 22. Since the light receiving window 22w is provided at a position separated by a predetermined distance from the rotation axis of the rotary filter 22f, the incident light incident from the light receiving window 22w receives the R, G, and R based on the rotation of the rotary filter 22f. The light passes through the filter 22f of a different color every moment between B and exits from the rotary dimmer 22. On the downstream side of the rotary dimmer 22,
A glass-made light guide rod 23, such as a prism, is vertically supported coaxially with the light receiving window 22w. The downstream end surface of the glass light guide rod 23 is
It is connected so that it may face the end face of c. By the way, as shown in FIG.
Are composed of a first row 25A1 formed by odd-numbered light emission points in the main scanning direction, and a second row 25B1 formed by even-numbered light emission points in the main scanning direction.
5A1 and the second row 25B1 are arranged so as to be separated from each other by about 5 pixels in a sub-scanning direction (exposure and conveyance direction of photographic paper) orthogonal to the main scanning direction. Incidentally, the first row 25A1
Are arranged in the main scanning direction at a pitch of about 120 μm. By the way, the optical shutter type exposure device used for the digital print section 5 is not limited to the PLZT shutter type, but instead may be a liquid crystal shutter type or a number of swing operations provided in a DMD (digital micromirror device) or the like. A method of exposing a light beam to photographic paper via a possible micromirror can be applied.

Returning to FIG. 2, the digital printing unit 5
On the most upstream side, two photographic paper magazines 2A and 2B are provided, and each of the photographic paper magazines 2A and 2B stores a photographic paper 2 having an emulsion surface on the outside in a roll shape. And, on the downstream side of the photographic paper magazines 2A and 2B,
A photographic paper transport mechanism 8 that transports the photographic paper 2 to the development processing unit 6 while processing the photographic paper 2 is provided. On the upstream side of the photographic paper transport mechanism 8, there is a photographic paper supply line 8A for transporting the photographic paper 2 in a single row to the sorting device 4, and the photographic paper supply line 8A is continuously connected to the photographic paper feeding line 8A in the paper penetration direction of FIG. There are an exposure transport line 8B and a development transport line 8C for transporting the cut photographic paper 2 distributed in two rows to the exit of the development processing unit 6 in the two rows. The photographic paper supply line 8A adjacent to the photographic paper magazines 2A and 2B is connected to the photographic paper magazine 2A.
A photographic paper 2 is selectively drawn out from either one of A and 2B, and a drawer / conveying unit composed of a group of rollers to be handed over to a paper cutter 12 and a photographic paper 2 cut according to a print size by the paper cutter 12 are sorted. And a pre-sorting transport unit to be delivered to the device 4. The sorting device 4 sorts the photographic paper 2 sequentially sent in a single row from the photographic paper supply line 8A into two rows of the exposure transport line 8B. On the exposure conveyance line 8B, the cut photographic paper 2 arranged in two rows in the main scanning direction of the shutter array 25a is exposed simultaneously.

On the downstream side of the paper cutter 12, a back print unit 13 is provided. Back print unit 1
Numeral 3 prints a film ID, a frame number, correction information indicating image processing performed at the time of creating print data, and the like on the back surface (non-emulsion surface) of the photographic paper 2. Have been. The members forming the exposure conveyance line 8B include an intermediate conveyance roller unit 80A forming two rows of the carry-in area of the exposure conveyance line 8B along the conveyance direction of the photographic paper, and exposure by the shutter array 25a of the digital printing unit 5. A first exposure / conveyance roller unit 80B on the entrance side and a second exposure / conveyance roller unit 80C on the exit side, which are disposed so as to sandwich the point from the upstream side and the downstream side. It is a set of pressure rollers that can be displaced in near and far directions. The sorting device 4 is configured by a chucker type XY moving mechanism that receives the photographic paper 2 cut by the paper cutter 12 and alternately transfers the photographic paper 2 to the left and right row positions of the intermediate transport roller unit 80A. . Of course, when handling a wide large photographic paper 2, exposure is performed in only one row, so the photographic paper 2 received from the photographic paper supply line 8A is simply delivered to the intermediate transport roller unit 80A as it is.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a printer processor as an embodiment of an optical shutter type exposure apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functions of each unit of the printer processor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic partially broken side view showing the vicinity of a second lamp house of the printer processor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view conceptually showing a main configuration of a digital print unit of the printer processor of FIG. 1;

[Description of Signs] 1 photographic film 2 photographic paper 3 film scanner unit 5 digital print unit 6 development processing unit 7 controller 15 halogen lamp 16 concave mirror 18 light focusing means (condenser lens) 20R, 20G, 20B light control filter 22f rotation light control Filter 23 Glass light guide rod 25a Shutter array 25c Optical fiber BL1 First light beam BL2 Second light beam

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A light source capable of forming a light beam for exposure, a plurality of light shutter elements for exposing a photosensitive material with the light beam based on designated image information, and the light beam condensing the light beam. Condensing means for sending to the shutter element, a dimming filter that can be arranged in the light beam to adjust the light wavelength distribution held by the light beam, and changing the amount of the light adjusting filter entering the light beam An optical shutter type exposure apparatus provided with a filter driving unit for controlling the light flux, wherein the dimming filter enters the light beam at a position on the path of the light beam upstream of the light collecting unit. Optical shutter type exposure apparatus arranged to perform