JP2003276237A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To transfer line image data without complicating an apparatus configuration and without a delay. <P>SOLUTION: After image data inputted to an image development board 152 is developed to line image data, each line image data is divided by predetermined pixels, and bundled for every predetermined channel into a packet. Also, a group of the packeted image data is adapted to be transferred at a high speed to an image distribution board 162 by a serial-parallel harness 160 and transferred to an image write instructing part 216 via a channel driver 166. Accordingly, the apparatus configuration can be simplified without the necessity of increasing wiring cables of the serial-parallel harness 160, signal transmitting elements and the like even when the number of channels increases. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention includes a recording head capable of simultaneously irradiating light beams from light sources of a plurality of channels based on input image data, and scanning the recording material with the light beams to form an image. The present invention relates to an image recording device for recording a.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A technique for recording an image directly on a photosensitive layer (emulsion side) of a printing plate using a sheet-shaped recording material, particularly a printing plate having a photosensitive layer provided on a support, has been developed. It has been done (printing plate exposure device). With such a technique, it is possible to quickly record an image on a printing plate.

In a printing plate automatic exposure apparatus that uses a technique for recording an image on a printing plate, input image data is expanded into line image data in a state in which the printing plate is wound around the peripheral surface of a rotary drum (image expansion section), While rotating this rotating drum at high speed (main scanning), based on the line image data transferred from the image developing unit, to control the output of the laser beam from the laser forming a part of the exposure optical system, Recording head (exposure head) that constitutes an exposure optical system together with a laser
An image is recorded on the printing plate by moving the printer along the axial direction of the rotary drum (sub scanning).

In the recording head, a plurality of laser beams are simultaneously output and main scanning lines of a plurality of channels are simultaneously scanned to speed up image recording.

[0005]

However, in order to simultaneously scan the main scanning lines, it is necessary to transfer image data corresponding to the number of channels from the image developing unit to the exposure optical system before the line scanning.

In this case, as the number of channels increases, the elements and harnesses for transferring the line image data signals are required correspondingly, which causes the apparatus structure to be complicated.

In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain an image recording apparatus capable of transferring line image data without complicating the apparatus configuration and without delay.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording head capable of simultaneously emitting light beams from light sources of a plurality of channels on the basis of input image data, and the light beams are used for the recording material. An image recording apparatus for recording an image by scanning above, comprising: scanning recording control means for controlling scanning recording from the recording head; and scanning for instructing the scanning recording control means of a scanning time by the light beam. A scanning timing start signal output means for outputting a timing start signal and an output of the scanning timing start signal by the scanning timing start signal output means are asynchronous with each other to develop the input image data into line image data for scanning and recording. An image data expansion unit that divides the line image data into packets by dividing the line image data by a predetermined pixel unit, and packetized by the image data expansion unit In time series image data group for each predetermined channel has a distribution transfer means for transferring to the scanning recording control means before the scanning timing of each packet.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the image data is input to the data expansion means, the input image data is expanded into line image data, and the expanded line image data is in a predetermined pixel unit. It is divided by and packetized.

The distribution / transfer means transfers the packetized image data group to the scan recording control means in time series in units of a predetermined channel.

Since the development of the image is asynchronous with the output of the scanning timing start signal, the distribution transfer is executed early so that each packetized image data group has the scanning timing for each packet. It is only necessary to complete the transfer before that, and it is possible to transfer in time series.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the image data is transferred from the image data expansion means to the distribution transfer means by serial-parallel transfer. There is.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the transfer time can be shortened by transferring the image data from the image data expanding means to the distribution transfer means by serial-parallel transfer.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION (Structure of Image Recording Apparatus)
Automatic printing plate exposure device 15 applied as an image recording device
A schematic configuration of 0 is shown.

As shown in FIG. 1, the exposure unit 14 of the automatic printing plate exposure apparatus 150 is mainly composed of a rotary drum 16 for winding and holding the printing plate 12 around its peripheral surface.
The printing plate 12 is guided by the conveyance guide unit 18,
The rotary drum 16 is fed in from the tangential direction.

A puncher 24 is disposed above the rotary drum 16 in FIG.

The transport guide unit 18 includes the plate feed guide 2
0 and the plate discharge guide 22.

A plate feed guide 20 of the transport guide unit 18
The relative positional relationship between the stencil sheet ejection guide 22 and the stencil sheet ejection guide 22 is a horizontal V-shape, and the stencil sheet ejection guide 22 and the plate ejection guide 22 are rotated by a predetermined angle about the center on the right end side in FIG. By this rotation, the plate feeding guide 2
0 and the plate discharge guide 22 can selectively correspond to the rotary drum 16 or the puncher 24.

The printing plate 12 is first guided by the plate feeding guide 20 and sent to the puncher 24.
A notch for positioning is formed at the tip of the.

After being processed by the puncher 24, the printing plate 12 is temporarily returned to the plate feeding guide 20 and moved to a position corresponding to the rotary drum 16.

The rotating drum 16 is driven by a driving unit (not shown) so that the mounting exposure direction of the printing plate 12 (direction of arrow A in FIG. 1) and the direction of removal of the printing plate 12 opposite to the mounting exposure direction (arrow B of FIG. 1). Direction).

As shown in FIG. 1, the rotary drum 16 provided in the exposure unit 14 has a tip chuck 26 attached at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface thereof. Exposure unit 14
Then, when the printing plate 12 is mounted on the rotary drum 16, first, the tip chuck 26 is moved by the transport guide unit 1
Rotating drum 1 at a position (printing plate mounting position) facing the front end of printing plate 12 fed by plate feeding guide 20
Stop 6

The exposure unit 22 is provided with a mounting unit 28 facing the tip chuck 26 at the printing plate mounting position. When the telescopic rod 28A of the mounting unit 28 extends and the one end side of the tip chuck 26 is extended, the printing plate 12 can be inserted between the tip chuck 26 and the peripheral surface of the rotary drum 16.

In the exposure section 14, with the tip of the printing plate 12 inserted between the tip chuck 26 and the rotary drum 16, the telescopic rod 28A of the mounting unit 18 is pulled back to release the pressure on the tip chuck 26. Thus, the front end of the printing plate 12 is held between the front chuck 26 and the peripheral surface of the rotary drum 16 by being sandwiched.

At this time, the printing plate 12 is positioned by abutting the front end against a positioning pin (not shown) provided on the rotary drum 16.

In the exposure section 14, when the front end of the printing plate 12 is fixed to the rotary drum 16, the rotary drum 16 is rotated in the mounting exposure direction. As a result, the transport guide unit 18
The printing plate 12 fed from the plate feeding guide 20 is wound around the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 16.

In the vicinity of the peripheral surface of the rotary drum 16, the squeeze roller 3 is located downstream of the printing plate mounting position in the mounting exposure direction.
0 is placed. The squeeze roller 30 moves toward the rotary drum 16 to move the rotary drum 16.
The printing plate 12 wound on the rotary drum 16 is pressed against the rotating drum 16 to bring the printing plate 12 into close contact with the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 16.

The exposure unit 14 includes a squeeze roller 3
A rear end chuck attachment / detachment unit 32 is arranged near the upstream side of the rotation exposure direction of the rotary drum 16 with respect to zero. A rear end chuck 36 is attached to the rear end chuck attachment / detachment unit 32 at the tip of a shaft 34 protruding toward the rotary drum 16.

In the exposure section 14, the trailing edge of the printing plate 12 wound around the rotating drum 16 is the trailing edge chuck attaching / detaching unit 3
When facing 2, the shaft 34 is projected and the rear end chuck 36 is mounted at a predetermined position on the rotary drum 16. As a result, the trailing edge chuck 36 holds and holds the trailing edge of the printing plate 12 with the rotating drum 16.

In the exposure section 14, when the front end and the rear end of the printing plate 12 are held by the rotating drum 16, the squeeze roller 30
Separate. After that, in the exposure unit 14, the rotary drum 1
While rotating 6 at a predetermined rotation speed at high speed (main scanning),
The light beam modulated based on the image data is emitted from the recording head unit 37 in synchronization with the rotation of the rotary drum 16.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic structure of the recording head section 37. The recording head unit 37 includes the recording head body 3
7A is supported by the base portion 250. Base part 25
0 is mounted on a slide base 252 which is a sliding body which constitutes a ball screw mechanism, and thereby the recording head main body 37A moves together with the slide base 252.

The slide bases 252 are parallel to each other.
Along the rail 254 of the book, the rotary drum 16 (see FIG. 1) is guided in the axial direction. Also,
A connecting portion 256 for connecting to the shaft 204 of the ball screw mechanism is attached to the lower portion of the slide base 252.

The connecting portion 256 has a cylindrical portion 25 formed with a female screw which is screwed with a male screw formed on the shaft 204.
8 are provided.

A sprocket 258 is coaxially attached to one end of the shaft 204, and a belt 260 is wound around the sprocket 258. This belt 260 is used for the pulse motor 20.
The sprocket 26 attached to the rotary shaft 206A of No. 6
It is also wrapped around 2. As a result, the driving force of the pulse motor 206 (rotation of the rotary shaft 206A) is transmitted to the belt 26.
0 to the shaft 204, and the rotation speed of the pulse motor 206 can control the rotation speed of the shaft 204.

As shown in FIG. 3, the recording head main body 37A is positioned with its home position at a position off the peripheral surface at one end of the rotary drum 16 in the axial direction, and is rotated by the driving force of the pulse motor 206. By moving in the axial direction of the drum 16, the sub-scanning movement is performed.

As a result, the recording head main body 37A is moved to the shaft 204 according to the rotation (main scanning) of the rotary drum 16.
By moving (sub-scanning) along, the image based on the image data is scanned and exposed on the printing plate 12.

In the exposure section 14, when the scanning exposure of the printing plate 12 is completed, the rotary drum 16 is moved to the position where the rear end chuck 36 holding the rear end of the printing plate 12 faces the rear end chuck attaching / detaching unit 32. Pause the rotating drum 16
Then, the rear end chuck 36 is removed. As a result, the trailing edge of the printing plate 12 is opened.

After that, by rotating the rotary drum 16 in the take-out direction of the printing plate 12, the printing plate 12 is discharged from the rear end side to the plate discharge guide 22 of the transport guide unit 18 along the tangential direction of the rotary drum 16. After that, it is conveyed to the developing device in the next step.

FIG. 3 shows a control system for rotation of the rotary drum 16, movement of the recording head portion 37, and image recording by the recording head portion 37 based on an image signal.

The rotary drum 16 is rotated by the driving force of the servo boat 200. The rotation speed of the servo motor 200 is controlled based on a drive signal from the drive system control unit 205 of the controller 202.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the recording head portion 37 moves in the axial direction of the rotary drum 16 by axially rotating the shaft 204 on which the male screw of the ball screw mechanism portion is formed by the pulse motor 206. . The drive speed of the motor 206 is controlled based on the drive signal from the drive system control unit 205 of the controller 202.

A rotary encoder 208 is coaxially attached to the shaft portion at one end of the rotary drum 16 in the axial direction.

From the rotary encoder 208, a pulse signal corresponding to the rotation speed of the rotary drum 16 is sent to a reference signal acquisition section 212 which constitutes a part of the image processing system control section 210 of the controller 202. ing.

The reference signal fetching section 212 is connected to the image clock generating section 214, and at the time of generating this image clock, based on the rotation of the rotary drum 16, every predetermined rotation (for example, one rotation). An image clock in which the main scanning start time and the like are added is generated and sent to the image writing instruction unit 216.

The image writing instruction section 216 receives image data for the number of lines simultaneously requiring main scanning from the image data processing section 150 (details will be described later) and sends it to the light source unit 222 at a predetermined timing. .

The light source unit 222 includes a plurality of light sources (L
D, etc. are provided to guide the light from each light source to the recording head portion 37 via the optical fiber 224.

The image writing instruction section 216 controls the recording head section 37 to irradiate the printing plate 12 with a light beam which is modulated based on the input image signal, and the rotary drum 1
An image is recorded on the printing plate 12 by rotation of 6 (main scanning) and movement of the recording head unit 37 (sub scanning).

FIG. 4 shows the image data processing unit 150 (see FIG.
The hardware configuration of the reference) is shown.

The input image data is input to the image expansion board 152 and expanded into line image data in the line image data expansion section 154 constituting the image expansion board 152.

The line image data developed by the line image data developing unit 154 is input to the line dividing unit 156 and divided into a predetermined number of pixels in each line unit. Also,
The line division unit 156 is connected to the packet generation unit 158 so that division data for a plurality of channels can be packetized.

The image development board 152 having the above-mentioned configuration is used for the image distribution board 16 via the serial-parallel harness 160.
Connected to 2.

The image distribution board 162 is provided with a packet distributor 164, and a plurality of channel drivers 166 are connected to the packet distributor 164 in a so-called octopus shape. The channel driver 166 is provided with a number corresponding to the number of channels whose output is simultaneously controlled, and the packet distribution unit 164 writes the image data group in packet units to each channel driver 166 in time series in time series. The data is transferred to the instruction unit 216 (see FIG. 3).

Here, for example, if the number of channels simultaneously main-scanned by the recording head unit 37 is 31 and 16 pixels of each main-scanning line are sequentially transferred to each channel, 31 transfers are 1 packet. Become.

As shown in FIG. 4, the packet sequence is sent from the image distribution board 162 to the image development board 152 n.
NDV sent from the image development board 152 to the image distribution board 162 in response to the REQ signal (image transfer request signal)
It is transferred by an AL signal (image data VALID signal).

The image distribution board 162 has two packet memories 164A, 1A each accumulating one packet.
64B is provided, and one packet is transferred to the image writing instruction unit 216, and at the same time, the image data group for the next packet from the image development board 162 is sequentially switched. The image can be transferred to the image writing instruction unit 216 without delay.

Here, the packet communication by the serial-parallel harness 160 has noise resistance even if the length of the serial-parallel harness 160 is several meters.
It uses LVDS (low voltage differential signal), which also has high speed.

With the above configuration, there is no increase in the number of signal transmission elements or harnesses for signal transmission regardless of the number of channels (even if there is a particular increase), and each is connected to the image distribution board 162 as necessary. It is only necessary to increase the number of channel drivers 166.

To add the channel driver 166, a relay wiring board 168 as shown in FIG. 4 is required. This relay wiring board 168 is used for the packet distribution unit 1.
If the wiring 62 and the packet memories 164A and 164B are removed and the same wiring is used, the so-called yield is improved.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below.

The operation of the printing plate automatic exposure device 150 is as follows.

The printing plate 12 on the plate feed guide 20 is fed to the rotating drum 16, and the leading end of the printing plate 12 is held by the leading end chuck 26. In this state, the rotating drum 12 is held.
Is wound tightly around the peripheral surface of the rotary drum 16 by rotating the paper, and then the printing plate 12 is
The rear end is held, and the preparation for exposure is completed.

In this state, the image data is read and the exposure process is started by the light beam from the recording head section 37. The exposure processing is so-called scanning exposure in which the recording head unit 37 is moved in the axial direction of the rotary drum 16 while rotating the rotary drum 16 at high speed (main scanning).

When the exposure process is completed, the transport guide unit 18 is switched (the plate discharge guide 22 is made to correspond to the rotary drum 16), and then the printing plate 12 wound around the rotary drum 16 is discharged in the tangential direction. At this time, the printing plate 12 is sent to the plate discharge guide 22.

When the printing plate 12 is sent to the plate ejection guide 22, the conveyance guide unit 18 is switched to move the plate ejection guide 2
2 is made to correspond to the discharge port, and the printing plate 12 is discharged. A developing unit is provided in the discharging direction, and the printing plate 12 is continuously developed.

Here, in the present embodiment, the controller 2
The image data input to the image writing instruction unit 150
When the image data is transmitted as line image data, the image data processing unit 150 packetizes and transfers the packetized image data group in time series.

FIG. 5 shows a time chart for this packet communication transfer.

Lsync indicates the main scanning start time of the image data, and nEB is determined based on this Lsync signal.
Main scanning is started based on the signal, and images are recorded.

In this image recording area, it is a condition that necessary image data are naturally prepared.

Therefore, packet communication is started in advance asynchronously with this nEB signal. Since each packet is sequentially transferred to the image writing instruction unit 216 in time series, the image data can be transferred without delay in time division.

The distribution transfer in packet units will be described in detail.

When the image data is input to the image development board 152, the image data is developed into line image data, each line image data is divided into predetermined pixels, and each line is transferred, and all channels are completed. It is one packet until

For example, if the number of channels simultaneously main-scanned by the recording head unit 37 is 31, and 16 pixels of each main-scanning line are sequentially transferred for each channel, 31 transfers will be one packet.

High-speed transfer is performed by the serial-parallel harness 160 in units of one packet, and the image distribution board 16
2 to each channel driver 166 connected to
The image data group is transferred in packet units to the image writing instruction unit 216 via the channel driver 166.

The image distribution board 162 has memories 164A and 164B for accumulating two packets, and transfers one packet to the image writing instruction unit 216 via the channel driver 166, and at the same time, the image is written. The reception of the image data group for the next packet from the expansion board 152 is sequentially switched, and the image data can be transferred to the image writing instruction unit 216 without delay at a necessary time.

As described above, in the present embodiment,
After the image data input to the image development board 152 is developed into line image data, each line image data is divided into a predetermined pixel unit and is collectively packetized for each predetermined channel, and the packetized image is obtained. Since the data group is transferred at high speed to the image distribution board 162 by the serial-parallel harness 160 and transferred to the image writing instruction unit 216 via the channel driver 166, the wiring of the serial-parallel harness 160 can be changed even if the number of channels increases. It is not necessary to increase the number or the number of signal transmission elements, and the device configuration can be simplified.

[0076]

As described above, the present invention has an excellent effect that line image data can be transferred without delay without complicating the apparatus configuration.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a printing plate automatic exposure apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outline of a recording head.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of a controller for driving a rotary drum and a recording head.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an image data processing unit in the controller.

FIG. 5 is a time chart showing a packet transfer (communication) state during image recording.

[Explanation of symbols]

12 Printing plate (recording medium) 14 Exposure unit 16 rotating drum 37 recording head 37A recording head body 150 Image data processing unit 152 Image development board 154 Line image data development unit 156 Line division 158 Packet generator 160 serial-parallel harness 162 image distribution board 164 Packet distributor 164A, 164B packet memory 166 channel driver 168 Relay wiring board 202 controller

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image recording apparatus comprising a recording head capable of simultaneously emitting light beams from light sources of a plurality of channels based on input image data, and recording an image by scanning the light beams on the recording material. A scan recording control means for controlling scan recording from the recording head, and a scan timing start signal output means for outputting a scan timing start signal indicating a scan timing by the light beam to the scan recording control means. Asynchronously with the output of the scanning timing start signal by the scanning timing start signal output means, the input image data is expanded into line image data for scan recording, and the line image data is divided into predetermined pixel units. Image data expansion means for packetizing, and image data group packetized by the image data expansion means for each predetermined channel In an image recording apparatus having a distribution transfer means for transferring to the scanning recording control means before the scanning timing of each packet. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer of the image data from the image data expanding unit to the distribution transfer unit is executed by serial-parallel transfer.