JP2005140806A - Print-carrying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print-carrying apparatus which can carry a plurality of kinds of prints with different widths dispensed, through a dispensing port of a printing apparatus in predetermined attitude into accepting trays of a sorting section. <P>SOLUTION: In the print-carrying apparatus comprising a carrying conveyer to carry a plurality of kinds of prints with different widths, dispensed through a dispensing port after being printed for accepting trays in a sorting section, the carrying belt of a carrying conveyer is provided with a plurality of regulating guide components, to regulate the attitude of the print dispensed to the carrying belt so as to respond to a plurality of kinds of prints having different widths. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a print transport apparatus mounted between a print carry-out port of a print processing apparatus and a sorting unit that sorts prints.

  In general, a print processing apparatus in which this type of print transport apparatus is mounted is configured so that after the development processing by the processor, the print dried by the dry processing apparatus is carried out from the carry-out port to the print transport apparatus outside the apparatus by the carry-out apparatus. I have to.

The print conveying device is composed of a conveying conveyor that spans an endless conveying belt between driving rollers and rotates the conveying belt between the driving rollers by rotation of the driving roller. In the print transport device, the prints transported from the carry-out port of the print processing device onto the transport belt are transported on the transport belt and sequentially fed to the tray of the sorting unit. (See Patent Document 1)
Further, in the above print processing apparatus, a plurality of types of prints having different widths are processed and carried out from the carry-out port onto the belt of the print conveying apparatus.
By the way, the print P curls in a toe shape as it is dried after the development process. The print curled in a toe shape in this way is transported from the carry-out port to the transport conveyor. When transported while being placed on the belt, there is a problem that the print rotates carelessly on the transport belt and the print becomes uneven, or in some cases, the print does not rest on the tray of the sorting unit.

  The present invention has been developed in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to sort any of a plurality of types of prints having different widths carried out from a carry-out port of a print processing apparatus in a predetermined posture. It is in providing the print conveyance apparatus which can be conveyed to a saucer.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is constituted by a conveyor for conveying a plurality of types of prints having different widths which are printed and carried out from the carry-out port to a tray of the sorting unit. In the print transport apparatus, the transport belt of the transport conveyor is provided with a plurality of regulation guide portions for regulating the posture of the prints carried out on the transport belt so as to correspond to a plurality of types of prints having different widths. It is characterized by being.

  In the print transport apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the sorting guide portion is not inadvertently changed by the regulation guide portion in any of a plurality of types of prints having different widths carried out from the carry-out port. It is conveyed to the tray.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the print does not rotate carelessly on the transport belt as in the conventional case, regardless of any of a plurality of types of prints having different widths carried out from the carry-out port. Because it can be transported to the tray of the sorting part in a predetermined posture by the regulation guide part,
It can be transported neatly in the tray of the sorting section.

  FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a print processing apparatus equipped with a print transport apparatus according to the present invention. This print processing apparatus is basically a photographic paper which is an example of print paper. A photo processing unit 1 for printing an image on P and a sorting unit 5 for sorting the prints 10 finished in the photo processing unit 1 are provided.

The photo processor 1
A film mask unit 21 for setting a developed film, a scanner 22 for reading a frame image of the developed film set in the film mask unit 21, a reading for reading image data recorded on a recording medium such as an MO An image processor 2 equipped with an image processing unit 24 for mainly performing various kinds of image processing on the image data read by the device 23, the scanner 22 or the reading device 23;
A printer 3 for printing an image on photographic paper P, which is an example of print paper, using image data processed by the image processor 2;
It comprises a processor 4 for developing photographic paper on which an image is printed by the printer 3.

  The scanner 22 mounted on the image processor 2 sets the developed film on the film mask unit 21 to irradiate the developed film set on the film mask unit 21 with the light from the light source unit 20. The images of each frame are sequentially read and output to the image processing unit 24, and the image processing unit 24 performs various image processing on the image data read by the scanner 22 or the reading device 23.

  The image processing unit 24 includes a main controller 25 including a computer in which image processing software or the like is installed, a keyboard 26a and a mouse 26b for inputting various information to the main controller 25, and a monitor 27 for displaying various information. It is composed of.

  The image data read by the scanner 22 or the reading device 23 is appropriately processed by the main controller 25 based on a predetermined processing program and various information such as a print size input by the keyboard 26a or the mouse 26b, and then sequentially printed. The data is output as data to a sub-controller 30 described later mounted on the printer 3.

  The printer 3 is for printing the print data created by the image processing unit 24 of the image processing machine 2 on the photographic printing paper P, and the sub controller 30 for inputting the print data output from the image processing unit 24. Paper magazines 31a and 31b filled with rolls of photographic paper, a transport mechanism 32 for transporting the photographic paper P delivered from the paper magazines 31a and 31b, and photographic paper transported by the transport mechanism 32 An exposure mechanism 33 for exposing image data via the sub-controller 30 is mounted on P.

  In the printer 3, as the print data output from the main controller 25 is input to the sub-controller 30, the sub-controller 30 generates exposure data based on the input print data, and the exposure mechanism 33. To be output.

  As a method of the exposure mechanism 33, a PLZT shutter method, a laser beam method, a liquid crystal shutter method, a fluorescent beam method, and the like are known, and any method can be adopted according to the specification.

The processor 4 has a development processing mechanism 41 for developing the photographic paper P on which an image is printed by the printer 3, and a drying processing mechanism 42 for drying the photographic paper P developed by the development processing mechanism 41. ,
The unloading mechanism 43 for unloading the print 10 completed by drying the photographic paper P, and the print 10 unloaded from the upper unloading port 43b, which will be described later, are conveyed to the tray 51 of the sorting unit 5 via the unloading mechanism 43. And a print transport device 6 according to the present invention.

  The development processing mechanism 41 includes a plurality of processing tanks, and various processing liquids such as a developing solution, a bleaching / fixing solution, and a stabilizing solution are individually stored in these processing tanks.

  The drying processing mechanism 42 includes a heater for drying the photographic paper P, and is configured to appropriately dry the photographic paper P by the heater while the photographic paper P is transported by a transport mechanism (not shown). The print 10 that has been dried by the mechanism 42 is sent to an unloading device 6 to be described later.

  The carry-out mechanism 43 includes a print carry-out direction switching device 43a, two upper and lower carry-out ports 43b and 43c located on the downstream side of the print carry-out direction switching device 43a, and the photographic paper P dried by the drying treatment mechanism 42. A first unloading device 43d for unloading from the upper unloading port 43b and a second unloading device 43e for unloading the photographic paper P dried by the drying processing mechanism 42 from the lower unloading port 43c are provided.

  In the carry-out mechanism 43 described above, the 89 mm-wide or 127-mm wide prints are carried out in a staggered manner from the upper carry-out port 43b by the first carry-out mechanism 43d, and the prints having a width of 152 mm are carried out from the upper carry-out port 43b in one row. To be.

  A relatively large size photographic paper P such as four or six pieces is carried out from the lower carry-out port 43c onto the tray 44 by the second carry-out device 43e.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sorting unit 5 also includes a number of trays 51. For example, when the photographic paper P printed for one order is conveyed to the tray 51 positioned at the top, While being transported downward via a drive mechanism (not shown), the photographic paper P subsequently conveyed is accommodated in the next tray 51.

  On the other hand, the print transport device 6 according to the present invention is composed of a transport conveyor, and basically includes a pair of front and rear drive rollers 61 and 62 that are rotationally driven by a drive device 60, and these drive rollers 61 and 62. A conveyor belt 63 made of synthetic rubber spanned between 62 and a support frame 64 that rotatably supports the drive rollers 61 and 62 are provided. The drive of the drive device 60 is controlled by the main controller 25. ing.

  In the print transport apparatus 6 described above, a plurality of regulation guide portions 7a, 7b, and 7c are provided on the surface of the transport belt 63 so as to correspond to a plurality of types of prints 10 having different widths.

  The restriction guide portions 7a, 7b, and 7c are for restricting the posture of the print 10 that has been unloaded from the upper carry-out port 43b from being unintentionally rotated. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a pair of left and right first guide protrusions 71, second guide protrusions 72, third guide protrusions 73, and fourth guide protrusions 74 are formed on the surface of the conveyor belt 63. Are provided at predetermined intervals in the moving direction of the conveying belt 63, and the inner dimension L1 of the first guide protrusion 71 and the second guide protrusion 72 is slightly larger than 89 mm so that the first guide protrusion 71 and the second guide protrusion 72 The space between the guide protrusions 72 is used as the first restricting guide portion 7a, and the internal dimension L2 between the second guide protrusion 72 and the third guide protrusion 73 is slightly larger than 127 mm so that the second guide protrusion 72 and the third guide Protrusion 73 Is the second restricting guide portion 7b, and the inner dimension L3 of the third guide protrusion 73 and the fourth guide protrusion 74 is slightly larger than 152 mm, so that the space between the third guide protrusion 73 and the fourth guide protrusion 74 is increased. The third restriction guide portion 7c is used.

Then, by controlling the drive device 60 by the main controller 25, one of the predetermined regulation guide portions 7a, 7b, 7c corresponding to the width of the print 10 carried out from the upper carry-out port 43b is positioned at the upper carry-out port 43b. The print 10 carried out from the upper carry-out port 43b can be put into predetermined regulation guide portions 7a, 7b, 7c.
Further, when the prints 10 are carried out in two rows in a zigzag manner from the upper carry-out port 43b, the conveyance belt 63 is reciprocated by the control of the driving device 60 by the main controller 25, and two rows are carried out in a zigzag manner. The prints 10 are sequentially accommodated in the regulation guide portions 7a and 7b, and then conveyed toward the sorting unit 5.

  In the embodiment, the print 10 is transported by the print transport device 6 immediately before the print 10 is loaded into the tray 51 of the sorting unit 5 so as not to impair the alignment of the prints 10 loaded into the tray 51. The moving speed of the conveyor belt 63 is reduced.

  In the print processing apparatus described above, for example, 89 mm wide photographic paper P that has been subjected to the exposure printing process in the printer 3 is subjected to the development process while being conveyed in two rows by the development processing mechanism 41 of the processor 4. Then, after being dried by the drying processing mechanism 42, it is carried out in a zigzag manner from the upper carry-out port 43b via the first carry-out device 43d of the carry-out mechanism 43. At this time, the drive device by the main controller 25 Under the control of 60, the transport belt 63 reciprocates, and after the two rows of prints 10 transported in a staggered manner from the upper transport outlet 43b are sequentially accommodated in the first restriction guide portion 7a, the first of the transport belt 63 is The restriction guide part 7a is moved toward the sorting part 5, and the prints 10 stacked in the first restriction guide part 7a are transferred to the tray 51. It is.

  When the print 10 having a width of 127 mm is carried out from the upper carry-out port 43b, the print 10 carried out from the upper carry-out port 43b is brought into the second restriction guide portion 7b by the control of the driving device 60 by the main controller 25. After sequentially storing, the second restriction guide portion 7b of the conveyor belt 63 is moved toward the sorting portion 5, and the prints 10 stacked in the second restriction guide portion 7b are transferred to the receiving tray 51. When the print 10 having a width of 152 mm is carried out from the upper carry-out port 43b, the prints 10 carried out from the upper carry-out port 43b are sequentially accommodated in the third restriction guide portion 7c under the control of the driving device 60 by the main controller 25. After that, the second restriction guide portion 7c of the conveyor belt 63 is moved toward the sorting portion 5, and this second restriction guide portion is moved. The print 10 which are stacked in the c is the transferring the pan 51.

  Thus, in any width of the print 10 carried out from the carry-out port 43b, the proper alignment state can be obtained without breaking the carrying posture via the regulation guide portions 7a, 7b and 7c corresponding to the width of the print 10. Thus, it can be sent to the tray 51 of the sorting unit 5.

  In the above-described embodiment, 89 mm width, 127 mm width, and 152 mm width prints are supported. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other width prints may be supported.

  In the above embodiment, the transport apparatus of the present invention is mounted on a print processing apparatus using photographic paper as print paper. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and printing using print paper other than photographic paper is possible. You may mount the conveying apparatus of this invention in a processing apparatus.

1 is a perspective view of a print processing apparatus equipped with a print transport apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. The block diagram which expands and shows the principal part same as the above. The schematic perspective view which expands and shows the principal part same as the above. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a print transport apparatus according to the invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Photo processing section 10 Print 3 Printer
4 Processor 5 Sorting Unit 51 Sampling Plate 6 Print Conveying Device 63 Conveying Belt 7a First Regulation Guide Part 7b Second Regulation Guide Part 7c Third Regulation Guide Part

Claims (1)

In a print conveying apparatus constituted by a conveying conveyor for conveying a plurality of types of prints having different widths that are printed out and carried out from a carry-out port to a tray of a sorter
The conveyance belt of the conveyance conveyor is provided with a plurality of regulation guide portions for regulating the posture of the prints carried out on the conveyance belt so as to correspond to a plurality of types of prints having different widths. An image processing apparatus.