JP2006168996A - Image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image recording device capable of recording images by obtaining the appropriate degree of close contact from pressure values in the case of rotating a support means and in the case of not rotating the support means for every size of a recording material. <P>SOLUTION: The image recording device has a hollow rotating member provided with a plurality of holes passing through from the outer surface to the inner surface, a pressure reducing means for reducing pressure in the rotating member to hold the recording material to the outer surface of the rotating member, and an image recording means for recording an image on the recording material held to the outer surface of the rotating member. The internal pressure of the rotating member when the recording material is in close contact with the peripheral surface of the rotating member during the non-rotation of the rotating member is set as a first reference pressure value, and the internal pressure of the rotating member when the recording material is in close contact with the peripheral surface of the rotating member during the rotation of the rotating member is set as a second reference pressure value. The first reference pressure value and the second reference pressure value can be changed according to the size of the recording material. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording material held by decompressing the inside by a decompression means.

  Conventionally, as an image recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording material, it has a supporting means that is hollow and provided with a hole penetrating from the outer surface to the inside, and a decompressing means that decompresses the inside of the supporting means. There is a type in which a recording material is held on a supporting means by pressure reduction by the means, and image recording is performed on the held recording material.

  By the way, in the above-described image recording apparatus, whether or not the recording material is held in close contact with the support means is determined by checking the degree of vacuum inside the support means.

  However, as a result of investigations by the present inventors, when this support means is a rotating member that rotates, the rotating member is rotated while maintaining the same degree of vacuum with respect to adhesion when the rotating member is not rotated. In this case, the recording material has insufficient adhesion.

  It has also been found that the adhesion to the rotating member may be insufficient depending on the size of the recording material.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus capable of recording an image by obtaining an appropriate degree of adhesion from the pressure value when the support means is rotated for each size of the recording material and when the support means is not rotated. To do.

  The above object is achieved by the following.

1. A rotating member that is hollow and provided with a plurality of holes that penetrate from the outer surface to the inner surface, a decompression unit that depressurizes the interior of the rotating member to hold the recording material on the outer surface of the rotating member, and the rotating member In an image recording apparatus having image recording means for recording an image on a recording material held on the outer surface of
The pressure inside the rotating member when the recording material is in close contact with the circumferential surface of the rotating member when the rotating member is not rotating is the first reference pressure value, and the recording material is rotated when the rotating member is rotating. The pressure inside the rotating member when it is in close contact with the circumferential surface of the member is taken as the second reference pressure value,
An image recording apparatus, wherein the first reference pressure value and the second reference pressure value can be changed according to the size of the recording material.

  2. Item 1 is characterized in that the first reference pressure value and the second reference pressure value that can be changed according to the size of the recording material are stored for each size of the recording material in a separately provided storage means. The image recording apparatus described.

  3. When the recording material is held on the outer surface of the rotating member, the recording material is compared by comparing the pressure value V3 inside the rotating member measured with the rotating member not rotating with the first reference pressure value. 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image recording apparatus determines whether the rotating member is held in close contact with the rotating member.

  4). When the recording material is held on the outer surface of the rotating member, the recording material is compared with the pressure value V4 inside the rotating member measured while the rotating member is rotating and the second reference pressure value. 4. The image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a determination is made as to whether or not the rotating member is held in close contact with the rotating member.

  5. Any one of 1 to 4 characterized in that the first reference pressure value and the second reference pressure value set for each size are such that the first reference pressure value is higher than the second reference pressure value. The image recording apparatus described in the item.

  That is, as a result of intensive studies by the present inventors, the air inside the rotating member is depressurized by the pressure reducing means, while the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating member causes the rotation member to move from the inside to the outside through the hole. I learned that it flows. As a result, if the same degree of vacuum is maintained regardless of the rotation state of the rotating member, the holding force of the recording material is weakened. Therefore, a higher degree of adhesion can be obtained by varying the reference vacuum degree according to the size of the recording material and the rotation state of the rotating member.

  According to the present invention, even if the recording material size is different, the recording material can be brought into close contact with the rotating member under optimum conditions, and stable image recording is possible.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the present invention is an embodiment in which the present invention is used in a color proof creating apparatus which is an image recording apparatus. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a schematic configuration inside a color proof producing apparatus.

  The apparatus main body 2 of the color proof producing apparatus 1 exposes a photosensitive material (in this embodiment, a reversal exposure direct positive photosensitive material, hereinafter also referred to as paper), and exposes an image (in this case). , A latent image) and a development processing unit 7 for developing the paper on which the latent image is formed by the exposure unit 3.

  The exposure unit 3 feeds paper by the paper feeding means 20 by reducing the inside by a paper feeding means 20 for supplying paper stored in a cartridge 10 mounted on the upper part of the apparatus main body 2 and a pressure reducing means 37 to be described later. Supporting means 30 for holding the formed paper, an optical unit 40 for recording an image on the paper held by the supporting means 30, and discharging for discharging the paper held by the supporting means 30 and conveying it to the development processing unit 7 And a unit for recording an image on paper.

  The development processing unit 7 includes a second exposure unit 71 that exposes the entire surface of the paper to form a pseudo image on a portion that has not been exposed by the exposure unit 3, a development unit 72 that develops the paper, and a development process. A fixing unit 73 for fixing the fixed paper, a stabilizing unit 74 for stabilizing the fixed paper, and a drying unit 75 for drying the stabilized paper. A latent image is formed by the exposure unit 3. This is a unit for developing the developed paper to make it visible.

  Next, details of the exposure unit 3 will be described based on FIG. 2 which is a side sectional view of a part of the exposure unit 3, FIG. 3 which is a plan sectional view, and FIG. 4 which is a control block diagram. The control unit 100 includes a CPU 102, a RAM 101, and a ROM 103 that stores a program, fetches various information, and controls various actuators.

  The cartridge 10 containing the roll-shaped paper is loaded on the upper part of the apparatus main body 2. In addition, the cartridge 10 is set at the position of paper feed rollers 21a and 21b, which will be described later, with the leading end of the paper pulled out by a predetermined length. At this time, the cartridge 10 is maintained in a light tight state by a cover (no reference).

  The paper feeding means 20 is means for supplying the paper stored in the cartridge 10 to the support means 30, and includes paper feeding rollers 21 a and 21 b, a paper feeding motor 22, a paper feeding pressure release mechanism 23, a cutter 24, The encoder roller 25, the guide 26, the paper supply / discharge roller 27, the paper supply / discharge motor 28, and the paper supply / discharge pressure release mechanism 29 are provided. The paper feed rollers 21 a and 21 b are rollers that pull out paper from the cartridge 10. The paper feed motor 22, the paper feed crimp release mechanism 23, the cutter 24, the encoder roller 25, the paper feed / discharge motor 28 and the paper feed / discharge crimp release mechanism 29 are controlled by the control means 100.

  The paper feed roller 21a is a drive roller, and the paper feed roller 21b is a driven roller that can contact and separate from the paper feed roller 21a. The paper feed motor 22 is a driving unit that rotationally drives the paper feed roller 21a. The paper feed press release mechanism 23 contacts and separates the paper feed roller 21b with respect to the paper feed roller 21a, that is, a position separated from a press-bonded position (shown by a solid line in FIG. 2) (indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2). It is a means to move between. By this paper feed pressure release mechanism, the paper feed roller 21b is moved to a position separated from the paper feed roller 21a in order to prevent the occurrence of paper wrinkles due to the roller pressure except during the paper transport operation.

  The cutter 24 is a cutting unit that cuts the paper drawn by the paper feed rollers 21a and 21b into a predetermined length. The encoder roller 25 is means for feeding the paper by its rotation and detecting the paper feed amount. Note that the cutter 24 operates when the paper feed amount detected by the encoder roller 25 reaches a predetermined length.

  The paper supply / discharge roller 27 is a roller provided so as to be able to contact and separate from a rotating member 31 (hereinafter also referred to as a drum) described later. The paper supply / discharge motor 28 is a drive unit that rotationally drives the paper supply / discharge roller 27. The paper supply / discharge motor 28 is configured to be able to rotate the paper supply / discharge roller 27 when the paper supply / discharge roller 27 is pressed against the drum 31 by a later-described paper supply / discharge pressure release mechanism 29. Yes. Accordingly, when the paper supply / discharge roller 27 is pressure-bonded to the drum 31, the paper supply / discharge motor 28 serves as a rotation drive unit that rotates the drum 31 following the paper supply / discharge roller 27. When the drum 31 is not crimped, no driving force is transmitted to the drum 31. The paper supply / discharge pressure release mechanism 29 is in contact with / separated from the drum 31, that is, a position (shown by a solid line in FIG. 2) and a position (shown by a broken line in FIG. 2). It is a means to move between. When the paper supply / discharge roller 27 winds the paper around the peripheral surface of the drum 31 and discharges the paper on the peripheral surface of the drum 31 by the supply / discharge press release mechanism 29, Move to the position where it is crimped to the surface. At this time, the paper supply / discharge roller 27 is driven to rotate from the paper supply / discharge motor 28.

  The support means 30 is a means for holding the paper fed by the paper feed means 20 when the inside is decompressed by a decompression means 37 to be described later. In the present embodiment, the support means 30 is constituted by a hollow cylindrical drum 31. Has been. A plurality of suction holes 31 c, which are holes penetrating from the circumferential surface to the inside, are formed on the circumferential surface of the drum 31. The shaft portions 31a and 31b at both ends of the drum 31 are rotatably supported by bearings 32a and 32b.

  The main scanning drive means 35 is a drive means for rotating the drum 31 provided on the one shaft portion 31a side of the drum 31. The main scanning drive means 35 is provided on the drum motor 351 which is a drive source controlled by the control means 100, an output pulley 353 provided on the rotating shaft of the drum motor 351, and the shaft portion 31a side of the drum 31. A driving pulley 354 and a belt 352 suspended between the output pulley 353 and the driving pulley 354 are provided, and the drum 31 is rotated by driving of the drum motor 351.

  The rotary encoder 36 is a pulse generating means for outputting a rotation pulse provided on one shaft portion 31a of the drum 31, and is used for generating a pixel clock synchronized with drum rotation.

  The decompression unit 37 is a unit provided on the other shaft portion 31 b of the drum 31 to decompress the inside of the drum 31. The decompression means 37 includes a blower 371 that decompresses the inside of the drum 31 and is controlled by the control means 100, and a pipe 372 that connects the interior of the drum 31 and the blower 371. Therefore, when the blower 371 is driven, the inside of the drum 31 is depressurized via the pipe 372 and the drum 31 is provided with the suction hole 31c. Therefore, the paper wound on the peripheral surface of the drum 31 is removed. It can be held tightly. The blower 371 makes a loud noise when driven, and is disposed as a separate body from the apparatus main body 2, for example, in a room separate from the room where the apparatus main body 2 is placed. It is configured to communicate with. In the present embodiment, the blower 371 is used as the decompression means 37, but a vacuum pump or the like may be used.

  The pressure gauge 38 which is a degree of vacuum detecting means is a detecting means for detecting the degree of vacuum inside the drum 31. In this embodiment, it is provided in the middle of the pipe 372 and indirectly configured to detect the degree of vacuum inside the drum 31, but the degree of vacuum inside the drum 31 is directly detected. It may be configured. The state where the atmospheric pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure is referred to as a vacuum, and the degree of vacuum indicates the degree of the vacuum, which is expressed by a unit of pressure such as Pa, or an absolute vacuum. Although the degree of vacuum is expressed as a percentage with a degree of vacuum of 100%, in this embodiment, the internal pressure (Pa) is detected as the degree of vacuum inside the drum 31. The degree of vacuum will be described as a pressure value.

  The release valve 39 that is an opening means is a valve that can be opened under the control of the control means 100 to make the inside of the drum 31 that is decompressed to atmospheric pressure. The release valve 39 is normally closed, but is configured to be opened when a contact error occurs, as will be described later.

  The optical unit 40 as image recording means is means for recording an image on the paper held on the peripheral surface of the drum 31. In this embodiment, the paper that receives the digital image signal and is adsorbed to the drum 31. And means for recording an image (latent image) by exposure with laser beams of red light, green light, and blue light. The optical unit 40 includes a red laser light source (HeNe) 41R that emits a laser beam of red light, a green laser light source (HeNe) 41G that emits a laser beam of green light, and a blue laser light source that emits a laser beam of blue light. (Ar) 41B is arranged. The laser beams from the red laser light source 41R, the green laser light source 41G, and the blue laser light source 41B are respectively controlled in intensity by AOMs (acousto-optic elements: controlling the light intensity) 42R, 42G, and 42B. The green light is condensed through the mirrors 432 and 433 and the blue light is condensed through the mirrors 434 and 433 by the condenser lens 44, and the paper on the drum 31 is collected by the imaging lens 45. To form an image and expose the image. The exposure shutter 46 is provided so as to be insertable / retractable (open / close) in the optical path of the laser beam, and opens / closes the optical path at the start / end of exposure.

  Here, the flow of image data and exposure control will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The halftone image data of each color (Y, M, C, BK) created by the external device 200 is an image data I / F unit. Then, the data is converted into an exposure format, and digital image data is obtained. Data for one sheet is stored in the data buffer 202. On the other hand, the dot clock generator 203 generates a dot clock based on a signal obtained from the rotary encoder 36 by the rotating drum 31. In synchronization with this dot clock, digital image data is supplied from the data buffer 202 to the AOM drivers 206R, 206G, and 206B via the LUT (look-up table) 204 and the D / A converters 205R, 205G, and 205B. These AOM drivers 206R, 206G, and 206B drive the AOMs 42R, 42G, and 42B, respectively.

  The sub-scanning moving unit 47 is a unit that moves the optical unit 40 in the sub-scanning direction (a direction parallel to the axis of the drum 30 and the vertical direction in FIG. 3). The sub-scanning moving unit includes a sub-scanning motor 471 that is a drive source controlled by the control unit 100, a pulley 472 provided on the shaft of the sub-scanning motor 471, a moving belt 473 to which the optical unit 40 is fixed, A pulley 474 that suspends the moving belt 473 together with the pulley 472, a pair of guide rails 475 that guide the optical unit 40 in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the drum 31, and a home position detection sensor that detects the home position of the optical unit 40. 476 and a writing start position detection sensor 477 for detecting the writing start position of the image. According to the sub-scanning moving unit 47, first, the optical unit 40 is stopped at the home position where the optical unit 40 is detected by the home position detection sensor 476. Then, by driving the sub scanning motor 471, the optical unit 40 fixed to the moving belt 473 moves in the sub scanning direction along the guide rail 475, and the writing start position detection sensor 477 detects the optical unit 40. From the writing start position, exposure of the paper on the drum 31 is started by the optical unit 40. Then, the movement in the sub-scanning direction is stopped by the movement amount corresponding to the image size, and the movement is returned to the home position.

  The discharge means 50 is means for discharging the paper held on the drum 31 and transporting it to the development processing unit 7, and a peeling guide provided so as to be swingable for peeling the paper held on the drum 31. 51, a peeling rocking mechanism 52 that rocks the peeling guide 51, conveyance rollers 53 and 54, a discharge motor 55 that drives the conveyance rollers 53 and 54, an exit shutter 56, and a paper peeled from the drum 31. And an accumulator 57 (see FIG. 1). The peeling swing mechanism 52, the discharge motor 55 and the exit shutter 56 are controlled by the control means 100. The peeling guide 51 is moved up and down by a peeling rocking mechanism 52, and in an upper position (shown by a solid line in FIG. 2), the claw portion 51 a of the peeling guide 51 contacts the drum 31 and is held on the drum 31. The paper is temporarily stored in the accumulator 57 at the lower position (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). The accumulator 57 adjusts the transport timing with the development processing unit 7 by temporarily storing paper even when the transport speed of the development processing unit 7 is slower than the discharge speed of the exposure unit 3. The processing capability of the exposure unit 3 is not reduced.

  The paper peeled from the drum 31 by the peeling guide 51 is sequentially transported by the transport rollers 53 and 54, passes through the exit shutter 56 opened at a predetermined timing according to the paper discharge timing, and is sent to the development processing unit 7. Is done. In this way, the paper on which the image is recorded by the exposure unit 3 is developed and visualized by the development processing unit 7. That is, the paper sent from the exposure unit 3 is formed with a pseudo image in a portion that is not exposed by the exposure unit 3 by the second exposure unit 71, and the second exposed paper is the developing unit 72 and the fixing unit 73. The photosensitive material is transported to the stabilizing unit 74 and developed, and the processed photosensitive material is dried by the drying unit 75 and then discharged.

  The operation display means 92 (see FIG. 4) is an input means provided on the outer surface of the apparatus main body 2 for inputting information for various settings and operations, and also a display means for displaying the status of the apparatus and various information. is there. The operation display unit 92 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel and a touch panel. When the operator inputs from the operation display unit 92, the first reference pressure value Vb1, the second reference pressure value Vb2, and the like stored in the storage unit 91 described later can be set and changed. Yes.

  The storage unit 91 (see FIG. 4) is a unit that stores various types of information input by the operation display unit 92, and includes, for example, a nonvolatile memory. By the way, in the present embodiment, as information stored in the storage means 91, the blower reference pressure value Vb that should be obtained by the pressure gauge 38 if the blower 371 exhibits a predetermined ability, and the drum 31 rotate. The first reference pressure value Vb1 that should be obtained by the pressure gauge 38 (in other words, when the drum 31 is not rotating, the paper is This is a reference value for determining whether or not the drum 31 is in close contact) and if the paper is in close contact with the peripheral surface of the drum 31 while the drum 31 is rotating, it should be obtained by the pressure gauge 38 Is stored as a second reference pressure value Vb2 (in other words, a reference value for determining whether or not the paper is in close contact with the peripheral surface of the drum 31 when the drum 31 is rotating). . These blower reference pressure value Vb, first reference pressure value Vb1 and second reference pressure value Vb2 can be set and changed from the operation display means 92. The first reference pressure value Vb1 is set so that the pressure value is higher (that is, closer to the atmospheric pressure) than the second reference pressure value Vb2. The first reference pressure value Vb1 and the second reference pressure value Vb2 are set for each paper size, and the first reference pressure value Vb1 and the second reference pressure value Vb2 corresponding to the size of the paper on which an image is recorded. Is preferably stored in the storage means 91.

  Next, the operation of the exposure unit 3 of the color proof creating apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The following operations are stored as programs in the ROM 101, and are read out and executed by a CPU (computer).

  First, when the main switch is turned on (S1), initial processing of the electrical device of the apparatus and various error checks are performed (S2). In this initial process, various units such as the drum 31 and the optical unit 40 are returned to their initial positions, and data is loaded from the ROM 101 to the RAM 103. If an error is detected at this time, an error message is displayed on the operation display means 92 (S3).

  When the initial process and the error check in S2 are completed, it is next detected whether or not the blower 371 is abnormal. For this purpose, first, the pressure (degree of vacuum) inside the drum 31 is read from the pressure gauge 38 (S4). That is, the pressure in a state where the blower 371 is OFF (not driven) is read, and the read pressure value V1 is stored in the RAM 103. Next, the blower 371 is turned on (driven) (S5), and after waiting for a predetermined time for the drive of the blower 371 to stabilize (S6), the pressure (vacuum degree) inside the drum 31 is read from the pressure gauge 38 (S7). ). That is, the pressure in the state where the blower 371 is ON (driven) is read, and the read pressure value V2 is stored in the RAM 103.

  Here, the read pressure values V1 and V2 are compared, and whether or not the pressure value has changed (specifically, whether or not the pressure value V2 is smaller than the pressure value V1 (close to vacuum)). At the same time, the read pressure value V2 is compared with the blower reference pressure value Vb stored in the storage means 91 to determine whether or not a predetermined degree of vacuum has been reached. It is determined whether or not it is smaller than the reference pressure value Vb (S8). That is, the pressure values V1 and V2 are compared, and if there is no change in the pressure values V1 and V2 between the state where the blower 371 is driven and the state where it is not driven, it is detected that an abnormality has occurred in the decompression means 37. can do. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the blower 371 is disposed in a separate chamber from the apparatus main body 2, the power supply of the blower 371 is provided in a separate system from the power supply of the apparatus main body 2. Abnormality of the blower 371 such as forgetting to insert can be detected. Further, the pressure value V2 and the blower reference pressure value Vb are compared, and if the blower 371 exhibits a desired capability, the blower 371 is driven by using a predetermined value (blower reference pressure value Vb). If the degree of vacuum V2 in this state does not reach the blower reference pressure value Vb, it is possible to detect an abnormality in the decompression means 37, assuming that the blower 371 does not exhibit the desired capacity.

  If there is no abnormality in the decompression means 37 in S8, the blower 371 is turned off (S9). On the other hand, if there is an abnormality in the decompression means 37 in S8, a display indicating that the blower 371 (decompression means 37) is abnormal is displayed on the operation display means 92 (S10).

  Until the recording start instruction is received from the operation display unit 92 or the external device 200, conditions are set by operating the operation display unit 92 (S11). When the recording start instruction is received (S12), image recording is performed. Move to operation.

  In the image recording operation, first, the paper feed press release mechanism 23 is driven to press the paper feed roller 21b against the paper feed roller 21a, and the paper supply / discharge press release mechanism 29 is driven to feed the paper feed / discharge roller 27 to the drum. The drum 31 is pressed and the drum motor 351 is turned off to make the drum 31 rotatable (S13). Then, the paper feed motor 22 is turned on (driven), the paper feed rollers 21a and 21b are rotated, and the paper conveyance is started (S14).

  When the leading edge of the paper is detected by a paper leading edge reference position sensor (not shown) that detects the leading edge of the conveyed paper (S15), the length of the paper is determined by the rotation of the encoder roller 25 based on this detection. Is started (S16). Then, the length of the paper is counted from the paper feed amount, and when the paper is conveyed until a predetermined length, that is, until the front end of the paper is nipped by the paper discharge roller 27 and the drum 31 (S17), the paper feed motor 22 is reached. Is turned off, and the paper feed pressure release mechanism 23 is driven to release the pressure on the paper feed roller 21b (S18), and the paper can be transported by the rotation of the paper supply / discharge roller 27 and the drum 31.

  Next, the blower 371 is turned on (driven) (S19), waits for its stability (S20), and after stabilization, the paper supply / discharge motor 28 is turned on (S21). As a result, the paper can be wound while adsorbing the paper to the drum 31.

  On the other hand, the measurement of the paper length started in S16 is continued, and when it is detected that a length (predetermined length) matching the paper size has been pulled out (S22), the paper supply / discharge motor 28 is turned off. At the same time, the paper feed press release mechanism 23 is driven to press the paper feed roller 21b to the paper feed roller 21a via the paper (S23). Here, the cutter 24 is driven to cut the paper (S24), and the sheet-like paper is obtained from the roll-like paper. Thereafter, the paper supply / discharge motor 28 is turned on, and the paper feed press release mechanism 23 is driven to release the press of the paper feed roller 21a (S25). When the paper supply / discharge motor 28 is turned ON, the paper sandwiched between the paper supply / discharge roller 27 and the drum 31 is successively wound around the peripheral surface of the drum 31 and the drum 31 by the blower 371 is wound inside. As the pressure is reduced, the drum 31 is brought into close contact with the peripheral surface of the drum 31 through the suction hole 31c.

  Then, after waiting for completion of winding of the paper around the drum 31 (S26), the drum supply / discharge motor 28 is turned off (the rotation of the drum 31 is stopped), and the supply / discharge press release mechanism 29 is driven to supply paper. The pressure bonding of the paper discharge roller 23 is released (S27).

  Here, it is determined whether or not the paper is in close contact with the peripheral surface of the drum 31. For this purpose, first, the pressure (degree of vacuum) inside the drum 31 is read from the pressure gauge 38 (S28), and the read pressure value V3 is stored in the RAM 103. Then, the read pressure value V3 is compared with the first reference pressure value Vb1 stored in the storage unit 91, and it is determined whether or not the pressure value V3 has reached (is small) the first reference pressure value Vb1. (S29). If the pressure value V3 read each time does not reach the first reference pressure value Vb1 even after the predetermined time has elapsed (S30), the operation display means 92 is regarded as an adhesion error in which the paper is not in close contact with the drum 31. Is displayed as a contact error (S31). On the other hand, if the read pressure value V3 has reached the first reference pressure value Vb1 in S29, it is determined that the paper is in close contact with the drum 31, and the process proceeds to the next step.

  Next, the drum motor 351 is turned on (driven) to rotate the drum 31 (S32), and the rotation of the drum 31 is stabilized at a predetermined number of rotations (in this embodiment, the number of rotations when recording an image). (S33).

  When the predetermined number of rotations is reached, it is determined whether or not the paper is securely in contact with the drum 31 even when the drum 31 is rotating. For this purpose, first, the pressure (degree of vacuum) inside the drum 31 is read from the pressure gauge 38 (S34), and the read pressure value V4 is stored in the RAM 103. Then, the read pressure value V4 is compared with the second reference pressure value Vb2 stored in the storage unit 91, and it is determined whether or not the pressure value V4 has reached (smaller) the second reference pressure value Vb2. (S35). If the pressure value V4 read each time does not reach the second reference pressure value Vb2 even after the predetermined time has elapsed (S36), error processing is performed as a contact error in which the paper is not in close contact with the drum 31. . That is, the drum motor 351 is turned off and the blower 371 is turned off to release the close contact of the paper (S37). By this operation, not only the rotation of the drum 31 is stopped, but also the drive of the blower 371 is stopped, so that the drum 31 rotating by inertia does not hold the paper, and the surrounding members are damaged. In addition, the return operation can be facilitated. Furthermore, in S37 of the present embodiment, the release valve 39 is opened and the inside of the drum 31 is returned to the atmospheric pressure, so the paper held on the drum 31 can be quickly held. It can be canceled. Then, the operation display means 92 is displayed to indicate that there is a contact error (S38).

  On the other hand, if the read pressure value V3 has reached the first reference pressure value Vb1 in S29, it is determined that the paper is firmly in contact with the drum 31, and the process proceeds to the next recording step. In the recording process, first, the sub-scanning motor 471 is turned on (S39), and the optical unit 40 located at the home position is started to move in the sub-scanning direction. Then, the exposure shutter 46 is turned on (that is, the optical path is opened) (S40). When the optical unit 40 that has started moving in S39 is detected by the writing start position detection sensor 477 (S41), output of image data, that is, exposure (writing) on paper is started (S42).

  At this time, the red laser light source 41R, the green laser light source 41G, and the blue laser light source 41B emit light, and the intensity is controlled by the AOMs 42R, 42G, and 42B based on the LUT 204 data of the set channels, respectively. An image having a color corresponding to the color of the printing paper is exposed.

  On the other hand, until the writing is completed (S47), it is always detected whether or not the paper is in close contact with the drum 31. That is, as described above, the pressure (degree of vacuum) inside the drum 31 is read from the pressure gauge 38 (S43), and the read pressure value V5 is stored in the RAM 103. Then, the read pressure value V5 is compared with the second reference pressure value Vb2 stored in the storage unit 91, and it is determined whether or not the pressure value V5 has reached the second reference pressure value Vb2. (S44). If the read pressure value V5 does not reach the second reference pressure value Vb2, the drum motor 351 is turned off, the blower 371 is turned off, and the release is performed as an adhesion error in which the paper is not in close contact with the drum 31. The valve 39 is opened (S45), and the operation display means 92 is displayed to indicate that there is a contact error (S46).

  When the writing of the image data is completed (S47), the drum motor 351 is turned off and the sub-scanning motor 471 is reversely rotated to move the optical unit 40 to the home position (S48). When the optical unit 40 is detected by the home position detection sensor 476, the sub-scanning motor 471 is turned off.

  Then, the paper supply / discharge pressure release mechanism 29 is driven to press the paper supply / discharge roller 27 to the drum 31 and the excitation of the drum motor 351 is turned off (S49). Next, the drum 31 is rotated by driving the sheet supply / discharge motor 28 and rotating the sheet supply / discharge roller 27 (S50), and the drum 31 is moved to the home position (position where paper can be discharged) (S51). ). When the movement is completed, the paper supply / discharge motor 28 is turned off (S52).

  Here, the peeling rocking mechanism 52 is driven to rock the peeling guide 51 to the upper position (that is, the position where the claw portion 51 a contacts the drum 31), and the outlet shutter 56 to the development processing unit 7 is opened. (S53). Then, the paper supply / discharge motor 28 is turned on to rotate the paper supply / discharge roller 27, and the blower 371 is turned off (S54). Accordingly, the paper wound around the drum 31 is conveyed by the rotation of the paper supply / discharge roller 27 and the drum 31 and is discharged from the drum 31 while being peeled off by the claw portion 51 a of the peeling guide 51. Further, in S54, the discharge motor 55 is also turned on, and the paper discharged from the drum 31 is conveyed at high speed by the conveyance rollers 53 and 54. When the leading edge of the paper is transported to the vicinity of the entrance of the development processing unit 7, the discharge motor 55 is stopped, and when paper discharge from the exposure unit 3 is completed, the paper transport speed in the phenomenon processing unit 7 is reached. The discharge motor 55 is started by switching to the combined constant speed. Then, the paper transported by switching to a low speed is developed in the development processing unit 7 as described above.

  On the other hand, when the paper is nipped and conveyed by the conveyance rollers 53 and 54, the separation rocking mechanism 52 is driven to place the separation guide 51 in the lower position (S55), and the paper is discharged from the drum 31. (S56), the paper supply / discharge motor 28 is turned off, the drum motor 351 is excited so that the drum 31 does not rotate freely, and the paper supply / discharge pressure release mechanism 29 is driven to press the paper supply / discharge roller 27. By canceling (S57), the recording is completed, and the state shifts to the next image data recording waiting state (S12).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, whether the paper is in close contact with the peripheral surface of the drum 31 by comparing the pressure value detected by the pressure gauge 38 with a preset reference pressure value. In determining whether or not, the reference pressure value is varied according to the rotation state of the drum 31, whereby the air inside the drum 31 is reduced in pressure by the blower 371, while the centrifugal generated due to the rotation of the drum 31. Even if it flows from the suction hole 31 c to the outside of the drum 31 due to the force, by setting a reference pressure value according to the rotation state of the drum 31, the holding force of the paper is not weakened, and the adhesion is more accurate. You can get a degree.

It is a schematic diagram of schematic structure inside a color proof production apparatus. It is side surface sectional drawing of a part of exposure unit. It is a plane sectional view of a part of the exposure unit. It is a control block diagram of an exposure unit. It is a flowchart figure of an exposure unit. It is a flowchart figure of an exposure unit. It is a flowchart figure of an exposure unit.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Color proof production apparatus 2 Apparatus main body 3 Exposure unit 7 Development processing unit 10 Cartridge 27 Supply / discharge roller 31 Drum 31c Suction hole 37 Pressure reducing means 371 Blower 38 Pressure gauge 39 Release valve 40 Optical unit 51 Peeling guide 91 Storage means 92 Operation display Means 100 Control means

Claims (5)

A rotating member that is hollow and provided with a plurality of holes that penetrate from the outer surface to the inner surface, a decompression unit that depressurizes the interior of the rotating member to hold the recording material on the outer surface of the rotating member, and the rotating member In an image recording apparatus having image recording means for recording an image on a recording material held on the outer surface of
The pressure inside the rotating member when the recording material is in close contact with the circumferential surface of the rotating member when the rotating member is not rotating is the first reference pressure value, and the recording material is rotated when the rotating member is rotating. The pressure inside the rotating member when it is in close contact with the circumferential surface of the member is taken as the second reference pressure value,
An image recording apparatus, wherein the first reference pressure value and the second reference pressure value can be changed according to the size of the recording material. 2. The first reference pressure value and the second reference pressure value, which can be changed according to the size of the recording material, are stored for each size of the recording material in a separate storage means. The image recording apparatus described in 1. When the recording material is held on the outer surface of the rotating member, the recording material is compared by comparing the pressure value V3 inside the rotating member measured with the rotating member not rotating with the first reference pressure value. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a determination is made as to whether or not the rotating member is held in close contact with the rotating member. When the recording material is held on the outer surface of the rotating member, the recording material is compared with the pressure value V4 inside the rotating member measured while the rotating member is rotating and the second reference pressure value. 4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not the rotating member is held in close contact with the rotating member. 5. 5. The first reference pressure value and the second reference pressure value that are set for each of the sizes are such that the first reference pressure value is higher than the second reference pressure value. The image recording apparatus according to item 1.

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