JP2007163696A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a development defect due to sticking of dust on an image formation medium. <P>SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus A is equipped with: a paper magazine 3 for storing rolled paper P in an apparatus body; a paper cutter 5 provided in the apparatus body and cutting the paper P drawn out of the paper magazine 3 to a specified length; an exposure engine 7 which scans and exposes an emulsion surface of the paper P while conveying the paper P; and an after-exposure conveying means of conveying the paper P after the scan exposure to a development processing section E. Inside the apparatus body, the paper P conveyed in the apparatus body comes into contact with a specified contact portion T1 of a side wall surface 14. A removing brush 25 removing dust sticking on the paper P is provided downstream from the contact portion T1 of the side wall surface 14 in the conveying direction and upstream from the development processing section E in the conveying direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a cutter that cuts an image forming medium wound in a roll shape into a predetermined length.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of image forming apparatus, an apparatus in which image exposure is performed on paper (for example, an image forming medium such as photographic paper) with a laser beam is known (see Patent Document 1). In such an apparatus, paper wound in a roll shape is set in a magazine, and the magazine is stored in the apparatus main body. The paper drawn from the magazine is cut to a predetermined length with a paper cutter, and the emulsion surface of the paper is subjected to scanning exposure to expose the image.

By the way, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, an upstream front transport unit for transporting the paper after exposure processing between the exposure unit and the development processing unit, and a downstream side A rear transfer unit is provided. And between these front conveyance units and rear conveyance units, it is comprised so that movement between these units is possible, the paper conveyed from the front conveyance unit is received, and the paper is delivered to a rear conveyance unit. A chucker is provided. In this apparatus, depending on the paper length, the front end of the paper is being transported toward the rear transport unit while being sandwiched by chuckers, while the rear portion of the paper is being exposed by the exposure means. is there. At this time, if vibrations when the front end portion of the paper is pinched by the chucker or load fluctuations when the paper is conveyed by the chucker are transmitted to the portion of the paper rear portion during the exposure process, exposure unevenness occurs. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus according to Patent Document 1, the paper between the front conveyance unit and the chucker is bent downward, and the paper is conveyed to the rear conveyance unit in this bent state. Yes. By doing so, vibrations when the paper is sandwiched between chuckers and load fluctuations from the chucker are absorbed by the bent portions of the paper, thereby preventing the occurrence of uneven exposure.
JP 2005-219897 A

  However, in the image forming apparatus, when the paper between the front transport unit and the chucker is transported while being bent downward, the image forming surface of the paper, that is, the emulsion surface, contacts the wall surface inside the device. There is a case.

  The image forming apparatus according to Patent Document 1 is configured to prevent the paper from being damaged by applying a resin to the wall surface in contact with the paper or providing a flexible material such as a nonwoven fabric.

  However, it is not only paper damage that becomes a problem when paper touches the wall. When the paper comes into contact with the wall surface, dust accumulated in the paper may adhere to the image forming surface of the paper and cause development failure. In particular, in the configuration in which the paper drawn from the paper roll is cut with a paper cutter inside the apparatus main body, paper dust is generated when the paper is cut, and the paper powder accumulates inside the apparatus main body. That is, when the paper comes into contact with the wall surface inside the apparatus, the paper dust adheres to the paper.

  As described above, when paper dust adheres to the image forming surface of the paper and the paper is transported to the development processing section with the paper dust adhered, development is not properly performed in the development processing section, and development failure occurs. End up.

  Even when the surface of the paper opposite to the image forming surface (hereinafter referred to as the back surface) is in contact with the wall surface inside the apparatus, paper dust adheres to the back surface. In this case, paper dust does not adhere to the image forming surface, but this causes a problem because the paper dust attached to the back surface is conveyed to the development processing unit. That is, the paper dust adhering to the back surface of the paper is carried along with the paper to the development processing unit and mixed into the developer. Then, there is a possibility that the paper dust adheres to the image forming surface of the paper conveyed through the developer. In particular, when the paper dust is floating on the liquid level of the developer, the paper dust tends to adhere to the image forming surface when the paper is carried into the developer. Thus, even if paper dust adheres to the back surface of the paper, there is a risk of causing a development failure.

  The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of development failure due to the adhesion of dust to the image forming medium.

  In the present invention, the dust attached to the image forming medium is removed by the dust removing means before being conveyed to the developing processing means. More specifically, the present invention relates to storage means for storing an image forming medium wound in a roll shape inside the apparatus main body, and an image forming medium provided inside the apparatus main body and pulled out from the storage means to a predetermined length. An image forming apparatus comprising: a cutter for cutting; an exposure unit that performs scanning exposure on an image forming surface while conveying an image forming medium; and a post-exposure conveying unit that conveys the image forming medium after scanning exposure to a development processing unit. In the apparatus main body, there is a wall surface with which the image forming medium conveyed through the apparatus main body contacts, and dust adhering to the image forming medium is removed on the upstream side of the developing processing means in the conveying direction. Dust removing means is provided.

  If the image forming medium is cut by the cutter as described above, paper dust is generated when the image forming medium is cut, and the paper dust is accumulated inside the apparatus main body. When the image forming medium transported inside the apparatus main body in which dust such as paper dust accumulates contacts the wall surface inside the apparatus main body, the dust collected on the wall surface adheres to the image forming medium. . Therefore, in the above configuration, by providing the dust removing unit on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the development processing unit, before the image forming medium is carried into the development processing unit, dust attached to the image forming medium is removed. Can be removed. As a result, the image forming medium can be transported to the development processing unit in a state where dust is not attached, and development failure due to the adhesion of dust can be prevented.

  As an arrangement in which the image forming medium transported inside the apparatus main body may come into contact with the wall surface inside the apparatus main body, for example, exposure processing and development processing are not performed simultaneously on one image forming medium. In addition, a loop is formed or wound between the exposure unit and the development processing unit so that the image forming medium to be exposed is not carried into the development processing unit until the exposure processing is completely completed. There is a configuration to store. In such a configuration, a part of the image forming medium where the loop is formed or a part of the wound part may come into contact with the wall surface inside the apparatus main body. Another configuration is an image forming apparatus in which, on a single image forming medium, the front end portion after the exposure processing is subjected to development processing and at the same time the exposure processing is performed at the rear portion. There is a configuration in which a loop is formed on the image forming medium transported between the exposure unit and the development processing unit so that generated vibrations and the like are not transmitted to the rear part of the image forming medium during development processing. In such a configuration, a part of the image forming medium where the loop is formed may come into contact with the wall surface inside the apparatus main body. In addition to the above, there are various configurations in which the image forming medium conveyed inside the apparatus main body contacts the wall surface inside the apparatus main body.

  Further, the post-exposure transport unit curves the image forming medium to change the transport direction of the image forming medium in a direction different from the transport direction of the image forming medium in the exposure unit, and the dust removing unit The removal brush is preferably provided on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the curved portion of the image forming medium and is in contact with the image forming medium to be transported.

  For example, in the exposure unit, the image forming medium is conveyed in the horizontal direction, and is removed from the exposure unit in the horizontal direction as it is, and the removal brush is applied to a portion where the conveyance direction is conveyed straight without changing the conveyance direction. If it is arranged, the vibration when the removal brush comes into contact with the image forming medium is easily transmitted to the part of the image forming medium that is being exposed. However, in the case of the above configuration, the image forming medium is curved between the exposure unit and the removing brush by providing the removing brush on the downstream side of the conveying direction with respect to the portion where the conveying direction of the image forming medium changes. A portion is formed, and vibrations and load fluctuations caused by the contact of the removal brush are hardly transmitted to the portion of the image forming medium that is being exposed. For this reason, even if vibration or load fluctuation occurs due to the contact of the removal brush, uneven exposure is not caused.

  Here, as described above, the reason why the vibration and load fluctuation are difficult to be transmitted due to the curvature of the image forming medium is as follows: a) The load fluctuation in the conveyance direction is absorbed at the curved portion, and the conveyance speed of the exposure portion is reduced. B) The bending portion or its vicinity is usually in contact with another member such as a guide member or a roller, and vibration or load fluctuation is absorbed and attenuated by this member, and c) the bending. A compressive stress is generated inside the region, and a tensile stress is generated outside the region, which may accelerate the attenuation of vibrations and load fluctuations.

  Further, the image forming medium is configured to come into contact with a predetermined contact portion of the wall surface at a downstream side of a portion where the conveyance direction is curved and the conveyance direction is changed. It is preferable that the contact portion is provided immediately downstream in the transport direction.

  Without the dust removing means, the dust accumulated on the wall surface comes into contact with the wall surface which is conveyed to the post-exposure conveyance means via the image forming medium in contact with the wall surface and further conveyed by the post-exposure conveyance means. It adheres one after another to the image forming medium that is not. Therefore, in the above-described configuration, the dust attached to the image forming medium is diffused in a secondary and tertiary manner by providing the removal brush immediately downstream of the predetermined contact portion on the wall surface with which the image forming medium contacts. It can be prevented from going.

  According to the present invention, by providing the dust removing means upstream of the developing processing means in the transport direction, even if the image forming medium comes into contact with the wall surface and dust adheres, the image forming medium is Dust can be removed before being conveyed to the processing means, and as a result, development failure due to the adhesion of dust can be prevented.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description of the preferred embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its application, or its use.

(Overall configuration of photo processing system)
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a photographic processing system provided with an image forming apparatus A according to an embodiment of the present invention. This photographic processing system has a function of acquiring image data, printing an image on an emulsion surface (corresponding to an image forming surface) of paper (corresponding to an image forming medium) based on the image data, and creating a photographic print. I have. This photographic processing system also scans frame images formed on developed photographic film and obtains film data (not shown), storage media for digital cameras, and other recording media. A media reading unit (not shown) for reading image data stored in the medium is provided.

  The paper magazines 3 and 3 shown in FIG. 1 respectively accommodate rolls of long paper wound in a roll shape, and the paper magazines 3 and 3 can be attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus A. Is attached. Of the two paper magazines 3 and 3 attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus A, one paper magazine 3 is selected according to the print size and the like, and is drawn out from the selected paper magazine 3. The paper P is transported along a predetermined transport path. That is, the direction of the paper drawn out from the paper magazine 3 is changed by the advance roller unit 4 and cut into a predetermined print size by the paper cutter 5. The cut paper P is transported by the transport unit 6 to the exposure engine 7 (corresponding to the exposure means) located on the downstream side.

  The exposure engine 7 is provided with an upstream exposure transport roller 9a and a downstream exposure transport roller 9b. Between these exposure transport rollers 9a and 9b, an exposure position for exposing the paper P with laser light is set. A paper detection sensor 10 is provided on the upstream side of the exposure conveyance roller 9, and when the paper P is fed in, the front end (front end in the conveyance direction) portion is detected and a signal is output. . The paper detection sensor 10 includes a light emitting element that outputs infrared light and a light receiving element that receives the light. By detecting the position of the paper P by the paper detection sensor 10, the exposure start timing at the exposure position can be determined.

  The exposure engine 7 has a known structure and optically modulates laser light output from a laser light source (laser diode or the like) based on image data and irradiates the paper P with the light-modulated laser light. Then, the image is exposed. That is, the paper P is transported at a predetermined speed (constant speed) while being sandwiched between the exposure transport rollers 9a and 9b, while the laser beam is orthogonal to the transport direction (sub-scanning direction) of the paper P. Since scanning is performed in the scanning direction, an image (latent image) is printed and exposed on the paper P line by line.

  Then, while the scanning exposure as described above is performed, the paper P is sent downstream from the exposure position by the downstream exposure transport roller 9b. On the downstream side of the exposure engine 7, first and second transport units 11 and 12 as post-exposure transport means are provided. As will be described in detail later, the first transport unit 11 has a predetermined rotational axis. It is provided so as to be rotatable around, and has a function of delivering the paper P delivered by the downstream exposure conveyance roller 9 b to the second conveyance unit 12. Then, the second transport unit 12 sends the paper P received from the first transport unit 11 to a development processing unit E (not shown).

  Further, on the downstream side of the exposure engine 7 (left side of the exposure engine 7 in FIG. 1), the paper P whose length in the transport direction is a predetermined value or more (for example, 430.1 mm or more) is temporarily accommodated (stored). An accommodation space S is provided. That is, if the paper P is longer than the distance from the exposure position of the exposure engine 7 to the development processing unit E, the leading end of the paper P enters the development processing unit E in a state where scanning exposure is performed on a part of the paper P. Thus, vibrations and load fluctuations that occur along with this may be transmitted to the exposed portion of the paper P to cause uneven exposure. In this embodiment, in order to prevent such load fluctuations from occurring, in this embodiment, exposure conveyance is performed. The paper P sent out by the roller 9b is temporarily stored.

  In this embodiment, a take-up drum 20 for taking up the paper P is arranged in the accommodation space S. The take-up drum 20 is provided with a pressure roller 21 for pressing and pinching the front end portion of the paper P on the outer peripheral surface thereof. A mechanism 8 is configured. The accommodation space S and the take-up mechanism 8 constitute a take-up storage unit that takes up and temporarily stores the paper P carried out from the exposure engine 7.

  The paper magazine 3, the exposure engine 7, the first and second transport units 11 and 12, the accommodation space S, and the like are disposed in a light-shielded casing C.

(Constitution of accommodation space)
Next, the structure in the said accommodation space part S is demonstrated based on FIG. First, the first transport unit 11 is disposed further downstream of the downstream exposure transport roller 9b, and includes a sandwiching transport roller pair 11a and a guide plate 11b. The position in the height direction of the pair of nipping and conveying rollers 11a is set to be the same height position as that of the exposure and conveying roller 9, and an opening 11c is formed at the upstream end of the guide plate 11b. Therefore, the paper P can be easily received.

  Further, the first transport unit 11 is configured to be capable of rotating by 90 ° around a predetermined rotation axis (see FIG. 11), and when it is rotated by 90 °, the paper P is delivered to the second transport unit 12. be able to. The second transport unit 12 includes a plurality of nipping and transporting roller pairs 12a that are arranged along the transport path and driven by a driving mechanism (not shown), and a guide plate 12b that guides the paper P. The first transport unit 11 serves to send the paper P received from 11 to the development processing unit E.

  The take-up drum 20 is configured to be rotatable around the rotation axis 20a. Before the winding of the paper P by the winding drum 20 is started, the outer peripheral surface of the winding drum 20 and the surface of the pressure roller 21 are separated from each other and a gap is formed. Thereby, the leading end of the conveyed paper P is easily inserted into the gap between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21.

  The receiving height of the paper P by the winding drum 20 is set to be the same as the height of the conveyance surface by the exposure conveyance roller 9 and the conveyance surface before the rotation of the first conveyance unit 11. Yes. Thereby, the paper P sent out by the exposure transport roller 9 can be smoothly received on the winding drum 20 side. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the shaft core of the pressure roller 21 is located just above the shaft core of the winding drum 20.

  Further, a winding movement mechanism 13 for moving the winding drum 20 in the vertical direction is provided in the accommodation space S, and a winding mechanism including a pressure roller 21 in the winding drum 20. 8 is moved up and down between an upper first position (position in FIG. 2) close to the exposure position of the exposure engine 7 and a lower second position (position in FIG. 9) far from the exposure position. It has become.

  That is, the winding movement mechanism 13 includes a guide member 13a extending in the vertical direction and a timing belt 13b for moving the winding mechanism 8 along the guide member 13a. A support 15 for supporting the take-up mechanism 8 is fixed, and the take-up mechanism 8 can be moved up and down by driving the timing belt 13b by a motor (not shown). The support 15 is mounted with drum driving means (motor, speed reduction mechanism, etc.) for rotationally driving the take-up drum 20.

  Here, the accommodation space S is adjacent to the development processing unit E and is partitioned by the side wall surface 14, but when the paper P is wound around the take-up drum 20 and moved up and down, It is preferable to prevent the paper P from contacting the side wall surface 14 as much as possible. On the other hand, if the accommodation space S is made larger, the contact between the side wall surface 14 and the paper P can be eliminated, but there is a problem that the entire apparatus becomes larger.

  Therefore, the take-up moving mechanism 13 is configured such that the take-up mechanism 8 moves obliquely downward as shown in FIG. Specifically, the take-up moving mechanism 13 is configured to move in a direction away from the side wall surface 14 as the take-up mechanism 8 is lowered downward, whereby the paper P comes into contact with the side wall surface 14. Even if contact is made as much as possible, the contact area can be made as small as possible, and the winding mechanism 8 can be moved downward in the accommodation space S.

  As will be described in detail below, when the paper P is wound around the winding drum 20 of the winding mechanism 8 or when the entire winding mechanism 8 is moved downward by the winding moving mechanism 13, basically, The paper P is slackened. By doing this, even if the leading end side is wound up or moved downward in the state where the image is formed on a part of the paper P as described above, the exposure position has a large vibration. And load fluctuations are not transmitted, and the occurrence of uneven exposure can be prevented.

  Further, as described above, the take-up mechanism 8 is configured so that the paper P to be accommodated is not in contact with the side wall surface 14 as much as possible. Therefore, in the accommodation space S, as a dust removing means for removing dust such as paper dust adhering to the paper P in preparation for adhesion of paper dust to the emulsion surface due to contact with the side wall surface 14 of the paper P. A removal brush 25 is provided.

  The removal brush 25 is above the contact portion T1 (see FIG. 9) where the side wall surface 14 and the paper P are in contact, and is closer to the emulsion surface side of the paper P than the paper P wound up by the winding mechanism 8. Is provided. The removal brush 25 is provided so as to extend in the paper width direction and is supported so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the paper width direction, and is provided on the main body portion 25a over the entire length in the paper width direction. A retracted posture (see a solid line in FIG. 9) that is out of the transport locus of the paper P that is transported from the first transport unit 11 into the accommodation space S, and the brush portion 25b. The brush portion 25b is configured to be switchable to a removal posture (see a two-dot chain line in FIG. 9) positioned on the transport locus of the paper P being transported to the second transport unit 12.

-Winding mechanism-
Below, the detailed structure of the winding drum 20 and the press roller 21 which comprise the winding mechanism 8 is demonstrated based on FIG. FIG. 4 shows a cam mechanism for moving the pressure roller 21 in the pressure direction.

  The take-up drum 20 is configured to be rotatable around a fixed shaft 200. The take-up drum 20 is made of resin, and takes up paper P on its outer peripheral surface. At both ends in the axial direction of the take-up drum 20, circumferential grooves 202 for engaging the coil spring 24 for urging the press roller 21 in the press-bonding direction are provided. A connecting gear 201 for rotating the take-up drum 20 is provided on the end side of the circumferential groove 202 at one end.

  The pressure roller 21 includes a roller support shaft 210 disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the take-up drum 20, and a plurality of resin rollers provided in a line in the axial direction so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the roller support shaft 210. Are provided with support shafts 211, 211,... And crimping members 212, 212,. The crimping member 212 is formed of a foaming member having elasticity like sponge (for example, urethane foam), and is easily elastically deformed when the leading end of the paper P is sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the winding drum 20. By doing so, the load fluctuation to this paper P is relieved.

  The roller support shaft 210 is fitted with an E-ring 213 for preventing the support shafts 211, 211,... From moving in the axial direction with respect to the roller support shaft 210. Further, grooves 214 and 214 for engaging the coil spring 24 are formed at both ends in the axial direction. Further, cam connecting shafts 215 and 215 are respectively provided at both axial ends of the roller support shaft 210 and inside the groove portions 214 and 214 in the axial direction, and the cam connecting shafts 215 are cam mechanisms which will be described later. By moving up and down according to the shape of the cam surface 203a, the pressure roller 21 can be moved in the pressure bonding direction or the non-pressure bonding direction.

  With such a configuration of the winding mechanism 8, when the winding drum 20 rotates, the pressure roller 21 also rotates and moves along the outer peripheral direction of the winding drum 20 (rotates around the fixed shaft 200) in conjunction with the rotation. become. The pressure roller 21 itself is rotatably inserted into the roller support shaft 210 so that it can rotate freely.

  Next, a cam mechanism for moving the pressure roller 21 in the pressure bonding direction will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the winding mechanism 8 shown in FIG. 3 cut along a plane perpendicular to the fixed shaft 200 at a portion where a cam is formed. As shown, the cam member 203 is coupled to the fixed shaft 200 via the clutch member 204. The cam member 203 has a cam surface 203a, and the tip 215a of the cam coupling shaft 215 is always in contact with the cam surface 203a by the biasing force of the coil spring 24 described above.

  Since the cam surface 203a is formed in a range of θ = 210 ° on the outer peripheral surface of the cam member 203, a range in which the cam connecting shaft 215 (the pressure roller 21) can be rotationally moved with respect to the cam member 203 is also 210 °. It becomes. A first wall surface 203b and a second wall surface 203c are formed at both circumferential ends of the cam surface 203a. When the cam connecting shaft 215 moves relative to the cam surface 203a, the cam connecting shaft 215 Are positioned in contact with the wall surfaces 203b and 203c.

  4A is a diagram showing an initial state in which a gap is formed between the pressure roller 21 and the take-up drum 20, and FIG. 4B shows a state where the pressure roller 21 rotates 210 ° and the pressure roller 21 is rotated. It is a figure which shows the state by which the paper P was crimped | bonded by. Thus, when the take-up drum 20 is rotated by 210 °, the state shown in FIG. 4B is obtained, but when the take-up drum 20 is further rotated, the cam connecting shaft 215 comes into contact with the second wall surface 203c, The cam member 203 is forcibly rotated around the fixed shaft 200 together. At this time, the clutch member 204 slips. That is, by providing the clutch member 204, the pressure roller 21 can be rotated beyond a range (210 °) regulated by the cam member 203.

(Control block diagram)
Next, the control block configuration of the image forming apparatus A will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 5, the paper leading edge detection means 30 detects the leading edge of the paper P based on the output signal from the paper detection sensor 10 and determines that the paper P has arrived. In addition, it is possible to recognize at which position the paper P is present on the downstream side based on the timing at which the leading edge of the paper P is detected. The roller driving unit 31 includes a driving mechanism and a driving circuit for driving the exposure conveyance roller 9. Further, the transport amount detection means 32 is configured to detect the transport amount of the paper P by detecting the rotation amount of the exposure transport roller 9 with an encoder or the like.

  The paper position detection unit 33 is configured to detect various positions of the paper P based on the front end position of the paper P detected by the paper front end detection unit 30 and the transport amount of the paper P detected by the transport amount detection unit 32. It has the function which calculates | requires and calculates | requires. Specifically, the paper position detection unit 33 includes an exposure start timing detection unit 33a, a paper rear end escape detection unit 33b, and an insertion detection unit 33c.

  The exposure start timing detection means 33a is configured to detect the exposure start timing by the laser beam based on the leading edge position of the paper P detected by the paper leading edge detection means 30. That is, since the position of the paper detection sensor 10 and the exposure position by the laser beam are determined by design, if the leading end position of the paper P is known, the exposure start timing detection means 33a calculates the exposure start timing at the exposure position. Can do.

  The paper rear end escape detecting means 33b is for detecting that the rear end of the paper P on which image printing exposure has been completed has escaped from the printing exposure position. Further, the insertion detecting means 33c is for detecting that the leading end of the paper P has been inserted into the gap between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21. The amount of insertion into this gap can be set as appropriate, but is usually about 20 mm.

  The exposure control unit 34 is configured to start scanning exposure of an image with laser light based on the calculation result of the exposure timing by the exposure start timing detection unit 33a. Thus, the latent image can be formed by scanning the emulsion surface of the paper P conveyed at a predetermined speed with the laser light light-modulated by the image data.

  The first transport unit driving unit 35 has a mechanism for driving the first transport unit 11. Specifically, the first transport unit driving unit 35 rotates the entire first transport unit 11 by 90 ° with the crimp driving means 35a for switching the transport roller pair 11a between the crimping state and the non-crimping state. Unit rotation means 35b for switching between the horizontal state and the vertical state, and roller drive means 35c for rotationally driving the conveyance roller pair 11a are provided. Here, when the image is exposed by the exposure engine 7, the press driving means 35 a puts the transport roller pair 11 a into a non-pressing state so that no load is applied to the paper P.

  The second transport unit driving unit 36 has a mechanism for driving the second transport unit 12, and includes a roller driving unit 36a that rotationally drives the transport roller pair 12a. Then, the transport unit drive control unit 37 performs drive control of the first transport unit 11 and the second transport unit 12. For example, when the paper position detection unit 33 detects that the rear end of the paper P has escaped from the printing exposure position, the transport roller pair 11a is switched to the press-bonded state.

  In the print size setting means 40, data of the print size of the paper P on which the image is exposed is set and stored. Then, based on the print size data stored in the print size setting means 40, the winding movement mechanism 13 and the winding drum 20 are controlled. For example, when the length of the paper P is shorter than a predetermined length (430.1 mm in the present embodiment), the winding of the paper P by the winding mechanism 8 is not performed.

  The drum driving unit 42 includes a mechanism for driving the winding drum 20 to rotate. The rotation amount detection means 43 is configured to detect the rotation amount of the winding drum 20. For example, the amount of rotation can be monitored by an encoder that rotates in conjunction with the winding drum 20.

  The drum rotation control means 44 has a function of performing rotation drive control of the winding drum 20. That is, the drum rotation control unit 44 is described in detail below based on the detection result of the leading end insertion of the paper P by the insertion detection unit 33c, the print size data stored and set in the print size setting unit 40, and the like. The rotation and stop control of the winding drum 20 are performed as described with reference to FIG.

  The winding control means 45 performs drive control of the winding moving mechanism 13 according to the length of the paper P in the transport direction. For example, in the case of the paper P having a short length, since the winding operation by the winding mechanism 8 is not performed, the winding drum 20 is allowed to escape to the lowest second position. For the other papers P, when the rotation amount detecting means 43 detects that the pressure bonding operation by the pressure roller 21 is completed (θ = 210 ° rotation), the winding drum 20 is moved from the first position to the second position. To control. Information regarding the length dimension of the paper P can be obtained from the print size setting means 40.

  The control block shown in FIG. 5 can be constructed by the function of computer software or hardware. Which function is realized by software and which function is realized by hardware can be appropriately determined according to the paper processing capability and the like.

(Conveying operation after exposure)
Next, the conveying operation for sending the paper P on which the image is exposed by the exposure engine 7 to the development processing unit E will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 6A and 6B and FIGS. 2 and 7 to 11. It is assumed that the print size setting means 40 is set with a print size having a length that requires the winding mechanism 8 to be lowered to the second position.

  First, the leading edge of the paper P cut to a predetermined print size is detected by the paper detection sensor 10 and the paper leading edge detection means 30 (step ST1). A predetermined timing elapses after the leading edge of the paper P is detected, and the exposure start timing detection means 33a detects that the exposure start timing is reached, and then the exposure control unit 34 applies laser to the emulsion surface of the paper P. The light is scanned and exposed to form an image (step ST2).

  While performing scanning exposure with laser light in this way, the paper P is transported toward the downstream side by the exposure transport roller 9, and the leading end of the paper P passes through the guide plate 11 b of the first transport unit 11. At this time, since the pair of transport rollers 11a of the first transport unit 11 is in a state where the pressure bonding is released, the paper P passes through the position of the first transport unit 11 without applying a large load to the paper P. Can do.

  Since the take-up drum 20 is set in the first position as shown in FIG. 2 in advance, the paper P that has passed through the first transport unit 11 as described above is directly between the take-up drum 20 and the pressure roller 21. It is conveyed toward the gap between them. The leading end position of the paper P is calculated by the paper position detection unit 33 based on the detection result by the paper detection sensor 10 and the transport amount of the paper P. Based on the calculation result, the insertion detection unit 33c causes the paper P to be detected. It is determined whether or not the tip has been inserted into the gap between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21 (step ST3).

  The insertion detection means 33c detects that the leading end of the paper P is inserted into the gap between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21 based on the output signal from the paper detection sensor 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a dedicated sensor for detecting the insertion of the paper P may be provided in the vicinity of the insertion position.

  If it is detected that the leading edge of the paper P is inserted into the gap between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21 as described above (YES in step ST3), the winding drum 20 starts to rotate (step). ST4). FIG. 2 shows a state immediately after the leading end of the paper P is inserted into the gap. Then, the take-up drum 20 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2, and the pressure roller 21 similarly rotates around the rotation axis 20a. Thereafter, the gap between the pressure roller 21 and the winding drum 20 is gradually narrowed by the cam mechanism described above, and the pressure roller 21 moves in the pressure direction.

  At this time, scanning exposure with a laser beam is performed on the rear side in the transport direction of the paper P. That is, the front end portion of the paper P that is being exposed in part is sandwiched between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21, and the periphery of the winding drum 20 that sandwiches the front end portion of the paper P in this way. The speed is set to be substantially the same as or slightly slower than the feeding speed (unloading speed) of the paper P by the exposure transport roller 9, so that the paper P has a slight slack, The tip end side can be wound up without applying a large load fluctuation.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the winding drum 20 has rotated by a predetermined amount (210 ° in the example in the figure) (step ST5). When it is determined that the winding drum 20 has rotated by a predetermined amount (in the case of YES in step ST5), the winding is performed. The rotation of the take-up drum 20 is stopped (step ST6). The rotation amount is detected by the rotation amount detection means 43. FIG. 7 is a view showing a state immediately after the rotation of the winding drum 20 is stopped.

  After stopping the rotation of the take-up drum 20 in step ST6, the take-up moving mechanism 13 is driven by the take-up control means 45 according to the paper length of the paper P obtained from the print size setting means. The take-up mechanism 8 is lowered from the first position to the second position, and when the paper length is longer than a predetermined length, the take-up drum 20 is rotated again (step ST7). Specifically, based on the paper length of the paper P, the position where the winding drum 20 is lowered from the first position to the second position, or the state where the winding drum 20 is lowered to the second position Is determined in advance how much the paper P is wound up by rotating the winding drum 20, and the operation of the winding drum 20 according to the paper length of the paper P obtained from the print size setting means. Is determined. The control procedures in steps ST6 and ST7 may be performed substantially simultaneously. For example, the downward movement of the winding mechanism 8 may be started immediately before the winding drum 20 stops.

  The downward moving speed of the take-up mechanism 8 is also set so as to be slower than the speed at which the paper P is fed into the accommodating space S, thereby allowing the paper P to be slack. Thus, the winding mechanism 8 can be moved downward without adding a large load fluctuation thereto. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the take-up drum 20 has moved to an intermediate position (third position) between the first position and the second position, and the paper P between the take-up drum 20 and the first transport unit 11. Indicates that sagging has begun to occur in the part.

  In step ST7, the removal brush 25 is in a retracted posture so that it does not come into contact with the paper P conveyed into the accommodation space S. By doing so, vibrations and load fluctuations due to the removal brush 25 coming into contact with the paper P are not transmitted to the exposed portion of the paper P, and it is possible to prevent exposure unevenness from occurring.

  FIG. 9 shows a state where the winding mechanism 8 has been lowered to the second position. As described above, the paper P to be accommodated is configured so as not to contact the side wall surface 14 as much as possible.

  Further, FIG. 10 shows a state in which the winding drum 20 is rotated again from the state of FIG. In such a case, the pressure roller 21 is rotated by 210 ° or more, so that the clutch member 204 is in a sliding state.

  As described above, while the winding drum 20 is lowered and rotated to wind the paper P, the paper rear end escape detecting means 33b determines whether or not the rear end of the paper P has reached the first transport unit 11 ( Step ST8). Note that the state in which the rear end of the paper P has reached the first transport unit 11 is a state in which the rear end of the paper P protrudes slightly upstream from the sandwiching transport roller pair 11a. Is determined on the basis of the detection result of the above and the transport amount of the paper P. However, a dedicated sensor for detecting the arrival of the trailing edge of the paper may be provided in the first transport unit 11.

  If it is determined that the rear end of the paper P has arrived (YES in step ST8), the lowering or rotation of the winding drum 20 is stopped (step ST9), while the rear end has reached in step ST8. If it is determined that it is not (NO), the process returns to step ST7, and steps ST7 and ST8 are repeated.

  Control of rotation and stop of the take-up drum 20 as described above is performed based on the function of the drum rotation control means 44. In other words, the drum rotation control means 44 winds up the paper P intermittently (that is, at an average lower speed than the carry-out speed) so as to cause a sag in the paper P carried out from the exposure engine 7. Is.

  Thus, when the rear end of the paper P reaches the first transport unit 11 and the winding drum 20 stops rotating, the clamping transport roller pair 11a of the first transport unit 11 is non-crimped by the crimp driving means 35a. The state is switched to the crimping state (step ST10). Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the first transport unit 11 is rotated 90 ° by the unit rotating means 35b to take a vertical posture (step ST11). At this time, the transport surface of the first transport unit 11 and the transport surface of the second transport unit 12 are in a line.

  Next, the removal brush 25 is switched to a removal posture (step ST12). By doing so, the brush portion 25b of the removal brush 25 comes into contact with the emulsion surface of the paper P.

  Subsequently, the conveyance roller pair 11a is driven to rotate, and the paper P is conveyed toward the second conveyance unit 12 and delivered (step ST13). At this time, the take-up drum 20 is rotated in the reverse direction (clockwise). As a result, the paper P sandwiched by the second transport unit 12 is transported upward and sent to a development processing section E (not shown) for development processing. That is, the front side and the rear side in the transport direction are switched between the time when the paper P is wound up by the winding mechanism 8 and the time when the paper P is transported by the second transport unit 12 thereafter.

  At this time, the paper P is transported to the second transport unit 12 in a state where the emulsion surface is in contact with the brush portion 25b, so that dust such as paper dust attached to the emulsion surface is brought into contact with the side wall surface 14. It can be removed by the removal brush 25.

  When the delivery of the paper P to the second transport unit 12 is completed as described above (step ST14), the paper P is reset to an initial state to accept the next paper P. That is, the take-up drum mechanism 8 is raised from the second position to the first position, and the pressure roller 21 is also returned to the initial position so that the next paper P can be received. Further, the first transport unit 11 is also returned to the horizontal state, and the transport roller pair 11a is brought into a non-pressing state. Further, the removal brush 25 is switched to the retracted posture.

  In the above description, the transport method when the length of the paper P in the transport direction is a print size equal to or greater than a predetermined value (for example, 430.1 mm, the first length) has been described. When it is less than the predetermined value, the following operation is performed.

  That is, when the transport direction length of the paper P is shorter than a predetermined value as in the service size (for example, when the length is shorter than 430.1 mm, the second length), the paper P is wound up by the winding drum 20. Since there is no need, the winding mechanism 8 is moved from the beginning to the second position. As a result, the paper P on which the image has been exposed by the exposure engine 7 is immediately changed in direction by the first transport unit 11 and transferred to the second transport unit 12. Even in this case, when the paper P is once accommodated in the accommodating space S, the paper P may come into contact with the side wall surface 14, so the direction is changed by the first transport unit 11, When transferring to the second transport unit, the removal brush 25 may be switched to the removal posture so that the brush portion 25b contacts the emulsion surface of the paper P being transported.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus A according to this embodiment, the winding mechanism 8 is disposed in the accommodation space portion S provided as a post-exposure buffer on the downstream side of the conveyance path of the exposure engine 7. Thus, since the paper P is wound up, the capacity of the post-exposure buffer can be sufficiently increased without enlarging the accommodation space S. Accordingly, even when printing a very long size (for example, 430.1 mm or more) while reducing the size of the entire apparatus, the tip of the paper P being exposed does not reach the development processing unit E, and development is performed. Generation of exposure unevenness due to processing or the like can be prevented.

  Moreover, since the paper P sent from the exposure engine 7 is wound up with a certain amount of slack or moved downward, the paper P is wound up and stored in this way. Even when a load fluctuation is applied, large vibrations or load fluctuations are not transmitted to the exposed portion of the paper P, and exposure unevenness does not occur.

  Further, the paper P wound up in this manner may come into contact with the side wall surface 14 in the accommodation space S, but the paper conveyance direction (winding mechanism) is more than the contact portion T1 with the paper P in the side wall surface 14. 8 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction when the paper P wound up by the second transport unit 12 is transported to the second transport unit 12, so that the paper P contacts the side wall surface 14 and adheres to the emulsion surface. It is possible to remove dust such as paper dust. Thus, since dust can be removed before the paper P is conveyed to the development processing unit E, it is possible to prevent development failure.

  Furthermore, the removal brush 25 is in the paper transport direction (the transport direction when the paper P wound up by the winding mechanism 8 is transported to the second transport unit 12) rather than the contact portion T1 of the side wall surface 14 with the paper P. A member (first transport unit 11 in the present embodiment) that contacts the paper P next to the contact portion T1 of the side wall surface 14 in the paper transport direction and the contact portion T1 of the side wall surface 14 The dust adhered to the paper P adheres to members on the downstream side of the contact portion T1 of the side wall surface 14, that is, the first transport unit 11, the second transport unit 12, the development processing unit E, and the like. Thus, it is possible to prevent the dust from secondarily and tertiaryly adhering to the paper P conveyed from the next time onward.

<< Embodiment 2 of the Invention >>
Next, an image forming apparatus A according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. The image forming apparatus A according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a removal fan is employed as the dust removing unit. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as the said Embodiment 1, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 12 shows a removal fan 26 as dust removing means according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the paper P accommodated in the accommodating space portion S is configured not to contact the side wall surface 14 in the accommodating space portion S but to contact the bottom wall surface 16.

  The removal fan 26 sucks air into the accommodation space S, blows the sucked air onto the emulsion surface of the paper P, and the paper P contacts the bottom wall surface 16 so that the paper adhered to the emulsion surface of the paper P. It is for removing powder and the like. Further, the removal fan 26 is below the side wall surface 14 and in the paper transport direction (the paper P wound up by the winding mechanism 8 is less than the contact portion T2 of the bottom wall surface 16 with the paper P). Is provided at a downstream position in the conveyance direction when being conveyed to). Furthermore, a guide 27 with a narrowed outlet is provided on the outlet side of the removal fan 26 (inside the accommodating space S). By this guide 27, the air sucked by the removal fan 26 is blown in a concentrated manner in a predetermined width of the paper P in a state where the speed is increased.

  A suction fan 28 is provided on the bottom wall surface 16 of the storage space S to suck out paper dust and the like removed from the emulsion surface of the paper P by the removal fan 26 from the storage space S. By providing this suction fan 28, even if paper dust or the like adhering to the paper P is blown off by the removal fan 26, the paper dust is not scattered and diffused in the accommodation space portion S, and the accommodation portion space. S is sucked out.

  The transport operation after exposure of the image forming apparatus A configured as described above is basically the same as that of the first embodiment. “Set removal brush” in step ST12 of the flowchart of FIG. 6 may be replaced with “activate removal fan and suction fan”.

  That is, after the first transport unit 11 is rotated by 90 degrees in step ST11, the removal fan 26 and the suction fan 28 are operated in step ST12. Then, in a state where these fans 26 and 28 are operated, the conveyance roller pair 11a is rotationally driven, and the paper P is conveyed toward the second conveyance unit 12 and delivered (step ST13).

  Thus, the paper P is transported to the second transport unit 12 in a state where air is blown onto the emulsion surface, so that dust such as paper dust attached to the emulsion surface is removed. The removed dust is sucked out of the accommodation space S by the suction fan 28 without being diffused.

  As described above, even when the emulsion surface of the paper P to be conveyed is in contact with the bottom wall surface 16, it is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction from the contact portion T 2 and on the upstream side in the transport direction from the development processing unit E. The removed fan 26 removes the dust adhering to the emulsion surface, so that the paper P can be transported to the development processing section E in a state in which no dust is attached, and development failure caused by the adhesion of dust can be prevented. Can be prevented.

  In addition, you may comprise the said removal fan 26 so that an ion generator may be provided. By doing so, charging of the paper P can also be prevented.

  The removal fan 26 operates for the first time in step ST12. However, the removal fan 26 is not limited to this and may be always operating.

  Further, the air blown by the removal fan 26 is configured to hit a portion of the paper P on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the portion in contact with the bottom wall surface 16, but the portion of the paper P in contact with the bottom wall surface 16. You may comprise so that it may hit. By doing so, not only the paper P but also the contact portion T2 of the bottom wall surface 16 is exposed to the air from the removal fan 26, and the dust accumulated in the contact portion T2 can be blown away. As a result, when the paper P contacts the bottom wall surface 16, dust adhering to the paper P can be reduced or eliminated as much as possible.

  Further, the suction fan 28 may not be provided.

<< Embodiment 3 of the Invention >>
Next, an image forming apparatus B according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described. The image forming apparatus B according to the third embodiment is different from the image forming apparatus A according to the first embodiment in the arrangement of the paper magazine 3, the exposure engine 7, and the like. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as the said Embodiment 1, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 13 shows a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus B according to the third embodiment.

  In the image forming apparatus B, the paper magazine 3 is provided below the housing C, the exposure engine 7 is provided above the paper magazine 3, and the post-exposure transport unit is further provided above the paper engine 3.

  The paper P drawn from the paper magazine 3 is turned by the advance roller unit 4 and cut to a predetermined paper length by the paper cutter 5. The cut paper P is transported by the transport unit 6 to the exposure engine 7 located on the downstream side. The exposed paper P is transported to the development processing unit E by the post-exposure transport unit.

  Here, the post-exposure transport unit will be described in detail. The post-exposure transport unit is transported to the development processing unit E by delivering the paper P to the first transport unit 51 that converts the transport direction of the paper P that has been subjected to exposure processing by the exposure engine 7 and carried vertically upward, to the horizontal direction. The second transport unit 53 that moves between the first transport unit 51 and the second transport unit 53 in the horizontal direction, receives the paper P from the first transport unit 51, and transfers the paper P to the second transport unit 53. And a chucker 52 handed over.

  When the paper P is sent out from the first transport unit 51, the chucker 52 is located at a standby position (see a two-dot chain line in the drawing) close to the first transport unit 51. By doing so, the paper P sent out from the first transport unit 51 is received. At this time, the chuck roller of the chucker 52 is in an open state, and the paper P is not crimped.

  When the paper P is received from the first transport unit 51, the chucker 52 starts moving toward the second transport unit 53. At this time, the moving speed (transport speed) of the chucker 52 is set to be slower than the paper transport speed of the first transport unit 51, and the paper P transported by the speed difference is the first transport unit 51 and the chucker 52. The part between the two is bent downward.

  When the chucker 52 reaches a substantially intermediate point between the first transport unit 51 and the second transport unit 53, the chuck roller is in a pressure-bonded state, and the paper P is sandwiched by the chucker 52. When the paper P is pinched by the chucker 52, a portion bent downward is formed in the portion between the first transport unit 51 and the chucker 52 of the paper P. Transmission to the part during the exposure process is prevented.

  Thus, the paper P is nipped by the chucker 52 and conveyed to the second conveyance unit 53. Even during the transport to the second transport unit 53, a downwardly bent portion is formed between the first transport unit 51 and the chucker 52 of the paper P. The fluctuation of the load on the paper P is prevented from being transmitted to the portion of the paper P that is being exposed.

  When the chucker 52 reaches a position close to the second transport unit (see the solid line in the figure), the paper P is delivered to the second transport unit 53. Thereafter, the paper P is transported to the development processing unit E by the second transport unit 53, and development processing is performed.

  In the post-exposure transport unit that transports the paper P in this way, the paper P is transported in a state where a downwardly bent portion is formed between the first transport unit 51 and the chucker 52 of the paper P. The emulsion surface may come into contact with a portion T3 (specifically, near the intermediate point between the first conveyance unit 51 and the second conveyance unit 53 in the table portion 54) where the chucker 52 and the like are provided during conveyance. . Therefore, the removal brush 25 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction from the contact portion T3 of the table portion 54, and the paper P in which the brush portion 25b of the removal brush 25 contacts the contact portion T3 is transported downstream. In contact with the emulsion surface of the paper P. The removal brush 25 is provided at a position where it does not interfere with the chucker 52 that moves on the table portion 54. The table portion 54 corresponds to the wall surface with which the paper P comes into contact.

  As described above, even when the emulsion surface of the paper P to be transported is in contact with the table portion 54, it is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the contact portion T3 and on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the development processing unit E. The removed brush 25 removes the dust adhering to the emulsion surface, so that the paper P can be transported to the development processing section E in a state in which no dust is attached, and development failure caused by the adhesion of dust can be prevented. Can be prevented.

  Further, the transport direction (vertically upward) of the paper P in the exposure engine 7 is changed in direction while being curved in the horizontal direction by the first transport unit 51, and the removal brush 25 is positioned more than the position where the transport direction of the paper P changes. Since the removal brush is in contact with the paper P because the removal brush is in contact with the paper P, it is difficult to transmit the vibration and load acting on the paper P to the portion of the paper P rearward during the exposure process. ing. As a result, the occurrence of uneven exposure can be prevented.

  The removal brush 25 may be a removal fan 26 that blows air onto the emulsion surface of the paper P to be conveyed to remove dust such as paper dust attached to the emulsion surface. In such a case, the guide 27 is provided on the blowout side of the removal fan 26 so that the air blown by the removal fan 26 hits a portion of the paper P downstream of the contact portion T3 with the table portion 54 in the transport direction. Is preferred. The removal fan 26 and the guide 27 may be provided at a position where they do not interfere with the chucker 52 moving on the table portion 54. Further, it is preferable to provide a suction fan for sucking out the dust blown off by the removal fan 26 to the outside.

<< Other Embodiments >>
Note that the configurations of the image forming apparatuses A and B according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, but include various other configurations. In other words, in the above-described embodiment, the emulsion surface of the paper P is in contact with the side wall surface 14, the bottom wall surface 16, or the table portion 54 in the accommodation space S, but is not limited thereto. That is, any configuration can be adopted as long as the paper P is in contact with the wall surface inside the apparatus. The wall surface inside the apparatus does not mean only the inner surface of the housing C but includes the wall surfaces constituting each member and each mechanism provided inside the apparatus.

  In the above embodiment, the emulsion surface of the paper P is in contact with the side wall surface 14 and the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration in which the surface opposite to the emulsion surface of the paper P is in contact with the side wall surface 14 and the like. It may be. Even in such a case, it is possible to prevent the dust adhering to the surface opposite to the emulsion surface of the paper P from being conveyed to the development processing unit E, and to prevent development defects caused by the dust. it can.

  Whether or not the paper P is in contact with the wall surface inside the apparatus depends on the arrangement of the transport path of the paper P, the length of the paper P, the transport method of the paper P (for example, whether or not the paper P is wound by the winding mechanism 8 and the like). ). That is, since it can be known which part of the wall surface inside the apparatus contacts the paper P according to the configuration of the image forming apparatus, the image forming conditions, and the like, the development processing unit E is further downstream in the transport direction than the contact part. Also, dust removing means may be provided on the upstream side.

  In the above-described embodiment, the paper P on which an image is formed may or may not be in contact with the side wall surface 14 or the bottom wall surface 16 depending on the image forming conditions such as the paper length. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to an image forming apparatus configured such that all paper on which an image is formed is conveyed while being in contact with the wall surface regardless of image forming conditions.

  In the above-described embodiment, the exposure engine using laser light as the image forming unit has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an image exposure engine using a liquid crystal shutter may be used.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention removes dust adhering to the emulsion surface of the paper by the dust removing unit and then conveys the paper to the developing processing unit. This is particularly useful for an image forming apparatus in which the emulsion surface may come into contact with the wall surface inside the apparatus.

1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a photographic processing system including an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of a storage space part. It is a detailed perspective view which shows the structure of a winding mechanism. It is sectional drawing of the cam mechanism which moves a pressurizing roller. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a control block configuration of the image forming apparatus. 3 is a flowchart (first half) showing an operation of the image forming apparatus. 6 is a flowchart (second half) illustrating the operation of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation (part 1) of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation (No. 2) of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation (part 3) of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation (part 4) of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation (No. 5) of the image forming apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the accommodation space part of the image forming apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the image forming apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

A Image forming apparatus E Development processing section (development processing means)
P paper (image forming medium)
T1, T2, T3 Contact portion 11 First transport unit (post-exposure transport means)
12 Second transport unit (post-exposure transport means)
14 Side wall (wall surface)
16 Bottom wall (wall)
25 Removal brush (Dust removal means)
26 Removal fan (dust removal means)
3 Paper magazine (storage means)
54 Table (wall surface)
7 Exposure engine (exposure means)

Claims (3)

Storage means for storing the image forming medium wound in a roll shape inside the apparatus main body, a cutter provided inside the apparatus main body for cutting the image forming medium drawn out from the storage means to a predetermined length, and image formation An image forming apparatus comprising: an exposure unit that performs scanning exposure on an image forming surface while transporting a medium; and a post-exposure transport unit that transports an image forming medium after scanning exposure to a development processing unit,
Inside the apparatus main body, there is a wall surface that comes into contact with the image forming medium conveyed inside the apparatus main body,
An image forming apparatus comprising: a dust removing unit that removes dust adhering to the image forming medium upstream of the developing processing unit in the transport direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The post-exposure transport unit curves the image forming medium to change the transport direction of the image forming medium to a direction different from the transport direction of the image forming medium in the exposure unit,
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dust removing unit is a removing brush that is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the curved portion of the image forming medium and is in contact with the image forming medium being transported. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.
The image forming medium is configured to come into contact with a predetermined contact portion of the wall surface on a downstream side of a portion where the conveyance direction is curved and the conveyance direction is changed.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the removal brush is provided immediately downstream in a conveyance direction of a predetermined contact portion of the wall surface.

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