JP2007225668A - Expanding and conveying device for instant film, and printer and instant camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an expanding and conveying device for an instant film, and a printer and an instant camera showing stable performances against a wide range of temperature changes in a simple structure and contributing to reduction of consumed power. <P>SOLUTION: A conveying unit mounted in a printer is provided with a pressing mechanism to press an expansion roller to another expansion roller. A spring 81 constituting the pressing mechanism is composed of two kinds of metals 90a, 90b having different coefficients of thermal expansion. The spring 81 is configured in such a manner that the pressing force to the expansion roller by the spring 81 decreases when the environmental temperature is higher than a thermal equilibrium state at normal temperature and that the pressing force increases when the environmental temperature is low. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an instant film developing / conveying apparatus that conveys an instant film while developing a developer on the exposure surface of the instant film by a pair of rollers pressed on the other, a printer equipped with the same, and an instant camera About.

  Printers and cameras that use instant film have become widespread. In such a printer or camera, after an image is recorded on the exposure surface of the instant film, the developer pod of the instant film is cleaved by a developing roller, and the developer is conveyed on the exposure surface while being developed on the exposure surface. Then, the instant film is discharged to the outside. In the instant film discharged to the outside, a recorded image appears on one side after one to several minutes.

  Printers and cameras using instant film have the problem of uneven development and exposure unevenness in the image due to bending of the developing roller and load fluctuations applied to the developing roller when the developer pod is torn. .

In order to solve the above problem, there has been proposed a developing roller device for an instant film in which the entire peripheral surface of the developing roller is subjected to blasting and an annular belt-like low friction surface is provided on the substantially central peripheral surface of one of the rollers. (See Patent Document 1). Also, a printer has been proposed that has first to third gear trains for separately transmitting the rotational driving force of the motor to the conveying roller and the developing roller so that load fluctuations applied to the developing roller are not transmitted to the conveying roller. (See Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-5873 JP 2005-300838 A

  By the way, a printer or camera using an instant film is required to have a performance as a so-called ubiquitous mobile that can be easily used not only indoors but also outdoors. In particular, in outdoor use, the most notable point is to maintain stable performance over a wide range of temperature changes in order to enable all-season use from the hot summer season to the cold winter season.

  Here, the developing roller is composed of a pair of rollers, one of which is pressed against the other by a spring or the like, and the developer is squeezed out from the developer pod with this pressing force. The pressing force to the roller is set higher in advance in accordance with the low temperature at which the developer has low viscosity and is difficult to squeeze out. For this reason, there is a problem that it is difficult to obtain an optimum pressing force including normal temperature and high temperature. In addition, there is a problem in that an extra transport load is applied, power consumption increases, battery consumption is accelerated, and the number of prints per battery decreases.

  In the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is possible to suppress the development unevenness and the exposure unevenness due to the deformation of the developing roller and the load fluctuation applied to the developing roller, but the above-mentioned problem that is a fundamental problem as a ubiquitous mobile Inability to solve environmental temperature problems.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides an unfolded and transported apparatus for an instant film that has a simple structure, exhibits stable performance over a wide range of temperature changes, and can contribute to reduction of power consumption. The purpose is to do.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a printer and an instant camera that have sufficient performance as a ubiquitous mobile and can improve printing efficiency.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pair of rollers for transporting an instant film while developing a developer on the exposure surface of the instant film, and a pressure for pressing one of the pair of rollers against the other. In the instant film unfolding and conveying apparatus having a mechanism, a thermal deformation material whose pressing force changes according to an environmental temperature is used for the pressing mechanism, and the thermal deformation material is a material that is pressed when the environmental temperature is high. The pressure is low and the pressing force is high when the environmental temperature is low.

  The heat-deformable material is preferably a bimetal obtained by bonding two kinds of metals having different coefficients of thermal expansion.

  It is preferable that the heat-deformable material is one in which the pressing force is an optimum value necessary for the development at three typical environmental temperatures of low temperature, normal temperature, and high temperature.

  The pressing mechanism includes a roller holding member that is in sliding contact with both end portions of the roller, a spring having an arm portion and an attaching portion that are in contact with the roller holding member to apply the pressing force to the roller, and the spring through the attaching portion. It is preferable that at least a part of the spring is made of the heat-deformable material.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer comprising the instant film developing and conveying apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

  Furthermore, the present invention is an instant camera, which is equipped with the instant film developing and conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

  According to the instant film developing and conveying apparatus of the present invention, the pressing force changes depending on the environmental temperature on the pressing mechanism for pressing one of the pair of rollers that convey the instant film while developing the developing solution against the other. A heat-deformable material is used, and the heat-deformable material is configured so that the pressing force decreases when the environmental temperature is high and the pressing force increases when the environmental temperature is low. On the other hand, stable performance can be realized. In addition, since it is not necessary to set the pressing force high in accordance with the low temperature, the conveyance load is reduced, which can contribute to reduction of power consumption.

  Also, according to the printer and the instant camera of the present invention, since the instant film developing and conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is mounted, sufficient performance as a ubiquitous mobile can be obtained. Further, since the number of prints per battery increases due to the reduction in power consumption, the print efficiency can be improved.

  In FIG. 1, the printer 2 of the present invention includes a thin, lightweight, and small housing 10. On the upper surface of the housing 10, a power switch 11 that is operated when the printer 2 is turned on / off, a repeat switch 12 for instructing reprinting of an image, and an instant film 21 (see FIGS. 2 and 5). ) Is provided.

  The counter 13 is a mechanical counter. When an unused instant film pack 60 (see FIG. 6) in which a plurality of, for example, 10 instant films 21 are packaged is loaded into the loading chamber 40 (see FIG. 4), the counter 13 has 10 remaining sheets. A numerical value “10” indicating the number of sheets is displayed. In the following, the number of sheets displayed on the counter 13 decreases each time the instant film 21 is used, and after the tenth instant film 21 is used, a numerical value “0” indicating that the remaining number is 0 is displayed. The In the state where the instant film pack 60 is removed from the loading chamber 40, nothing is displayed on the counter 13.

  The upper surface of the housing 10 is further provided with a power LED 14 that is turned on when the power is turned on and blinks when the infrared communication is performed, a communication error LED 15 that is turned on when an error occurs in the infrared communication, and a built-in housing 10. There is provided a low battery display LED 16 that is turned on when the voltage of a battery (for example, two primary batteries for 3V) drops. Note that these LEDs 14 to 16 flash all at once when the temperature of an image recording unit 42 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) described later is outside the usable range.

  A film door opening knob 17 for opening a film door 30 (see FIG. 3) provided on the lower surface is provided on a side surface of the housing 10. A strap attachment hole 18 through which a strap for carrying the printer 2 is inserted is provided at the front corner of the housing 10.

  An infrared communication window 19 is provided at the front end of the housing 10. Inside the infrared communication window 19, an infrared communication unit that receives image data transmitted by infrared rays and transmits a notification signal that informs the other party that the image data has been received is disposed.

  In FIG. 2 showing how to use the printer 2, the printer 2 receives image data of an image taken by the camera-equipped mobile phone 20 having an infrared communication function by the infrared communication unit, and transmits a notification signal to the camera-equipped mobile phone 20. To do. Next, the printer 2 records an image based on the received image data on the instant film 21, and discharges the image-recorded instant film 21 to the outside from a discharge port 22 provided at the rear end of the housing 10. . Subsequently, when the repeat switch 12 is operated, the same image as the previous image is re-recorded on the next instant film 21.

  3, a film door 30 that is opened by operating the film door opening knob 17 and a lid 31 that covers a battery loading chamber in which a battery is loaded are provided on the lower surface of the housing 10. The film door 30 is provided with a viewing window 30a for visually confirming whether or not the instant film pack 60 is loaded.

  In FIG. 4, when the film door 30 is opened, the loading chamber 40 for loading the instant film pack 60 is exposed. In the instant film pack 60, the end of the instant film 21 on the developer pod 50 (see FIG. 5) side is directed to the discharge port 22 side, and the exposure surface 56 (see FIG. 5) side is directed to the upper surface of the housing 10. Is loaded into the loading chamber 40 (see FIG. 6).

  Inside the film door 30, a pair of spring members 41a and 41b are attached. The spring members 41 a and 41 b press the instant film 21 stacked in the instant film pack 60 of the loading chamber 40 toward the upper surface side of the housing 10.

  Between the loading chamber 40 and the discharge port 22, an image recording unit 42 that records an image on the instant film 21, and a transport unit 43 that transports the instant film 21 from the loading chamber 40 toward the discharge port 22 (on the instant film) Equivalent to a developing and conveying device). A claw 44 is provided on the front end side of the housing 10 in the loading chamber 40. The claw 44 pushes up the end of the instant film 21 on the upper surface side of the casing 10 among the instant film 21 in the instant film pack 60 and sends the instant film 21 to the image recording unit 42 and the transport unit 43 side.

  In FIG. 5, the instant film 21 includes a developer pod 50, a mask sheet 51, a photosensitive sheet 52, a cover sheet 53, and a trap material 54. The developer pod 50 is formed in a substantially bag shape, and a developer 55 is sealed therein. The developer pod 50 is bonded to the upper end portion of the photosensitive sheet 52 in the drawing, and is wrapped by the mask sheet 51 folded at the end portion. The mask sheet 51 is made of a thin sheet-like plastic material. The mask sheet 51 has a rectangular opening 51a for viewing a positive image, which will be described later, as an image.

  The photosensitive sheet 52 is bonded to the back surface of the mask sheet 51. The photosensitive sheet 52 includes, in order from the cover sheet 53 side, a photosensitive layer on which a latent image is recorded, a diffuse reflection layer for transferring the latent image as a positive image to the image receiving layer, and an image receiving layer on which the positive image is transferred. Do it. Spacers (not shown) are bonded to both ends of the photosensitive sheet 52 in the width direction (perpendicular to the paper surface), and both side edges of the cover sheet 53 are bonded onto the spacers. As a result, a certain gap is formed between the photosensitive sheet 52 and the cover sheet 53 in which the developer 55 is developed.

  The cover sheet 53 is made of a transparent material, and is adhered to both end portions of the above-described spacer and the mask sheet 51 that is folded at the end portions on the upper and lower sides of the paper surface. Via this cover sheet 53, RGB three-color light from an optical head 61 (see FIG. 6) described later is irradiated to the photosensitive layer of the photosensitive sheet 52, and a latent image is recorded on the photosensitive layer. That is, the surface of the photosensitive layer that is shown through the cover sheet 53 is the exposure surface 56.

  The trap material 54 is bonded to an end portion of the photosensitive sheet 52 on the lower side of the paper surface, and is wrapped by a mask sheet 51 that is folded back at the end portion. The trap material 54 absorbs and captures the excess developer 55.

  In FIG. 6, the image recording unit 42 is provided with an optical head 61 having a light guide, a liquid crystal shutter (LCS), light emitting elements (LEDs) that emit light of three colors RGB. The optical head 61 records a latent image by cyclically irradiating the photosensitive layer of the photosensitive sheet 52 with RGB three-color light from LEDs based on image data to be printed.

  The conveyance unit 43 includes conveyance rollers 62 and 63 and development rollers 64 and 65 that are rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). The conveying roller 63 and the developing roller 65 are pressed toward the conveying roller 62 and the developing roller 64 by pressing mechanisms 66 and 67 schematically shown as springs. Conveying rollers 62 and 63 convey toward the developing rollers 64 and 65 across both sides of the instant film 21 sent out from the instant film pack 60.

  The developing rollers 64 and 65 nip the developer pod 50 while sandwiching the instant film 21 delivered from the transport rollers 62 and 63 over the entire width and transporting it toward the discharge port 22, thereby developing the developer. 55 is developed in the gap between the photosensitive sheet 52 and the cover sheet 53.

  In FIG. 7, the pressing mechanism 67 is composed of roller retainers 80a and 80b, a spring 81, and holding members 82a and 82b (see FIG. 8 for 82b). The roller retainers 80 a and 80 b are in sliding contact with both ends of the developing roller 65 and transmit the pressing force of the spring 81 to the developing roller 65.

  As shown also in FIG. 8, the spring 81 includes two arm portions 83a and 83b and an attachment portion 84 attached to the holding members 82a and 82b. As shown in the AA ′ arrow cross-sectional view of FIG. 8, the arm portions 83a and 83b are provided with a developing roller against the mounting portion 84 in order to apply a pressing force to the developing roller 65 via the roller holding members 80a and 80b. It is bent in the direction of 65. At the tips of the arm portions 83a and 83b, substantially hemispherical projections 85a and 85b that contact the roller holding members 80a and 80b are provided.

  The spring 81 is made of a bimetal obtained by bonding two types of metals 90a and 90b having different coefficients of thermal expansion. The metal 90a has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the metal 90b. As a result, the arm portions 83a and 83b are slightly displaced in the B direction around the attachment portion 84 when the environmental temperature is high and in the C direction when the environmental temperature is low. That is, when the environmental temperature is higher than that at a normal temperature thermal equilibrium state where there is no minute displacement, the pressing force to the developing roller 65 by the spring 81 is reduced, and when the environmental temperature is low, the pressing force is increased.

  The metals 90a and 90b are optimum necessary for developing the developer 55 by the pressing force to the developing roller 65 tearing the developer pod 50 at three typical environmental temperatures: low temperature, normal temperature, and high temperature. The material, the thickness, and the initial bending amount of the arm portions 83a and 83b are selected so as to be values.

Returning to FIG. 6, the conveyance unit 43 is provided with development control plates 68 and 69 and a guide frame 70 in addition to the conveyance rollers 62 and 63 and the development rollers 64 and 65. The development control plates 68 and 69 are located between the transport rollers 62 and 63 and the development rollers 64 and 65, and control the developing solution 55 being developed. The guide frame 70 guides the instant film 21 that has undergone image recording and development processing toward the discharge port 22.

  Next, the operation of the printer 2 having the above configuration will be described. When image data is transmitted from the camera-equipped mobile phone 20 by infrared communication (or the repeat switch 12 is operated) and an image print instruction is given, the housing in the instant film pack 60 loaded in the loading chamber 40 10 is pushed up by the nail 44, and the instant film 21 is sent out to the image recording unit 42 and the conveyance unit 43 side.

  In the image recording unit 42, the RGB three-color light from the LEDs based on the image data to be printed is cyclically applied to the photosensitive layer of the photosensitive sheet 52 by the optical head 61, thereby recording a latent image on the photosensitive layer. The While the latent image is recorded on the photosensitive layer by the optical head 61, the instant film 21 is transported toward the developing rollers 64 and 65 with both ends thereof being sandwiched between the transport rollers 62 and 63.

  The instant film 21 is conveyed toward the discharge port 22 with its full width being sandwiched between the developing rollers 64 and 65. At this time, the developing solution pod 50 is cleaved by the pressing force of the spring 81 transmitted to the developing roller 65 via the roller holding members 80a and 80b, and the developing solution 55 is developed in the gap between the photosensitive sheet 52 and the cover sheet 53. Is done. Thereafter, development processing is performed on the exposed surface 56 of the photosensitive layer with the developing solution 55 developed while being controlled by the development control plates 68 and 69. The developer 55 surplus in the development process is absorbed and captured by the trap material 54.

  Here, when the developing solution pod is cleaved by the developing rollers 64 and 65 and the developing solution 55 is developed, the arm portions 83a and 83b are moved in the B direction when the environmental temperature is higher than the normal temperature thermal equilibrium state. The displacement slightly occurs, and the pressing force to the developing roller 65 by the spring 81 becomes low. Conversely, when the environmental temperature is low, the arm portions 83a and 83b are slightly displaced in the C direction, and the pressing force is increased.

  The instant film 21 for which image recording and development processing has been completed is guided toward the discharge port 22 by the guide frame 70 and discharged from the discharge port 22 to the outside. The latent image recorded on the photosensitive layer is transferred as a positive image to the image receiving layer through the diffuse reflection layer by development processing, and is observed as an image from the mask sheet 51 side after one to several minutes.

  As described above in detail, the spring 81 is configured such that the pressing force to the developing roller 65 is low when the environmental temperature is high and high when the environmental temperature is low. It is not necessary to set the pressing force to be higher in accordance with the low temperature at which the viscosity of the liquid is low and difficult to squeeze out. For this reason, it is possible to suppress power consumption without applying extra load.

  In addition, by selecting the material and thickness of the metals 90a and 90b, the pressing force is set to an optimum value necessary for developing the developer at three typical environmental temperatures of low temperature, normal temperature, and high temperature. Development of the developer can be performed stably regardless of the environmental temperature.

  Note that the low temperature, the normal temperature, the high temperature, the optimum value of the pressing force, and the like are not particularly defined, but can be appropriately changed according to the specifications of the printer 2.

  In the above embodiment, the springs 81 are all made of bimetal. However, the springs 81 only need to be slightly displaced in accordance with the environmental temperature, and only a part of the springs 81, for example, the arm parts 83a and 83b or the attachment part 84 are used. May be a bimetal, or the base portions of the arm portions 83a and 83b connected to the attachment portion 84 may be a bimetal.

  In the above-described embodiment, the bimetal is exemplified and described as the heat-deformable material. However, in addition to or instead of this, another heat-deformable material, for example, an organic functional material such as carbon fiber reinforced epoxy (CFRP). May be used.

  In the above embodiment, an image is recorded on the instant film 21 being transported by the optical head 61. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the optical head is moved in the loading chamber to display an image on the instant film. It may be recorded. In the above embodiment, the printer 2 has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to the instant camera 100 shown in FIG.

  The instant camera 100 is provided with a photographing mechanism (not shown) including a photographing lens, a lens barrel, an exposure frame, and the like at the front of the camera body 101. At the rear of the camera body 101, a loading chamber 102 in which the instant film pack 60 is loaded, a developing roller 103 and 104 having the same configuration as that of the printer 2, and a transport unit 106 including a pressing mechanism 105 are provided. In the upper part, a discharge port 107 through which the instant film 21 is discharged is provided.

  In the instant camera 100, when the subject is photographed, the subject image incident from the photographing lens is recorded on the instant film 21 through the lens barrel and the exposure frame. As in the case of the printer 2, the instant film 21 is sent to the transport unit 106, the developing solution pod 50 is cleaved by the developing rollers 103 and 104, the developing solution 55 is developed, and is discharged from the discharge port 107. The Also in this case, sufficient performance as a ubiquitous mobile can be obtained, and the same effect as in the case of the printer 2 can be achieved in that the printing efficiency can be improved.

1 is a perspective view showing an outer appearance of a printer according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that an image is recorded on an instant film based on the image data sent from the mobile phone with a camera, and is discharged. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a lower surface of the printer. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state of the printer with the film door opened. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of an instant film. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the structure of an image recording part and a conveyance part. It is a top view which shows the structure of an expansion | deployment roller and a press mechanism. It is the top view and arrow sectional view which show the structure of a spring and a holding member. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of an instant camera.

Explanation of symbols

2 Printer 21 Instant film 42 Image recording unit 43, 106 Conveying unit 55 Developer 56 Exposure surface 61 Optical head 64, 65, 103, 104 Development roller 67, 105 Pressing mechanism 80a, 80b Roller restraint 81 Spring 82a, 82b Holding member 83a , 83b Arm portion 84 Mounting portion 90a, 90b Metal 100 Instant camera

Claims (6)

In an instant film developing and conveying apparatus comprising: a pair of rollers for conveying an instant film while developing a developer on an exposure surface of the instant film; and a pressing mechanism for pressing one of the pair of rollers against the other. ,
For the pressing mechanism, a thermally deformable material whose pressing force changes depending on the environmental temperature is used,
The thermal deformation material is configured so that the pressing force is low when the environmental temperature is high, and the pressing force is high when the environmental temperature is low. .   2. The instant film developing and conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermally deformable material is a bimetal obtained by bonding two kinds of metals having different coefficients of thermal expansion.   2. The heat-deformable material is one in which the pressing force is an optimum value necessary for the development at three typical environmental temperatures of low temperature, normal temperature, and high temperature. Or a developing and conveying apparatus for an instant film according to 2; The pressing mechanism includes a roller press that slides on both ends of the roller, and
A spring having an arm portion and an attachment portion that abut against the roller restraint and apply the pressing force to the roller;
A holding member to which the spring is attached via the attachment portion;
4. The instant film developing and conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the spring is made of the thermally deformable material.   A printer comprising the instant film developing and conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   An instant camera comprising the instant film developing and conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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