JP2501870B2 - Image synthesis printer - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image synthesizing printer, and more particularly to an image synthesizing printer most suitable for synthesizing a photographic image and a character image.

[Conventional technology]

At present, when creating postcards and group commemorative photographs in which photo images and character images are mixed, a character printing device is attached to a photo printer, and a lithographic negative recording characters is attached to the character printing device. The image and the character image are combined. Also, instead of using a lithographic negative, there is also what was designed to burn the character image using a CRT.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, in the character burning device using the lithographic negative, the production of the lithographic negative is troublesome, and since it requires equipment and time for the production, there is a problem that the synthetic image cannot be efficiently printed.

Further, for example, in an apparatus that prints a character image using a CRT, since the entire CRT display screen is printed at a projection magnification corresponding to the print size, it is necessary to obtain a character quality similar to that of a negative tone. Expensive ultra-high resolution CRT
Will be required. Since the character imprinting pattern is generally a strip shape having a width of about 30 mm at the most, only a part of the CRT display screen is used, and there is a problem that the efficiency is low.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image synthesizing printer capable of recording a high quality synthetic image on a photosensitive material.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a photographic image exposure system that exposes a photographic image to a photosensitive material on a static surface along a transfer path of the photosensitive material, and a line exposure system that performs line exposure while transferring the photosensitive material, A loop forming unit that forms a free loop is provided between the photographic image exposure system and the line exposure system. The photographic image exposure system and the line exposure system perform exposure asynchronously, and the line exposure system performs exposure for one frame. It is done continuously. In the photographic image exposure system, it is preferable that a mark corresponding to the exposure position is provided on the photosensitive material, and in the line exposure system, the exposure positioning is performed with reference to the mark.

The line exposure system may be composed of an electric line image display means for sequentially displaying images such as characters line by line, and a lens for reducing and projecting the line image displayed on the line image display means onto a photosensitive material. preferable. In addition, the lens, in order to adjust the printing position of the line image,
It is preferable that the photosensitive material is movable in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

[Action]

In the present invention, since the photographic image exposure system and the line exposure system are arranged in parallel, for example, when synthesizing a character image or the like in a photographic image,
First, for example, a photographic image is printed by a photographic image exposure system, and then a character image or the like is electrically line image displayed on the frame on which the photographic image is printed, for example, a flat CRT, a FOT in which the light emitting end side is arranged in a line. (Fibre optical tube), a liquid crystal display in which pixels are formed in a line, or the like is printed. The printing of the character image is performed by line exposure which is synchronized with the feeding of the photosensitive material. As a result, an image elongated in the feeding direction of the photosensitive material can be printed.

A character image is enlarged and displayed on the electric line image display means, and this is reduced and formed on the photosensitive material by the lens. Therefore, a high-quality character image can be printed on the photosensitive material. Further, the lens is movable in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the photosensitive material, so that a character image is printed at an arbitrary position in the width direction of the photosensitive material.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1 showing an image synthesis printer processor in which the present invention is embodied, a photosensitive material such as a color paper 1 is used.
Are stored in a magazine 2 in a roll form. This color paper 1 is pulled out from the magazine 2 by the first pair of conveying rollers 12 and is the first for burning a photographic image.
Is set on the exposure stage 4. A free loop forming stage 6 for forming a free loop 5 by curving the color paper 1 exposed by the first exposure stage 4 upward is provided at a rear part of the first exposure stage 4. There is. A second exposure stage 7 for line exposure is provided after the free loop forming stage 6. Further, at the rear part of the second exposure stage 7, there is provided a development processing section 8 for developing the color paper 1 which has been subjected to the overlapping exposure at each of the exposure stages 4 and 7, and the development processing section 8 is developed by this to make one frame with a cutter. A tray 9 for receiving the cut prints is arranged.

The first and second exposure stages 4 and 7 include a pressure plate 10a and 10b also serving as a guide member for the color paper 1, a mask 11a arranged on the first exposure stage 4, and a second exposure stage 7. The mask 11b is arranged. Further, each of the first and second exposure stages 4 and 7 is provided with a pair of transport rollers 12 and 13 for transporting the color paper 1 so as to be set at each exposure position. These conveying roller pairs 12 and 13 are rotationally driven by pulse motors 14 and 15, and these pulse motors 14 and 15 are driven by drivers 16 and 17 based on a control signal of a controller 55 described later.

The free loop forming stage 6 is disposed in proximity to a horizontal guide plate 18 for guiding the front end of the color paper 1 to the second exposure stage 7 and the entrance side of the second exposure stage 7. It is composed of a guide roller 19 for guiding the cage when forming the free loop.

The free loop 5 of the color paper 1 has a length equal to or larger than the length of one print for the first transport roller pair 12 after the tip of the color paper 1 is nipped by the second transport roller pair 13. It is formed by transporting the color paper 1 that has been exposed on the first exposure stage. Note that when the free loop 5 is transported by the second transport roller pair 13 and becomes shorter than a predetermined length, the second transport roller 13 does not rotate until the loop length reaches the predetermined length. Has been.

The first exposure stage 4 is provided with a hole punch 20 for making a small hole H as a frame position detection mark corresponding to the photographic image exposure frame F shown in FIG.
The small holes H are preferably formed between the frames and at the edge of the color paper 1 so as to disappear when the frames are cut after the development process. Instead of the small holes H, a mark may be attached to the back surface of the color paper 1 with ink or the like.

The second exposure stage 7 detects the small hole H,
A mark detecting means 21 for positioning is provided for overlappingly exposing the CRT image to the photographic image exposure frame F. The mark detecting means 21 is for detecting the small hole H mechanically,
A device that optically detects a mark within a range that does not affect the exposure of the color paper 1 is appropriately selected.

A photographic image exposure system 22 and a line exposure system 23 are arranged corresponding to the first and second exposure stages 4 and 7. The photographic image exposure system 22 prints a photographic image, for example, a negative image of the color negative film 24 on the color paper 11 of the first exposure stage 4. The line exposure system 23 prints a character image such as a sentence or an address, a logo mark or the like on the color paper 1 via the flat CRT 40.

The white light emitted from the white light source 25 passes through the diffusion box 26 and the film carrier 27, reaches the negative film 24 set at the printing position, and illuminates it from below. The diffusion box 26
Is composed of a rectangular tube having an inner surface formed on a mirror surface, and a diffusion box attached to both open ends thereof. This diffusion box 26
Between the white light source 25 and the white light source 25, a cyan filter 28, a magenta film 29, and a yellow filter 30 for adjusting the light quality of the illumination light are arranged. Filter adjuster 31
Controls the insertion amount of the color filters 28 to 30 into the optical path, and adjusts the light quality of the illumination light according to the negative image of the negative film 24. The negative film 24 is set on a film carrier 27 and pressed down from above by a mask 32.

A zoom lens 33 is arranged above the film carrier 27, so that the negative image of the negative film 24 is transferred to the color paper 1 of the first exposure stage 4 while the shutter 34 is retracting from the optical path. Image. The zoom lens 33 enlarges the negative image to a desired size, and the focal length can be switched by manual operation. The opening and closing of the shutter 34 is controlled by a shutter drive unit 35, and the shutter 34 is configured to open for a time corresponding to the sensitivity of the color paper 1.

A flat CRT 40 is arranged at the lowermost part, facing the color paper 1 of the second exposure stage 7. This CRT
At 40, a display image is scroll-displayed line by line in accordance with the feeding of the color paper 1 at the time of printing. Above the flat CRT 40, a lens 41 and a cylindrical lens 42 for collecting a display image of the flat CRT 40 in the transport direction of the color paper 1 and performing line exposure on the color paper 1 are arranged. The lens 41 is for varying the display image of the flat CRT 40 in the width direction of the color paper 1, and the cylindrical lens 42 is for the flat CRT 40.
This is for concentrating the display image of (1) in a line shape in the conveying direction of the color paper 1. As shown in FIG. 2, these lenses 41 and 42 are movable in the width direction of the color paper 1 by a lens moving means 43, and in accordance with the width change of the color paper 1, arbitrary positions in the width direction thereof. The character image can be printed on.

Between the lens 41 and the flat CRT 40, for example, red, which is selectively inserted in the optical path when printing as color characters,
Green and blue color filters 44 to 46 are arranged. These color filters 44 to 46 are selected by the filter selection means 47 in a combination of one or two and are inserted into the optical path.

Fig. 2 shows a flat CRT40 with one of seven character images such as sentences and addresses.
1 shows a CRT display device 50 for scroll-displaying image data for lines in synchronization with the feeding of the color paper 1. The CRT display device 50 includes a scanner 52 which reads a character image of a character original 51 which is created by a word processor and is enlarged and printed by a printer, and a gradation correction and a positive / negative image data of the character image input by the scanner 52. An image processing unit 53 for converting, an image memory 54 for storing image data from the image processing unit 53, a controller 55 for controlling reading of image data from the image memory 54, and an image read by the controller 55. A driver 56 that drives the CRT 40 based on the image data read from the memory 54
It consists of and. The controller 55 is composed of a microcomputer, and has the mark detecting means 21.
The image data is read out from the image memory 54 based on the mark detection signal, and the image data for one line is scrolled one line at a time in synchronization with the feeding of the color paper 1 based on the synchronizing signal from the driver 56. Generate a read signal to Further, the controller 52 is a photographic image exposure system.
The controller 22 also controls the development processing unit 8, the conveying roller pairs 12 and 13, and the like.

 Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

Color negative film 24 with portraits, landscapes, etc.
Is set on the film carrier 27 of the photographic image exposure system 22. The character image of the character original 51 input from the scanner 52 is stored in the image memory 54 after being subjected to gradation correction and positive / negative conversion by the image processing unit 53.

Next, the color paper 1 is conveyed by the first pair of conveying rollers 12.
Are set on the first exposure stage 4. The photographic image exposure system 22 prints a photographic image of the negative film 24 on the set color paper 1. The filter adjusting unit 31 adjusts the insertion amount of the color filters 28 to 30 into the optical path according to the color density of the photographic image. After this adjustment, the white light source 25
Emits light. Immediately after this, the shutter 34 is opened for a predetermined time, so that the photographic image of the negative film 24 is displayed on the zoom lens 33.
Is printed on the color paper 1. When the printing of the photographic image is completed, the color filters 28 to 30 are returned to the standard positions, and the white light source 25 is turned off. After the exposure of the photographic image, the hole punch 20 operates to form a small hole H as a mark for detecting the position of the frame at a fixed position corresponding to the frame F for exposing the photographic image, as shown in FIG.

Next, the frame on which the photographic image is printed on the first exposure stage 4 is stored as a free loop 5 by the pair of transport rollers 12 transporting the color paper 1 by one frame, and
A new unexposed color paper 1 is set on the first exposure stage 4. A photographic image of the negative film 24 is similarly printed on the new color paper 1 set on the first exposure stage 4. The free loop forming stage 6 has a color paper 1 having a length of one frame or more.
Is stored in advance as a free loop, line exposure can be performed asynchronously with the photographic image exposure system 22.

The setting of the color paper 11 on the second exposure stage 7 is performed by the pair of conveying rollers 13. At this time, the small hole H which is a frame position mark is detected by the mark detecting means 21, and when the small hole H passes through the mark detecting means 21, the controller
55 counts the drive pulses of the pulse motor 15 of the second conveying roller pair 13. When the number of drive pulses reaches a constant value, the controller 55 displays the image data of the first one line from the image memory 54 on the flat CRT 40. The CRT image is reduced by the lenses 41 and 42 and formed in a line on the color paper 1. The controller 55 synchronizes the image data in the image memory 54 with 1
A signal to be read by shifting lines is sent to the image memory 54. Therefore, the character image stored in the image memory 54 is scroll-displayed on the CRT 40 one line at a time in synchronization with the feeding of the color paper 1. Therefore, the character image of the character original 51 is continuously printed on the color paper 1 by scrolling line by line in synchronization with the feeding of the color paper 1. At this time, if the color of the character image of the finished print is black, the color filter 44-
Do not insert any of the 46. Also, when it is desired to print as color characters, the corresponding color filters 44 to 46 are selected and inserted into the optical path.

By repeating the above procedure, the color composite images of a plurality of frames are sequentially exposed on the color paper 1. When a predetermined number of frames are printed, the rear end of the color paper 1 is automatically cut, and the color paper 1 is developed by the developing processing unit 8 and cut into each frame, and is discharged to the tray 9. It

In this embodiment, a small hole H is used as a frame position detection mark corresponding to the photographic image exposure frame F on the first exposure stage 4.
Based on the detection signal of the small hole H, a character image can be printed on the second exposure stage at an accurate position corresponding to the photographic image exposure frame F. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the photographic image 70 and the CRT image 71 are displayed on the upper side of the photographic image 70,
A CRT image 71 can be placed at the bottom and burned.

In the above example, the character image was printed by the flat CRT, but the present invention is not limited to this, by drawing a logo mark, a graphic image, or the like on the original,
It is also possible to burn these. Further, instead of the scanner 52, a personal computer may be connected to the image processing unit 53 to perform line exposure of characters and CG images created by the personal computer.

Further, in the above embodiment, all the character images of the character original 51 are stored in the image memory 54, and the image data is fed line by line in synchronization with the feeding of the color paper 1 from this image memory. It was read out by shifting and displayed on a flat CRT, but instead of this, the image memory has a storage capacity for one line, and the reading of the scanner is performed in synchronization with the feeding of the color paper 1. Good. In this case, the storage capacity of the image memory can be reduced.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the line exposure system 23 is constituted by the flat CRT 40, but the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. The exposure system 76 may be configured. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. The light guide 75 is one in which the emitting ends of many optical fibers are provided in a line shape.
A line image display device 78 for displaying image data for one line is connected. The line image display device 78 is
It is composed of a white light source 79, a line image display 80 arranged between the light source 79 and the line guide 75, and a driver 81 for sending one line of image data to the display 80 and driving the image data. There is. The line image display 80 can be selectively used as a ceramic shutter that becomes transparent when a voltage such as PLZT (lanthanum-doped zirconium titanate) is applied or a liquid crystal shutter whose light transmittance changes according to a voltage change. Further, a FOT (fiber optical tube) may be used instead of the light guide 75.

In this embodiment, the color paper 1 is conveyed for line exposure, but instead of this, the light guide 75, FOT, etc. may be moved along the color paper 1 for line exposure. Good.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a photographic image is exposed on a static surface of a light-sensitive material and line-exposed while the light-sensitive material is being transferred, so that a high-quality composite image can be easily obtained with a simple structure. .

In addition, since the loop forming unit is provided between the photographic image exposure system and the line exposure system, the photographic exposure and the line exposure can be performed asynchronously, so that the start timings are not restricted to each other, so that the printing ability is maximized. Can be demonstrated. Further, in the line exposure system, since the exposure for one frame is continuously performed, the line exposure is continuously performed without stopping in the middle, so that the speed variation of the photosensitive material due to the stop / restart of the transportation may occur. The pattern of characters etc. is not disturbed.

Moreover, the line exposure system is composed of an electrical line image display means for sequentially displaying images such as characters line by line, and a lens for reducing and projecting the line image displayed on the line image display means onto a photosensitive material. This makes it easier and ultra-high-resolution CRT compared to the one using RIS Nega.
It is possible to imprint a high-quality character image onto an area where character imprinting is required, at a lower cost than the one using.

Further, by providing the imaging lens so as to be movable in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the photosensitive material, it is possible to print a character image or the like at an arbitrary position in the width direction according to the width change of the photosensitive material.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an image synthesis printer processor in which the present invention is implemented. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a CRT image exposure system in the same embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a composite image created by the image composition printer processor. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a line exposure system in the second embodiment of the present invention. 1 …… Color paper 5 …… Free loop 6 …… Free loop forming stage 17 …… Hole punch 18 …… Mark detection means 22 …… Photo image exposure system 23 …… Line exposure system 43 …… Lens moving means 50 …… CRT display 52 …… Scanner 54 …… Image memory 55 …… Controller 75 …… Light guide 78 …… Line image display H …… Small hole (frame position mark) F …… Photo image exposure frame.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image synthesizing printer for performing image synthesization on a light-sensitive material by overlappingly printing two images, wherein a photographic image exposure system for exposing a photographic image onto the light-sensitive material on a static surface along a transfer path of the light-sensitive material. A line exposure system for performing line exposure while transferring the photosensitive material, and a loop forming unit for forming a free loop between the photographic image exposure system and the line exposure system, and the photographic image exposure system and the line exposure system. Is a non-synchronous exposure, and the line exposure system continuously exposes one frame. 2. The photographic image exposure system is provided with a mark corresponding to an exposure position on a photosensitive material, and the line exposure system is used for exposure positioning based on the mark. Image synthesis printer.