JP2529348B2 - 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 designed to improve the accuracy of image synthesizing alignment.

[Conventional technology]

As an image synthesizing printer that superimposes a photographic image and a CRT image to synthesize the image, for example, a movable mirror that can be inserted into and removed from the optical axis of the photographic image exposure system is provided on the optical axis, and the photographic image is formed by this movable mirror. CRT from the CRT image exposure system at the exposure position
A device that forms an image and performs overlapping printing is provided (for example, JP-A-58-122529).

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, in the image synthesizing printer, since the movable mirror selectively forms the photographic image and the CRT image on the photosensitive material, when the movable mirror forms the CRT image on the photosensitive material, for example, However, there is a problem that the optical axis adjustment becomes complicated. Further, because of the mirror mechanism, if the imaging lens is moved when the magnification is changed, the lens hits the movable mirror and the magnification is limited.

On the other hand, a dedicated exposure stage is provided for each of the overlapping exposure of the photographic image and the CRT image, the first exposure is performed on the first stage, and then the exposed frame is transported by a fixed amount and the second exposure is performed. And performing the second exposure. However, in this case, if the feeding accuracy of the photosensitive material is poor, there is a problem that it is not possible to accurately perform the alignment of the image synthesis. That is, a pair of conveying rollers for pulling out the photosensitive material is provided to position the photosensitive material on the exposure stage. Since the back tension of the pair of conveying rollers changes according to the use of the photosensitive material, slipping occurs in the feeding of the photosensitive material, and the amount of this sliding changes, so that accurate and constant feeding cannot be performed. Therefore, it is not possible to accurately align the screens for overlapping exposure with each other.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and enables a simple configuration to accurately perform alignment for image composition, and further, image composition printing and individual printing individually performed at each stage. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image synthesizing printer capable of selectively performing.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides two exposure stages arranged in parallel along a photosensitive material conveyance path, a common guide for guiding the photosensitive material to the two exposure stages, and an entrance of the common guide. Looper means disposed on the side for making the photosensitive material into a free loop, a pair of conveying rollers for setting the photosensitive material on the two exposure stages, and for printing simultaneously or individually on the two exposure stages, And a feed control means for selectively switching the feed timing of the photosensitive material of the pair of conveying rollers.

The two exposure stages are a photographic image exposure stage and
It is preferably a CRT image exposure stage. Also,
The interval between the two exposure stages may be set so that printing can be performed on the two exposure stages at the same time.

[Action]

When two images, for example, a photographic image and a CRT image are overprinted on a photosensitive material, first, for example, a photographic image is printed on the first stage, and then the photosensitive material is conveyed by one frame,
The CRT image from the second stage is printed. At this time, 2
Since the free loop is formed on the entrance side of the common guide of the two stages, the back tension of the pair of pull-out rollers for positioning the photosensitive material on the first and second stages is eliminated, and it depends on the back tension when the photosensitive material is fed. You can eliminate slippage. As a result, the photosensitive material can be accurately fed by a predetermined amount, and the mutual alignment of the screens can be accurately performed when the photographic image and the CRT image are overlapped and exposed.

〔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. The color paper 1 is pulled out from the magazine 2 by the transport roller pair 3, and is set by the transport roller pair 15 on the first exposure stage 5 for printing a photographic image and the second exposure stage 6 for printing a CRT image. . These first and second exposure stages 5 and 6 are arranged side by side along the conveying path of the color paper 1, and a common pressure plate 7 also serving as a guide member for the color paper 1 and the first exposure stage 5 are provided. The mask 8 arranged and the mask 9 arranged on the second exposure stage 6 are provided. Although the masks 8 and 9 are provided separately, they may be integrated. First and second
The interval between the exposure stages 5 and 6 is set to, for example, one frame pitch so that the pair of transport rollers 15 transports the color paper 1 by one frame so that the color paper 1 is set on each exposure stage.

Between the inlet side of the pressure plate 7 and the conveying roller pair 3,
A free loop forming stage 11 for forming the free loop 10 by bending the color paper 1 upward is provided. The stage 11 is arranged in the vicinity of the horizontal guide plate 12 for guiding the front end of the color paper 1 to the first exposure stage 6 and the inlet side of the pressure plate 7. It is composed of a guide roller 13 for guiding. In addition, a pair of set-conveying rollers 15 for pulling out the photosensitive material 1 formed on the free loop 10 and setting the photosensitive material 1 on the exposure stages 5 and 6 in the vicinity of the pressure plate 7 on the exit side of the color paper 1.
Is arranged. The pair of conveying rollers 15 and the pair of conveying rollers 3 arranged on the entrance side of the free loop forming stage 11 are rotationally driven by pulse motors 16 and 17, and these pulse motors 16 and 17 are controlled by a controller 52 which will be described later. It is driven by drivers 18 and 19 based on.

The free loop 10 of the color paper 1 is formed such that, after the front end of the color paper 1 is nipped by the pair of conveying rollers 15 for setting, the conveying roller pair 3 on the inlet side is colored by the amount of free loop formation which is equal to or longer than one print length. This is performed by conveying the paper 1. When the free loop 10 is conveyed by the set conveying roller pair 15 and becomes shorter than a predetermined length, the inlet side conveying roller pair 3 is driven to always form the free loop 10 having a predetermined length or more. I am trying to do it. This free loop 10 is used when the color paper 1 is pulled out by the set carrying roller pair 15
This is to prevent back tension from being applied to 15.

A photographic image exposure system 20 and a CRT image exposure system 21 are arranged corresponding to the first and second exposure stages 5 and 6. The photographic image exposure system 20 includes a photographic image, for example, a color negative film 22.
Image is printed on the color paper 1 on the first exposure stage 5. The CRT image exposure system 21 prints a character image such as a sentence or an address, a logo mark, a computer graphic image (CG image) or the like on the color paper 1 via the CRT.

The white light emitted from the white light source 23 passes through the diffusion box 24 and the film carrier 25, reaches the negative film 22 set at the printing position, and illuminates it from below. The diffusion box 24
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 24
A cyan filter 26, a magenta filter 27, and a yellow filter 28 for adjusting the light quality of the illumination light are arranged between the white light source 23 and the white light source 23. The filter adjustment unit 29
Control the amount of color filters 26-28 inserted into the optical path,
The quality of the illumination light is adjusted according to the negative image of the negative film 22. The negative film 22 is set on a film carrier 25 and pressed by a mask 31 from above.

A zoom lens 32 is arranged above the film carrier 25, so that the negative image of the negative film 22 is removed from the color paper 1 of the first exposure stage 5 while the shutter 33 is retracted from the optical path. Image. The boom lens 32 enlarges or reduces the negative image to a desired size, and the focal length can be switched by a manual operation. The shutter 33 includes a shutter drive unit 34.
The opening and closing of the color paper 1 is controlled by means of the above, and the color paper 1 is configured to be opened only for a period of time corresponding to the sensitivity.

A black-and-white CRT 40 is arranged at the lowermost position facing the color paper 1 of the second exposure stage 6, and a black-and-white image in which a red image, a green image, and a blue image of a negative image are displayed at the time of printing is displayed. Display for a predetermined time in sequence. Above the black and white CRT 40, a zoom lens 41 for forming an image of the CRT 40 on the color paper 1 of the second exposure stage 6 and for converting the black and white image of the CRT 40 into a single color image of red, green and blue A red filter 42, a green filter 43, a blue filter 44, a filter switching section 45 for selectively inserting these filters 42 to 44 into the optical path, and a single color image of each color for printing for a predetermined time on the color paper 1. Shutter
46 are located. The filter switching unit 45 is a CRT.
The red image is exposed on the color paper 1 by selectively inserting the red filter 42 into the optical path when a black and white image in which the red image is displayed with the brightness is displayed.
Similarly, when a black-and-white image corresponding to a green image and a black-and-white image corresponding to a blue image are sequentially displayed on the CRT 40, the green filter 43 and the blue filter are sequentially inserted into the optical path in response to this, and the three color planes are displayed. Exposure is performed sequentially. The shutter
46 is controlled by the shutter drive unit 47.

The color paper 1 that has been subjected to the overlapping exposure by the first and second exposure stages 5 and 6 is sent to the development processing unit 48, is subjected to the development processing, is cut into pieces by a cutter, and is discharged to the tray 49. .

FIG. 2 shows a CRT display device 50 for displaying a text, a character image such as an address, a logo mark, a CG image, etc. on a monochrome CRT 40. As the graphic image input device 51, for example, an image scanner is used, and a logo mark and the like are input to the controller 52. Characters such as address and name can be input from the keyboard 53. The keyboard 53 is also used to operate each unit. Further, the CG image or the like written on the floppy disk 54 or the magnetic tape 55 can be input to the controller 52 via the recording medium drive circuit 56. In addition, this controller 52 is a keyboard 53
It is possible to electrically combine these by adding the character entered in step 1 and the logo mark or the like entered from the graphic image input device 51.

The image input to the controller 52 is subjected to logarithmic conversion and color correction, and then stored in the frame memory 58 in a state of being separated for each color. The color signals stored in the frame memory 58 are read out at the time of printing and sent to the image magnification conversion circuit 59, where the size of the CRT image is
After being scaled up or down to the magnification indicated by, it is sent to the lookup table 60. Lookup table 60
Performs tone correction according to the tone of the color paper 1 and positive / negative inversion. In the case where reverse color paper is used, no positive / negative conversion is performed.

The output signal of the look-up table 60 is converted to an analog signal by a D / A converter 61 and then sent to a selection circuit 62. The selection circuit 62 takes out one of the three color signals and sends it to the CRT drive circuit 64. The CRT drive circuit 64
A black and white image such as a character is displayed on the display surface of the CRT 40.

The controller 52 is composed of a microcomputer, and controls the CRT image exposure system 21 as described above, as well as the photographic image exposure system 20, the development processing unit 48, and the motors 16 and 17 of the respective conveying rollers 3 and 15. Etc.

The motor 17 of the conveying roller pair 15 for setting the color paper 1 on the first and second exposure stages 5 and 6 is controlled by the feed control means 52a in the controller 52.
The feed control means 52a changes the feed timing of the color paper 1 by a feed switching signal from the keyboard 53 or the like.
Selective switching between simultaneous print feed and individual print feed. Simultaneous print feeding is to feed the color paper 1 by the pitch of one print frame, which allows the color paper 1 to be newly set on the respective exposure stages 5 and 6 at the same time. 1 can be simultaneously exposed. The individual print feed is a feed for individually setting the color paper 1 on each of the exposure stages 5 and 6, and after the color paper 1 is individually set, exposure is performed on this stage. In this way, color paper 1
By switching the feed timing of each stage,
5,6 can be printed simultaneously or individually.

 Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

Color negative film with portraits and landscapes 22
Is set on the film carrier 25 of the photographic image exposure system 20. In addition, a logo mark or the like input from the graphic image input device 51, characters input from the keyboard 53, a CG image or the like input via the storage medium drive circuit 54, are combined as needed, and then, for each color. And is stored in the frame memory 58.

First, the photographic image of the negative film 22 is printed on the color paper 1 set on the first exposure stage 5. The filter adjustment unit 29, according to the color density of the photographic image,
Adjust the insertion amount of the color filters 26 to 28 into the optical path. After this adjustment, the white light source 23 emits light. Immediately after this, the shutter
Since 33 is opened for a predetermined time, the photographic image of the negative film 22 is printed on the color paper 1 by the zoom lens 32. When printing of this photographic image is complete, the color filter
26 to 28 are returned to the standard position, and the white light source 23 is turned off.

Next, the frame on which the photographic image has been printed on the first exposure stage is set on the second exposure stage 6 by the set conveying roller pair 15 conveying the color paper 1 by one frame. With the setting of the exposed frame on the second exposure stage 6 by the first exposure stage 5, a new unexposed color paper 1 is set on the first exposure stage 5. A photographic image of the negative film 22 is similarly printed on the new color paper 1 set on the first exposure stage 5.

The first and second exposure stages 5 of this color paper 1,
The setting to 6 is performed by feeding a predetermined amount of the color paper 1 with the pair of conveying rollers 15. At this time, since the color paper 1 having a length of one frame or more is previously stored as a free loop on the free loop forming stage 11,
Back tension does not act on the conveying roller pair 15, and slippage due to back tension does not occur when the color paper 1 is fed by the conveying roller pair 15. Therefore, the frame on which the photographic image is printed on the first exposure stage 5 can be accurately positioned on the second exposure stage 6.

The CRT image exposure system 21 operates on the color paper 1 that has been exposed to the photographic image, which is set on the second exposure stage 6, and C
Printing of RT image starts. Each color signal of the positive image is read out from the frame memory 58, this color signal is converted to a predetermined magnification through the image magnification conversion circuit 59, and then the positive / negative is inverted by the look-up table 60, and the D / A converter is used. 61
Is converted to an analog signal. The selection circuit 62 first takes out the red signal and sends it to the CRT drive circuit 64 to display the image corresponding to the brightness of the red image on the CRT 40. When a red image is displayed on the CRT 40, the red filter 42 is inserted into the optical path of the lens 41, and the image displayed on the CRT 40 is converted into a red image. In this state, the shutter 46 is opened for an exposure time determined according to the red sensitivity of the color paper 1, during which a red image is printed on the color paper 1.
Similarly, the green image and the blue image are printed on the color paper 1, and the three-color sequential exposure is completed.

It should be noted that the operation of the simultaneous print feed for printing simultaneously on each of the stages 5 and 6 has been described above, but instead of this, individual print feed can be selected. In this case, the feed control means 52a is switched to the individual print feed side, the color paper 1 is automatically set individually on each exposure stage 5 and 6, and printing is automatically performed on each exposure stage.

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 have been printed, the rear end of the color paper 1 is automatically cut off. The color paper 1 is developed by the development processing unit 48, cut into frames, and discharged to the tray 49. You.

In this embodiment, since the backing tension is not applied to the set conveying roller pair 15 when the color paper 1 is conveyed, when the overlapping exposure is performed, the photographic image 70 and the CRT image 71 are obtained as shown in FIG. And can be properly baked in place. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the photographic image 70 is arranged in the upper part and the CRT image 71 is arranged in the lower part, but this arrangement can be changed as appropriate, for example, the photographic image and the CRT in the width direction.
Images can also be placed.

In the above embodiment, in order to form the free loop 10, the front end of the color paper 1 is nipped by the conveying roller pair 15 for setting, and then the color paper 1 is conveyed by the length of one frame or more on the inlet side. After being conveyed by the roller pair 3, the free loop 10 is conveyed by the set conveying roller pair 15 and when the free loop 10 becomes equal to or shorter than a predetermined length, the inlet side conveying roller pair 3 is driven to keep a constant length. Although the above-mentioned free loop 10 is formed, in place of this, another method, for example, the conveying speed of the conveying roller pair 3 on the inlet side is made higher than that of the setting conveying roller pair 15,
You may form a free loop.

Further, in the above embodiment, the printing of the CRT image is 3
Although the color surface sequential exposure is performed, the present invention is not limited to this, line exposure by flat CRT,
You may expose by the laser beam deflected by the galvanometer, a polygon, etc.

Further, in the above embodiment, the photographic image exposure system 20 is arranged on the first exposure stage 5, and the CRT is arranged on the second exposure stage 6.
Although the image exposure system 21 is arranged to synthesize the photographic image and the CRT image, the present invention is not limited to this, and prints of the photographic image or the CRT image only, or photographic images or CRT images. It is also possible to combine images.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the printer processor is provided with the development processing unit for performing the fantasy processing on the exposed photosensitive material in addition to the printer for synthesizing and printing images, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, an image synthesizing printer in which the development processing unit is omitted may be used.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the common guide for guiding the photosensitive material is provided on the two stages arranged in series, and the looper means for making the photosensitive material a free loop is provided on the inlet side of the common guide. The back tension of the pair of setting conveyance rollers for positioning the photosensitive material on the first and second stages is eliminated, and slippage due to the back tension at the time of feeding the photosensitive material can be eliminated. As a result, the photosensitive material can be accurately fed by a predetermined amount, and, for example, when the photographic image and the CRT image are combined, the positions of these images can be accurately aligned.

Further, the feed control means selectively switches the feed timing of the photosensitive material of the pair of feed rollers to print simultaneously or individually on the two exposure stages. It is possible to selectively perform individual printing on the stage. Moreover, by using one of the two exposure stages for photographic image exposure and the other for CRT image exposure, the photographic image and the CRT image can be combined to print a photographic image with characters. It becomes possible to selectively print only a photographic image or only a CRT image.

[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 block diagram showing a CRT display device in the same embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a composite image created by the image composition printer processor. 1 …… Color paper 3,15 …… Conveying roller pair 5 …… First exposure stage 6 …… Second exposure stage 7 …… Pressure plate 10 …… Free loop 11 …… Free loop forming stage 20 …… Photo image Exposure system 21 …… CRT image exposure system 50 …… CRT display device 52 …… Controller 52a …… Feed control means.

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image synthesizing printer for synthesizing images by overlapping printing, comprising: two exposure stages juxtaposed along a conveyance path of the photosensitive material; and a common guide for guiding the photosensitive material to the two exposure stages. A looper means arranged on the entrance side of the common guide for making the photosensitive material into a free loop, and a pair of conveying rollers for setting the photosensitive material on the two exposure stages,
An image synthesizing printer, comprising: a feed control unit that selectively switches the feed timing of the photosensitive material of the pair of conveying rollers for printing simultaneously or individually on two exposure stages. 2. The image synthesizing printer according to claim 1, wherein the two exposure stages are a photographic image exposure stage and a CRT image exposure stage. 3. The image synthesizing printer according to claim 1, wherein the interval between the two exposure stages is set so that printing can be performed simultaneously on the two exposure stages.