JP2597193B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an application section for applying an image forming solvent to an image forming material sheet (hereinafter simply referred to as an image forming material), and a heating section for heating the image forming material. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having means and an accumulating unit for accumulating the image forming material subjected to the coating and heating processes.

[Conventional technology]

As the image forming material as described above, for example, a photothermographic material is known, and the photothermographic material and the process thereof are described in, for example, Non-Silver-Salt Photography (1982).
Pages 242 to 255, published by Corona Co., Ltd., pp. 242 to 255, video information published in April 1978, page 40, Neblet's Handbook of Photography and Reprography (Neblett's Hand)
book of Photography and Reprography (7th Ed.) Van Nostrand Reinhold Compan
y), pages 32-33.

As for a method of obtaining a color image (color image) by a heat phenomenon, a movable dye is released in an image form by heating, and the movable dye is dyed with a mordant using a solvent such as water. ), A method of transferring to a dye-fixing material with a high-boiling organic solvent, a method of transferring to a dye-fixing material with a hydrophilic heat solvent incorporated in the dye-fixing material, and a method in which a movable dye is thermally diffusible or sublimable. A method of transferring the dye to a dye receiving material such as a support has been proposed.

Specifically, as an apparatus for performing this type of image forming method, for example, as disclosed in JP-A-59-75247, a color image is formed on a photothermographic material using an exposure head in an exposure section. After exposing the photothermographic material, an image forming solvent such as water is applied to the photothermographic material by a roller, and the resultant is sent to a heat developing unit. And an image forming apparatus for thermally transferring an image to an image receiving material at a transfer unit.

Also, the photothermographic material and the image receiving material are superimposed,
An apparatus for simultaneously performing development and transfer has also been proposed.

Further, an image forming apparatus using an image forming material having a latent image forming layer of a photothermographic material and a dye fixing layer of an image receiving material on one sheet has been proposed.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the above-described image forming apparatus, the applied image forming solvent tends to remain even after the heating, and the image surface of the wet image forming material has adhesiveness.

Therefore, a plurality of image forming materials are sequentially conveyed to the stacking section as they are, and when the image surface of the stored image forming material and the leading end of the next conveyed image forming material come into contact with each other, the two materials adhere to each other and are stored. In this case, there is a problem in that the image forming material is moved, a loop or the like is formed inside the collecting section, the paper does not orderly overlap, and the storage capacity of the waste section is reduced.

A drying unit may be provided before the sheet is conveyed to the stacking unit, but there may be a problem in terms of space cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of orderly storing an image forming material inside an accumulation unit and effectively using an accumulation volume of the accumulation unit as predetermined. .

[Means and actions for solving the problem]

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming material sheet having at least an application unit for applying an image forming solvent, heating the image forming material sheet and the image receiving material in a superposed state, and transferring the image to the image receiving material together with heat development. And a stacking unit for stacking the separated image forming sheets, and a stacking unit for stacking the separated image forming sheets. A heater for drying the separated image receiving material is provided between the image forming material sheet and the heating unit and the heater. This is achieved by an image forming apparatus characterized in that the image forming apparatus is configured to be integrated in an integration unit.

That is, as described above, by providing an opening in the stacking unit in the direction of the heating unit, it is possible to form an image formed by transferring heat to the stacking unit by heat generated from another heating unit without providing a drying unit dedicated to the stacking unit. Since the image forming solvent moistened in the materials can be evaporated, the image forming materials do not adhere to each other, and can be housed neatly in the stacking unit.

The image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied may have a configuration in which an image forming solvent is applied to either a photothermographic material or an image receiving material as an image forming material. A configuration in which a solvent is applied may be employed. Further, a single sheet image forming material may be used.

The image forming material used in the present invention may be any material that requires a heating means, and develops a latent image into a visible image by performing processing such as fixing and fixing in the presence of an image forming solvent. Is also good.

Examples of the photosensitive material include heat-developable photosensitive materials, U.S. Patent Nos. 4,430,415, 4,483,914,
No. 500,626, No. 4,503,137, JP-A-59-154445,
59-165054, 59-180548, 59-218443, 60
No. 120356, 61-88256 and 61-238056.

The photothermographic material basically has a photosensitive silver halide, a binder, a dye-donating compound, and a reducing agent (a dye-donating substance may also serve as a reducing agent) on a support, Further, an organic silver salt and other additives can be contained as required.

The photothermographic material may be one that gives a negative image or a positive image upon exposure. The method of giving a positive image is a method using a direct positive emulsion (a method using a nucleating agent or a light fogging method) as a silver halide emulsion, and a dye that emits a positive diffusible dye image. Any of the methods using a donor compound can be adopted.

There are various methods for transferring a diffusible dye, for example, a method of transferring to a dye fixing layer with an image forming solvent such as water,
A method of transferring to a dye-fixing layer with a high-boiling organic solvent, a method of transferring to a dye-fixing layer with a hydrophilic thermal solvent, a dye-fixing method having a dye-accepting polymer by utilizing the thermal diffusivity or sublimability of a diffusible dye A method of transferring to a layer has been proposed, and any of them may be used.

The image forming solvent used for the diffusion transfer is, for example, water. The water is not limited to so-called pure water, but includes water in a widely and conventionally used meaning. Further, a mixed solvent of pure water and a low boiling point solvent such as methanol, DMF, acetone, and diisobutyl ketone may be used. Further, a solution containing an image formation accelerator, an antifoggant, a development terminator, a hydrophilic heat solvent, and the like may be used.

(Embodiment)

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

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A magazine 14 is arranged on the base 12 of the image forming apparatus 10, and a roll-shaped photothermographic material is further provided in the magazine 14.
Sixteen are housed.

The photothermographic material 16 is pulled out from its outer periphery, cut into a predetermined length by a cutter 18, and wound around the outer periphery of the rotary drum 20 in the direction of arrow A. An exposure head 22 is arranged corresponding to the outer periphery of the rotating drum 20, and rotates the rotating drum 20 at high speed to expose the wound photothermographic material 16 to an image.

The exposed photothermographic material 16 is separated from the rotary drum 20 by the scraper 24 by the reverse rotation of the rotary drum 20 (in the direction of arrow B), and is further transported by transport roller pairs 25 and 27. The transport rollers 25 and 27 are mechanically connected to a step motor (not shown) as driving means, and are rotated by driving the step motor.

A water application section 26 is provided between the pair of transport rollers 25 and the pair of transport rollers 27 on the transport path of the photothermographic material 16.
An application roller 64 that rotates by driving a step motor (not shown) is disposed in the water application unit 26. The photothermographic material 16 is brought into contact with the application roller 64 while being conveyed to serve as an image forming solvent. Of water is applied.

The photothermographic material 16 to which water has been applied is sent to a photothermographic transfer unit 28.

In the thermal development transfer section 28, a heating drum 34 and an endless pressure bonding belt 36 as a pressing means are disposed. Further, a halogen lamp 38 is disposed in the heating drum 34, and the outer peripheral surface of the heating drum 34 is heated to about 90 ° C. by the halogen lamp 38.
Heating.

The endless pressure bonding belt 36 is wound around winding rollers 37, 39, 41 and 43, and the endless outer side thereof is heated by a heating drum.
34 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface. The winding roller 37 is mechanically connected to a stepping motor (not shown), and is rotated by the driving of the stepping motor. The material 16 is pinched and conveyed to cause a thermal phenomenon.

In the vicinity of a portion where the endless pressure bonding belt 36 is wound around the winding roller 37, a rubber overlapping roller 48 is disposed in a state of being pressed against and abutting on the outer peripheral surface of the heating drum 34. The superposing roller 48 is also mechanically connected to a step motor (not shown), and is rotated by driving the step motor.

The image receiving material 32 sent to the thermal development transfer section 28 is heated by a heating drum.
The photothermographic material 16 is superimposed on the photothermographic material 16 (between the superimposing roller 48 and the outer peripheral surface of the heating drum 34) by the superimposing roller 48 arranged in a state of being pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the heating drum 34 and endlessly bonded to the heating drum 34 It is designed to be supplied to between the belt 36.

The photothermographic material 16 is used as an image receiving material
The sheet is heated while being conveyed in a state of being superimposed on the image receiving material 32, and the image is transferred to the image receiving material 32 together with the thermal development, so that an image is obtained on the image receiving material 32.

On the side of the thermal development transfer section 28, a release plate 80 is arranged. The exfoliation plate 80 has a distal end close to the outer peripheral surface of the heating drum 34, moves with the heating drum 34, engages with the photothermographic material 16 located inside, and
Together with the image receiving material 32 from the outer periphery of the heating drum 34.

Below the peeling plate 80, a pair of separation rollers 50 corresponding to only both widthwise end portions of the image receiving material 32 are disposed, and a transport belt 52 is wound around the separation rollers 50.
The transport belt 52 engages only with both ends in the width direction of the image receiving material 32, and separates the image receiving material 32 from the photothermographic material 16 to bend and transports it.

The separation roller 50 is mechanically connected to a step motor (not shown), and is rotated by driving the step motor.

After being separated by the heater 54, the separated image receiving material 32 is sent out onto a take-out tray 56 formed on the top of the machine base 12.

On the other hand, the separated photothermographic material 16 is
It is conveyed by 58 and sent out to a waste photosensitive material accumulation box 59. The transport roller pair 58 is also mechanically connected to a step motor (not shown), and is rotated by driving the step motor.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a waste photosensitive material accumulation box which is a main part of the present invention.

The waste photosensitive material stacking box 59 has a photothermographic material 16
The entrance 71 has an opening, and the entrance 71 is provided with a lid 72. The lid 72 can be opened when the waste photosensitive material accumulation box 59 is mounted on the image forming apparatus 10, closed, and then removed. ing. The top surface of the waste photosensitive material stacking box 59 is open, and an opening 73 is formed in the side wall above the entrance 71. Therefore, the waste photosensitive material accumulation box 59 is
When mounted on 10, opening 73 faces heater 54.

The first photothermographic material 16 conveyed by the conveying roller pair 58 is stored while leaning against the waste photosensitive material stacking box 59 in a slightly wet state. In this case, as is apparent from FIG. 1, the photothermographic materials 16 are stacked so that the coating surface side (the side coated by the coating roller 64) faces the opening 73 of the stacking box 59. However, opening 73
Faces the heater 54, so that the radiation from the heater 54 directly hits the accommodated photothermographic material 16 and the photothermographic material heater already contained before the next photothermographic material 16 is conveyed.
Even if the leading end of the photothermographic material 16 that has been dried and thus enters the photothermographic material 16 that has entered and comes into contact with the photothermographic material 16 already housed, they do not adhere to each other, but are stacked in an orderly manner.

In FIG. 1, the waste photosensitive material stacking box 59 is of a vertical type and accommodates the photothermographic material 16, but may be placed horizontally depending on the arrangement of the heater 54. Further, in the above embodiment, the photothermographic material 16 in the waste photosensitive material accumulation box 59 is dried using the heater 54, but the heat of the heating drum 34 can be used depending on the layout.

Further, the present invention can be applied to an apparatus other than the image forming apparatus of the above-described embodiment, as long as the apparatus has a heating unit and needs to dry the material stored in the stacking unit.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, by disposing the image forming material accumulating portion near the heating means for purposes other than drying the same, and by providing an opening in the accumulating portion in the direction of the heating means,
It is possible to dry the wet image forming material stored in the stacking unit without providing a drying unit dedicated to the stacking unit, and orderly stack the image forming material that is transported next without bonding. It is accommodated, and the volume of the accumulation unit can be used effectively.

[Brief description of the drawings]

 FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a waste photosensitive material accumulation box. Reference numerals in the drawing: 10 image forming apparatus 16 photothermographic material 26 water application section 28 heat development transfer section 32 image receiving material 34 heating drum 36 endless pressure belt 48: Overlap roller 50: Separation roller, 54: Heater 59: Waste photosensitive material stacking box 71: Entrance, 72: Cover 73: Opening

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An image forming material is applied to at least an image forming material sheet, and the image forming material sheet and the image receiving material are heated in a superimposed state, and the image is transferred to the image receiving material together with heat development. An image forming apparatus comprising: a heating unit; a unit configured to separate the image receiving material from the thermally developed image forming material sheet; and an accumulation unit configured to accumulate the separated image forming sheets. A heater for drying the separated image receiving material is provided, and the stacking portion opening is opposed to the heating means and the heater, and the image forming material sheet is arranged such that its coated surface faces the opening side of the stacking portion. An image forming apparatus configured to be integrated in an accumulation unit.