JPH01127351A - Image recorder of photosensitive pressure sensitive process - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an image of efficient quality by making the title image recorder small-sized and light-weighted, by a method wherein an image displayed on a planar illuminant is focused on a photosensitive pressure sensitive recording sheet surface by an optical system to form am latent image, and the latent image gives concrete expression as a visible image by a pressure developing means. CONSTITUTION:When an image signal voltage is impressed to a planar illuminant 2 at each one scan line, each metal particle 33 emits incandescence according to voltage to display an image. The image is focused on a capsule sheet 3 with a spherical lens 4 to be exposed. A state distribution of setting or non-setting of a microcapsule, i.e., a latent image is formed on the capsule sheet 3. Then, a developing sheet 7 fed from a developing sheet cassette 6 with a paper feed roller 8 and the capsule sheet on which the latent heat has been formed are overlapped with each other and are passed through pressure developing rollers 11. The non-setting microcapsule on the capsule sheet 3 is destroyed by pressure, and dye precursor enclosed in the microcapsule is transferred to the developing sheet 7. Consequently, the latent image on the capsule sheet 7. Consequently, the latent image on the capsule sheet 3 is transferred onto the developing sheet 7 to be developed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that records an image by exposing a photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording medium using a planar light emitter as an exposure light source.

[Prior Art] Photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording media are known, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-88379 (US Pat. No. 4,399,209). What is shown in this publication is that microcapsules in which a dye precursor is encapsulated together with a photosensitive resin, etc. are uniformly applied to the surface of a sheet base material, and after a prescribed exposure treatment is performed on this sheet surface, the microcapsules are exposed to light. By overlapping the color sheet and applying pressure, among the hardened microcapsules and unhardened microcapsules on the sheet surface produced by the exposure treatment, the unhardened microcapsules with low mechanical strength are crushed, and the dye precursor inside is crushed. A visible image is realized on the surface of the color developer sheet by a color reaction between the color developer and the color developer on the surface of the color developer sheet. In this case, a CRT (negative N-ray tube) is sometimes used as a light source for exposure in the above-described exposure process.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when a CRT is used as a light source, the CRT has a depth almost equal to the size of a display screen, and is also heavy. Furthermore, it is necessary to apply a high voltage of several kilovolts to the electron gun, grid, etc., and a heavy high-voltage power source must be provided. Furthermore, in terms of image resolution, it is difficult to expect a significant improvement from the current situation.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides an image that is small and lightweight and has excellent output image crystal quality when recording an image on a photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording medium surface. The purpose is to provide a recording device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the image recording device of the present invention has microcapsules on the surface of which a dye precursor is encapsulated and whose mechanical strength changes in response to light. A planar light emitter is arranged opposite to the surface of a light-sensitive and pressure-sensitive recording sheet, which is coated in a similar manner. Each light-emitting element is configured to emit light based on image information, and the light emitted from the planar light-emitting element is irradiated onto the surface of the photosensitive and pressure-sensitive recording sheet, and the light is emitted onto the surface of the photosensitive and pressure-sensitive recording sheet. an exposure means for forming a latent image with different mechanical strengths of the microcapsules in the irradiated area and the non-irradiated area, and applying pressure to the surface of the light-sensitive and pressure-sensitive recording sheet to crush the microcapsules. The gist is that a pressure developing means is provided for realizing a visible image using a dye precursor contained therein.

[Function] According to the image recording device of the present invention having the above-described configuration, the image displayed on the planar light emitter is focused on the surface of the light-sensitive and pressure-sensitive recording sheet by the optical system to form a latent image. The latent image is realized as a visible image by pressure developing means.

Embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an image recording apparatus of the present invention. Inside the apparatus main body 1, a planar light emitter 2 is provided as a light source for exposing three surfaces of a capsule sheet, which is a photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording medium. This planar light emitter 2
As shown in the figure, a large number of concave holes 32 are formed in rows and columns in a plane of a flat insulating substrate 31, and metal particles 33 such as tungsten are formed in each of the concave holes 32.
are arranged in a matrix, and each metal particle 33 receives positive and negative electric charges f! Terminals 34, 35 are provided and are individually energized and heated based on image information, thereby emitting white light. Note that the top of the substrate 31 is covered with a glass body 36. A spherical lens 4 is disposed between the planar light emitter 2 and the capsule sheet 3 in order to form an image of the light emitted from the light emitting helmet of the planar light emitter 2 onto the capsule sheet 3. The capsule sheet described here is based on U.S. Permit No. 4399209.
This refers to a color-compatible photosensitive and pressure-sensitive recording paper described in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 58-88379. The capsule sheet 3 is in the form of a roll paper that is unwound from an uncoiler 5 and wound up by a recoiler 15. An exposure section facing the planar light emitter is provided on the conveyance line, and a pressure developing roller 11 is also provided. After a predetermined exposure process is completed, the color developer sheet 7 stored in the color developer sheet cassette 6 is fed out by a paper feed roller 8 provided at a take-out port 9, and is conveyed to the capsule sheet via a sheet conveyance guide 10. 3 and is passed through the pressure developing roller 11. This pressure developing roller 11 is attached with a separation roller 12 that separates the cap 7 sheet 3 from the color developer sheet 7, and the color developer sheet 7 on which the image has been formed is transferred to the paper output tray 14 via the heat fixing roller 13. The capsule sheet 3 is discharged, and the capsule sheet 3 is wound up on a recoiler 15.

Next, the operation of the image recording apparatus configured as described above will be explained. When the planar light emitter 2 shown in FIG. 1 is applied with an image signal voltage for each scanning line by a control circuit (not shown) using a line sequential method similar to a liquid crystal or an EL element, each metal particle 33 (tungsten) It emits incandescent light and displays images according to the applied voltage. The planar light emitter 2
The image displayed on the capsule sheet 3 is formed and exposed by the spherical lens 4. The microcapsules on the capsule sheet 3 have a photosensitivity that hardens when irradiated with light, and a hardened or unhardened state distribution of the microcapsules, that is, a latent image, is formed on the capsule sheet 3. Then, the color developer sheet 7 fed from the color developer sheet cassette 6 by the paper feed roller 8 and the capsule sheet on which the latent image has been formed are overlapped and passed through the pressure developing roller 11. The uncured microcapsules on the capsule sheet 3 are destroyed by the pressing force of the pressure developing roller 11, and the dye precursor encapsulated inside the microcapsules is transferred onto the color developing sheet 7. As a result, the latent image on the capsule sheet 3 is transferred and developed onto the color developer sheet 7.

Next, the capsule sheet 3 and the color developer sheet 7 are separated by a separation roller 12.
The capsule sheet 3 that is no longer needed is wound up by the recoiler 15. On the other hand, the color developing seed door fixes the developed dye with the heat fixing roller 13, and then
The paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 14.

In the above image recording device, if the capsule sheet 3, color developer sheet 7, and planar light emitter 2 are for color, the image formed on the color developer sheet 7 will be in color, and if it is for monochrome, the image will be monochrome. .

FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of the second embodiment. Since everything other than the exposure system is the same as the first embodiment, only the exposure system will be explained. The planar light emitter 22 in Figure 0 does not have a filter formed on the cover that covers its surface, and uses bright and dark white light. A monochrome image is displayed. The filter 23 is rotatably arranged just in front of the image display surface of the planar light emitter 22, and converts the display of the planar light emitter 22 into monochrome images of R, G, and B colors. The microlens 24 is the filter 23
and the capsule sheet 3.

In such a configuration, in order to record a color image, first, the filter 23 is set to R, and a red image is exposed. Next, set the filter 23 to G to expose a green image, then set the filter 23 to B to expose a blue image, and the distribution of cured and uncured microcapsules will be observed on the capsule sheet 3 corresponding to each color exposure. Since this can be done, it can be overlapped with the color developing sheet 7 and pressed, and developed, as in the first embodiment. The microlens 24 is a planar lens made up of a collection of microlenses, and an erect equal-magnification image of the image displayed on the planar light emitter 22 is formed on the capsule sheet 3 .

Therefore, compared to the case where the spherical lens 4 is used, the focal length is shorter and further compactness can be achieved.

Note that in this embodiment, the order of the microlens 24 and the filter 23 may be changed. Furthermore, it is of course possible to use a spherical lens instead of the microlens as in the first embodiment, and conversely, a microlens may be used instead of the spherical lens 4 in the first embodiment. Needless to say.

Furthermore, if the number of metal particles 33 arranged in a row per unit area of the planar light emitter 2.22 is increased, it becomes 8 dots/mm, 16
The resolution can be increased to dots/mm, and a sharper image can be obtained.

In this case, the metal particles 33 may be replaced with particles made of a ceramic material.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the detailed description above, according to the image recording apparatus of the present invention, by using a planar light emitter as a light source for exposure, the apparatus itself can be made smaller and lighter. Furthermore, since the planar light emitter is made up of heat-generating and luminescent metal particles arranged in a matrix as light emitter elements, the resolution can be improved, and by applying it to a light source for exposure in photosensitive and pressure sensitive processes. This has the advantage that high-quality output images can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 show embodiments embodying the present invention, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic structure of the image recording apparatus of the first embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a shaped light emitting body, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an image recording apparatus according to a second embodiment. In the figure, 1 is the device body, 2 is a planar light emitter, 3 is a turntable sheet, 4 is a spherical lens, 7 is a color developing sheet, 11 is a pressure roller, 22 is a planar light emitter, 23 is (R, G , B) Filter, 24 is a microlens, 31 is an insulating substrate, 33
are metal particles, 34° and 35 are fs pole terminals, and 36 is a glass body.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A planar light-emitting material on the surface of a photosensitive and pressure-sensitive recording sheet in which microcapsules containing a dye precursor and whose mechanical strength changes in response to light are uniformly applied to the surface. are arranged facing each other, and this planar light emitter is configured such that a large number of light emitter elements are arranged in a matrix, and each of the light emitter elements emits light based on image information, The light emitted from this planar light emitter is irradiated onto the surface of the photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording sheet, and a latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording sheet in which the mechanical strength of the microcapsules differs between light irradiated areas and non-irradiated areas. and a pressure developing means for applying pressure to the surface of the light-sensitive and pressure-sensitive recording sheet to realize a visible image using the dye precursor in the crushed microcapsules. An image recording device using a photosensitive and pressure-sensitive process. 2. Claim 1, characterized in that the light-emitting element is formed of fine particles of a heat-generating metal or ceramic material, and the fine particles emit light by being energized and heated based on image information. An image recording device using a photosensitive pressure-sensitive process as described in .