JPH01267654A - Copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the contamination of a pressure roller due to the destruction of a microcapsule in a next copying process by stopping an optical system device at a position which faces to the bottom surface of an original cover during a light receiving sheet is moved from an exposure position to an image forming position after scanning an original image is finished. CONSTITUTION:When a motor M1 is stopped by a specific timing after a copying lamp 23 passes the rear end position of an original 36a, a mirror base 62 is stopped at a position at which the light of the copying lamp 23 faces to the bottom surface of the original cover 20. Hereby, the light receiving sheet 34 is thoroughly exposed in an exposure position 30 till time Ta passes after the optical system device passes the rear end position of an original 63a. Hereby, the microcapsule is thoroughly photoset in a range from the rear end position of an original which positions at the image forming position 40 to the exposure position 30 in the light receiving sheet 34 and the range is never destroyed in the next copying process. Thus, an achromatic coloring and so on which is included in the range is never bonded to the pressure rollers 32 and 33.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to a copying machine that copies an original image onto an image-receiving sheet via a light-receiving sheet.

(Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-1995 as an image forming method using a conventional image forming sheet)
Publication No. 88739 describes image formation using a light-receiving sheet coated with photosensitive microcapsules containing a colorless dye and a photocurable material in a resin shell, and an image-receiving sheet coated with a developing material that develops color from the colorless dye. A method is disclosed. In this image forming method, after forming a selectively cured image on a light-receiving sheet by imagewise exposure,
An image-receiving sheet is superimposed on this light-receiving sheet and pressure is applied to destroy the uncured photosensitive microcapsules. This causes the colorless dye present in the photosensitive microcapsules to develop color on the image-receiving sheet, thereby obtaining an image.

Therefore, in a copying machine using such an image forming method, the light-receiving sheet is conveyed via an exposure position where it receives image-forming exposure and an image-forming position where pressure is applied, and the image-receiving sheet is conveyed at the same time via an image-forming position. By transporting the light-receiving sheet on which a selectively cured image has been formed by image-forming exposure at the exposure position, the light-receiving sheet is superimposed on the image-receiving sheet at the image-forming position, and the two are pressed together. In consideration of ease of handling, this light-receiving sheet is generally wound into a roll and stored in the device. After the forming process is completed, it is wound up in a recovery section.

In a copying machine that uses such a roll-shaped light-receiving sheet, during the copying process, the part of the light-receptive sheet that receives the reflected light from the original image must pass through the image forming position, and the trailing edge of the image is The light-receiving sheet must be transported an additional distance until the imaging position is reached, ie, from the exposure position to the imaging position. However, the optical system device that scans the original image relatively moves in the backward direction as soon as it reaches the trailing edge of the original in the forward direction, and the copy lamp is extinguished. The light-receiving sheet between the rear end of the image and the exposure position is not subjected to image-forming exposure, and uncured photosensitive microcapsules remain on the entire surface of the light-receiving sheet. If this is left untreated, during the next copying process the portion of the uncured photosensitive microcapsules will pass through the image forming position, the photosensitive microcapsules will be destroyed by pressure, and the colorless dye etc. contained in the capsules will be transferred to the image. There are problems such as adhesion to the pressure roller that constitutes the forming position and fluctuations in the conveyance direction of the light-receiving sheet, causing meandering.

Therefore, in conventional copying machines, after the copying process is completed, the light-receptive sheet is rewound between the image-forming position and the exposure position to prevent the light-receptive sheet with uncured microcapsules remaining on its entire surface from passing through the image-forming position. There was something I did. In this case, a linear pressure of 9Q kg/cm is applied by the pressure roller at the image forming position, so if the light-receiving sheet is unwound while this pressure is applied, wrinkles may occur, and the image may be damaged during unwinding. The upper and lower pressure rollers that constitute the forming position were separated.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the conventional copying machine described above, it is necessary to provide a mechanism for selectively separating the pressure rollers above and below the image forming position, which has the drawback of complicating the structure and increasing costs. there were. In addition, the copy lamp remains driven when the optical system device returns, and by providing a white plate that blocks the light emitted from the copy lamp toward the document table, it is possible to move the image from the rear edge of the light-receiving sheet to the exposure position. Image-forming exposure is performed over the entire surface during the process, and the photosensitive microcapsules in this area are hardened so that they will not be destroyed even if they are subjected to pressure from a pressure roller when passing through the image forming position during the next copying process. has been devised, but even in such a copying machine, a white plate and a mechanism for inserting and removing the white plate are required in the optical system, leading to an increase in cost. By performing image-forming exposure on the entire surface of the light-receiving sheet from the rear edge of the image to the exposure position, the photosensitive microcapsules in this area will be destroyed at the image-forming position during the next copying machine process. It is an object of the present invention to provide a copying machine which can prevent meandering of a light-receiving sheet and staining of an image-receiving sheet without increasing costs.

+d) Means for Solving the Problems The copying machine of the present invention includes a document cover that covers the top surface of the document table, and an optical system device that scans the document image and distributes reflected light from the document to an exposure position. In a copying machine that forms an image of an original on an image-receiving sheet at an image-forming position via a light-receiving sheet that receives image-forming exposure at an exposure position, after scanning of the original image is completed, the light-receptor sheet starts forming an image from the exposure position. (e) Effect: In this invention, when the optical system device reaches the rear end of the document, The system device is stopped at a position facing the lower surface of the document cover by the optical system device stopping means. The bottom surface of the document cover is generally made of a reflective member, and when the copy lamp of the optical system is turned on in this state, the light is reflected by the reflective member on the bottom surface of the document cover and is distributed as image-forming exposure at the exposure position. be done. When the optical system device is positioned at the rear edge of the document, the light-receptive sheet continues to be transported until the part of the light-receptive sheet located at the exposure position reaches the image forming position. If the light-receiving sheet is stopped at a position opposite to
The entire area of the enclosure is exposed to light, and the photosensitive microcapsules in this area are cured. Therefore, even if this portion passes through the image forming position during the next copying process, the photosensitive microcapsules will not be destroyed by the pressure of the pressure roller, and no colorless dye or the like will adhere to the pressure roller.

('') Embodiment FIG. 2 is a schematic front sectional view showing the configuration of a copying machine which is an embodiment of the present invention.

A document table 29 made of a transparent hard glass body is provided on the top surface of the copying machine 21 . A light source 23, mirrors 24 to 27, and a lens 28 are provided on the lower surface of the document table 29.
An optical system device 22 is provided. Of this optical system device 22, a light source 23 and mirrors 24 to 2
6 moves on the lower surface of the document table 29 in the directions of arrows G and H, and is provided with a pressing section 31 constituted by the document 2 and i maisha=≠33. The contact position between the roller 32 and the pressure roller 33 in the pressure section 31 is the image forming position 40 . A light-receiving sheet storage section 39 is formed on the left side of the pressure section 31 . This light-receiving sheet storage section 39
is provided with a roll-shaped light-receiving sheet 34 wound around a supply shaft 35. The light-receiving sheet 34 is moved by a roller 37,
38 and the conveying roller 52 to the image forming position 40 of the pressing section 31 . The light-receiving sheet 34 that has passed through the image forming position 40 is wound up on the winding shaft 36 .

Paper cassettes 42 and 43 are attached to the right side of the copying machine main body 21. Image-receiving sheets 45a and 46b of different sizes are housed in the paper sheets 42 and 43, respectively. An image receiving sheet 46a or 46b is fed from either of the paper cassettes 42 or 43 by a paper feed roller 44 or 45 to the pressure unit 3 via a registration roller 51.
1 image forming position 40. The image receiving sheet 1-46a (46b) that has passed through the image forming position 4o is guided to a heat roller 55 by a conveyor belt 53 and heated. The surface of the image receiving sheet 46a (46b) is coated with a thermoplastic resin together with a developing material, and the heat roller 55 melts this thermoplastic resin. This gives gloss to the image formed on the image receiving sheet 46a (46b).

Image receiving sheet 46a (4
6b) is discharged to the wandering section 57 by the paper discharge roller 56.

Note that the image of the original scanned by the optical system device 22 is distributed to the exposure position 30 via the mirrors 24 to 27 and the lens 28, as shown by the dashed line in the figure. Light receiving sheet 34
receives reflected light from the original at the exposure position 30 before reaching the image forming position 40, and a selectively hardened image is formed on its surface. A driving force is supplied to the optical system device 22 from the motor Ml7? It's getting worse. Driving force is supplied to the other rollers 32, take-up shaft 36, etc. from the main motor M2.

Note that the upper surface of the document table 29 is covered with a document cover 20. Further, a sensor St for specifying the initial position of the optical system device 22, an image receiving sheet 46a at the fs feeding path.
Sensors S2 to S5 (46b) for detecting jams are provided.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control section of the copying machine.

The main CPU (M-CPU) 1 includes an operation panel controller 5 via an I10 ink face 4, a controller 6 to which a main motor M2 is connected, a solenoid driver 7 that drives a solenoid 5QLl for locking the conveyance of the light-receiving sheet, and a pressure roller. A clutch driver 8 that drives a roller clutch CLT1 for transmitting rotation to 32 and 33, and a paper feed clutch CL for transmitting rotation to paper feed rollers 44 and 45.
Clutch driver 9 that drives T2, copy lamp 23
Input/output devices such as a lamp driver 10 that lights up a lamp, a heater driver 11 that drives a heat roller 55, and sensors 5l-55 are connected.

The M-CPUI controls the solenoid driver 7, clutch driver 8.9, lamp driver 10, and heater driver 11 at a predetermined timing according to the program stored in the ROM 2 in advance according to the number of driving pulses of the main motor M2 during the copying process. Output data. Also, r! The number of copies, copy magnification, etc. input from the operation panel controller 5 are temporarily stored in the AM3.

A slave CPU (S-CPU) 12 is connected to this M-CPUI via a serial interface 15. A controller 17 to which a motor M1 is connected via a 10 interface 16 is connected to this 5-CPU 12, and constitutes a control section for the motor M1 for driving the optical system device. 5-CPU 12 controls the drive of motor M1 according to a program written in ROM 13 in advance. The RAM 14 is assigned to the working area at this time, and in particular, the memory area MAI is assigned to the timer T, which will be described later.When the copying process starts, the serial ink face 1 is
A process start signal is input via 5-CPUI.
2 outputs 'M control data to the controller 17 to drive the motor M1 at a predetermined timing.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control section of the copying machine.

When the power is turned on to the copying machine main body 21, the heat roller 5
After initial operations such as raising the temperature of the printer 5 to a predetermined temperature are performed (n 1 ), the printer waits for the operator to operate the print switch (n2). When the print switch installed on the substitute panel outside the box is operated, the main motor M2 is driven (n3), and then the motor M1, solenoid SQL 1, and roller clutch C are activated at a predetermined timing.
LTI, copy lamp 23 and paper feed clutch CLT2
(n4 to n8). Solenoid SQ
When L1 is driven, the restriction on the rotation of the supply shaft 35 is released, and the pressure roller 3 is driven by the roller clutch CLTI.
2 and 33, the light receiving sheet 34 is placed in the storage section 39.
From there, it is conveyed to the winding shaft 36 via rollers 37 and 38. The mirror base 61.62 is driven by motor M1.
moves in the direction of arrow G and scans the image of the document placed on the document table 29 with the light of the copy lamp 23. The light reflected from the copy lamp 23 from the original is distributed to the exposure position 30 via the mirrors 24 to 27 and the lens 28, as shown by the dotted chain line in FIG.

The photosensitive microcapsules that have been exposed to this image-forming light on the surface of the light-receiving sheet 34 are cured, and a selectively cured image is formed. The light-receiving sheet 34 on which the selectively cured image has been formed in this way is the image-receiving sheet 4 fed from the paper feeder 41.
6a (46b) and receives pressure from the pressure rollers 32 and 33 at the image forming position 40, the uncured photosensitive microcapsules are destroyed and the colorless dye contained therein develops color on the image receiving sheet. When the end position is reached (n9),
Start timer T assigned to memory area MAI of RAM 14. This timer T is the light receiving sheet 34.
A time Ta sufficient for the camera to move from the exposure position 30 to the image forming position 40 is measured. Also copy lamp 23
After reaching the trailing edge position of the document, the driving of the motor Ml is stopped at a predetermined timing (nil). In this state, time Ta
(n12), and when the timer T times out, the roller clutch CLTI, solenoid SQL 1, and copy lamp 23 are turned off (n13 to n15).

Therefore, until the time Ta elapses after the copy lamp 23 reaches the rear end position of the document, the light-receiving sheet 34 continues to be conveyed to the take-up shaft 36, and the copy lamp 23 remains lit. At this time, the copy lamp 23
Since the copy lamp 23 is stopped at a position slightly beyond the trailing edge of the document, the light from the copy lamp 23 is reflected on the lower surface of the document cover 200 and distributed to the exposure position 30. Therefore, the light reflected on the lower surface of the document cover 20 is distributed from the rear end of the image located at the image forming position 40 on the light-receiving sheet 34 to the exposure (FI device 30).

After the copy lamp 23 is turned off, the motor Ml is reversely driven (n16), and the mirror bases 61 and 62 are moved to the document table 29.
The lower surface of the is moved backward in the direction of arrow H.

When the mirror bases 61 and 62 return to their initial positions and the sensor Sl is turned on (nl?), the motor Ml is stopped (n18). In the above processing, n9 to n12 correspond to the optical system device stopping means of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing the main parts of the copying machine.

When the motor M1 is stopped at a predetermined timing after the copy lamp 23 passes the document trailing edge position 63a at 09 to nll shown in FIG. It stops at a position facing the lower surface of the cover 20. The lower surface of the document cover 20 is constituted by a reflective member 20a. The reflecting member 20a has elasticity and has a lower surface made of a white flexible resin sheet or a thin metal sheet.

Therefore, the light from the copy lamp 23 is reflected by the reflective member 20a of the document cover 20 and is distributed as shown by the dashed line in the figure. For this reason, the optical system device is located at the document trailing edge position 63.
The entire surface of the light-receiving sheet 34 is exposed to light at the exposure position 30 until the time Ta elapses after passing through point a. Therefore, the photosensitive microcapsules are photocured over the entire surface of the light-receiving sheet 34 from the rear end of the image located at the image forming position 40 to the exposure position 30. This portion passes between the pressure rollers 32 and 33 during the next copying process, but since the photosensitive microcapsules are photocured over the entire surface, they are not destroyed, and the colorless dye contained therein passes between the pressure rollers 32 and 33.
, 33.

As described above, according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. The light reflected from the bottom surface can be distributed over the entire surface. As a result, during the next copying process, the photosensitive microcapsules in the non-image forming area 34C passing through the image forming position 40 prior to the image forming unit are not destroyed by the pressure applied by the pressure rollers 32 and 33, and the pressure roller It is possible to prevent meandering of the light-receiving sheet and staining of the image-receiving sheet due to adhesion of colorless dye or the like to 32 and 33.

(g1 Effect of the Invention According to this invention, after the optical system device passes the rear edge of the document, the optical system device is made to face the lower surface of the document cover while the light-receiving sheet moves from the exposure position to the image forming position. Generally, the bottom surface of the document cover is configured with a reflective color such as white, and if the copy lamp is driven while the optical system is stopped at a position facing the bottom surface of the document cover, the copy will be copied. The light from the lamp is distributed to the exposure position over the entire surface.Therefore, the light reflected from the lower surface of the document table is distributed over the entire area from the rear edge of the image located at the image forming position to the exposure position on the light-receiving sheet. This allows image-forming exposure to be applied to the entire non-image forming area between the image trailing edge and the image front edge of the light-receiving sheet after the copying process is completed, and this non-image forming area is used in the next copying process. The photosensitive microcapsules do not break when passing through the image forming position, and the colorless dye contained in the photosensitive microcapsules does not adhere to the image forming position, preventing the meandering of the light receiving sheet and the image receiving sheet. It is possible to prevent stains and the like and maintain a good image forming state.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of the main parts of a copying machine that is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic front sectional view showing the configuration of the copying machine.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control section of the copying machine, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control section of the copying machine, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the exposure state of the light-receiving sheet in the copying machine. . 20-Document cover, 20a-Reflecting member, 30-Exposure position, 34-Light receiving sheet, 40-Image forming position, 61.62-Mirror base.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A light-receiving sheet that is equipped with a document cover that covers the top surface of the document table, an optical system device that scans the document image and distributes the reflected light from the document to the exposure position, and receives image-forming exposure at the exposure position. In a copying machine that forms an image of an original on an image-receiving sheet at an image-forming position through 1. A copying machine characterized by being provided with an optical system device stopping means for stopping the optical system at a position opposite to the copying machine.