JPH01312543A - Image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely separate both materials by almost bending either a heat developing photosensitive material or an image receiving material which is overlapped with the heat developing photosensitive material and where image information is transferred and formed in a carry-in direction to a separation part and carrying it. CONSTITUTION:Endless belts 62a and 62b, rolls 64a and 64b and a roll 68 for separation are arranged as the separation part 42 separating the image receiving material P where the image information is transferred and formed from the heat developing photosensitive material F. When the image receiving material P where the image information has been transferred and formed is separated from the hat developing photosensitive material F, either of the materials is bent with respect to the carry-in direction of the separation part 42 and carried in a state where one of the materials is guided to the separation part 42. Thus, both the materials can surely be separated and the occurrence of failures in carrying the materials, etc., can be eliminated in a device.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an image recording device, and more specifically, by superimposing an image-receiving material on a heat-developable photosensitive material on which image information has been exposed and recorded, and heating the image-receiving material. After transferring the image information to the image receiving material,
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus in which the photothermographic material and the image-receiving material can be suitably separated by conveying them in a curved manner to a separation section.

[Background of the Invention] Recently, image recording apparatuses have been developed that can obtain high-quality images through simple wet processing using heat-developable photosensitive materials. In this device, for example, an LED is used in the exposure section.
After exposing and recording image information on a heat-developable photosensitive material using a light-emitting element such as, dampening water is applied to the heat-developable photosensitive material, the material is superimposed on an image-receiving material, and conveyed to a heat-developable transfer section. The image information is developed and transferred to the image-receiving material by heat development treatment. Next, the image-receiving material on which the image information has been transferred is conveyed together with the photothermographic material to a peeling section, where the photothermographic material is peeled off and carried out to the outside.

In this case, the heat-developable photosensitive material and the image-receiving material are brought into close contact with each other without any gaps at a heat-developable transfer portion under a predetermined pressing force in order to realize accurate transfer of image information. Therefore, it is expected that the peeling operation of peeling off the photothermographic material from the image-receiving material onto which image information has been transferred will be difficult.

Therefore, in the conventional image recording apparatus, the peeling section is configured as shown in FIG. 1, for example. That is, in this image recording apparatus, the image-receiving material P and the photothermographic material F are superimposed on each other with the leading edge 2 of the photothermographic material F in advance, and in this state, the materials P and F are transferred to the photothermographic transfer (not shown). The paper is transported between the conveyor rollers 6a and 6b that constitute the peeling section 4. In this case, a passage detection sensor 8 for detecting the leading edge 2 of the heat-developable photosensitive material F is disposed at the front stage of the conveyance rollers 6a and 5b, and a passage detection sensor 8 is disposed at the rear stage of the conveyance rollers 6a and 6b in the direction of arrow a and %a2. A peeling member 9 that swings is disposed.

Therefore, in the peeling section 4, when the passage detection sensor 8 detects the passage of the tip 2 of the photothermographic material F, the peeling member 9 swings in the direction of arrow a2, thereby causing the tip 2 of the photothermographic material F to pass. Press down. As a result, the image-receiving material P and the photothermographic material F are forcibly peeled off by the peeling member 9, and each is transported in a desired conveyance direction.

By the way, in this peeling section 4, when the passage detection sensor 8 does not detect the tip 2 of the photothermographic material F, the peeling member 9 is in a state deviated toward the arrow a1 side. In this case, since the peeling member 9 is located in the conveyance path of the image-receiving material P, for example, if the passage detection sensor 8 malfunctions and passage of the leading end 2 of the photothermographic material F is not detected, There is a possibility that the peeling member 9 may interfere with the image receiving material P and the photothermographic material F, causing problems such as paper jams. In addition, since this peeling section 4 uses a passage detection sensor 8 and a peeling member 9 that swings based on the detection signal from the passage detection sensor 8, the structure is complicated and expensive, and there is a risk of malfunction. The quality is also extremely high.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in order to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages, and is to separate a heat-developable photosensitive material and an image-receiving material on which image information has been transferred and superimposed on the heat-developable photosensitive material in a peeling section. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image recording device that can reliably peel off the material with an extremely simple configuration by conveying the material while being curved approximately in the carry-in direction.

[Means for Achieving the Object] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention superimposes an image receiving material on a heat-developable photosensitive material on which image information has been exposed and recorded and heats it, thereby transferring the image information to the image receiving material. In an image recording apparatus that performs transfer formation, a peeling section is provided for peeling off an image receiving material and a heat-developable photosensitive material from each other after image information has been transferred, and only one of the materials is guided to the peeling section. It is characterized by comprising a conveyance path that is curved with respect to the direction of conveyance to the peeling section.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the image-receiving material is superimposed on the photothermographic material with both side portions protruding, and the conveying path is configured such that only the both side portions are guided by a conveying belt.

Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that the deflection angle θ of the material in the conveyance path curved approximately in the carrying-in direction is set to be 0° × θ × 90°.

Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that a peeling means be inserted between the image receiving material and the photothermographic material which are separated by curving.

[Embodiment] The heat-developable photosensitive material used in the present invention basically comprises a support containing photosensitive silver halide, a binder, a dye-donating compound, and a reducing agent (the dye-donating compound may also serve as a reducing agent). ), and may further contain organic silver salts and other additives as required.

The above-mentioned heat-developable photosensitive material may be one that gives a negative image upon exposure to light, or one that gives a positive image. Methods that provide positive images include methods that use a direct positive emulsion as a silver halide emulsion (there are two types: a method that uses a nucleating agent and a method that uses light fogging), or a method that emits a diffusive dye image in a positive manner. There is a method using a dye-providing compound.

The heat-developable photosensitive material of the present invention transfers this diffusible dye to a dye-fixing element, that is, an image-receiving material. There are various methods for transferring the diffusible dye, for example, by using an aqueous solvent such as water. A method of transferring to a dye-fixing element, a method of transferring to a dye-fixing element using a high boiling point organic solvent, a method of transferring to a dye-fixing element using a water-soakable hot solvent, a method of transferring a dye to a dye-fixing element using the thermal diffusivity or sublimation property of a diffusible dye. A method of transferring to a dye-fixing element having a receptive polymer has been proposed, and the heat-developable photosensitive material of the present invention may be applied to any of these methods.

A document specifically describing the heat-developable photosensitive material and image-receiving material that can be used in the present invention is U.S. Patent No. 4.4.
No. 63.079, No. 4.474.867, No. 4.
No. 478.927, No. 4.507.380, No. 4
, No. 500.626, No. 4.483.914, No. 58-149046, No. 58-149047, No. 59-152440, No. 59-154445
No. 59-165054, No. 59-18054
No. 8, No. 59-168439, No. 59-1748
No. 32, No. 59-174833, No. 59-174
No. 834, No. 59-174835, No. 62-65
No. 038, No. 61-23245, European Patent Publication No. 2
10.660A2, 220.746A2, etc.

Next, preferred embodiments of the image recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 indicates the main body of the image recording apparatus according to this embodiment. This main body portion IO is surrounded by a casing 12, and its interior is divided by a partition wall 14 into a lower exposure chamber 16a and an upper development transfer chamber 16b.

The exposure chamber 16a is provided with an exposure section 18 and a water application section 20. In the exposure section 18, the photothermographic material F stored in a roll in a film magazine 21 is transferred to the cutter 2.
2.

The exposure unit 18 includes a drum 24 that rotates at high speed in the direction of the arrow (main scanning direction), and an exposure radar 2 that is arranged close to the side circumference of the drum 24 and moves in a direction perpendicular to the figure (sub-scanning direction).
6. Note that the exposure head 26 is equipped with a plurality of light-emitting elements that color the heat-developable photosensitive material F with cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) dyes, and these light-emitting elements Image information is recorded on the heat-developable photosensitive material F by exposure.

The water application section 20 has a dampening roller 32 to which dampening water W fed from the water supply section 28 via a pipe 30 is applied.

In this case, the heat-developable photosensitive material F transferred from the exposure section 18
After the dampening water W is applied to the exposed surface by the dampening roller 32, it is fed to the development transfer chamber 16b via the superimposing rollers 34a and 34b. Note that the exposure chamber 16a is loaded with a paper feed magazine 36 containing the image receiving material P.
The image receiving material P is transferred to the superimposing roller 3 by the paper feed roller 38.
By being fed between 4a and 34b, it overlaps with the photothermographic material F carried out from the water application section 20.

The development and transfer chamber 16b includes a heat development and transfer section 40 that performs a heat development and transfer process on the photothermographic material F and the image receiving material P that are fed in an overlapping state from the exposure chamber 16a, and a heat development and transfer section 40 that performs a heat development and transfer process on the photothermographic material F and the image receiving material P that are fed from the exposure chamber 16a in an overlapping manner. A peeling section 42 for peeling off the photothermographic material F from the image-receiving material P is provided.

In FIG. 3, the thermal development transfer section 40 includes a cylindrical heating drum 44 and an endless belt 46 that slides into contact with the heating drum 44 so as to cover approximately half of the side circumference thereof. In this case, as shown in FIG.
are placed in front of the image-receiving material P, and the image-receiving material P is overlapped with both sides fi50a, 50b being wider than the photothermographic material F, and a pair of pressure rollers 52a,
It enters between the heating drum 44 and the endless belt 46 via 52b. The heating drum 44 has a heat source 54 such as a halogen lamp disposed in its hollow part (
(see FIG. 2), the heat source 54 causes the side circumferential portion to
Heated to 0°C.

Note that the temperature of the heating drum 44 is maintained constant by being detected by a temperature sensor 56 disposed close to the side circumference thereof. The endless belt 4G is made of, for example, a steel belt with a smooth surface or a thin film belt made of nickel or the like, and is supported in tension by four rollers 58a to 58d.

Circumferential grooves 60a, 60 are provided at both ends of the side circumference of the heating drum 44.
b are formed, and endless belts 62a, 62b are stretched over these circumferential grooves 60a, 60b, respectively. Endless belts 62a and 62b are attached to side portions 50a and 50 of image-receiving material P that protrude laterally from both sides of photothermographic material F.
b, and the side portions 50a, 5
0b in cooperation with the endless belt 46. A roller 64a164b constituting the peeling section 42 engages with the endless belt 62a, 621). These rollers 6
4. a and 64b are arranged close to the roller 58d so that the conveyance path of the photothermographic material F and the image receiving material P is curved and deflected so that the deflection angle θ is from 0° to θ<90°.

Further, a peeling roller 68 pivotally supported by a support frame 66 is disposed between the rollers 64a and 64b so as to swing back and forth in the direction of the arrow as necessary. In addition, the endless bells 1-62a and 62b are equipped with a tensioning roller 70a.
, 70b are pressed toward the heating drum 44 from the outside.

On the other hand, the image-receiving material P from which the heat-developable photosensitive material F has been peeled off in the peeling section 42 is carried out to a take-out tray 72 provided on the upper surface of the casing 12 . Further, the photothermographic material F is carried out into a waste magazine 74 loaded in the casing 12. Note that between the peeling section 42 and the take-out tray 72 and between the peeling fiR 42 and the waste magazine 74, there are heat sources 76 and 78, each consisting of a halogen lamp or the like, for drying the image-receiving material P and the photothermographic material F. provided.

The image recording apparatus in this embodiment is basically constructed as described above, and its operation and effects will be explained next.

First, the heat-developable photosensitive material F stored in the film magazine 21 is delivered to the exposure section 18, and when a predetermined amount has been delivered, the rear end is cut by the cutter 22. Next, the heat-developable photosensitive material F transferred to the exposure section 18 is transferred to the drum 2.
4 and then exposed to light by a plurality of light emitting elements (not shown) mounted on the exposure head 26. In this case, the drum 24 is rotating at high speed in the direction of the arrow (main scanning direction), and as the exposure head 26 moves in the direction perpendicular to FIG. Image information is recorded two-dimensionally.

Next, the photothermographic material F on which image information has been recorded is transferred to the water application section 20 by rotating the drum 24 in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow A. The heat-developable photosensitive material F transferred to the water application section 20 comes into sliding contact with the dampening roller 32, so that the dampening water W supplied from the water supply section 28 is applied to the exposed surface, and the superposition rollers 34a and 34b are applied. Development transfer chamber i6 through
sent to b. On the other hand, the superimposing rollers 34a, 34
In b, the image receiving material P stored in the paper feed magazine 36 is fed into sheets by the paper feed roller 38. In this case, the heat-developable photosensitive material F precedes the image-receiving material P, and the image-receiving material P is configured to be wider than the photothermographic material F. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the heat-developable photosensitive material F is superimposed on the image-receiving material P between the superimposing rollers 34a and 34b with the leading end portion 48 protruding, and is sent to the development transfer chamber 16b.

The image-receiving material P and the heat-developable photosensitive material F transferred to the development transfer chamber 16b are pressed against the pressure rollers 52a and 52 in a superimposed state.
b, is uniformly pressed with a desired pressure by these pressure rollers 52a and 52b, and is supplied to the thermal development transfer section 40. Next, the superimposed photothermographic material F and image receiving material P are inserted between a heating drum l, 44 rotating at a predetermined speed in the direction of arrow B and an endless belt 46, and heated at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time by a heat source 54. By being heated and held, the image information recorded by exposure on the photothermographic material F is developed and transferred to the image receiving material P.

The image-receiving material P to which the image information has been transferred as described above is conveyed out of the heat-developable photosensitive material F together with the heat-developable photosensitive material F from the heat-developable photosensitive material F, and then separated from the heat-developable photosensitive material F in the peeling section 42. Therefore, the peeling operation between the image receiving material P and the photothermographic material F in the peeling section 42 will be explained based on FIGS. 5a to 5C.

The image receiving material P is conveyed to the peeling section 42 with both side portions 50a and 50b sandwiched between the endless belt 46 and the endless belts 52a and 62b. In this case, the endless bell) 62 a, 62 b IIIJ separation part 4
roller 58d by rollers 64a and 64b constituting
It is in sliding contact with the endless belt 46 near the image-receiving material P, and the conveying direction of the image-receiving material P is directed substantially toward the carrying-in direction and is largely deflected. That is, the deflection angle θ of the image-receiving material P in the conveyance direction in the peeling section 42 is set within the range of 0°<θ<90°. On the other hand, in the heat-developable photosensitive material F, the tip portion 4
endless belt 4 with image receiving material P
6, 62a, and 62b without being sandwiched between them.

Therefore, the heat-developable photosensitive material F is gradually peeled off from the image-receiving material P from the tip end 48 side at the peeling section 42 whose conveyance path is largely curved and deflected (see FIGS. 5a and 5b). On the other hand, a peeling roller 68 pivotally supported by a support frame 66 is disposed between rollers 64a and 64b constituting the peeling section 42, and the image receiving material P and the photothermographic material F are carried into the peeling section 42. At this time, the peeling roller 68 enters the gap between the materials P and F (see FIG. 5). In this case, a gap of sufficient width is defined between the image-receiving material P and the photothermographic material F.

Therefore, the peeling roller 68 reliably enters between the image receiving material P and the photothermographic material F.

Next, these materials P and F are passed through an endless belt 4.
6. When carried out to the peeling section 42 based on the rotating action of 62a, 62b and the heating drum 44, the peeling roller 68 presses the photothermographic material F, and the separation work of these materials P and F is reliably performed. be done. Note that if the peeling roller 68 is swung toward the photothermographic material F, the materials P and F can be separated more reliably.

The image-receiving material P from which the heat-developable photosensitive material F has been peeled off as described above is dried by a heat source 76 such as a halogen lamp, and then transported to a take-out tray 72 disposed on the upper surface of the casing 12.

Further, after the heat-developable photosensitive material F is dried by the heat source 78, it is carried out into a waste magazine 74 loaded in the casing 12.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, an image is formed in which image information is transferred and formed on the image-receiving material by superimposing and heating the photothermographic material and the image-receiving material on which the image information has been exposed and recorded. The recording apparatus is configured to carry out the image receiving material and the photothermographic material, which have been subjected to the transfer formation process of image information, with only one of them being guided and deflected in a large curve approximately in the carrying direction. In this case, one of the unrestrained materials is more preferably peeled off than the other material, which is conveyed in a large curve. Therefore, these materials are reliably separated, and the possibility of occurrence of material transportation obstacles within the apparatus is avoided. Furthermore, this device does not require a special mechanism for peeling, and therefore has a simple and inexpensive structure, and there is no risk of failure, and the material can be reliably peeled off.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.
Of course, various improvements and changes in design are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of a peeling section according to the prior art, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a thermal development transfer section and a peeling section in the image recording apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the overlapping state of the image-receiving material and the photothermographic material in the image recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a peeled state of a heat-developable photosensitive material. 10... Main body part 16a... Exposure chamber 1
6b... Development transfer chamber 18... Exposure section 20.
...Water application section 24...Drum 26...
Exposure head 40...thermal development transfer section 42...
・Peeling part 44...Heating drum 46...
・Endless belt 54...Heat source 58 a ~ 5
8 d・0-ra 62a, 62b...Endless belt 64a, 64b
... Roller 68 ... Peeling roller F ... Heat-developable photosensitive material P ... Image-receiving material patent applicant
Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. X6! ,a(b)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an image recording apparatus that transfers and forms image information onto an image-receiving material by superimposing an image-receiving material on a heat-developable photosensitive material on which image information has been exposed and recorded, and heats the image-receiving material, the image information has been transferred and formed. A peeling section for peeling off the material and the photothermographic material from each other is provided, and a conveyance path is provided that curves with respect to the direction of conveyance to the peeling section while guiding only one of the materials to the peeling section. An image recording device comprising: