JPH02259682A - Method and device for exposing image - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain sufficient exposure quantity and to accelerate exposing operation by moving plural guide members in synchronization with the revolving conveyance of a body to be printed while an original is guided to the outer periphery of the body to be printed by the plural guide members, leading light from a light source to the guide members and exposing an original picture to the body to be printed. CONSTITUTION:While the body to be printed 1 possessing a photosensitive layer is rotated, it is consecutively carried. The plural guide members 21 are moved in synchronization with the revolving conveyance of the body to be printed 1 while guiding an original to the outer periphery of the body to be printed 1 by the plural guide members 21. Simultaneously, light from the light source 14 is led to the guide members 21 to expose the original picture to the body to be printed 1. Consequently, while being moved synchronizing with the guide members 21, the body to be printed 1 is consecutively exposed in an exposure area. Thus, sufficient exposure quantity and an excellent image are obtained. In addition, exposing operation is accelerated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image exposure method and an exposure apparatus for printing using, for example, silver halide photography or electrophotography, and in particular to a cylindrical printing medium. The present invention relates to an image exposure method and an exposure apparatus that are effective when applied to silver halide photography or electrophotographic printing on the surface of.

[Conventional technology]

The present applicant has previously proposed a method of performing multicolor printing on a metal container having a photoconductive photoreceptor layer on its surface using an electrophotographic method. (Patent Application No. 62-215279, filed August 31, 1988).

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, a metal container 100 having a photoreceptor layer on its surface is supported by a container holder (not shown), and the metal container 100 is transported by a container holder feeding chain (not shown). In the electrophotographic unit 101, the photoreceptor layer is corona charged by a charging device 104 (for example, a corotron type), and an electrostatic latent image is formed by an exposure device 105 (for example, consisting of a laser oscillator, a light modulator, a mirror, etc.). is formed, toner (for example, cyan toner) is applied to the electrostatic latent image by a developing device 106 (for example, one using a dry developing method) to make the electrostatic latent image visible, and then the fixing device 1
07 (for example, an induction heating type) to heat and fix the toner image.

Similarly, the electrophotographic unit 102 fixes, for example, a magenta toner image, and the electrophotographic unit 103 fixes, for example, a yellow toner image, thereby performing multicolor printing.

Note that 108 is a cooling device, and 109 is a detector for aligning multicolor images.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above conventional multicolor printing method using electrophotography, the metal container 100 is
Each charging device 104.01, 102, 103. Exposure device 105. The conveyance is stopped at the position of the developing device 106 and the fixing device 107, and then rotated to perform various processing, and intermittent conveyance between each unit and to each device within the unit, and processing in each device. Intermittent rotation is required.

Therefore, the exposure speed to the metal container becomes slow, and complicated control means are required for intermittent conveyance and intermittent rotation operations, resulting in a problem of high cost. Conversely, if the exposure speed to the metal container is increased, a new problem arises in that a sufficient amount of exposure cannot be obtained.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image exposure method and an exposure apparatus thereof, which do not require complicated control means, can obtain a sufficient amount of exposure to a cylindrical printing medium, and can significantly improve the exposure speed.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, in the image exposure method of the present invention, a cylindrical printing material having a photoreceptor layer is continuously conveyed while rotating, and an original is placed on the outer circumferential side of this printing material. While being guided by a plurality of guide members, the guide members are moved in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the printing medium, and light from a light source is guided between the guide members to expose the image of the original onto the printing medium. It is characterized by

In addition, a cylindrical printing material that has a photoconductive photoreceptor layer and is charged to a certain potential is continuously conveyed while rotating, and a plurality of documents are guided around the outer circumference of this printing material. The guide member is moved in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the printing material, and light from a light source is guided between the guide members to expose the image of the original onto the printing material to generate electrostatic charge. Form a latent image.

The guide member consists of at least two guide rollers.

The original document may be a color-separated original document.

In order to achieve the above object, the image exposure apparatus of the present invention includes a conveying means for continuously conveying a cylindrical printing material having a photoreceptor layer while rotating it, and an outer peripheral side of the printing material. a plurality of guide members for guiding the document, a moving means for moving the guide members in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the printing medium, and a light source for illuminating the document; It is characterized in that it guides light and exposes the image of the document onto the printing medium.

Further, the printing material may have a photoconductive photoreceptor layer and be charged to a certain potential so that an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing the image to light.

Furthermore, the document may be a color-separated document.

[For production]

In the present invention having the above configuration, a cylindrical printing medium having a photoreceptor layer is continuously conveyed while being rotated, and a document is guided to the outer circumferential side of the printing medium by a plurality of guide members. By moving this guide member in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the printing medium and guiding light from a light source between the guide members to expose the image of the original onto the printing medium,
In the exposure area, the printing medium is moving synchronously with the guide member,
Exposure continues. As a result, a sufficient amount of exposure can be obtained and the exposure speed can be increased.

Furthermore, when the present invention is applied to an electrophotographic printing method, a cylindrical printing material having a photoconductive photoreceptor layer and charged to a constant potential is continuously conveyed while rotating. , while guiding the document to the outer periphery of the printing material using a plurality of guide members, moving the guide members in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the printing material, and guiding light from a light source between the guide members. An electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing the image of the document to a printing medium.

Preferably, the guide member is at least two guide rollers.

If the document is a color-separated document, a color image can be exposed.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. 1st
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing a printing line of a multicolor printing device to which an embodiment of the image exposure device according to the present invention is applied. Note that since each color is printed by passing through the same printing line installed in series, only the negative color printing line is shown. As shown in the figure, a container 1 as a printing medium having a photoconductive photoreceptor layer on the surface directly or via a conductive layer supported on a conductive container holder is rotated while being electrically grounded. and continuously conveyed to the charging device 3. Exposure device 4.
Developing device5. The fixing device 6 prints in one color (for example, cyan toner).

At that time, the rotation speed and conveyance speed of the cylindrical container 1 are set to the required ratio (rotation is carried out proportionally and synchronized with the conveyance movement amount), and processing in each device is performed appropriately, and each color is This makes positioning easy and accurate.

Note that the container 1 is a metal container made of aluminum, steel, etc., as well as aluminum foil or metal vapor deposition film.

A plastic layered with an organic conductive film, etc. on its surface.

There are containers such as glass.

Furthermore, there are plastic containers made of resin such as polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylic, alkyd, epoxy, etc., with a conductive filler such as aluminum, nickel, copper, or carbon interposed therein to make the container itself conductive.

When applied to electrophotographic printing, titanium oxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are used on the surface of these conductive layers.
Photoconductive photoreceptor layers such as selenium (Se) organic photoconductor (OPC) and amorphous silicon (a-3i) are laminated. Furthermore, when applied to silver salt photography, the surface of the conductive layer may be coated with silver halide, or may be coated with a photosensitive resin such as a diazo compound or a carbonyl compound as another example of application.

An example of the rotating conveyance means for the container 1 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, a gear 8 having an outwardly projecting protrusion 9 is attached to the outer periphery of one end of the container holder 2 which is tightly fitted into the container 1. The container holder 2 is fixed to a bearing, which can be moved horizontally on a guide device.

As shown in FIG. 3, the teeth 1 meshing with the gear 8 extend in the conveying direction of the container holder 2 over the entire multicolor printing line.
A guide rail 11 having a shape of 1a is provided. Further, each of the protrusions 9 of adjacent container holders 2 is loosely fitted into the end of the feed chain 12 of the container holder 2, and the feed chain 12 is driven in the direction of the arrow by the drive motor.

Therefore, the force of movement of the container holder 2 in the direction of the arrow due to the movement of the feed chain 12 in the direction of the arrow is converted into rotational transport of the container 1 due to the meshing of the gear 8 and the teeth 11a of the guide rail 11, and the container 1 is transported by rotation. And gear 8
The ratio between the number of teeth of the guide rail 11 and the number of teeth 11a of the guide rail 11 is set so that the container 1 is rotated in proportion to the amount of conveyance movement of the container 1. Although the container 1 is not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, it is transported while being accommodated in a light-shielding plate, which will be described later.

In FIG. 1, the charging device 3 shows a device in which a large number of scorotron-type charging devices (having a discharge electrode and a plurality of scorotron electrodes) are arranged in the conveying direction of the container 1. is charged to a certain potential. The exposure device 4 guides the document 13 toward the outer circumference of the container 1 using two guide rollers 21.21 as guide members, and moves the guide rollers 21.21 in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the container 1. Light from a lamp 14 serving as a light source is guided between guide rollers 2121, and a color-separated image of the document 13 is exposed onto the container 1 to form an electrostatic latent image.

Here, the lamp as the light source is /Xlogen lamp,
Examples include xenon lamps, krypton lamps, and metal halide lamps.

Further, the container 1 is transferred by the guide device to the developing tank of the developing device 5, and an image is formed by the developing electrode 17 which suppresses the so-called edge effect of the electrostatic latent image. Further, a cleaning liquid tank 18 is attached for cleaning the residual toner of the developer on the container 1 after the developing process.

4 and 5 show a moving means 20 for moving the guide roller 21 in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the container 1 in an embodiment of the image exposure apparatus according to the present invention. is housed in a light shielding plate 7 having a U-shaped cross section, and is conveyed in the direction of the arrow by the above-mentioned rotating conveyance means. The moving means 20 has a rectangular rotating plate 22, and this rotating plate 22 is rotated in the direction of the arrow by rotating a rotating shaft 23 of a drive motor for driving the feed chain 12 of the container holder 2. There is.

A slide shaft 25 of a roller fixture 24 equipped with a guide roller 21 is provided on each of the four sides of the rotary plate 22, and the slide shaft 25 is supported by a slide bearing 22a attached to the rotary plate 22, so that the roller fixture 24 is rotated. It is movable in the radial direction of the rotating plate 22. In each roller fixture 24, the two guide rollers 21, 21 are rotated by inserting the roller shaft 26 through a bearing 27 provided on the roller fixture 23 and fixing the vicinity of the end with a stopper 28. installed as possible.

Further, the roller fixture 24 is provided with a cam follower 29, and when the cam follower 29 reaches the exposure position as the rotary plate 22 rotates, it is guided by a cam 30 fixed to the main body and fixed to the roller from the rotary plate 22. The document 13 is fixed at both ends to the container 1 for a certain period of time by sliding the tool 24 outward.
The two guide rollers 21.21 are brought into contact with each other via the guide rollers 21,21.

On the other hand, the light shielding plates 31 and 31 are parallel to the rotational conveyance direction of the container 1.
are fixedly disposed between the transport path and the rotary plate 22 at a predetermined interval, and the light from the lamp 14 passes between the light shielding plates 31 and 31 to determine the exposure area.

In the above configuration, the cylindrical container 1 whose surface is charged to a constant potential by the charging device 3 and housed in the light shielding plate 7 is continuously transported while being rotated by the above-mentioned rotating transport means. Since the rotating plate 22 is the same as the driving source of the rotating conveyance means for the container 1, it rotates in synchronization with the rotating conveyance of the container 1. Therefore, when the container 1 reaches the exposure area between the gobo plates 31, 31, the roller fixture 24 also reaches the exposure area.

That is, in the exposure area, the cam follower 29 of the roller fixture 24 slides the roller fixture 24 outward from the rotary plate 22 guided by the cam 30, and the flexible document is placed on the outer peripheral surface of the container 1 for a certain period of time. 13 is brought into contact with and guided by two guide rollers 21.21, and these guide rollers 21.21 are moved in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the container 1.

At this time, light from the lamp 14 is guided between the guide rollers 21 and 21 to expose the image of the document 13 onto the container 1 to form an electrostatic latent image. By performing these series of operations continuously, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the container 1 one after another.

As described above, according to this embodiment, since the document 13 is continuously exposed to light while being brought into contact with the container 1 and guided by the two guide rollers 21 and 21 for a certain period of time, a sufficient amount of exposure to the container 1 can be obtained. It is possible to provide a color electrophotographic device that can obtain high quality images.

Further, according to this embodiment, since the container 1 is transported while being accommodated in the light shielding plate 7, the light from the lamp 14 outside the exposure area can be blocked by the light shielding plate 7.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible. In the above embodiment, the present invention was applied to a color electrophotographic printing method. For example, the present invention may also be applied to a silver halide photograph in which silver halide is adhered to the surface of a cylindrical container 1, or a diazo It may also be applied to those coated with a compound or a photosensitive resin such as a carbonyl compound.

Further, in the above embodiments, the printing medium of the present invention is a cylindrical container, but it is not limited to this, and other cylindrical containers may be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the rotating shaft 23 was rotated in synchronization with the conveyance of the container 1, but depending on the case, the driving source may be provided separately and the rotational speed may be changed.

In order to slide the two guide rollers 21 and 21, the slide shaft 25 is attached to the rotary plate 22 in the above embodiment, but the slide shaft 25 is not limited to this, and is attached to a conveyor to horizontally convey it and expose it. It may also be made to slide into the container 1 at times. In addition, the guide roller 21 is also
It may be a number other than one.

Furthermore, although both ends of the document 13 are fixed in the above embodiment, the belt may be run endlessly.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the image exposure method of the present invention, a cylindrical printing medium having a photoreceptor layer is continuously conveyed while rotating, and a document is guided to the outer circumferential side of the printing medium by a plurality of guide members. At the same time, this guide member is moved in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the printing material, and the light from the light source is guided between the guide members to expose the image of the original onto the printing material. In this region, the printing material continues to be exposed to light during the synchronous movement with the guide member. As a result, a sufficient amount of exposure can be obtained, a high quality image can be obtained, and the exposure speed can be increased.

Therefore, if the image exposure method of the present invention is incorporated into a multi-stage printing line for multi-color printing, it is possible to improve the multi-color printing images and significantly improve the construction speed.

Furthermore, according to the image exposure apparatus of the present invention, the plurality of guide members for guiding the original to the outer circumferential side of the printing medium are moved by the moving means in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the printing medium, which is different from the conventional example. This eliminates the need for such a complicated control means, resulting in an effect that the cost can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a printing line to which an embodiment of the image exposure apparatus according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a side view of the container shown in FIG. 1 supported on a container holder, and FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the rotational conveyance of a container, FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a moving means of an image exposure apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the configuration of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a conventional diagram. FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a multi-stage printing line for multi-color printing. 1... Container (printed material), 2... Container holder,
3... Charging device, 4... Exposure device, 5... Developing device, 6... Fixing device, 7... Light shielding plate, 8... Gear, 11... Guide rail, 12. ...Container holder feed chain. 13... Document, 14... Lamp (light source), 20... Moving means, 1... Guide roller (guiding member) 2... Rotating plate, 24... Roller fixture, 25...・Slide shaft, 9...cam follower, 0...cam,...shading plate.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cylindrical printing material having a photoreceptor layer is continuously conveyed while rotating, and a document is guided to the outer circumferential side of the printing material by a plurality of guide members. An image exposure method characterized by moving a member in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the printing material, and guiding light from a light source between the guide members to expose the image of the original onto the printing material. 2. A cylindrical printing material that has a photoconductive photoreceptor layer and is charged to a constant potential is continuously conveyed while rotating, and a plurality of documents are guided to the outer circumferential side of this printing material. The guide member is moved in synchronization with the rotational conveyance of the printing material, and light from a light source is guided between the guide members to expose the image of the original onto the printing material to generate electrostatic charge. The image exposure method according to claim 1, wherein a latent image is formed. 3. The image exposure method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide member comprises at least two guide rollers. 4. Claim 1 or 2, wherein the original is a color-separated original.
Image exposure method described. 5. A conveying means for continuously conveying a cylindrical printing material having a photoreceptor layer while rotating it, a plurality of guide members for guiding the document to the outer circumferential side of the printing material, and a plurality of guide members for guiding the document to the outer circumferential side of the printing material; a moving means for moving the printed material in synchronization with the rotational conveyance;
An image exposure apparatus comprising: a light source that illuminates the original, and guides light from the light source between the guide members to expose an image of the original onto a printing medium. 6. The image exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the printing material has a photoconductive photoreceptor layer and is charged to a constant potential, and an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing the image. 7. The image exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the guide member comprises at least two guide rollers. 8. Claim 5 or 6, wherein the original is a color-separated original.
The image exposure apparatus described.