JPH0290159A - Heater for image recording material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the structure of the heater for recording material, to eliminate the need for highly accurate adjustment, and to pinch and carry an image recording material securely without damaging a belt by winding the belt onto one end at the constant speed and with the constant tension when the image recording material is carried, and winding the belt onto the other end when the image recording material is not carried. CONSTITUTION:When the image recording material is carried, a winding means 60 winds the belt 36 onto the one end at the constant speed and with the constant tension; when the image recording material is not carried, a winding means 62 winds the belt 36 onto the other end. Even when the meandering is caused in the belt at the time of pinching and carrying the image recording material, that condition is eliminated at the time of subsequent carrying; therefore, this eliminates such defects that the edge in the width direction is damaged because of the large meandering or the belt or carrying speed changes because of the intermittant increase and decrease in belt driving force. Also, this eliminates the need for the accurate formation in shapes and dimensions of the belt and the need for the accurate adjustment for the relative position and dimensions of the rotational shaft of each winding roller.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a photosensitive t-shirt on which an image is exposed as an image recording material.
The present invention relates to an image recording material heating apparatus for thermally developing a photosensitive material and transferring an image to the image receiving material by overlapping the T material and the image receiving material and heating them in this state.

[Prior art] A photosensitive material and an image-receiving material are used as image recording materials, and the photosensitive material on which the image has been exposed is overlapped with the image-receiving material, and by heating in this state, the photosensitive material is thermally developed and the image is transferred to the image-receiving material. 2. Description of the Related Art Image recording material heating devices for obtaining images by transferring are known.

Some image recording material heating devices of this type are equipped with a heating drum and an endless pressure belt.

In this case, the endless pressure belt is wound around a plurality of rollers, and its outer side is pressed against the outer periphery of the heating drum. After the photosensitive t-material to which the image has been exposed is superimposed on the image-receiving material, it is supplied between the heating drum and this endless press-contact belt and wound around the outer periphery of the heating drum.

Each material is sandwiched and conveyed for a predetermined period of time in an overlapping state between a heating drum heated to about 90°C and an endless pressure belt, whereby the photosensitive material is thermally developed and exposed to light. The image is then transferred to an image-receiving material.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, an endless pressure belt that is wrapped around a plurality of rollers and pressed against the outer periphery of a heating drum has problems such as misalignment or misalignment of the belt when it rotates with the heating drum. Offset occurs. In particular, as described above, the endless pressure belt has a wide shape to sandwich the photosensitive material and the image receiving material, so that the tendency for this shift and deviation is remarkable.

If the deviation or deviation of this belt is too large, when the photosensitive material and the image-receiving material are superimposed and conveyed while being sandwiched, overlay defects may occur, resulting in uneven development and transfer, and good images may not be obtained. be.

In this case, in order to completely eliminate misalignment and deviation in the wrapping of the endless pressure belt, the shape and dimensions of the endless pressure belt must be formed with high precision, and the relative positions of the rotation axes of the rollers and heating drum must be It is necessary to accurately adjust the dimensions (alignment), position and tension of the endless pressure belt. However, such a method requires high precision, which inevitably leads to high costs, and there are problems in that the device lacks stability when used for a long period of time.

In addition, in a configuration in which a flange is simply formed at the end of the roller around which the endless pressure belt is wound, and this forcibly prevents the winding of the belt from shifting or shifting, the widthwise end of the belt is 7. Interfering with lunge and causing damage,
There are drawbacks such as intermittent increases and decreases in belt driving force, resulting in uneven conveyance speed. Furthermore, in this case, there is a possibility that the wrapped belt may cross over the flange and eventually become unable to be conveyed.

In consideration of the above facts, the present invention has a simple structure, eliminates the need for highly accurate adjustment, and securely conveys the image recording material by sandwiching it with a belt without damaging the belt. The object is to obtain an image recording material heating device capable of heating an image recording material.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The image recording material heating device according to the present invention is an image recording material heating device that heats the image recording material while being held and conveyed between a heating drum and a belt or a pair of belts, and includes:
Both ends of the belt are connected to each other, and when the image recording material is conveyed, the belt is wound to one end at a constant speed and with a constant tension, and when the image recording material is not conveyed, the belt is wound to the other end. It is equipped with a winding means for winding.

Further, the winding means may wind the image recording material by reducing the tension of the belt when the image recording material is not being transported, compared to when the image recording material is being transported.

[Function] In the image recording material heating device according to claim (1), the belt is wound around the winding means.

When conveying the image recording material, the belt is wound to one end at a constant speed and under constant tension by a winding means, and at this time, the image recording material is conveyed while being held by the belt. A heat treatment is performed during this clamping and conveyance.

When the image recording material is not being conveyed (that is, when the heating treatment is completed), the belt is wound up to the other end by the winding means.

In this way, each time the image recording material is nipped and generally fed (i.e., heated), for example, every time one or several sheets of the image recording material are conveyed, the winding means winds the image recording material back to its original position (the other end). Therefore, even if the belt meanders while conveying the image recording material, this will have already been resolved the next time the image recording material is conveyed, and the belt will meander significantly (
There are no disadvantages such as damage to the widthwise ends (due to cumulative meandering), uneven conveyance speed due to intermittent increase or decrease in belt driving force, and no failure to convey. .

In addition, it is not necessary to accurately form the shape and dimensions of the belt, or to precisely adjust the relative position (alignment) of the rotation axis of the roller for each winding. In other words, high precision is not required. , it is possible to reduce costs and improve stability when using the device for a long period of time.

Further, in the image recording material heating device according to claim (2),
When the belt is wound back to its original position (the other end) by the winding means, no unnecessary load is applied to the belt.
It can be rewound smoothly.

[Example] The present invention will be explained in detail below.

FIG. 2 shows an image recording apparatus 10 to which an image recording material heating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

The image recording device 10 has a magazine 14 housed in the machine base 12.
A heat-developable photosensitive material 16 in the form of a ferrode is housed therein.

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

After exposure, the photothermographic material 16 is transferred by rotating the rotating drum 20 in reverse (
In the direction of arrow B), the rotating drum 20 is removed by the scraper 24.
After being peeled off from the film and being coated with water as an image forming solvent in a water application section 26, it is sent to a thermal development transfer section 28, which serves as an image recording material heating device.

The thermal development transfer section 28 includes a heating drum 34 and a pressure belt 3.
6 is placed. A halogen lamp 38 is arranged inside the heating drum 34, so that the outer peripheral surface of the heating drum 34 is heated to about 90°C.

As shown in FIG. 1, each end of the pressure belt 36 is connected to a support bin 63 by a winding roller 60, 62 constituting a winding means.
They are connected by , and each can be wound up. Further, the intermediate portion of the pressure belt 36 is wound around rollers 37 and 39, and the lower side thereof is pressed against the upper outer periphery of the heating drum 34. The heat-developable photosensitive material 16 is connected between the pressure belt 36 and the heating drum 34.
It is designed to hold and convey.

The take-up rollers 60, 62 are each coupled to a motor 64, 66. Therefore, the winding rollers 60 and 62 are rotated by the drive of each motor, and as the winding roller 60 rotates, the pressure belt 36 is wound in the direction of arrow C in FIG. Accordingly, the pressure belt 36 is wound in the direction of the arrow in FIG.

The motor 64 is a DC motor for controlling the speed of the pressure belt 36, and rotates the winding roller 60 so that the pressure belt 36 is wound at a constant moving speed.

On the other hand, the motor 66 is a DC motor for controlling the tension of the pressure belt 36.
The motor applies a predetermined load to the pressure belt 36 when the pressure belt 36 is wound at a constant moving speed by the winding roller 60, and maintains the tension constant regardless of the movement of the pressure belt 36. It has become. In this embodiment, this tension is 2 to 4 kg.

Furthermore, when the motor 66 is driven and the winding roller 62 rotates to wind up the pressure belt 36 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. is designed so that no large tension is applied (in this example, less than 500 g).

The length of the pressure belt 36 is based on the required length (the path length from the winding roller 60 to the winding roller 62, the path length from the winding roller 37 to the winding roller 39, and the length of the winding path from the winding roller 37 to the winding roller 39). It is slightly longer than the sum of the respective lengths), and can accommodate slight deviations when holding the photothermographic material 16.

The pressure belt 36 is wound around the outer periphery of the heating drum 34 by the roller 3.
A rubber overlapping roller 50 is disposed near the portion where the heating drum 9 is wound, in contact with the outer periphery of the heating drum 34 .

The heat-developable photosensitive material 16 coated with water in the water coating section 26 is
The sheet is supplied between the heating drum 34 and the pressure belt 36 by the overlapping roller 50, and is conveyed while being held over approximately 2/3 of the circumference of the heating drums 1 and 34.

On the other hand, a tray 30 disposed below the thermal development transfer section 28
Inside are a plurality of image receiving materials 3 cut to a predetermined length.
2 is accommodated. This image receiving material 32 is placed on a tray 30
The sheets are sequentially taken out one by one by a supply roller 44 arranged on the side of the sheet. Image receiving material 3 taken out
2 is supplied between the heating drum 34 and the overlapping roller 50 of the thermal development transfer section 28 .

The image receiving material 32 guided to the overlapping roller 50 is overlapped with the photothermographic material 16 and is supplied between the heating drum 34 and the pressure belt 36 in the overlapping state.

When the heat-developable photosensitive material 16 is heated in a state in which it is overlapped with the image-receiving material 32 in the heat-developable transfer section 28, it is thermally developed and the image is transferred to the image-receiving material 32, thereby obtaining an image on the image-receiving material 32. It looks like this.

A peeling means 48 is arranged on the side of the heat development transfer section 28, and separates the heat development photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32 sent out from the heat development transfer section 28 and sends them out. The separated heat-developable photosensitive material 1G is sent to a waste photosensitive material storage box 59, while the image-receiving material 32 is dried in a drying device 52 and then placed on a take-out tray 54 formed at the top of the machine stand 12. It is designed to be sent to

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

When the photothermographic material 16 pulled out from the magazine 14 is cut by the cutter 18 and wound around the outer periphery of the rotating drum 20, the rotating drum 20 rotates at high speed and an image is exposed by the exposure head 22.

After exposure, the photothermographic material 16 is peeled off by a scraper 24, coated with water at a water coating section 26, and sent to an overlapping roller 50 disposed in a thermal development transfer section 28.

On the other hand, the image receiving material 32 in the tray 30 is taken out one by one by the supply roller 44, and further, the image receiving material 32 is taken out one by one by the supply roller 44, and
It is sent to the overlapping roller 50 of.

Here, the motor 64 is driven and the winding roller 60 is rotated, and the motor 66 is also activated, whereby the pressure belt 36 is wound in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 1 at a constant moving speed and while maintaining a constant tension. It starts to be taken.

The image receiving material 32 sent to the overlapping roller 50 is
The heat-developable photosensitive material 16 is overlapped and brought into close contact with the heating drum 34 and the pressure belt 36 while the overlapping state remains.
(The winding is only partially wrapped around the roller 39) and is then wound around the outer periphery of the heating drum 34.

Photothermographic material 1 wrapped around the outer periphery of heating drum 34
6 and the image-receiving material 32 are placed in close contact between the heating drum 34 and the pressure belt 36, which are heated to approximately 90° C. by the halogen lamp 38.
/ The image recorded on the photothermographic material 16 is transferred to the image-receiving material 32 while being pinched and conveyed over three rounds to be thermally developed.

After the transfer, the heat-developable photosensitive material 16 and the image-receiving material #J32 are separated by the peeling means 48, the heat-developable photo-sensitive material 16 is sent to the waste photo-sensitive material storage box 59, and the image-receiving material 32 passes through the drying device 52 and is transferred to the take-out tray 54. taken out.

When the thermal development transfer process is completed (while the photothermographic material 16 is not being conveyed), the motor 66 is activated, the winding roller 62 rotates, and the pressure belt 36 is wound at high speed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. In this case, since the motor 64 is designed to rotate freely, no tension is applied to the pressure belt 36, and the take-up roller 62 rotates smoothly.

In this way, the photothermographic material 16 and the image-receiving material 32 are nipped and conveyed (
In other words, each time the thermal development transfer process is completed, the pressure belt 3 is moved by the winding roller 62 (motor 66).
6 is rewound to its original position, so that the photothermographic material 16
Even if the pressure belt 36 meanders when conveying the image-receiving material 32 in a pinched manner, this meandering will have already been resolved by the time of the next conveyance, and the pressure belt 36 will meander significantly (the amount of meandering will accumulate). There is no such thing.

Therefore, when the heat-developable photosensitive material 16 and the image-receiving material 32 are overlapped and conveyed while being sandwiched, there is no possibility of overlay failure and development transfer unevenness, and a good image can be obtained.

In addition, since the pressure belt 36 only moves by being wound around each winding roller and does not meander significantly, it is possible that the ends in the width direction may be damaged or that the belt driving force may intermittently increase or decrease, causing the conveyance speed to increase or decrease. There are no disadvantages such as non-uniformity, and there is no possibility that transport becomes impossible.

Furthermore, it is not necessary to accurately form the shape and dimensions of the pressure belt 36, or to precisely adjust the relative position dimensions (alignment) of the rollers and the rotating shaft of the heating drum 340 for each winding, in other words, it is highly accurate. Since this is not required, it is possible to reduce costs and improve stability when using the device for a long period of time.

Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 3 shows a thermal development transfer section 80 as an image recording material heating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

The heating drum 34 is omitted in the thermal development transfer section 80, and a pair of pressure belts 82 and 84 are used.

The pressure belt 82 is connected to take-up rollers 86A and 88A as in the first embodiment, and its intermediate portion is wound around rollers 90A and 92A. The winding rollers 86A and 88Δ are driven by motors 94A and 96, respectively.
A is rotated to wind up the pressure belt 82.

On the other hand, the pressure belt 84 is connected to take-up rollers 86B, 88B like the pressure belt 82, and its intermediate portion is wound around rollers 90B, 92B. The winding rollers 86B and 188B are each driven by a motor 94.
B, 96B to rotate and wind up the pressure belt 82.

The middle part of the pressure belt 82 (wrapped between the rollers 90A and 92A) and the middle part of the pressure belt 84 (wrapped between the rollers 90B and 92B) are in pressure contact with each other. The photothermographic material 16 and the image-receiving material 32 are overlapped and sandwiched and conveyed in this opposing gap.

In this case, the winding rollers 88A, 88B (motor 9
6A, 96B), the opposing winding is the roller 9.
The rollers 0A, 90B and the rollers 92A, 92B are separated from each other so that the clamping force of the pressure belts 82, 84 can be released.

Heaters (not shown) are disposed outside the intermediate portion of the pressure belt 82 and the intermediate portion of the pressure belt 84, respectively.
Heat-developable photosensitive material 1 being conveyed while being sandwiched between opposing gaps between each belt
6 and the image receiving material 32 are heated, thereby performing a thermal development transfer process.

Also in this embodiment, the winding rollers 86A, 86B (
- times of photothermographic material 1 by motors 94A, 94B)
6 and the image receiving material 32 (that is, the thermal development transfer process), each time the winding rollers 88A, 88
B (motor 96A196B) press-contact belt 82.
84 are rewound to their original positions, so even if the pressure belt meandering occurs when the photothermographic material 16 and the image receiving material 32 are being conveyed while being sandwiched, the meandering will have already been resolved the next time they are conveyed. This pressure belt 8
2.84 does not meander significantly (the amount of meandering is accumulated).

Therefore, when the heat-developable photosensitive material 16 and the image-receiving material 32 are overlapped and conveyed while being sandwiched, there is no possibility of overlay failure and development transfer unevenness, and a good image can be obtained.

Furthermore, each pressure belt is not damaged or becomes unable to be conveyed, and furthermore, costs can be reduced and the stability of the apparatus when used for a long period of time is improved.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the image recording material heating device according to the present invention has the following effects.

The image recording material heating device according to claim (1) has a simple structure, eliminates the need for highly accurate adjustment, and ensures reliable image production without damaging the belt when heating the image recording material while holding it between the belts. The recording material can be held and conveyed.

In the image recording material heating device according to claim (2), when the belt is rewinded to the original position (the other end), the belt can be unwound smoothly without any unnecessary load being applied to the belt, and the processing can be performed smoothly. Time can be shortened.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a thermal development transfer section according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 21! I is a schematic configuration diagram of an image recording apparatus to which an image recording material heating device is applied, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a thermal development transfer section according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Image recording device, 28... Thermal development transfer part, 34... Heating drum, 36... Endless pressure contact belt, 37.39...60.62...64.66...86A, 868 88A, 88B 9OA, 90B 92A, 92B 94A, 94B 96A, 96B - Winding is done by roller, - Winding roller, - Motor, ... Winding roller, ... Winding roller, ... Winding is done by roller. , . . . Roller for winding, . . Motor, . . . Motor.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In an image recording material heating device that heats an image recording material while being held and conveyed between a heating drum and a belt or a pair of belts, both ends of the belt are connected to each other, and the belt is kept constant during conveyance of the image recording material. An apparatus for heating an image recording material, characterized in that it is provided with a winding means for winding the belt to one end at a constant tension at a speed of 1, and winding the belt to the other end when the image recording material is not being conveyed. (2) The image recording material heating device according to claim 1, wherein the winding means winds up the belt by reducing the tension of the belt when the image recording material is not being transported, compared to when the image recording material is being transported.