JPH03126934A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a mask original plate from falling from a belt and to obtain a stable operation, even under the environment of high humidity by joining an auxiliary belt capable of moving to a belt, and nipping and carrying the mask original plate between both belts. CONSTITUTION:The mask original plate 15 is forcibly attracted to an endless belt 32 by electrostatic attracting power, and moreover, is maintained by the auxiliary belt 32a so as to be nipped from the opposite of the endless belt 32. Thus, when the dielectric constant of the mask original plate 15 is low caused by the high humidity in an atmosphere, the electrostatic attracting power with respect to the belt 32 is reduced. Even if a carriage is difficult, a stable operation is obtained without falling the mask original plate 15 from the belt 32.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is an image processing system in which a latent image is formed on a photosensitive recording medium by contact transmission exposure using a color-separated original, and the latent image is developed to reproduce the image. It relates to a recording device.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional alignment device 1 for color-separated mask originals
31 is shown in FIGS. 3(a) to (c). endless belt 32
are two belt rollers 37 that tension this belt 32.
, 37. The belt 32 is made of a transparent dielectric material.

The belt 32 is charged by the charging brush 4o, and the mask original 15 is transported while the static electricity charged on the mask original 15 is removed by an antistatic brush (not shown).
The mask original 15 is guided by the sensor tie bars 33 and is attracted to the lower surface of the belt 32 by electrostatic attraction. After conveying the mask original 15 to a predetermined exposure position by driving the belt 32, the sensor 33a reads the alignment mark printed on the mask original 15, and the alignment device 131 is driven to accurately align the mask original 15. move to position. In this state, the exposure table 52 is raised, and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is brought into close contact with the mask original 15. Next, exposure device 4
While lighting the lamp 42 of No. 1, the exposure device 41 moves in the direction of arrow A.
The light from the lamp 42 is transmitted through the filter 44, and is irradiated onto the photosensitive recording medium 50 via the mask original plate]-5 to perform exposure. When the exposure is completed, the lamp 42 is turned off and the exposure device 41 returns in the direction of arrow B. At the same time, the exposure table 52 is lowered, the belt 32 is driven, and the mask original 1.5 is ejected.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Since the mask original plate 5 is attracted to the belt 32 by electrostatic adsorption force, if the mask original plate 15 is made of a material with a high dielectric constant, the adsorption force is strong and there is no problem in conveying the mask original plate 15. do not have.

The mask original plate 5 is output from a monochrome laser printer and is usually paper. The dielectric constant of paper is greatly affected by the humidity in the atmosphere. Therefore, when the humidity in the atmosphere increases, the dielectric constant decreases (the conductivity improves), and the electrostatic attraction force to the belt 32 becomes weaker. When the electrostatic adsorption force to the belt 32 becomes weaker, the exposure table 52 rises and the photosensitive recording medium 50 and mask original plate 15 come into close contact, and then when the exposure table 52 descends, the adsorption force between the photosensitive recording medium 50 and the mask original plate 15 decreases. The problem is that the mask master 15 peels off from the belt 32 and falls onto the exposure table 52 (FIG. 3(C)). If the mask original plate 5 is peeled off from the belt 32, it cannot be conveyed by the belt 32, resulting in a paper jam between the alignment device 131 and the circulation guide 25 (FIG. 1). Furthermore, if the mask original plate 15 completely falls onto the exposure table 52, when the next mask original plate 5 is exposed, the mask original plate 15.
There is a problem in that 15 images are exposed overlappingly.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the dielectric constant of the mask original 15 is low due to high humidity in the atmosphere, and the electrostatic attraction force to the belt 32 is weakened, making transportation difficult. Even if the mask original version 15
To provide an image recording device which can operate stably without falling from a belt 32.

[Means to solve the problem]

The image recording device according to the present invention forms a latent image by bringing the mask master into close contact between the light-transmitting belt of the alignment device and the photosensitive recording medium and performing close-contact transmission exposure, and develops the latent image to form an image. In the image recording apparatus for forming a mask, a movable auxiliary belt is joined to the belt, and the mask original is held and conveyed between both belts.

Further, a mask original plate is brought into close contact between a light-transmitting belt of an alignment device and a photosensitive recording medium, a close-contact transmission exposure is performed to form a latent image, and the photosensitive recording medium is superimposed on a developer sheet. In an image recording apparatus that forms an image by pressure development, a movable auxiliary belt may be joined to the belt, and the mask original plate may be held and conveyed between both belts.

[Effect]

According to the present invention having the above configuration, the mask original is strongly attracted to the endless belt by electrostatic adsorption force, and is held by the auxiliary belt so as to sandwich the mask original from the opposite side of the endless belt. Even when the humidity in the atmosphere is high and the electrostatic adsorption force is weak, when the exposure table descends after contact exposure, the mask original will not fall, regardless of the force with which the photosensitive recording medium tries to peel off the mask original. It can be prevented.

〔Example〕

An embodiment embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the construction drawings and FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b).

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a monochrome laser printer 1 and a color image recording device 20 in a combined arrangement.

First, a monochrome laser printer is mounted on top of the color image recording device 20. A polygon scanner 2 in a laser printer 1 draws an electrostatic latent image by irradiating a charged photoreceptor 3 with laser light. The photoreceptor 3 on which the electrostatic latent image has been formed is developed by a developing device 4, and the toner image is transferred onto plain paper or an OHP sheet fed from a paper feed cassette 5, and the toner image is fixed by a fixing device 6. . Typically, the monochrome laser printer 1 records data transmitted from a host computer (not shown).

Paper output from the laser printer 1 is sent to the monochrome paper output tray 11 or paper output tray 12 if a black and white image is required at the paper path switching unit 10, but if a color image is required, the paper is sent to the paper output tray 11 or 12. After being delivered to the tray 12, it is taken into the color image recording device 20.

The distal end side of the paper ejection tray 12 is rotatable between the position shown by the solid line and the position shown by the chain line in FIG. is taken into the color image recording device 20. A set of three sheets of monochrome printed paper output from the laser printer 1 is used as mask original plates 15, (15R, 15G, 15B) of the color image recording device 2o.

Next, the configuration of the color image recording device 20 will be explained. That is, the upper part of the main body of the color image recording device 20 includes an alignment device 31 and three storage sections 26 and 2 located in parallel.
7.28 and the mask original transport device 21 are located. An original guide 25 is provided between the alignment device 31 of the mask original transport device 21 and the storage section 26°27.28, and the mask original transport device 21 is provided with a guide member 2.
2 to the output tray 12 of the monochrome laser printer 1.
The paper (mask original) output from the monochrome laser printer 1 is introduced into the mask original transport device 21 by the guide member 22. In addition, a gate 2 is located inside the mask original conveying device 2 below the guide member 22.
3 is arranged, and the mask original plate 15 is guided and conveyed by the guide member 22 through this gate 23.
are distributed to either the alignment device 31 side or the paper discharge tray 3° side. Further, the mask original 15 discharged from the alignment device 31 is again guided by the original guide 25 and distributed by the gate 23 to one of the storage sections 26°, 27, and 28. On the other hand, the mask original 15 inserted from the manual feed tray 29 is guided into the mask original transport device 21 via the storage section 26.

The alignment device 3 is constructed by processing a belt 32 made of a transparent dielectric material (for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) into an endless shape and stretching it between two rotating shafts. has been done. At least one of the two rotating shafts is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and as the shaft rotates, the belt 32 is reciprocated in the G or H direction as shown in the first drawing. The surface of the belt 32 is charged by a charging device (for example, a corotron), not shown, and is adapted to attract the mask original plate (5) by electrostatic adsorption force. Attach one end to the belt 32 at the joint 3 so that
A transparent thin film auxiliary belt 32a joined at 5 holds the mask original plate 15 from below. Further, a sensor 33a for alignment is provided near the belt 32, and reads alignment marks printed at predetermined positions on the mask original 15 to set the mask original 15 at a predetermined position. It is configured as follows.

Four exposure devices are arranged above the alignment device 31, and the exposure device 41 is movable in the left and right directions (directions A and B) along the alignment device 31. The exposure device 41 includes a linear white light source (hereinafter simply referred to as a lamp) 42 and a reflection plate 43 that reflects light from the lamp 42.
and are arranged so as to surround the lamp 42 and the reflector 43,
The color separation filter 44 includes a red filter 44R, a green filter 44G, and a blue filter 44B.

The photosensitive recording medium 50 is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-14304.
Red R is a product whose main material is a photocurable resin using a photopolymerization initiator known in Publication No. 4.

Microcapsules containing a photocurable resin that hardens when exposed to green G and blue B expansion light and cyan, magenta, and yellow dye precursors are coated on a base sheet. It is something that The photosensitive recording medium 50
is housed in the cartridge 51 so as not to be exposed to light. The photosensitive recording medium 50 pulled out from the cartridge 51 passes between the belt 32 and the exposure table 52, and then passes through a fixed roller 56, a slack remover 55, a movable guide 64,
It passes through the pressure developing device 70 and the drive roller 57 and is then wound onto the take-up roller 54 . When exposed by the exposure device 41, the exposure table 52 is raised by a cam 53, thereby bringing the mask original 15, which has been conveyed while being held by the belt 32 and the auxiliary belt 32a, into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium 50. let Further, the fixed roller 56
The exposed photosensitive recording medium 50 is held and fixed while the pressure developing device 70 performs development processing.

Further, the slack removing device 55 prevents the photosensitive recording medium 50 from sagging while the pressure developing device 70 performs the development process, and the driving roller 57 prevents the photosensitive recording medium 50 from being sagged at a constant speed. can.

The color developer sheet 60 as a transfer paper is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 58
It is constructed by applying the color developer disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 88739 onto a base paper, and is set in the cassette 61 so that the surface coated with the color developer faces downward. The developer sheets 60 are taken out one by one from the cassette 61 by a paper feed roller 62 that is intermittently driven by a drive source (not shown), and are supplied to the pressure developing device 70. Then, the color developer sheet 60 is pressed by a pair of pressure rollers 71 of the pressure developing device 70 while superimposed on the photosensitive recording medium 50 containing the exposure liquid. The formed latent image is visualized on the developer sheet 60.

The heat fixing device 80 includes a heat roller 82 having a built-in heater 81.
It is composed of an auxiliary roller 85, an endless belt 84 installed between the heat roller 82 and the auxiliary roller 85, and a presser roller 83 that is pressed against the heat roller 82 via the endless belt 84. The developer sheet 60 guided and conveyed by the movable guide 64 from the pressure developing device 70 is polished by the heat fixing device 80 and then discharged onto the paper discharge tray 63.

Next, the operation of the device configured as above will be explained.

First, a mask original plate 15R for red color is created by the monochrome laser printer 1. This mask original plate 15R is contained in microcapsules coated on the photosensitive recording medium 50.
This is a mask original plate with toner as a light-shielding image placed on other areas to harden the microcapsules containing a cyan dye precursor. At this time, the paper output tray 12 of the monochrome laser printer 1 is in the position shown by the solid line.
The mask original plate 15R is guided by a guide member 22 and guided into the mask original transport device 21 of the color image recording device 20. At this time, if it is confirmed by the sensor 33a of the alignment device 31 that there is no other mask original 15 on the alignment device 3, the mask original 15R is transported to the top of the alignment device 3 by the gate 23. Ru.

Next, the belt 32 of the alignment device 31 is connected to the charging brush 40.
The mask original plate 15R is transported while being charged with electricity and the static electricity charged on the mask original plate 15R is removed by a static eliminating brush (not shown). It is attracted by electrostatic attraction. On the other hand, the auxiliary belt 32
a is wound around a roller 34, and when the belt 32 is driven to convey the mask original 15R to a predetermined exposure position, the auxiliary belt 32a is also let out from the roller 34, and the mask original 15R is moved between the two belts 32° and 32a. It is transported in a pinched form. After transporting the mask original 15R to the appropriate exposure position, the alignment device 31 is driven by a drive source (not shown) while the sensor 33a reads the alignment mark printed on the mask original 15R, and the mask original 1
Move 5R to the correct position and align it.

Next, while the fixed roller 56 holds down the photosensitive recording medium 50, the cam 53 is rotated by a predetermined angle by a drive source (not shown), and the exposure table 52 is pushed upward. Then,
The photosensitive recording medium 50 is the mask original ↓ 5R and the auxiliary belt 32
The belt 32 of the positioning device 31 is brought into close contact with the belt 32 of the positioning device 31 while sandwiching the parts a.

When the exposure table 52 comes into close contact with the alignment device 31, the lamp 4
2 lights up, and then the exposure device 41 performs scanning exposure in the six directions of arrows in order to expose the photosensitive recording medium 50 through the mask original 15R with red light through the red filter 44R. When the exposure is completed, the lamp 42 is turned off and the exposure device 41 moves back in the direction of arrow B. After this, exposure device 4
One filter cylinder 44 is rotated by a drive source (not shown), and a green filter 44G is located directly below the lamp 42.

Here, in addition to the alignment mark, the mask original plate 15 is printed with a color-specific mark indicating the color separation mask original plate, which is read by a sensor at the same time as the alignment operation. .

In addition, the filter cylinder 44 is equipped with a sensor that detects the origin of each of the three types of filters 44R, 44G, and 44B, and the sensor that detects the origin of each of the three types of filters 44R, 44G, and 44B reads the color-coded marks and the exposure device 41.
Each filter 44R, 44G.

44B, the filter cylinder 44 is rotated so that it corresponds to each predetermined filter 44R, 144G, 44B. While the exposure device 41 moves backward, the exposure table 52 is lowered by the rotation of the cam 53, and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is separated from the alignment device 3] and the mask original 15R.

At this time, a pack tension is applied to the photosensitive recording medium 50 at the center of rotation of the roll of the photosensitive recording medium 50 in the cartridge 51, and when the exposure table 52 rises, the length corresponds to the amount of rise of the exposure table 52. is pulled out from inside the storage cartridge 5. Also, when the exposure is finished, the exposure table 52
When the photosensitive recording medium 50 is lowered, it is rewound in a direction to take up the slack of the photosensitive recording medium 50.

When the exposure by the red mask original 15R is completed and it is confirmed that the exposure table 52 is lowered, the belt 32 of the alignment device 31 moves back in the direction of arrow G, and the mask original 15R passes through the original guide part 25. After that, the storage section 2 is opened by the gate 23.
You will be guided to 6.

Next, the green mask original 15G created by the monochrome laser printer 1 passes through the guide member 22 and is then guided to the alignment device 3 by the gate 23. Then, as in the case of the mask original plate 15R, the photosensitive recording medium 50
After alignment is performed, the exposure table 52 is raised,
The photosensitive recording medium 50 and the mask original 15G are brought into close contact with the belt 32 of the alignment device 31, and then the lamp 42 is turned on and exposure to green light is performed through the green filter 44G. After the exposure is completed, the exposure table 52 is lowered, the mask original 15G is guided upward through the original guide part 25, and the gate 23 is rotated to move the mask original 15G.
G is guided to the storage section 27. As the exposure device 41 moves back to its original position, the filter cylinder 44 rotates,
A blue filter 44B is located directly below the lamp.

Similarly, the blue mask original ↑5B created by the monochrome laser printer 1 is transferred to the mask original transport device 2.
1 and aligned to a predetermined position by alignment device 3. Thereafter, the photosensitive recording medium 50 is exposed to blue light by the exposure device 4. Through the above operations, a latent image of a desired color image is recorded on the photosensitive recording medium 50.

Next, as the exposure table 52 is lowered, the fixed roller 56 is separated and the drive roller 57 is rotated, so that the photosensitive recording medium 50
Wind it up in the direction of arrow C. On the other hand, the mask original 15B is guided upward through the original guide part 25, and the gate 23 is rotated and the mask original 15B is guided to the storage part 28. At this time, the buffer 55 and the movable guide member 64 for taking up the slack of the photosensitive recording medium 50 are at the positions indicated by solid lines. Further, the pressure rollers 7e of the pressure developing device 70 are spaced apart from each other. This ensures that during the winding operation,
This prevents the microcapsules of the photosensitive recording medium 50 from being damaged or destroyed. Drive roller 57
stops when the rear end portion of the latent image on the photosensitive recording medium 50 reaches the pressure roller 71 of the pressure developing device 70.

In synchronization with the movement of the photosensitive recording medium 50, the developer sheet 60 is fed out from the cassette 61 by the paper feed roller 62, and the developer sheet 60 is placed at a position where the leading edge of the developer sheet 60 corresponds to the rear end of the photosensitive recording medium 50. Stop.

Next, by a drive device (not shown), the pressure roller 71 of the pressure development device 70 is pressed against the photosensitive recording medium 50 while rotating in the direction of the arrow, and the fixed roller 56 clamps and fixes the photosensitive recording medium 50 again. As a result, the photosensitive recording medium 50 is superimposed on the color developer sheet 60 and is sent in the direction of the arrow while being pressurized, and the uncured microcapsules on the photosensitive recording medium 50 are destroyed by the pressure and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is A color image corresponding to the latent image on the recording medium 50 is developed on the developer sheet 50.

As the pressure roller 71 of the pressure developing device 70 rotates in the direction of the arrow, the slack removing device 55 moves in the direction of the arrow E and absorbs the slack of the photosensitive recording medium 50. When the slack removing device 55 moves in the direction of arrow E, the movable guide 64 moves to the position indicated by the chain line by a mechanism not shown, and peels off the leading edge of the color developer sheet 60 from the photosensitive recording medium 50, and also removes the leading edge of the color developer sheet 60 from the photosensitive recording medium 50. Guide in the direction of device 80.

In the heat fixing device 80, the color developer sheet 60 receives thermal energy from the heater 81 via a rotating heat roller 82 and an endless belt 84, thereby promoting color development of a color image. At the same time, the binder polymer (binder resin) for fixing the color developing medium to the base paper of the color developer sheet 60 is thermally melted and has a smoothness corresponding to the smoothness of the surface of the endless belt. The surface of the color developer sheet 60 has an appropriate level of gloss. The color developer sheet 60 that has been subjected to the coloring and gloss treatment is separated by the curvature from the endless belt 84 and is discharged to the paper discharge tray 63.

Since the photosensitive recording medium 50 is clamped and fixed by the fixed rollers 56 during the above-described series of development and coloring/glossy processing, changes in the tension of the capsule sheet 50 due to the development in the subsequent process, etc. in the process before the exposure table 52 are affected. Not affected by Therefore, while the development process for one screen is being performed, the exposure process for the latent image of another color image can be performed on the exposure table 52.

Incidentally, if it is desired to obtain a plurality of color images from the same mask original ↓5, the mask original 15R that has been waiting in the storage section 26 is guided to the alignment device 31 again through the gate 23 in the mask original conveying device 21. , the same process as the exposure process for the first sheet is performed. The mask originals 15G and 15B are also guided to the alignment device 31 one after another as soon as the exposure of the previous mask original 15 is completed using the storage sections 27 and 28 and guided to the respective storage sections 27 and 28. The mask original transport device 21 can thus repeatedly move the mask original 5 in and out as many times as necessary. After obtaining the required number of color images from the same mask original 15, the gate 23 rotates and guides each mask original 15 in the mask original transport device 21 to the paper discharge tray 30.

Furthermore, in the event that the next combination of mask originals 15 enters from the monochrome laser printer 1 while a series of color images is being exposed, the gate 23 will transfer these mask originals to the paper output tray 30. invite.

Further, the mask original conveying device 21 is equipped with a manual feed tray 29 for manually taking in the mask original 15 created by other means as described above. However, if there is already another mask original in the mask original transport device 21, a manual feed gate 24 is provided to prevent manual feeding.

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) show detailed views of the alignment device 31 in this embodiment. When the mask original 15 is guided to the mask original transport device 21, the belt 32 moves forward in the direction of arrow H in accordance with this. The auxiliary belt 32a is wound around a roller 34, and is fed out in the driving direction of the belt 32 to form a joint 35 with the belt 32. The mask original plate 5 is conveyed to the appropriate exposure position while being held between the upper and lower sides by two belts 32 and 32a (see Fig. 2).
b)). When accurate alignment is performed at this position and exposure is completed, the belt 32 moves back in the direction of arrow G. At this time,
The auxiliary belt 32a is also rewound around the roller 34. Since the auxiliary belt 32a is sandwiched between the mask original plate 15 and the photosensitive recording medium 50 for close exposure, there is a risk of image blurring.
It has been found that there is no significant effect when the belt thickness is 25 μm or less. Further, this auxiliary belt 32a only needs to have translucency, and does not need to be completely transparent.

Furthermore, the auxiliary belt 32a is attached to the edge of the mask original 5 (
For example, the light transmitting part may be hollowed out so as to support only the front and rear ends.
A non-transparent material can also be used for 2a.

Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the detailed description above, according to the present invention, stable operation is possible without the mask original falling off the belt even in a high humidity environment.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 2(a) and 2(b) show an embodiment embodying the present invention. Figure (a),
3(b) is a diagram showing the operation of the alignment device according to the present invention, and FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c) are diagrams showing the operation of the conventional alignment device. 15.15R, 1,5G, 15B...mask original plate, 3
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Alignment device, 32... Belt, 32a... Auxiliary belt, 50... Photosensitive recording medium, 60... Color developer sorting.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A mask original plate is brought into close contact between a light-transmitting belt of an alignment device and a photosensitive recording medium to perform close-contact transmission exposure to form a latent image, and this is developed to form an image. An image recording apparatus for forming images, characterized in that a movable auxiliary belt is joined to the belt, and the mask original is held and conveyed between both belts. 2. Bringing the mask original plate into close contact between the translucent belt of the alignment device and the photosensitive recording medium, performing close contact transmission exposure to form a latent image, and superimposing the photosensitive recording medium on the developer sheet. In an image recording device that forms an image by pressure development,
An image recording apparatus characterized in that a movable auxiliary belt is joined to the belt, and the mask original is held and conveyed between both belts.