JPH03142424A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow a mask plate to be adhered with a photosensitive paper excellently by providing an air suction means which acts by interlocking with the action of an exposing table and a valve for opening/closing the passage of air connected between the suction means and the exposing table on the way of the passage. CONSTITUTION:First, the mask plate 15R for a red color is formed by a monochroic laser printer 1. In the printer 1, a paper ejecting tray 12 is at a position shown by a continuous line and the plate 15R is guided in the mask plate conveying device 21 of a color image recorder 20 by a guiding member 22. When the sensor of an aligning device 31 confirms that the other mask plate is not present on the device 31, the plate 15R is conveyed to the device 31 by a gate 23. Next, a photosensitive recording medium 50 is pressed by a fixed roller 56 and a cam 53 is rotated by a specified angle, then the exposing table 52 is pushed upward. The medium 50 is pressed to a belt 31a while the negative 15R is interposed by the medium 50. At this time, the cylinder 103 of the air suction device 104 ascends, the pressure in the cylinder 103 gets negative and the valve 106 closes the passage of a pipe 105. After finishing the ascending of the cylinder, the valve 106 opens the passage so that the air between the exposing table 52 and the belt 31a may be sucked to allow the mask plate to be adhered with the photosensitive recording medium excellently.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an image recording device, and more particularly to an image recording device using a mask original plate on which a light-shielding image is formed based on image information. It is.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, this type of image recording apparatus includes a positioning device that aligns a mask master to a predetermined position, an exposure table that brings the mask master into close contact with photosensitive paper after alignment, and an exposure table that connects the mask master to a predetermined position. It was comprised of a driving means that moves the positioning device toward the positioning device when the positioning device should be in close contact with the positioning device, and moves it away from the positioning device in other cases.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, even if the exposure table is pressed against the alignment device, the close contact is not sufficient due to the deflection of the adhesion auxiliary plate in the alignment device and the deflection of the exposure table. .

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and by ensuring that the exposure stage is brought into close contact with the alignment device, the adhesion between the mask original plate and the photosensitive paper is improved, and a good image is obtained. The purpose is to

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the image recording apparatus of the present invention includes an air suction means that operates in conjunction with the operation of the exposure table, and an air flow that connects the suction means and the exposure table. It has a channel and a valve provided in the middle to open and close the channel.

[Function] In the image recording apparatus of the present invention having the above configuration, air is sucked between the exposure table and the positioning device while the photosensitive paper is pressed against the aligned mask original, and the mask original and the photosensitive paper are brought into close contact. make it good.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

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 1 is mounted on top of a color image recording device. 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 fixed by a fixing device 6. Typically, the monochrome laser printer 1 records data transmitted from a host computer.

The output from the laser printer 1 is sent to the paper bus switching unit 10, and if a black and white image is required, the output is sent to the monochrome paper output tray 11.
Alternatively, if a color image is required, the sheet is sent to the paper ejection tray 12 and then taken into the color image recording device 20.

The distal end side of the paper output tray 12 is rotatable between the position shown by the solid line and the position shown by the chain line in FIG. The paper 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 a mask original 15 (15R, 15G, 15B) of the color image recording device 20.

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, a circulation guide 25, and two parallel guides.
A mask original transport device 21 is located in which storage sections 26 and 27 are connected in an annular manner.

The positioning device 31 of the mask original transport device 21 and the storage portions 26 and 27 are connected to the discharge tray 12 of the monochrome laser printer 1 via the guide member 22, so that the output tray 12 of the monochrome laser printer 1 A sheet of paper (mask original) is introduced into the mask original transport device 21 . Further, a gate 23 is arranged in the mask original conveying device 21 below the guide member 22, and the mask original 15 that has been guided and conveyed by the guide member 22 is placed on the alignment 31 side or ejected by this gate 23. paper tray 3
It is sorted to the 0 side. Further, a gate 28 is arranged between the circulation guide 25 and the two storage sections 26 and 27, and the mask original 15 that has been guided and conveyed by the circulation guide 25 is placed in the upper storage section by this gate 28. The storage section 26 side or the lower storage section 27 side can be sorted. 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 gate 24.

The alignment device 31 is constructed by processing a belt 31a made of a transparent dielectric material (for example, polyethylene terephthalate: PET) into an endless shape and stretching it between two rotating shafts. There is. At least one of the two shafts is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and as the shaft rotates, the belt 31a is driven to circulate in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. The surface of the belt 31a is charged by a charging device (for example, a corotron), not shown, and is adapted to attract the mask original 15 by electrostatic attraction. Further, a sensor for alignment is provided near the belt 31a, and is configured to read alignment marks printed at predetermined positions on the mask original plate 15 and set the mask original plate 15 at a predetermined position. It is composed of

An exposure device 41 is arranged above the alignment device 31, and the exposure device 41 is movable in the left-right direction 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 arranged 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.
The main material is a photocurable resin using a photopolymerization initiator known in Publication No. 4, and includes a photocurable resin that cures with light of each wavelength of red, green, and blue, and cyan, magenta, Microcapsules containing yellow dye precursors are coated on a base sheet. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is housed in a cartridge 51 so as not to be exposed to light. The photosensitive recording medium 50 pulled out from the cartridge 51 is placed between the belt 31a and the exposure table 52.
After passing between the fixed roller 56 and the slack remover 5
5. The film passes through the movable guide 64, the pressure phenomenon device 70, and the drive roller 57, and is then wound onto the winding roller 54. When the exposure table 52 is exposed by the exposure device 41, the cam 5
3, thereby bringing the mask original 15 conveyed by the belt 31a into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium 50. Further, the fixed roller 56 clamps and fixes the exposed photosensitive recording medium 50 while the pressure development device 70 performs a developing process. Furthermore, a slack removing device 55
This prevents the photosensitive recording medium 50 from sagging while the development process is performed in the pressure development device 70, and also prevents the drive roller 57 from sagging.
The photosensitive recording medium 50 can be fed at a constant speed.

The developer sheet 60 is constructed by coating a base paper with a developer described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-88739, and is placed in the cassette 61 so that the developer-coated surface faces downward. It is set.

The developer sheet 60 is fed to the cassette 6 by a paper feed roller 62 that is intermittently driven by a drive source (not shown).
The sheets are taken out one by one from No. 1 and supplied to the pressure developing device 70. Then, the developer sheet 60 is pressed by a pair of pressure rollers 71 of the pressure developing device 70 in a state where it is overlapped with the exposed photosensitive recording medium 50, so that the color developer sheet 60 is pressed onto the photosensitive recording medium 50 by exposure. 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.
, the auxiliary roller 85, and the heat roller 82? It is composed of an endless belt 84 installed between 1Lnb rollers 85 and a presser roller 83 that is pressed against the heat roller 82 via the endless belt 84. The colorant sheet 60 is polished by the heat fixing device 80 and then discharged onto the paper discharge tray 63 .

Next, detailed configurations of the alignment device 31, exposure table 52, etc. will be explained with reference to FIG. 2.

The positioning device 31 includes a piston 1 on the exposure table 52 side, which is composed of a belt 31a and a contact auxiliary plate 101 inside the belt 31a.
Air suction device 1 consisting of 02 and cylinder 103
04, a vibrator 105 connecting the suction device 104 and the exposure table 52, and a valve 106 provided in the middle thereof.

The operation of the device configured as described above will be explained next.

First, a mask original plate 15R for red color is created by the monochrome laser printer 1. This mask original version 15R is
In order to harden the microcapsules containing a cyan dye precursor among the microcapsules coated on the photosensitive recording medium 50, this is a mask original plate with toner as a light-shielding image placed on other parts.

At this time, the monochrome laser printer 1
is in the position shown by the solid line, and the mask original 15R is guided by the guide member 22 to the color image recording device 20.
The original mask is guided into the mask original conveying device 21 .

At this time, other mask originals 15 are placed in the positioning device 31.
If it is confirmed by the sensor of the alignment device 31 that there is no mask original 15, the gate 23
R is transported to the alignment device 31.

Next, the alignment device 31 adsorbs the mask original 15R to the belt 31a using electrostatic adsorption force and conveys it to the appropriate exposure position, and then, while the sensor reads the alignment mark printed on the mask original 15R, Align the position to an accurate position with a non-operating drive source.

Next, the fixed roller 56 holds down the photosensitive recording medium 50, and the cam 53 is rotated by a predetermined angle by a drive source (not shown) to push the exposure table 52 upward, so that the photosensitive recording medium 50 sandwiches the mask original 15R. It is pressed against the belt 31a of the positioning device 31 while being inserted. At this time, the cylinder 103 of the air suction device 104 rises together with the exposure table 52, and the cylinder 103 and piston 102
The sealed volume is expanded and the inside of the cylinder 103 becomes negative pressure.
Close the channel consisting of exposure table 5, and open the channel after completion of the rise.
2 and the belt 31a of the positioning device 31 to ensure good close contact.

When the exposure table 52 comes into close contact with the alignment device 31, the lamp 42 is turned on, and the exposure device 41 is activated to expose the photosensitive recording medium 50 with red light through the red filter 44R and the mask original 15R. Scanning exposure is performed in the direction of arrow A. When the exposure is completed, the lamp 42 is turned off and the exposure device 41 moves back in the direction of arrow B. In this situation, exposure device 41
The 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 which color the mask original plate is a color separation mask original plate, and 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 deduction points of each of the three types of filters 44R, 44G, and 44B.
4G.

44B do not correspond, the filter cylinder 44 rotates to select each predetermined filter 44R, 44G, 44B.
It is designed to correspond to 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 31 and the mask original 15R.

At this time, 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 is raised, the length corresponds to the amount of rise of the exposure table 52. is the storage cartridge 51
drawn out from within. 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 the lowering of the exposure table 52 is confirmed, the belt 31a of the alignment device 31 rotates, and the mask original 15R is moved to the circulation guide section 2.
After passing through 5, the user is guided to a storage section 26 by a gate 28.

Next, after the green mask original 15G created by the monochrome laser printer 1 passes through the guide member 22,
The gate 23 guides the alignment device 31 .

Then, as in the case of the mask original plate 15R, after alignment is performed with respect to the photosensitive recording medium 50, the photosensitive table 52 is raised, and the photosensitive recording medium 50 and the mask original plate 15G are aligned with the belt 31 of the alignment device 31. ．． After that, 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
As the mask original 15G descends, the mask original 15G moves to the circulation guide section 2.
5, the gate 28 rotates, and the mask original 15G is guided into the storage section 27.

As the exposure device 41 moves back to its original position, the filter cylinder 44 rotates to position the blue filter 44B directly below the lamp.

Similarly, the blue mask original plate 15B created by the monochrome laser printer is transferred to the mask original conveying device 2.
1 and aligned to a predetermined position by an alignment device 31. Thereafter, the exposure device 41 exposes the photosensitive recording medium 50 to blue light.

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. At this time, the photosensitive recording medium 5
The buffer 55 and the movable guide member 64 for taking up the slack are located at the positions indicated by solid lines. In addition, the pressure developing device 7
The pressure rollers 71 of No. 0 are spaced apart from each other. Therefore, during the winding operation, the microcapsules of the photosensitive recording medium 50 are not damaged or destroyed. The 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, a developer sheet 60 is sent out from the cassette 61 by a paper feed roller 62, and is stopped at a position where the front end of the developer sheet corresponds to the rear end of the photosensitive recording medium 50. do.

Next, by a drive device (not shown), the pressure roller 71 of the pressure developing device 70 is pressed against the photosensitive recording medium 50 while rotating in the direction of the arrow, and the fixed roller 56 again clamps and fixes the photosensitive recording medium 50 . 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 the rotating heat roller 82 and the endless belt 84, thereby promoting color development of the color image. At the same time, the color developer sheet 60
The binder polymer (binder resin) for fixing to the base paper of the color developer sheet 60 is thermally melted and has a smoothness corresponding to the surface smoothness of the endless belt, so that the surface of the color developer sheet 60 has an appropriate gloss. obtain.

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., are avoided in the process before the exposure table 52. Not affected. 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.

In addition, when it is desired to obtain a plurality of color images from the same mask original 15, 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 one after another to the alignment device 31 using the storage sections 26 and 27 as soon as the exposure of the previous mask original 15 is completed. The mask original transport device 21 can thus repeatedly circulate the mask original 15 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 transfers these mask originals to the output tray 30. I will guide you to.

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 transport device in the mask original transport device 21, a manual feed gate 24 is provided to prevent manual feeding.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the detailed description above, according to the present invention, the exposure stage is pressed against the alignment device, the mask original plate and the photosensitive paper are brought into close contact with each other, and the air between them is sucked, thereby forming a mask. The original plate and the photosensitive paper can be brought into even better contact. In addition, image quality can be improved thereby.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 2 show embodiments embodying the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the entire image recording device, and FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the alignment device and exposure stage. It is. In the figure, 15 is a mask original, 20 is an image recording device, 31 is a positioning device, 52 is an exposure table, 104 is a suction means, 1
05 is a flow path, and 106 is a valve.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A mask original created based on image information, a positioning device that aligns the mask original to a predetermined position, and an exposure table that brings the mask original into close contact with photosensitive paper; An image recording apparatus comprising a driving means for causing the exposure table to perform a predetermined operation, an air suction means operating in conjunction with the operation of the exposure table, and an air connecting means between the suction means and the exposure table. What is claimed is: 1. An image recording device comprising: a flow path; and a valve provided in the middle of the flow path for opening and closing the flow path.