JPH03168631A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the background of a picture white even if the spectral transmission factors of sheets used for an original plate are different from each other by detecting a transmitted spectral light quantity of the white part of the mask original plate, and controlling exposure for the original plate based on the light quantity. CONSTITUTION:First, for example, the red mask original plate 15 is carried to an aligning device 31. Aligning is carried out while aligning marks M1 and M2 of the original plate 15 are read by sensors 34a-34c. A light quantity sensor 36 is irradiated with light from a lamp 42 via a red filter 44R and the original plate 15, and transmitted light quantity is detected. A microcomputer compares the light quantity with data on red light quantity and determines the scanning speed. Then, a photosensitive recording medium 50 is exposed at the speed to form a latent image, and the original plate 15 is guided to a housing tray 26. For the green and blue original plates 15 in that order, the same detection is carried out to determine the scanning speed and the medium 50 is exposed.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that exposes a photosensitive recording medium using a mask original. [Prior Art] Conventionally, as a method for recording a color image on a color-compatible photosensitive recording medium, red (R), green (G), . A mask master plate for each color separation of blue (B) (hereinafter referred to as a mask master plate) is produced, overlapped with a photosensitive recording medium, and light from a light source is irradiated onto the photosensitive recording medium, thereby making the photosensitive recording medium correspond to the mask image. It is known that the microcapsules on the surface are exposed to light and hardened to record a color image. When irradiating light from a light source, red light,
The exposure light amount of green light and blue light is either a preset exposure light amount or an exposure light amount that is set according to the user's preference.

Issue 8 to be Solved by the Invention However, when setting the exposure light amount for each color of red light, green light, and blue light, if the paper quality of the mask original plate has a flat spectral transmittance (constant for each color), The settings assume white paper, so if a mask original with a non-white background is used and the background (other than the image) is exposed, the background (other than the image) will not become white and the image will have a good color cast. There was a problem in that it was not possible to obtain Furthermore, in order to correct this, it is necessary to make several trial prints and adjust the exposure light amount for each color, which poses a problem in that time and paper are wasted. The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and even if the spectral transmittance of the paper used as a mask original plate is not constant for each color, the background will always be white and good. The object of the present invention is to provide an image recording device that is capable of obtaining images of high quality. [Means for Solving the Problem] In order to achieve this object, the present invention overlaps a mask original on a photosensitive recording medium and irradiates light from a light source from above, thereby forming a mask image on the photosensitive recording medium. In an image recording apparatus adapted to expose the photosensitive recording medium to light, an exposure means for exposing the photosensitive recording medium to color separation light; a detection means for detecting the amount of spectral irradiation by the exposure means that has passed through the mask original; υJg! that controls the spectral irradiation amount based on the detected spectral irradiation amount. J means. [Function] According to the image recording apparatus of the present invention having the above configuration, the amount of transmitted light of each color of red light, green light, and blue light transmitted through the mask original by color separation exposure of the exposure means is detected by the detection means. . Then, the control means controls so that the exposure light amount of each color is determined based on the spectral transmittance of each color. [Example] Hereinafter, examples 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 an image recording device 20 in a combined arrangement. First, the monochrome laser printer 1 is an image recording device 20.
is loaded on top of the. 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 output tray 11 or 12 if a black and white image is required in the paper path switching section 10, and is sent to the paper output tray 12 if a color image is required. Thereafter, the image is taken into the 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 image recording device 20, and the three sheets of monochrome printed paper output from the laser printer 1 form a set and are used as the mask master plate 15 of the image recording device 20.
(15R, 15G.15B). Next, the configuration of the image recording device 20 will be explained. That is, in the second part of the main body of the image recording device 20, there is located a mask original conveying device 21 in which an alignment device 31, a circulation guide 25, and two storage trays 26 and 27 located in parallel are connected in an annular manner. There is. The positioning device 31 of the mask original transport device 21 and the storage trays 26 and 27 are connected to the paper discharge tray 12 of the monochrome laser printer 1 via a guide member 22, so that the paper output from the monochrome laser printer 1 is The paper (mask original) is introduced into the mask original transport device 21. A gate 23 is disposed in the mask original conveying device 21, and this gate 23 allows the mask original 15, which has been guided and conveyed by the guide member 22, to be placed on the alignment device 31 side or on the discharge tray 30 side. Can be sorted. In addition, two storage trays 26 with a circulation guide 25,
A gate 28 is disposed between the gate 27 and the mask original plate 15 guided by the circulation guide 25 and transported by the gate 28 to either the upper storage tray 26 side or the lower storage tray 27 side. Can be sorted. On the other hand, the mask original l5 loaded from the manual feed tray 29 is guided into the mask original conveying device II 21 via the gate 24. The alignment device 31 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. There is. At least one of the two shafts is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and as the shaft rotates, the belt 32 is driven to circulate in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. The belt 3
The surface of 2 is a charging device (not shown) (for example, a corotron).
The mask original plate 15 is charged by electrostatic adsorption force to attract the mask original plate 15. In addition, the belt 3
2, a sensor par 3 is mounted with a sensor 34 for alignment, a mask original identification sensor 35, and a sensor 36 for detecting the amount of spectral transmitted light of the mask original 15.
3 is provided. The mask original plate 15 is aligned by reading the alignment mark printed at a predetermined position on the mask original plate 15.
is set in a predetermined position, and is configured to be able to identify which color separation plate the mask original is. Further, the amount of spectral transmitted light of each color of red light, green light, and blue light of the mask original 15 can be detected. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the sensor par 33, the mask original 15, and the exposure device 41. In the non-image area 15a of the mask original plate 15, there are a mark M1 for detecting only the position in the X direction in FIG. 2, a mark M2 for detecting the position in the X direction and the y direction, and a mark M3 for plate identification. Mark M
4 is printed. On the other hand, on the sensor par 33, X-direction position detection sensors 34a, 34b, Y-direction position detection sensors 34c, and plate identification sensors 35a, 35b are provided at positions generally corresponding to each mark on the mask original. Each sensor is a pre-reflection type sensor using a combination of an LED and a photodiode, for example, and is of a type that detects by utilizing the difference in reflectance between each mark on the mask original 15 and the underlying layer. Furthermore, a sensor (hereinafter referred to as a light amount sensor) 36 is provided on the sensor par 33 to detect the amount of spectral transmitted light of each color of red light, green light, and blue light of the mask original 15. The light amount sensor 36 is a light receiving sensor made of, for example, a photodiode. 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 is arranged so as to surround a linear white light source (hereinafter simply referred to as a lamp) 42, a reflection plate 43 that reflects the lamp 42 and the reflection plate 43 from the lamp 42,
It consists of a color separation filter 44 consisting of a red filter 44R, a green filter 44G, and a blue filter 44B. FIG. 3 shows a more detailed configuration of the exposure device 41 and a configuration related to switching of the filter 44. The exposure device 41 has linear white light [42], a reflection plate 43 for reflecting and condensing the light source light in one direction, and independent openings that roughly divide the circumference into three, and each Red, green, and blue color separation filters 44 are provided at the opening.
R. A cylindrical crusher 46 having 44G and 44B, and a frame 46
It supports and is rotatable together with the gear 4 on the outer periphery of one end.
7d of cylindrical support 47a. 47b and support body 4
Both frames 45a and 45b rotatably support the frames 7a and 47b. Frame 45a. 45
b are connected to each other by a tie plate (not shown),
An exposure device 41 is integrated, and the entire exposure device 41 is moved back and forth in the direction of arrow AB by a drive source (not shown) to expose a required area of the photosensitive recording medium. The support body 47a incorporates a one-way clutch (not shown), and rotates in the direction of the arrow H only when the gear portion 47d of the support body 47a engages with the fixed rack 48 and moves back in the direction of the arrow B. The color separation filter 44 at the aperture is switched. Further, a mark 47c for detecting the origin of the filter position is provided on the support body 47d, and a filter origin detection sensor 49 is provided at a position facing the mark 47c. By memorizing the number of switching shots performed to detect the filter origin, it is possible to constantly identify the filter in the optical path. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-143044.
The main material is a photocurable resin using a photopolymerization initiator known in the publication, and the photocurable resin is cured by light of each wavelength of red, green, and blue, and cyan, magenta, and yellow. Microcapsules containing each of the 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 passes between the belt 32 and the exposure table 52, and then passes through a fixed roller 56, a slack remover 55,
Movable guide 64, pressure developing device 70 and drive roller 57
The film is then taken up by a take-up roller 54. The exposure table 52
When exposed by the exposure device i141, the cam 53
As a result, the mask original 15 conveyed by the belt 32 and the photosensitive recording medium 50 are brought into close contact with each other. Further, the fixed roller 56 is connected to the pressure developing device 7.
While the development process is being performed at 0, the exposed photosensitive recording medium 50 is held and fixed. Furthermore, the slack removing device 55
During development processing in the pressure development device 70, the photosensitive recording medium 50 is prevented from sagging, and the drive roller 57 is
The photosensitive recording medium 50 can be fed at a constant speed. The color developer sheet 60 is constructed by applying a color developer disclosed in, for example, JP-A-58-88739 onto a base paper, and the color developer sheet 60 is placed in the cassette 61 with the developer coated side facing downward. It is set as follows. 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.
, auxiliary roller 85, its heat roller 82 and auxiliary roller 85
The pressure developing device 1i! is composed of an endless belt 84 installed between them and a presser roller 83 pressed against the heat roller 82 via the endless belt 84. The color developer sheet 60 guided and conveyed by the movable guide 64 from 70 is polished by the heat fixing device 80 and then discharged onto the paper discharge tray 63 . The operation of the device configured as described above will be explained next. First, let us assume that the monochrome laser printer 1 has now produced a red mask original plate 15R. This mask original plate 15R is a mask in which a toner, which is a light-shielding image, is placed on other parts in order to harden the microcapsules containing a cyan dye precursor in the microcapsules coated on the photosensitive recording medium 50. This is the original version. At this time, the monochrome laser printer 1
is at the position indicated by the solid line, and the mask original 15R is guided into the mask original transport device 21 of the image recording device 20 guided by the guide member 22. At this time, if the sensor of the alignment device 31 confirms that there is no other mask original 15 in the alignment device 31, the mask original 15R is conveyed to the alignment device 31 by the gate 23. Next, the alignment device 31 adsorbs the mask original 15R to the belt 32 using electrostatic adsorption force and conveys it to the appropriate exposure position, and then aligns the alignment mark M1 and mark M2 printed on the mask original 15R with the sensor pattern. Sensors 34 a , 3 4 b v 3 4 c provided on 33
While reading, the entire alignment device 31 is moved in the X direction and the Y direction in FIG. 2 by a drive source (not shown), thereby adjusting the position to an accurate position. Before and after the alignment operation, the sensors 35a and 35b on the sensor par 33 read the presence or absence of the plate identification marks M3 and M4 on the mask original 15, and the controller determines what version the mask original 15 is. is detected. If the filter 44 of the exposure device 41 does not correspond to the mask original 15R, the exposure device 41 reciprocates and switches the filter 44 until the appropriate filter 44R is located in the optical path directly below the lamp 42. Next, the fixed roller 56 presses down the photosensitive recording medium 50,
A driver 53 rotates by a predetermined angle by a drive source (not shown) and pushes the exposure table 52 upward, so that the photosensitive recording medium 50 tightly contacts the belt 32 of the alignment device 31 while sandwiching the mask original 15R. do. When the exposure table 52 comes into close contact with the alignment device 31, the lamp 4
2 lights up, red light is irradiated to the light amount sensor 36 via the mask original 15R through the red filter 44R, and the amount of transmitted red light through the mask original 15R is detected. FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the hardware configuration of a portion related to light amount control. As shown in the figure, the control section is
PU9? , ROM 91, and RAM 92, and this microcomputer compares the output of the light amount sensor 36 with preset red light amount data D■. If the red transmitted light amount NR detected here matches the preset red light amount data DR, the scanning speed of the scanning motor 93 of the lamp 42 is set to a predetermined standard speed. On the other hand, when the detection light ffi NR is lower than the setting data DR, the scanning speed of the lamp scanning motor 93 is set to be slower than the standard speed by a certain amount. On the other hand, when the detected light amount NI1 is higher than the setting data DR, the scanning speed of the lamp scanning motor 93 is set to be faster than the standard speed by a certain amount. In this manner, the scanning speed of the lamp scanning motor 93 is determined, and the amount of exposure light of the red light is determined. In order to expose the photosensitive recording medium 50 with the exposure light amount determined here, the exposure device 41 performs scanning exposure in the eight directions of the arrows. When the exposure is completed, the lamp 42 is turned off and the exposure device 4 is turned off.
1 moves back in the direction of arrow B, and on the way, the filter 44 and the gear 47d of the support 47a mesh with the rack 48, so that the frame 46 and the supports 47a, 47b rotate in the direction of the arrow H, and the ramp 42 rotates. A green filter 44G is located in the optical path directly below. 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, 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 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 32 of the alignment device 31 rotates, and the mask original 15R is moved to the circulation guide section 25.
After passing through, it is guided to the storage tray 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 15R, alignment with respect to the photosensitive recording medium 50 is performed. Next, the exposure table 52 rises, the photosensitive recording medium 50 and the mask original 15G come into close contact with the belt 32 of the alignment device 31, and then the lamp 42 turns on and the green filter 44G
The green light is applied to the light amount sensor 36 via the mask original 15G, and the amount of green light transmitted through the mask original 15G is detected. At this time, in the same manner as in the case of the mask original plate 15R, the preset green light amount data D. The detected green transmitted light Q N c is compared in magnitude, and the scanning speed of the lamp scanning motor 93 is determined. Then, exposure with green light is performed. After the exposure is completed, the exposure table 52 is positioned below, the mask original 15G is guided upward through the circulation guide section 25, the gate 28 is rotated, and the mask original 15G is guided to the storage tray 27. As the exposure device 41 moves back to its original position, the filter cylinder 44 rotates, and the blue filter 44B is positioned directly below the lamp. Similarly, the blue mask original plate 15B produced by the monochrome laser printer is transferred to the mask original plate conveying device 2.
1 and aligned to a predetermined position by an alignment device 31. Thereafter, the scanning speed of the lamp scanning motor 93 is similarly determined based on the output of the light amount sensor 36, and 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 shown 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 color developer sheet 60 is sent out from the cassette 61 by a paper feed roller 62, and the leading edge of the color developer sheet corresponds to the rear end of the photosensitive recording medium 50. Stop at. 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 overlapped with the color developer sheet 60 and is sent in the direction of arrow D 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 medium 50 is developed on developer sheet 60 . As the pressure roller 71 of the pressure and development 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 the arrow E, the movable guide 64 moves to the position indicated by the branch 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 removes the heat. It is guided in the direction of the fixing 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 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 smoothness of the surface of the endless belt, so that the surface of the color developer sheet 60 has an appropriate level of smoothness. Get shine. The color developer sheet 60 that has been subjected to the coloring and gloss treatment is separated by curvature from the endless belt 84 and is discharged to a paper discharge tray 63 to guide each mask original 15 to the paper discharge tray 30. In this embodiment, the scanning speed of the lamp scanning motor was determined by detecting the amount of spectral irradiation light transmitted through the mask original, but the scanning speed of the lamp 42 was set constant.
It goes without saying that there is no problem in making arrangements to vary the amount of light.

【Effect of the invention】

As is clear from the detailed description above, according to the present invention, the spectral transmitted light amount of each color of red light, green light, and blue light of the white background portion of the mask original is detected by the light amount sensor, and the spectral transmitted light amount of each color is detected. Since the exposure light amount for each color is controlled based on the mask original, a good image can be obtained without being overlaid with background even when the paper used as the mask original has different spectral transmittance. Furthermore, since an exposure lamp is used as the detection means, it is only necessary to add a light receiving sensor, resulting in low cost.Also, since it is an exposure lamp, color balance can be maintained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 show embodiments embodying the present invention. FIG. 1 is a basic configuration diagram of a single image recording device to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a mask original and a sensor. A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the server and the exposure device, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the filter switching operation of the exposure device, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing the hardware configuration of the part related to exposure light amount control. It is a diagram. In the figure, 15 is a mask original, 36 is a light amount sensor, 41 is an exposure device, 42 is a lamp, 50 is a photosensitive recording medium, 90 is C
PU, 93 is a lamp scanning motor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An image recording device in which a mask original is superimposed on a photosensitive recording medium, and light from a light source is irradiated from above, thereby exposing the photosensitive recording medium to light corresponding to the mask image. an exposure means for color-separating exposure of the photosensitive recording medium; a detection means for detecting the amount of spectral irradiation by the exposure means that has passed through the mask original; An image recording device comprising: a control means for controlling the amount of irradiation light.