JPH04147128A - Liquid crystal exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the exposure speed by providing a linear LCD shutter array which has a linear filter in the front and also has plural liquid crystal display devices (LCD) shutter arrayed in a scanning direction. CONSTITUTION:The liquid crystal exposure device 2 is equipped with a halogen lamp 3 as a rod-shaped light source, a reflector 3a which reflects the projection light from the lamp 3, a condenser lens 3b which collimates the projection light from the lamp 3 and the reflected light from the reflector 3a into parallel light, the LCD shutter array 4, the linear filter 5 which is installed in the front of the array 4, and a SELFOC lens 6. Then the halogen lamp 1, shutter array 4, and SELFOC lens 6 are formed in one body and move relatively to a photosensitive recording medium 20 to perform exposure by making one line scan in the order of, for example, blue, green, and red; and the shutters are arranged in plural arrays to constitute the shutter array 4. Consequently, the exposure speed is increased.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a liquid crystal exposure apparatus equipped with an LCD shutter, and more particularly to a liquid crystal exposure apparatus that can complete full-color exposure with one line scan.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, various liquid crystal display elements (LCDs) have been developed that utilize various electro-optic effects in liquid crystals to switch between light transmission and light blocking.
) shutter has been developed.

Here, among the LCD shutters, a twisted nematic (TN) type LCD shutter will be explained. This TN type LCD shutter is made up of a plurality of liquid crystal light modulation elements arranged, and in each liquid crystal light modulation element, the liquid crystal is formed by two transparent electrode substrates (outside) and two sheets having uniform linear grooves. It is sandwiched between an alignment film (inner side). When no voltage is applied between the transparent electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules assume a specific alignment state according to the force regulated by the grooves of the alignment films, but the groove directions of the two alignment films are mutually Since they are shifted by 90 degrees, the liquid crystal molecules exhibit a twisted structure in the long axis direction of the molecules, and the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules is twisted by 90 degrees between both alignment films. When the TN type liquid crystal light modulation element in this state is sandwiched between two polarizing plates whose polarization directions are perpendicular to each other, and a light beam is incident from one of the polarizing plates, the light beam becomes linearly polarized light at the first polarizing plate. While this linearly polarized light travels through the liquid crystal, the polarization direction of the linearly polarized light is rotated by 90 degrees due to the birefringence of the liquid crystal molecules and the above-described 90 degree twisted alignment structure. As a result, the polarization direction of the linearly polarized light matches the polarization direction of the other polarizing plates, and the linearly polarized light is emitted as is. However, when a voltage is applied between the transparent electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules are forcibly aligned in the direction of the electric field, so that the above-mentioned 90-degree twisted alignment structure of the liquid crystal molecules is not formed.

Therefore, the linearly polarized light incident from one polarizing plate will reach the other polarizing plate without rotation of the polarization direction, and the polarization direction of the linearly polarized light and the polarization direction of the other polarizing plate will be orthogonal at the time of output. The light is blocked.

The switching between light transmission and light blocking as described above is performed by applying a voltage between the transparent electrodes. By arranging a plurality of liquid crystal light modulation elements, a shutter with high response speed becomes possible.

Focusing on the characteristics of such LCD shutters, we
Various liquid crystal exposure devices using shutters have been developed. Normally, a liquid crystal exposure apparatus having a single row of LCD shutter arrays can only perform black and white exposure.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, when performing full color exposure, LC
It is necessary to sequentially insert three types of filters that separate red, green, and blue into single colors between the D-shutter and the photosensitive recording medium, and perform three exposures through these filters. For this reason, there are problems in that not only does this exposure take a long time, but also a positional shift occurs in the exposure of each color.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is a liquid crystal exposure method that not only allows full-color exposure to be performed by one line scan, but also enables faster exposure speed. The purpose is to provide equipment.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve this object, the liquid crystal exposure apparatus of the present invention exposes a photosensitive recording medium based on an image signal.
an LCD shutter array in which shutters are arranged in multiple rows along the length direction of the light source and predetermined rows are assigned to each of red, green, and blue; and the assigned predetermined rows are arranged in front of the LCD shutter array. The light source includes a line filter in which a portion of each color layer filter is arranged to correspond to each color, and a light collecting means for collecting light from the light source.

[Effect]

According to the present invention having the above configuration, a light source, an LCD shutter array in which a linear filter is installed in front,
The exposure can be completed by performing one line scan of exposing the light in the order of blue, green, and red, for example, while moving the light condensing means integrally with the photosensitive recording medium. LC by arranging LCD shutters in multiple rows
By configuring the D shutter array, the exposure speed can be increased.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, an example of an image recording apparatus using the liquid crystal exposure apparatus of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image recording apparatus using a liquid crystal exposure apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the image recording apparatus 1 includes a liquid crystal exposure device M2, and is configured such that a long microcapsule paper 20 as a photosensitive recording medium is conveyed through an exposure area 15 below the liquid crystal exposure device 2. ing.

The liquid crystal exposure device 2 includes a halogen lamp 3 as a rod-shaped light source, a reflector 3a that reflects the light emitted from the halogen lamp 3, and a condenser that converts the emitted light from the halogen lamp 3 and the reflected light from the reflector 3a into parallel light. It includes a lens 3b, an LCD shutter array 4, a line filter 5 installed in front of the LCD shutter array 4, and a Selfox lens 6.

The LCD shutter array 4 arranges LCD shutters made of liquid crystal light modulation elements in a plurality of rows (m examples) along the length direction of the halogen lamp 3, and divides predetermined rows into red LCD shutters, part 4R, and green LCD shutters. This is assigned to the line-shaped pixels of each color of the LCD shutter part 4G for use and the part 4B of the blue LCD shutter. That is, in the illustration, n columns are allocated to each of the red LCD shutter portion 4R, the green LCD shutter portion 4G, and the blue LCD shutter portion 4B, resulting in a total of 3n columns.

On the other hand, a line filter 5 installed integrally with the front surface of the LCD shutter array 4 is a red filter 4.
Part 5R, green filter part 5G, and blue filter part 5
B, and each filter part 5R, 5G, 5B is
Each color layer LCD shutter part 4R, 4G of the LCD shutter array 4.

It is placed at a position corresponding to 4B. That is, red LC
There is a red filter part SR on the front of the D shutter part 4R,
A line filter part 5G is located in front of the line LCD shutter part 4G, and a blue filter part 5B is located in front of the blue LCD shutter part 4B.

Then, the halogen lamp 3, the reflector 3a, and the condenser lens 3b are integrally attached, and the LCD shutter array 4, which has a linear filter 5 installed on the front side, and the Selfox lens 6 are integrated, as shown in FIG. Exposure is completed by performing one line scan of exposing blue, green, and red in this order while moving it relative to the microcapsule paper 20.

In this way, when performing line scanning and exposure, the LCD corresponding to each color of red, green, and blue in the LCD shutter array 4
The pixels of the shutter portions 4R, 4G, and 4B change scrolling so as to be relatively consistent with the microcapsule paper 20, that is, in synchronization with this line scanning speed and in response to changes in the red, green, and blue filters. conduct. This exposure will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. Now, let R, ~Rn, G, ~Gn, B, ~Bn be the pixels arranged in the line scanning direction of the LCD shutter parts 4R, 4G, and 4B corresponding to each color of the LCD shutter array 4.
For example, for pixels R1 to Rn, as shown in FIG. 3 during line scanning, the shutter is turned on and off, that is, the information of R is changed to R for the movement of one pixel, and the information of R is changed to Rn1. controlled so that it is moved to As a result, the exposure time for one line becomes n-migration for each of red, green, and blue, and the exposure for red, green, and blue can be completed with one feed.

The microcapsule paper 20 is made by coating a plurality of microcapsules on the surface of a long support, and the microcapsules contain a dye precursor, etc. that reacts with a color developer, which will be described later. .

The unexposed microcapsule paper 2o is wound around a cartridge shaft 22 and installed in a light-shielding cartridge 21. Also, Kono Cartridge 21
Feed rollers 23, 23 for conveying the microcapsule paper 20 are arranged on the right side of the paper.

The microcapsule paper 20, which has been exposed in the exposure area 15 below the liquid crystal exposure device 2, is placed on the developer paper 35 and placed on the pressure roller 30a.

30b for pressure development. Thereafter, the microcapsule paper 20 separated from the developer paper 35 is wound around a cartridge shaft 27 disposed within the cartridge 26.

Below the pressure rollers 30a and 30b, there are a plurality of color developing papers 3.
A cassette 37 containing cassettes 5 and 5 is installed. A half-moon roller 41 is disposed at the upper left of the cassette 37, and the rotation of the half-moon roller 41 feeds out the developer paper 35 one by one between paper feed rollers 42, 42. The fed-out color developer paper 35 passes through the feed guide 43 and connects the tip of the color developer paper 35 with the microcapsule paper 2.
The latent image is conveyed to pressure rollers 30a and 30b at a timing such that the tip of the latent image on 0 matches the position.

The color developer paper 35 has a support surface coated with a color developer, and develops color by reacting with the dye precursor encapsulated in the microcapsules of the microcapsule paper 20. No. 209, and the explanation will be omitted here.

To the right of the pressure rollers 30a and 30b, a heat fixing device 50 is installed.
A heater 51 is provided inside the heat fixing device 50, and a conveyor belt 52 for conveying the color developing paper 35 is disposed at the bottom.

Next, the operation of the image recording device 1 will be explained.

When the print start key (not shown) is pressed down, the halogen lamp 3 is turned on, and the reflected light from the reflector 3a and the emitted light from the halogen lamp 3 are collimated by the condenser lens 3b, and then sent to the LCD shutter array. 5.

In this state, the halogen lamp 3, reflector 3a, and condenser lens 3b are integrally attached, and the LCD shutter array 4 has a linear filter 5 installed in front.
and SELFOC lens 6 as one body, and while moving them relative to the microcapsule paper 20, blue, green,
A single line scan is performed in which the light is exposed in the order of red.

During this line scanning, the LCD shutter parts 4R, 4 corresponding to each color of red, green, and blue of the LCD shutter array 4 are
Scroll changes are performed so that the G and 4B pixels are relatively aligned with the microcapsule paper 20.

As a result, a color latent image is formed on the microcapsule paper 20 by one line scan.

When the exposure is completed, the microcapsule paper 20 is conveyed in the direction of the pressure rollers 30a and 30b by the driving force of the feed roller 23 and the cartridge shaft 27. On the other hand, the color developer paper 35 is fed one by one by a half-moon roller 41, and is moved by a paper feed roller 42 and a paper feed guide 43 to a pressure roller 30a.
, 30b. And microcapsule paper 2
The exposed surface of the color developer paper 35 and the color developer coated surface of the color developer paper 35 are pressed against each other by pressure rollers 30a and 30b while being superimposed so as to be in contact with each other, and the image is transferred onto the color developer paper 35.

The color developer paper 35 is further conveyed by a conveyor belt 52, while color development is promoted by a heater 51 of a heat fixing device, and is output as an image.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, in the above embodiment, the liquid crystal exposure device W2 is scanned while the microcapsule paper 20 is stopped, but the liquid crystal exposure device 2 may be fixed and the microcapsule paper 20 is moved, or the two may be reversed. Line scanning may also be performed by moving in the direction.

Further, in this embodiment, a SELFOC lens array is used as the light condensing means, but other light condensing means may be used.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the detailed description above, according to the present invention, a linear LCD shutter array having a linear filter on the front surface and a plurality of LCD shutters arranged in the scanning direction is used to perform one line scanning. The effect is that full-color exposure can be performed at high speed by scanning.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image recording apparatus using the liquid crystal exposure device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the liquid crystal exposure device, and FIG.
The figure is a diagram showing the on/off state of the shutter, showing an example of scroll control. 1... Image recording device, 2... Liquid crystal exposure device, 3...
・Halogen lamp (light source), 3a...Reflector, 3b
...Condenser lens, 4...LCD shutter array 4R...Part of the LCD shutter for red, part of the LCD shutter for 4G/line, 4B...Part of the LCD shutter for blue, 5...Line filter 5R... Part of the red filter, 5G... Line filter part, 5B... Part of the blue filter, 6... Selfoc lens array 20...
Microcapsule paper (photosensitive recording medium).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A liquid crystal exposure device that exposes a photosensitive recording medium based on an image signal, the liquid crystal exposure device including a rod-shaped light source and an LCD shutter consisting of a liquid crystal light modulation element along the length direction of the light source. an LCD shutter array arranged in multiple rows and assigned a predetermined row to each of red, green, and blue, and a filter for each color corresponding to the color of the assigned predetermined row in front of the LCD shutter array. What is claimed is: 1. A liquid crystal exposure apparatus, comprising: a line-shaped filter arranged in a plurality of sections, and a condensing means for condensing light from the light source.