JPH04257465A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent quality of an output image from decreasing and to achieve effective use of microcapsule paper by a method wherein an exposure control means is provided so that an unexposed part die to a wiring pattern part of a liquid crystal shutter is not generated. CONSTITUTION:A pair of halogen lamps 5a, 5b and a pair of liquid crystal shutters 15a, 15b are provided at positions wherein they are opposed to each other by putting microcapsule paper 3 of which a base material is formed by a transparent component between them. Then, a picture element part 19 of one side liquid crystal shutter 15a or 15b and a wiring pattern part 21 of the other side liquid crystal shutter are so arranged as to face each other. After exposing the microcapsule paper 3 once from both sides herein, the microbial paper 3 is moved by one picture element content, and are microcapsule paper 3 is exposed again from both sides.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus using a liquid crystal shutter.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus using a liquid crystal shutter, light from a light source is separated into monochromatic colors of red, green, or blue by an optical lens and an input image. There has been an apparatus in which light is transmitted through a liquid crystal shutter having a pixel portion displaying an image according to a signal, and the transmitted light is imaged on a photosensitive recording medium for exposure.

However, in the above-mentioned device, the liquid crystal shutter requires a wiring pattern section for inputting image signals to its pixel section, and since the wiring pattern section does not transmit light, it cannot be used with photosensitive recording media. In the above method, only the wiring pattern portion is not exposed, resulting in a problem that the contrast and image quality of the image recorded on the photosensitive recording medium deteriorate. Therefore, in order to solve such problems, image forming apparatuses have been proposed that employ the methods described below.

That is, an independent drive source is provided so that the photosensitive recording medium can also be moved in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. After the photosensitive recording medium is exposed once, the photosensitive recording medium is moved in the transport direction and a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and exposed again. Then, the wiring pattern parts that were not exposed in the first exposure can be exposed.
It is possible to record images on photosensitive recording media without reducing contrast or image quality.

[0005]

However, in the above image forming apparatus, in addition to the drive source for moving the photosensitive recording medium in the transport direction, there is also a drive source for moving the photosensitive recording medium in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. There was a problem in that the moving mechanism for moving the photosensitive recording medium became complicated.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and does not create an unexposed area on the photosensitive recording medium due to the non-pixel area of the liquid crystal shutter, and makes it possible to prevent any part of the photosensitive recording medium from becoming complicated. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can uniformly expose light without using a moving mechanism and can effectively use a photosensitive recording medium without deteriorating image quality or contrast.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a photosensitive recording medium that can be exposed from both sides by forming a support from a transparent member, a first light source, and a plurality of light sources. a first exposure means constituted by a first liquid crystal shutter having pixels of , a second light source and a second liquid crystal shutter having a plurality of pixels, and a second liquid crystal shutter having a second light source and a plurality of pixels; a second exposure means provided opposite to the first exposure means and arranged such that a pixel portion of the second liquid crystal shutter corresponds to a non-pixel portion of the first liquid crystal shutter; After the photosensitive recording medium is exposed from both sides by the first and second exposure means, at least one of the photosensitive recording medium or the first and second exposure means is moved by a predetermined amount, and then the first and second exposure means are exposed again. and an exposure control means for exposing the photosensitive recording medium from both sides by means of a second exposure means.

[0008]

[Operation] In the image forming apparatus of the present invention having the above structure, the support of the photosensitive recording medium is formed of a transparent member. The first exposure means includes a first light source and a first liquid crystal shutter having a plurality of pixels. The second exposure means is composed of a second light source and a second liquid crystal shutter having a plurality of pixels, and is provided opposite to the first exposure means with the photosensitive recording medium in between, A pixel portion of the second liquid crystal shutter is arranged to face a non-pixel portion of the first liquid crystal shutter. The exposure control means moves at least one of the photosensitive recording medium or the first and second exposure means by a predetermined amount after the first and second exposure means expose the photosensitive recording medium from both sides. Then, the photosensitive recording medium is exposed again from both sides by the first and second exposure means.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An example of a printer using an image forming apparatus embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, in a printer 2 using an image forming device 1, the image forming device 1 has a light source at a position opposite to a long length of microcapsule paper 3 as a photosensitive recording medium. as a halogen lamp 5a, 5
It is equipped with b. On the optical path from the halogen lamp 5a to the microcapsule paper 3, there is a condenser lens 7a that condenses the light from the halogen lamp 5a onto the microcapsule paper 3, and an infrared ray from the light transmitted through the condenser lens 7a. A filter unit 13a includes an infrared cut filter 9a that removes the infrared cut filter 9a, and filters 11R, 11G, and 11B that separate the light transmitted through the infrared cut filter 9a into monochromatic colors of red, green, and blue, and the input image. A liquid crystal shutter 15a having a plurality of pixels for displaying an image according to a signal is arranged.

Further, on the optical path from the halogen lamp 5b to the microcapsule paper 3, a condenser lens 7b, an infrared cut filter 9b, a filter unit 13b, and a liquid crystal shutter 15b are arranged as described above. .

[0012] The liquid crystal shutters 15a and 15b receive an image signal for red (R), an image signal for green (G), and an image signal for blue (B).
It is controlled by a controller 17 according to the image signal. Further, the filters 11R, 11G, and 11B are driven by a filter drive device (not shown), and the liquid crystal shutter 15
A filter of a color corresponding to the image signal controlling the signals a and 15b is inserted into the optical path.

Note that, as shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the liquid crystal shutters 15a and 15b have their pixel portions 19a,
The width W of the wiring pattern portion 19b is equal to the width H of the wiring pattern portions 21a and 21b, and the pixel portion 19b of the liquid crystal shutter 15b is
is arranged at a position corresponding to the wiring pattern portion 21a of the liquid crystal shutter 15a.

The support of the microcapsule paper 3 is formed of a long transparent member, and a plurality of microcapsules (not shown) are coated on the surface of the support. The microcapsules contain a dye precursor that reacts with a color developer, which will be described later. The unexposed microcapsule paper 3 is wound around a cartridge shaft 23 and installed in a light-shielding cartridge 25. Further, on the right side of this cartridge 25, a pair of feed rollers 27 for conveying the microcapsule paper 3 is arranged.

To the right of this feed roller 27, the image forming device 1 having the above-described structure is installed, and further to the right of the feed roller 27, there is a microcapsule paper on which a latent image has been formed by exposure with the image forming device 1. A pair of pressure rollers 29 are provided for carrying out pressurized development in a state in which color developer paper 35 and color developer paper 35, which will be described later, are superimposed. Below this pressure roller 29, there is a cartridge 31 for accommodating the microcapsule paper 3 separated from the developer paper 35, and a cartridge disposed within the cartridge 31 for winding up the microcapsule paper 3. A shaft 33 is provided. Further, above the pressure roller 29, a cassette 37 containing a plurality of color developing papers 35 in a stacked state is installed. That cassette 37
A half-moon roller 39 is disposed on the upper left side of the screen, and the rotation of this half-moon roller 39 feeds out the developing paper 35 one by one to the paper feed roller 41. The fed-out developer paper 35 is conveyed to the pressure roller 29 via a paper feed guide 43 at a timing such that the leading edge of the developer paper 35 and the leading edge of the latent image on the microcapsule paper 3 coincide.

Further, a heat fixing device 45 is disposed on the right side of the pressure roller 29, a heater 47 is provided inside this heat fixing device 45, and a heater 47 is provided at the bottom for conveying the color developing paper 35. A conveyor belt 49 is provided.

By the way, the color developer paper 35 has a color developer coated on the surface of its support, and the microcapsule paper 35 has a color developer coated on the surface of its support.
The color is developed by reacting with the dye precursor encapsulated in the microcapsules of
, No. 209, and the explanation thereof will be omitted here.

Next, the image forming apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described.
The operation of the printer 2 using the printer 2 will be explained with reference to FIG.

First, when a print start signal is input from a host computer (not shown), the halogen lamps 5a, 5b are turned on, and the light from the halogen lamps 5a, 5b passes through the condensing lenses 7a, 7b and the infrared cut filter 9.
a, 9b, is converted into red light by a red filter 11R inserted on the optical path by a filter driving device (not shown), and enters liquid crystal shutters 15a, 15b. The liquid crystal shutters 15a and 15b are controlled by a controller 17 according to a red (R) image signal. Then, the light transmitted through the liquid crystal shutters 15a and 15b is irradiated onto the exposure range 3a on the microcapsule paper 3 from both sides, and the red exposure is completed. Next, similarly, the green light transmitted through the green filter 11G inserted on the optical path is transmitted to the liquid crystal shutter 1 controlled by the controller 17 according to the green (G) image signal.
5a and 15b, and irradiates the exposure range 3a on the microcapsule paper 3 from both sides, thereby performing green exposure. Similarly, the blue light transmitted through the blue filter 11B inserted on the optical path is transmitted to the liquid crystal shutters 15a and 15b controlled by the controller 17 according to the blue (B) image signal.
The light passes through and irradiates the exposure range 3a on the microcapsule paper 3 from both sides, thereby performing blue exposure. At this time, on the microcapsule paper 3, as shown in FIG. 3, exposed portions 3b and non-exposed portions 3c occur alternately.

Here, after moving the microcapsule paper 3 by one pixel of the liquid crystal shutters 15a and 15b in the transport direction of the microcapsule paper 3 by a roller driving means (not shown), red exposure, green exposure, Perform blue exposure. In this second exposure, as shown in FIG.
Since the microcapsule paper 3 is exposed to light, there is no unexposed portion on the microcapsule paper 3, and the image quality does not deteriorate compared to the original image, and the microcapsule paper 3 can be used effectively. In order to form a latent image on the microcapsule paper 3 by two exposures, an image corresponding to the input image signal is displayed on the two liquid crystal shutters 15a and 15b by the first exposure and the second exposure. Image signals are input to liquid crystal shutters 15a and 15b so as to be divided and displayed.

When the second exposure is completed, the feed roller 27 and the cartridge shaft 33 are driven by a roller driving means (not shown), and the microcapsule paper 3 is moved to the pressure roller 2.
It is transported in 9 directions. On the other hand, the color developer paper 35 is
9 feeds the sheets one by one, and conveys them to the pressure roller 29 by the sheet feeding roller 41 and sheet feeding guide 43. Then, the exposure range 3a of the microcapsule paper 3 and the color developer coated surface of the color developer paper 35 are pressed against each other by the pressure roller 29 in a state where they are in contact with each other, and the latent image on the microcapsule paper 3 is transferred to the color developer paper 35. It is transferred to 35. The color developing paper 35 is further conveyed by a conveyor belt 49, and color development is promoted by a heater 47 of a heat fixing device 45, and output as an image.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

For example, instead of moving the microcapsule paper 3 by one pixel between the first exposure and the second exposure, the liquid crystal shutters 15a and 15b may be moved by one pixel. Also, after exposing the microcapsule paper 3 to light of a certain color, the microcapsule paper 3 is moved by one pixel and exposed for the second time with the same color, and then the microcapsule paper 3 is moved back by one pixel. , a method of exposing to light of the following colors may be used.

[0024]

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above explanation, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, no unexposed area is created on the photosensitive recording medium due to the non-pixel area of the liquid crystal shutter. To provide an image forming device capable of uniformly exposing even a portion, effectively using a photosensitive recording medium without deteriorating image quality or contrast, and having a simple configuration without using a complicated moving mechanism. It has the advantage of being able to

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a printer using an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

2A and 2B are top views showing the configuration of a pixel portion and a wiring pattern portion of a liquid crystal shutter used in the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the pixel portion of the liquid crystal shutter, the wiring pattern portion, and the microcapsule paper after the first exposure in a printer using the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the pixel portion of the liquid crystal shutter, the wiring pattern portion, and the microcapsule paper after second exposure in a printer using the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Image forming device 3. Microcapsule paper 5a Halogen lamp 5b Halogen lamp 15a Liquid crystal shutter 15b LCD shutter 19 Pixel section 21 Wiring pattern section 27 Feed roller

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A photosensitive recording medium that can be exposed from both sides by forming a support from a transparent member; a first light source;
A first exposure means consisting of a first liquid crystal shutter having a plurality of pixels, a second light source, and a second liquid crystal shutter having a plurality of pixels, and sandwiching the photosensitive recording medium. a second exposure means provided opposite to the first exposure means, and arranged such that a pixel portion of the second liquid crystal shutter corresponds to a non-pixel portion of the first liquid crystal shutter; After the photosensitive recording medium is exposed from both sides by the first and second exposure means, at least one of the photosensitive recording medium or the first and second exposure means is moved by a predetermined amount, and the first and second exposure means are exposed again. and an exposure control means for exposing the photosensitive recording medium from both sides by a second exposure means.