JPH04359239A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an image recorder where there is no synchronism lag between an original and a microcapsule paper, where the unevenness of vibration of the original, the microcapsule paper, and an optical system and image blurring caused by the vibration are eliminated, and where an outputted image with good resolution is obtained. CONSTITUTION:This image forming device is provided with an exposing device 9 which exposes an image on a long roll microcapsule paper 14, which is obtained by uniformly applying a microcapsule which reacts to light and heat and is hardened, so that a latent image may be formed, and an exposing board 1 which is opposed to the exposing device 9, which at least has a size equal to or above the size of the outputted image and which is constituted to be uniform planar state. The actuation of a take-up core 17 for taking up the microcapsule paper 4 is stopped at the time of exposing the microcapsule paper 4, and the paper 4 is stopped on the exposing board 1.

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 for recording images using a photosensitive and pressure sensitive heat developing material.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventional image forming apparatuses of this type include:
It is known that a recording medium (hereinafter referred to as microcapsule paper) made by coating a photosensitive pressure-sensitive thermal development material on a long support is made into a roll, thereby making it possible to obtain multiple output images. (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 147461/1983). FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the conventional image forming apparatus 100 described above. As shown in the figure, the image forming apparatus 1
00, a document table 102 is installed on the top of a housing 101 so as to be able to slide back and forth, and a document is placed on the document table 102 facing downward. An exposure device 104 for forming a latent image of a document on the microcapsule paper 4 is provided at the bottom of the document table 102 . This exposure device 104 includes a reflecting mirror 105
It is composed of an original irradiation lamp 106 and a projection lens 107. A roll 108 wrapped with microcapsule paper 4 is attached to the side of the casing 101, and is fed out by feed rollers 109, 109 a certain length at a certain time.

[0003] A cutter unit 110 for cutting the microcapsule paper 4, an exposure support roller 111, and two nip rollers 112, 113 that are in pressure contact with this are arranged on the right side of the feed rollers 109, 109. . Nip rollers 112 and 113 are feed rollers 109
, 109 is brought into close contact with the exposure support roller 111, and the original image is exposed by the projection lens 107 between the nip rollers 112, 113. A heat developing device 114 that heats and develops the exposed microcapsule paper 4 is arranged above the exposure support roller 111, and an outlet 115 of the microcapsule paper 4 in this heat development device 114 is disposed above the exposure support roller 111.
A transfer sheet overlapping device 116 is arranged directly below.

[0004] A transfer sheet supply device 117 is arranged on the right side of the transfer sheet stacking device 116 for supplying the transfer sheet 11 to the stacking device 116 . Below the transfer sheet stacking device 116, a pressure fixing device 1 is provided.
18, and further below it is a transfer sheet peeling device 120.
is provided. The pressure fixing device 118 includes the pressure roller 1
19 and 119, the microcapsule paper 4 and the transfer sheet 11 are superimposed and sent to the transfer sheet peeling device 120 while applying a pressure of about 200 kg/cm2. The transfer sheet separation device 120 separates the transfer sheet 11 on which the image has been transferred from the microcapsule paper 4 . A heat fixing device 18 is disposed on the right side of the transfer sheet peeling device 120 to form an image on the transfer sheet 11 to which the image has been transferred. On the right side of the heat fixing device 18, there is a paper discharge tray 123 from which the transfer sheet 11 after image formation is discharged;
Feed-out rollers 122, 122 for conveying the transfer sheet 11 to the paper discharge tray 123 are disposed, and on the left side, a microcapsule paper disposal section 125 from which the microcapsule paper 4 after transfer is discharged; Delivery rollers 124, 124 for transporting the microcapsule paper 4 are provided.

Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 100 will be explained with reference to the same figure. First, in the copy preparation stage, a control device (not shown) provided in the housing 101 sets the leading end of the microcapsule paper 4 to be located near the cutting section of the cutter unit 110. continue,
When a copy start button (not shown) is pressed, the microcapsule paper 4 is unwound from the roll 108, and just before the tip reaches a position directly below the projection lens 107, the illumination lamp 106 is turned on to illuminate the original. When the leading edge of the microcapsule paper 4 reaches directly below the projection lens 107, the original platen 102 moves, and the microcapsule paper 4 also moves accordingly, and the original image is transferred to the microcapsule paper 4.
Exposure is performed by projecting onto the image. On the other hand, when the microcapsule paper 4 is fed by a distance equal to the length of the document in the moving direction, the cutter unit 110 is activated to cut the microcapsule paper 4.

Microcapsule paper 4 exposed and cut
is sent to a heating and developing device 114, where it is heated at about 120° C. and developed. On the other hand, when the copy start button is pressed in the transfer sheet supply device 117, the transfer sheet 11 is fed out in synchronization with the exposure start timing. The developed microcapsule paper 4 and transfer sheet 11 are superimposed on each other in a transfer sheet superposition device 116, and then conveyed to a pressure fixing device 118, where the transfer sheet 11 is heated at a pressure of approximately 200 kg/cm2.
The image is transferred onto the transfer sheet 11 by pressure. After the transfer, the microcapsule paper 4 is peeled off from the transfer sheet 11 by a transfer sheet peeling device 120 and sent to a microcapsule paper disposal section 125. On the other hand, transfer sheet 1
1 is sent to the heat fixing device 18, and then sent out onto the paper discharge tray 123 by sending rollers 122, 122.

In the conventional image forming apparatus 100 as described above, when scanning a document, both the document and the microcapsule paper 4 are moved and the optical system is fixed. It is also possible to use microcapsule paper 4 to automatically obtain an image on an image-receiving material (transfer sheet 11) through heat development and pressure transfer. is also considered possible. Further, as a recording medium used in this type of image forming apparatus, at least a photosensitive silver halide, a reducing agent, a polymerizable compound, and a color image forming substance are provided on a support, and at least one of these is polymerized. There is a known method using a photosensitive recording material (photosensitive and pressure sensitive heat developing material) characterized in that a compound and a color image forming substance are encapsulated in the same microcapsule (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-275742). reference).

[0008]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in this type of image forming apparatus, as a method of scanning a read original, both the original and the microcapsule paper 4 are moved and the optical system is fixed, or the original or the microcapsule paper 4 is moved. 4, the optical system is moved, so a mechanism for synchronizing the document and the microcapsule paper 4 is required. Moreover, since the microcapsule paper 4 used here has high photosensitivity, blurring or misalignment of the image is likely to occur due to slight synchronization deviations or uneven movement or vibration of the original, the microcapsule paper 4, and the optical system. , there was a problem that the resolution of the output image decreased and a clear image could not be obtained.

Furthermore, in the process of image formation, after exposing the microcapsule paper 4 for one copy, the microcapsule paper 4 is cut, and after development and transfer, the used microcapsule paper 4 is Since the capsule paper is collected in the capsule paper disposal unit 125, the same number of unnecessary cut microcapsule papers 4 as the number of output images is generated. Therefore, the user has to dispose of this unnecessary microcapsule paper 4, and moreover, it is necessary to provide a mechanism for cutting the microcapsule paper 4 in the device, which increases the cost and causes problems with the cutting mechanism. There is a problem in that maintenance is required when a problem occurs, which is time-consuming.

An object of the present invention was to solve the above-mentioned problems, and there is no synchronization difference between the original and the microcapsule paper, and moreover, the original, the microcapsule paper,
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can eliminate image blur caused by uneven movement or vibration of an optical system and can obtain an output image with good resolution. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which used microcapsule paper can be disposed of easily and inexpensively, and the cost per copy can be reduced because the microcapsule paper can be used without waste. Our goal is to provide the following.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the invention as set forth in claim 1 comprises coating a support with a photosensitive pressure-sensitive heat-developable material that is photosensitive and is developed by heating. In an image forming apparatus using an elongated roll-shaped recording medium, there is an exposure device that exposes an image on the recording medium to form a latent image, and an exposure device that faces the exposure device and that forms at least an image to be output. an exposure table having the same or larger size and configured on a uniform plane; a heat developing device that heats and develops the latent image formed on the recording medium; It is equipped with a conveyance stop means for stopping the conveyance on the exposure table. The invention according to claim 2 includes a winding means for winding up the recording medium that is continuously conveyed, and a rewinding means for rewinding the recording medium, and the heat developing means It has a heating stop means that does not heat the unexposed area.

0012

According to the structure set forth in claim 1, during exposure, the transport stop means faces the exposure device and has a size at least equal to or larger than the size of the image to be output, and is placed on a uniform plane. The conveyance of the recording medium is stopped on the exposure table configured. As a result, static exposure is performed. According to the configuration described in claim 2, the rewinding means rewinds the transported recording medium. Thereby, after the image is fixed, the unexposed portion of the recording medium can be rewound and reused.

[0013]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a first embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. This image forming apparatus is provided with an exposure table 1, which has a size at least equal to or larger than the size of the image to be outputted and is formed into a highly accurate and uniform planar shape, above the center of the apparatus. An exposure device 9 includes a CRT 2 arranged perpendicularly to the exposure table 1 and generating a required image on the screen, and a projection lens 3 located between the CRT 2 and the exposure table 1 and projecting the generated image onto the exposure table 1. is installed. A long microcapsule paper 4 is placed on the exposure table 1.
are arranged closely with their photosensitive surfaces facing the CRT 2 side. The microcapsule paper 4 is housed in the image forming apparatus as a roll 21 and is held in an unexposed state, and is sequentially sent out by feed rollers 6, 6, passing over the exposure table 1, and passing through the exposure table 1. It is held on the exposure table 1 in a tensioned state without wrinkles by the feeding rollers 6, 6 and the opposing tension rollers 7, 7.

The microcapsule paper 4 sent out after passing through the exposure table 1 is passed through a heat developing device 8. The heat developing device 8 exposes the microcapsules uniformly coated on the microcapsule paper 4 to light by an exposure device 9 composed of the CRT 2 and the projection lens 3 to form latent image nuclei in the exposed portion, and then applies thermal energy to the microcapsules. The thermal energy causes a chemical reaction between the latent image nuclei generated within the microcapsules and the reducing agent, and the microcapsules harden. Therefore, the heat developing device 8 separates the microcapsules into hardened microcapsules and soft microcapsules.

The heat developing device 8 is disposed along the conveyance path of the microcapsule paper 4, and a pressure roller 29 is provided opposite the heat roller 27 so as to sandwich the microcapsule paper 4 therebetween. Further, the microcapsule paper 4 is pressed against the heat roller 27 at a predetermined pressure so that the heat from the heat roller 27 is efficiently transferred to the microcapsule paper 4 . A heater 28 made of a halogen lamp is provided inside the heat roller 27 as a heat generating member. Further, the heat roller 27 and the pressure roller 29 are configured so that the pressure contact can be released, and the heat roller 27 is configured to be movable from a position where the microcapsule paper 4 is pressed and heated to a position where it is separated from the microcapsule paper 4. There is. The heat roller 27 can heat-process the microcapsule paper 4 at the position where it is in pressure contact, but cannot heat-process the microcapsule paper 4 at the position where it is separated. In addition, heat roller 2
7, the surface temperature is controlled to a predetermined temperature in the range of 100 to 160°C.

The microcapsule paper 4 that has passed through the heat developing device 8 is passed through a pressure fixing device 10. The pressure fixing device 10 crushes only the soft microcapsules on the exposed microcapsule paper 4 and adsorbs them onto the transfer sheet 11, thereby fixing the transfer sheet 11 as an output image. The transfer sheets 11 are loaded in a cassette 12 with the developing side facing down, are taken out one by one by a paper feeder 13, and are passed along a buffer chute 14 to a buffer roller 15.
, 15 to the pressure fixing device 10.

After the pressure fixing, the microcapsule paper 4 and the transfer sheet 11 which are in close contact with each other are curvature separated by a separating roller 16, and the separated microcapsule paper 4 is wound up by a winding core 17. The transfer sheet on which the image has been transferred and formed is conveyed to a thermal fixing device 18 . Heat fixing device 1
At step 8, the transfer sheet 11 that has achieved gloss and strong fixing of the image passes through paper ejection rollers 19, 19 and is delivered to a paper ejection tray 20.
is discharged. In the structure of this embodiment, for convenience, the roll 21 of the unexposed microcapsule paper 4 and the winding core 17 are described as independent structures, but they are integrated into a single structure, such as a cartridge. It may be treated as

[0018] When the user wants to output a desired image using the image forming apparatus, it is necessary to convert the image information into an electrical signal and output it as a still image on the CRT 2 screen. For example, although not shown, if a video deck, laser disc, color scanner, or the like is used as an input device, the CRT 2 can output images. It is also possible to use a device that can store other electrical signals.

Next, the operation of this image forming apparatus will be explained. When the user presses a copy start button (not shown), the take-up core 17 is rotated by a take-up means (not shown) that operates the take-up core 17 at the same time as or before that,
An unexposed microcapsule paper 4 is rolled onto the exposure table 1 from a roll 21. The unexposed microcapsule paper 4 is completely shielded from light until it passes through the exposure table 1 and reaches the tension rollers 7, 7, and is exposed to the exposure device 9.
It is first exposed to light and forms a latent image.

The unexposed microcapsule paper 4 is stretched with tension by the feed rollers 6, 6 and the tension rollers 7, 7 onto the exposure table 1, which has good flatness. Then, the still image projected on the CRT 2 is projected onto the microcapsule paper 4 on the exposure stage 1 through the projection lens 3, and exposed after being left for a certain period of time. At this time, exposure may be performed once with a light source that emits light of three colors of red, green, and blue, or may be exposed three times each with separate light sources of red, green, and blue, Alternatively, exposure may be performed three times in total to a white light source through red, green, and blue (yellow, magenta, and cyan) filters (not shown). Furthermore, since the size of the image formed on the exposure table 1 is determined by the relative position of the CRT 2 and the projection lens 3 with respect to the exposure table 1, By configuring it to move up and down, it is possible to obtain an output image enlarged or reduced to any size.

After the static exposure for a predetermined period of time, the microcapsule paper 4 is fed out again and passed through the heat developing device 8. At the same time, the heat roller 27 is applied to the pressure roller 29 with the microcapsule paper 4 sandwiched therebetween. Press it and move it to a position where it can be heated. The microcapsule paper 4 is conveyed toward the pressure fixing device 10 while the heat roller 2
Heat treatment is performed in step 7. Microcapsule paper 4
When the heating treatment of the exposed portion of the microcapsule paper 4 is completed, the heat roller 27 is separated from the pressure roller 29 again, and the microcapsule paper 4 is no longer heated by the heat roller 27. In this way, since the heat developing device 8 has a pressure release mechanism for the heat roller 27, the microcapsules applied to the microcapsule paper 4 are not hardened in areas other than the heated portion.

The microcapsule paper 4 that has been developed in the heat developing device 8 is conveyed to the pressure fixing device 10 . The microcapsule paper 4 passes through the heat developing device 8 and has both hardened microcapsules and soft microcapsules, and the color developing surface of the transfer sheet 11 fed through the buffer chute 14 and the developing surface of the transfer sheet 11 are mixed. By being stacked and pressurized, the soft microcapsules containing pigments and the like are crushed, and the inclusions are adsorbed by the color developer on the transfer sheet 11 to develop color and produce an output image. Microcapsule paper 4 and transfer sheet 11 are used in pressure fixing device 1
After passing through 0, the transfer sheet 11 is conveyed almost as one, and the transfer sheet 11 is separated from the microcapsule paper 4 by a separation roller 16. Microcapsule paper 4 is separated by separation roller 16
The transfer sheet 11 is wound onto the winding core 17 via the
is conveyed to the heat fixing device 18. The transfer sheet 11 is heated by a heat fixing device 18 to give its surface gloss and enhance the texture of the image. Microcapsule paper 4 and transfer sheet 11
Since the separation is performed by the curvature of the separation roller 16, the smaller the diameter of the separation roller 16, the easier the separation is performed. Note that this separation step does not have to be curvature separation; for example, it is also possible to use a peeling claw commonly used in copying machines.

After the transfer sheet 11 and the microcapsule paper 4 are separated, the microcapsule paper 4 is transferred to the unfixed area following the exposed image area, that is, from the tension rollers 7, 7 to the separation roller 16. The capsule paper 4 is rewound to the position of the exposure table 1 using a rewinding means (not shown) interlocked with the roll 21 in preparation for the next exposure. Therefore, the microcapsule paper 4
can be used without waste. The transfer sheet 11 on which a predetermined output image has been obtained is further conveyed to paper ejection rollers 19,
19, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 20. In this embodiment, the microcapsule paper 4 is sandwiched between the heat roller 27 and the pressure roller 29, but if the surface coated with the microcapsules cannot be touched during the heat treatment, the pressure roller 2
A configuration that lacks 9 is also acceptable.

Next, a second embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, the same members as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted. In order for a user to obtain an output image using this image forming apparatus, a slide film 22 is prepared. That is, this image forming apparatus includes a slide projector 23 installed horizontally.
is arranged in the upper part of the apparatus, and projects the image on the slide film 22 onto the exposure table 1 to form a latent image on the microcapsule paper 4. To explain in detail, the slide projector 23 is provided with slide films 22 stored one by one with respect to the optical axis of the projection lens 3. A light source 24 such as a halogen lamp is installed on the opposite side of the projection lens 3.
is provided, and the light is further concentrated by the reflector 25 to become a strong light source that hits the slide film 22. The projection lens 3 exposes the microcapsule paper 4 on the exposure stage 1 with strong light that passes through the slide film 22 and carries an image via a reflection mirror 26 .

Next, the operation will be explained. The user sets the slide film 22 to be output into the slide projector 23 and performs the copying process. The image on the slide film 22 is projected by a slide projector 23 via a reflection mirror 26 onto an unexposed microcapsule paper 4 sent onto the exposure table 1 and exposed to light. The process after exposure is the same as in the first embodiment described above. Further, as in the first embodiment, the output image can be enlarged or reduced by uniquely moving the positions of the slide projector 23, projection lens 3, and reflection mirror 26 in the horizontal direction. . According to this second embodiment, there is no need to convert the image to be copied into an electrical signal and expose it to light, and the desired output image can be obtained with only the slide film 22, so the apparatus is more efficient than the first embodiment. It can be simplified. Although not shown in this embodiment, a filter device (consisting of three color filters of yellow, magenta, and cyan) was installed during the exposure path to adjust the degree of color development of the microcapsules on the microcapsule paper 4. ) may be provided to arbitrarily change the hue of the output image.

The following modifications of the heat developing device 8 used in the first and second embodiments are possible. 3 to 11 show configurations of various image forming apparatuses in which the heat developing device 8 is modified. In the modification shown in FIG. 3, a heater 28 made of a ceramic cylinder containing a coiled nichrome wire is installed as a heat generating member inside the heat developing device 8. Heater 28 is 5.6~
It is a type that emits light with a wavelength in the range of 1000 μm, which is usually called far infrared rays. A reflecting plate 31 is attached around the heater 28 so as to efficiently radiate far-infrared rays emitted from the heater 28 to the microcapsule paper 4. Further, a shutter 32 for blocking far infrared rays is provided below the heater 28 and between it and the microcapsule paper 4, and the opening/closing operation of this shutter 32 changes the irradiation status of the far infrared rays to the microcapsule paper 4. Control adjusted. Further, the heater 28 is controlled so that the temperature on the conveying surface of the microcapsule paper 4 is maintained at a predetermined temperature within the range of 100 to 160°C.

[0027] When the unexposed microcapsule paper 4 is heated, development will start and the microcapsules will harden, so it is necessary to prevent far infrared rays from hitting the unexposed areas of the microcapsule paper 4. . However, on the other hand, the heater 28 does not have the characteristic of instantaneously rising to a predetermined temperature after being energized, and needs to be preheated in advance. Therefore, the shutter 32 must be closed during preheating. At the same time as the exposure process is completed on the exposure table 1, the heater 28 is fully energized and the shutter 32 is opened. The microcapsule paper 4 is heated by far infrared rays emitted by the heater 28 from the exposed portion.

The microcapsules coated on the microcapsule paper 4 contain a photocurable resin that hardens only when exposed to three colors of visible light: red, green, and blue. It is not exposed to far-infrared light emitted. Further, when the heating process of the exposed portion of the microcapsule paper 4 is completed, the heater 28 is turned off, but the heater 28 does not cool down immediately and residual heat remains for a while, so the shutter 32 is closed again. As a result, the microcapsule paper 4 is no longer heated by the heater 28. In this way, since the shutter mechanism that blocks far infrared rays is disposed between the heater 28 and the microcapsule paper 4, the microcapsules applied to the microcapsule paper 4 are not hardened except for the heated portion. are kept in unused condition. According to this method, heat can be blocked more effectively than the method of separating the heat roller 27 like the heat developing device 8 from the microcapsule paper 4 used in the first and second embodiments. .

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a heater 28 made of a halogen lamp is provided inside the heat roller 27 as a heat generating member. The microcapsule paper 4 is routed so that it is wound around the outer periphery of the heat roller 27, and the contact area between the heat roller 27 and the microcapsule paper 4 is made large so that sufficient heating time can be maintained. is taken into consideration. The heat roller 27 has two parts: a heating part 33 that transfers heat to the microcapsule paper 4, and a heat insulating part 34 that blocks heat from the heater 28.
It is rotatably held by a drive source (not shown). Furthermore, heat roller 2
7 is composed of a double cylinder including an outer cylinder 35 that directly contacts the microcapsule paper 4 and an inner cylinder 36 provided inside the outer cylinder 35.

The heating part 33 and the heat insulating part 34 of the outer cylinder 35 are constructed of separate members having different heat transfer coefficients, and the surface of the outer cylinder 35 is coated with a material having good sliding properties. On the other hand, a part of the inner cylinder 36 is provided with a window having a length corresponding to the heating portion and a width necessary to heat the microcapsule paper 4.
The heat of the heater 28 passes through this window to the heating section 33 of the outer cylinder 35.
transmitted to. A closed portion of the inner cylinder 36 is filled with a heat insulating material 37 such as glass wool to prevent heat from the heater 28 from being transferred. Further, the surface temperature of the heating portion of the heat roller 27 is controlled to a predetermined temperature in the range of 100 to 160° C., and the heat insulating portion 34 is maintained at a temperature below the curing start temperature of the microcapsules.

When the unexposed portion of the microcapsule paper 4 is heated and developed, the microcapsules are cured, so the heat roller 27 is rotated to a position where the heat insulating portion 34 comes into contact with the microcapsule paper 4. Simultaneously with the completion of the exposure process on the exposure table 1, the heat roller 27 rotates again and moves to a position where the heating section 33 contacts the microcapsule paper 4 side so that the microcapsule paper 4 can be heated. do. The microcapsule paper 4 is heated by a heat roller 27 starting from the exposed portion on the exposure table 1. When the heat development process of the exposed portion of the microcapsule paper 4 is completed, the heat roller 27 is rotated again to the position where the heat insulating part 34 contacts the microcapsule paper 4 side, and the microcapsule paper 4 is moved to the heat roller. No longer receives heat from 27.

In this way, the outer cylinder 35 of the heat roller 27
However, it has a two-part structure consisting of a heating section 33 and a heat insulating section 34, and is controlled to rotate at a predetermined timing, so that only the necessary portions of the microcapsule paper 4 are heated and developed. According to this method, the contact area between the heat roller 27 and the microcapsule paper 4 can be larger than that of the heat developing device 8 used in the first and second embodiments, so that the effect of improving thermal efficiency can be obtained. be.

FIG. 5 shows a modification of the heat developing device 8 with improved heating efficiency. In this example, the heating belt 38 is installed between the heat roller 27 and the tension roller 39, and is configured to revolve around both rollers. A heater 28 made of a halogen lamp is provided inside the heat roller 27 as a heat generating member. A release roller 40 is provided behind the heat developing device 8 . The release roller 40 moves to a predetermined position so as to separate the microcapsule paper 4 from the heating belt 38 so that the heat from the heat roller 27 is not transferred to the microcapsule paper 4. Further, the surface temperature of the heating belt 38 is controlled to a predetermined temperature within the range of 100 to 160°C.

Since development will start when the unexposed microcapsule paper 4 is heated, the microcapsule paper 4 is separated from the heating belt 38 by the release roller 40 and at the same time as the exposure process is completed on the exposure table 1. , the microcapsule paper 4 is moved to a position where it contacts the heating belt 38 by the release roller 40 . thus,
The microcapsule paper 4 is heated by the heating belt 38 starting from the exposed portion. When the heating treatment of the exposed portion of the microcapsule paper 4 is completed, the release roller 40 moves the microcapsule paper 4 again to a position away from the heating belt 38, and the microcapsule paper 4 is no longer heated by the heat roller 27. I won't receive it. With such a belt heating method, the heating time of the microcapsule paper 4 can be increased.

FIG. 6 shows yet another embodiment of the heat developing device 8. As shown in FIG. In this example, a heater 28 made of a halogen lamp as a heat generating member is provided inside the heat roller 27, and the entire surface of the heat roller 27 is uniformly planted with short hairs. Furthermore, two guide rollers 41 are provided on the outside of the heat roller 27 to guide and convey the microcapsule paper 4, so that the heat from the heat roller 27 is efficiently transferred to the microcapsule paper 4. It is arranged so as to be wrapped around almost the entire circumference of the heat roller 27. The heat roller 27 and the guide rollers 41, 41 are separated by a distance that corresponds to the height of the flocking, and the heat roller 27 and the microcapsule paper 4 do not come into direct contact with each other but float by the height of the flocking. It is heated from 27.

The two guide rollers 41, 41 are attached to a capsule paper guide 42, and rotate about a fulcrum 43 from a first position away from the microcapsule paper 4 (indicated by a dotted line in the figure). It is configured to be able to reciprocate to a second position (indicated by a solid line in the figure) where the microcapsule paper 4 is wound around the heat roller 27. In synchronization with this, the heat roller 27 moves from a position away from the microcapsule paper 4 to a position where the microcapsule paper 4 is wound. In the second position, the heat roller 27 can heat-process the microcapsule paper 4, but in the first position, the heat roller 27 is located away from the microcapsule paper 4, so that it cannot heat-process it. Further, the surface temperature of the heat roller 27 is controlled to a predetermined temperature within the range of 100 to 160°C.

Before the microcapsule paper 4 is loaded into this image forming apparatus, the guide rollers 41, 41, the capsule paper guide 42, and the heat roller 27 are in the first position. When the microcapsule paper 4 is loaded into the device and the tip of the microcapsule paper 4 is wound up by a predetermined amount onto the winding core 17, the guide rollers 41, 41 and the capsule paper guide 42 rotate about the fulcrum 43. It rotates and moves from the first position to the second position, and the heat roller 27 also moves together. If the unexposed microcapsule paper 4 is heated, development will start, so the guide rollers 41, 41
The capsule paper guide 42 and the heat roller 27 are arranged at a first position away from the microcapsule paper 4, and the guide roller 41 is placed at a first position away from the microcapsule paper 4.
, 41, the capsule paper guide 42, and the heat roller 27,
A second part that can heat-treat the microcapsule paper 4
It is placed at the position of

Heat roller 27 and guide rollers 41, 4
1 rotates at a speed synchronized with the transport speed of the microcapsule paper 4 and transports the microcapsule paper 4, so that the capsule-applied surface of the microcapsule paper 4 touches the heat roller 2.
It will not be crushed by rubbing against 7. Also, heat roller 2
Since the surface of 7 is flocked, the heat roller 27
The microcapsule paper 4 is in soft contact with the heat roller 27 and the capsule paper guide 42.
The atmosphere is heated in the space between. When the heating treatment of the exposed portion of the microcapsule paper 4 is completed, the guide rollers 41, 41 and the capsule paper guide 42 move from the second position to the first position again, and the microcapsule paper 4 is moved to the heat roller. No longer receives heat from 27.

According to this method, the microcapsule paper 4
Since the heat roller 27 can be wrapped around almost the entire circumference of the heat roller 27, the heating time can be extended. Furthermore, since the surface of the heat roller 27 is flocked, the heat roller 27 and the microcapsule paper 4 do not come into direct contact with each other, so that the microcapsule coated surface is not damaged. In addition,
Felt or the like is used for flocking the heat roller 27. In addition, if the capsule-applied surface of the microcapsule paper 4 is on the side of the guide rollers 41, 41 and the capsule paper guide 42, it is possible to heat the part that contacts the guide rollers 41, 41 in advance with the heater 28 or the like. 41,
The microcapsules are not crushed by the pressure contact between the heat roller 41 and the heat roller 27.

FIG. 7 shows yet another embodiment of the heat developing device 8. As shown in FIG. In this example, the casing 4 of the heat developing device 8
A heater 28 and an impeller 45 are built in the inside of the microcapsule paper 4, and a heating table 46 and a conveyance roller 47 are arranged on the conveyance path of the microcapsule paper 4. The heater 28 is installed near the outlet of the impeller 45 and is cooled by the cold air blown out from the impeller 45. On the other hand, the cold air is heated by the heater 28, becomes hot air, and is blown toward the heating table 46 provided on the conveyance path of the microcapsule paper 4. The hot air circulates inside the casing 44 along the heating platform 46 .

The temperature of the hot air is controlled by a temperature sensor (not shown) so that the surface of the heating table 46 on which the microcapsule paper 4 is conveyed is kept at a constant temperature. This temperature is 10
Setting values are predetermined in the range of 0℃ to 160℃,
Setting values are selected based on the conveyance speed, ambient temperature, output image mode settings, and the like. exposed microcapsule paper 4
is transported from the exposure table 1 so that its back surface contacts the heating table 46. At this time, the heat from the heating table 46, which has been previously heated to a predetermined temperature by hot air, and the hot air heated by the heater 28 and forcedly circulated within the heat developing device 8 by the impeller 45 are efficiently transferred from both the front and back sides. Microcapsule paper 4 is heated. Since the heat developing device 8 adopts a non-contact method using a forced circulation heating method using hot air, the heating members such as the heat roller 27 and the heating belt 38 are not likely to be damaged or deteriorated due to contact with the microcapsule paper 4. There is no.

FIG. 8 shows yet another embodiment of the heat developing device 8. As shown in FIG. In this example, a heater 28 is provided at the bottom of the exposure table 1, and is made of a nichrome wire as a heat generating member and a forming material such as magnesium oxide used as an insulating member having good thermal conductivity. 4 is
It is brought into contact with the exposure table 1 with a predetermined tensile force so that the heat from the exposure table 1 is efficiently transferred. Further, the surface temperature of the exposure table 1 is controlled to a predetermined temperature within the range of 100 to 160° C. by a temperature sensor (not shown) provided on the surface of the exposure table 1. The microcapsule paper 4 is
At the same time as or immediately after being exposed by the exposure device 9 on the exposure table 1, heat treatment is performed from the exposure table 1. Since the microcapsule paper 4 is heat-treated at the same time as or immediately after the exposure, the processing time can be shortened compared to the case where the heat treatment is performed after the exposure. Furthermore, since the conveyance path of the microcapsule paper 4 can be shortened, the image output time can be shortened.

FIG. 9 shows yet another embodiment of the heat developing device 8. As shown in FIG. In this example, the heating and developing device 8 also serves as the pressure fixing device 10, and the pressure rollers 30, 30 have heaters 28, 2, which are made of halogen lamps as heat generating members, inside the pressure rollers 30, 30.
8 is provided. Further, the surface temperature of the pressure rollers 30, 30 is controlled to a predetermined temperature within the range of 100 to 160° C. by a temperature sensor (not shown). At the same time as the microcapsule paper 4 is exposed on the exposure table 1,
The image is transported to the pressure fixing device 10 from the exposed portion. On the other hand, the transfer sheet 11 is fed out from the cassette 12 by the paper feeding device 13 in advance in synchronization with the movement of the microcapsule paper 4, and corresponds to the time when the leading edge of the latent image on the microcapsule paper 4 reaches the pressure fixing device 10. transported.

Next, the pressure rollers 30, 30 of the pressure fixing device 10 are rotated in the direction of the arrow by a drive device (not shown), and the microcapsule paper 4 and the transfer sheet 11 are heated in a superimposed state. It is sent under pressure while being subjected to pressure. The microcapsule paper 4 that has undergone the heat development process and the pressure fixing process is wound up by a winding roller 17. image development,
The transfer sheet 11 that has been transferred is transferred to the next step. After the pressure fixing is completed, the undeveloped portion of the microcapsule paper 4 is rewound to the position of the exposure table 1, so that it can be prepared for the next exposure, and the microcapsule paper 4 can be used without wasting it. According to this method, heat development processing and pressure fixing can be performed almost simultaneously with one mechanism, so that the transport path of the microcapsule paper 4 can be shortened and the copying time can be shortened. In this embodiment, the heaters 28, 28 are provided inside the pressure rollers 30, 30, but the pressure rollers 30, 30 may be heated from the outside, or both sides of the pressure rollers 30, 30 may be heated. Heater 28, 28
Alternatively, the heater 28 may be provided only on one side of the pressure roller 30.

FIG. 10 shows yet another embodiment of the heat developing device 8. As shown in FIG. In this example, a dancer roller 48 is provided at the bottom of the exposure table 1 so as to be able to reciprocate from a position shown by a dashed line to a position shown by a solid line in the drawing, and a winding means ( (not shown) to transport and move the exposed microcapsule paper 4. By moving the dancer roller 48 from the right end to the left end, the exposed image-formed area moves under the heat developing device 8 disposed at the bottom of the exposure table 1, and heat development is performed. After a predetermined period of time has elapsed, by driving the winding means of the winding core 17, the leading edge of the exposed microcapsule paper 4 is transferred to the pressure fixing device 10.
At the same time, the dancer roller 48
gradually moves toward the right edge of the drawing to its original position.

The exposed microcapsule paper 4 is overlapped with the transfer sheet 11 and pressed against it by the pressure fixing device 10, and an image is formed on the transfer sheet 11 side. At this time, the microcapsule paper 4 from the exposure table 1 onward is not conveyed until there is no microcapsule paper 4 below the heat developing device 8 . After the exposed portion is fixed under pressure, the microcapsule paper 4 is rewinded by a rewinding means (not shown) interlocking with the roll 21.
The unexposed portion of the microcapsule paper 4 is returned onto the exposure table 1. According to this method, the feeding speed of the microcapsule paper 4 during heat development and the feeding speed during pressure fixing can be changed, and the pressure fixing speed is generally faster than the slow heat developing speed for copying. The speed can be reduced. In addition, during continuous copying, a step of moving the dancer roller 48 to the left end and performing thermal development;
The next exposure step can be performed at the same time, and there is no need to rewind the microcapsule paper 4 during continuous copying, so the copying speed during continuous copying can be shortened.

FIG. 11 shows yet another embodiment of the heat developing device 8. As shown in FIG. In this example, the heat developing device 8 is shown in FIG.
In addition to the transporting mechanism for the microcapsule paper 4 shown in FIG. 0, the heat developing device 8 shown in FIG. 4 is combined. That is, as the dancer roller 48 moves from the right end to the left end in the drawing at the bottom of the exposure table 1, the portion on which the exposed image is formed moves at the bottom of the exposure table 1. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, as a heat developing means, a heat developing device 8 having a heating section 33 and a heat insulating section 34 is arranged in front of the pressure fixing device 10, and rotates at a predetermined timing. A heat development process is performed.

[0048] In the above configuration, when the user wants to make multiple copies, press a key (not shown) on the keyboard.
, set the number of copies, and press the copy start key. In that case, the control means (not shown) controls the dancer roller 48 after exposure for one image of the microcapsule paper 4.
At the same time as moving from the right end to the left end, the next exposure is performed on the exposure stage 1. When the exposure is completed, the dancer roller 48 is returned to the right end, and at the same time, the microcapsule paper 4 is wound around the winding core 17, but the microcapsule paper 4 on the exposure table 1 immediately after exposure remains stationary. state.

The above series of operations is repeated for the set number of sheets. During this continuous copying, the heat fixing device 8 is kept heating. On the other hand, in the case of the last copy operation of single-shot copying and continuous copying, the dancer roller 48 does not reciprocate, and the dancer roller 48 remains stopped at the position indicated by the dashed-dotted line in the drawing. Then, the heat developing device 8 heats the microcapsule paper 4 from the exposed end portion with the heat roller 27, and when the heat development process of the exposed portion is completed, the heat roller 27 moves the microcapsule paper again. The microcapsule paper 4 is rotated to a position where the heat insulating part 34 contacts the 4 side.
is no longer heated by the heat roller 27. The microcapsule paper 4 is then conveyed to the pressure fixing device 10 together with the transfer sheet 11, and after fixing the image on the transfer sheet 11, it is rewound by a predetermined amount by a rewinding means (not shown) linked to the roll 21. According to this method, during continuous copying, there is no need to rewind the microcapsule paper 4 after the heat development process is completed, the time required for rewinding can be shortened, and the copying speed can be increased. Furthermore, in the case of single-shot copying, since it is not necessary to move the dancer roller 48, the time required to move the dancer roller 48 can be shortened, and the speed of single-shot copying can be increased.

[0050]

As described above, according to the invention as set forth in claim 1, during exposure of the photosensitive pressure-sensitive heat-developable material that is moved and conveyed on the exposure stand, when the light-sensitive pressure-sensitive heat-developable material is Since the movement is stopped, it becomes a static exposure state, and it is possible to obtain a high-resolution output image without blurring or shifting of the image due to slight synchronization deviations or uneven movement or vibration of the original, microcapsule paper, and optical system. can. According to the invention described in claim 2, the used microcapsule paper can be disposed of as a single roll paper, which simplifies maintenance. According to the third aspect of the invention, since the unexposed portions of the microcapsule paper are not heat-developed, they can be rewound and used again, and the price per copy can be reduced. Furthermore, since unnecessary mechanisms such as a cutter device can be eliminated, running costs can be reduced. Furthermore, depending on the configuration of the heating and developing means, there is also a secondary effect that the copying speed during continuous copying can be increased.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a modification of the heat developing device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing yet another modification of the heat developing device.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing yet another modification of the heat developing device.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing yet another modification of the heat developing device.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing yet another modification of the heat developing device.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing yet another modification of the heat developing device.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing yet another modification of the heat developing device.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing yet another modification of the heat developing device.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing yet another modification of the heat developing device.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional image forming apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Exposure stand 4 Photosensitive pressure sensitive heat development material 8 Heat developing device 9 Exposure device 10 Pressure fixing device 17 Winding core 21 roll

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus using an elongated roll-shaped recording medium formed by coating a support with a photosensitive pressure-sensitive thermal development material that has photosensitivity and is developed by heating. an exposure device that exposes an image on a recording medium to form a latent image, and an exposure device that faces the exposure device and has a size that is at least the same as or larger than the size of the image to be output,
An exposure table configured in a uniform plane, a heat developing device for heating and developing a latent image formed on the recording medium, and a conveyance stop means for stopping the recording medium on the exposure table during exposure. An image forming apparatus characterized by: 2. A winding means for winding up the recording medium that is continuously conveyed, and a rewinding means for rewinding the recording medium, and the heating and developing means is configured to cover an unexposed portion of the recording medium. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heating stop means that does not heat.