JPH0477729A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a photosensitive recording medium from being wasted and to reduce a running cost by housing the unexposed photosensitive recording medium supplied to an exposure table in a housing part before an error signal is generated in the case that the jam of a mask original plate supplied to the exposure table is detected. CONSTITUTION:In the case that the mask original plate 15 is jammed on the way that it is carried to an alignment device 31 and theexposure table 52 in the process that an image is formed, it is detected by jam detection sensors 130a and 130b which are respectively provided in a mask original plate carrying path 21 or in a mask original housing part 102 that the mask original is jammed. Then, it is judged by a CPU whether the photosensitive recording medium 50 is already exposed or not at the time that the original plate 15 is jammed. In the case that it is judged that the medium 50 is not exposed, the unexposed medium 50 is housed again in a cartridge 51 by rotating a DC motor and a driving roller 57.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention supplies a mask original created based on image information to an exposure stage, brings it into close contact with a photosensitive recording medium, and exposes the photosensitive recording medium to light by color separation. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in this type of device, three original mask plates based on the color information of three colors, R, G, and B, are created using a monochrome printer, and then automatically sent to the image forming apparatus using an automatic feeding device. be sent.

The fed mask originals are transported to the exposure table, aligned on the photosensitive recording medium supplied from the storage section, and subjected to contact color separation exposure to form a latent image on the photosensitive recording medium. An image was formed by superimposing this latent image on developer paper, developing it under pressure, and fixing it with heat.

During the process of forming an image in this device, if the mask original jams, for example, while being conveyed to the exposure table, the user opens the cover of the image forming device according to the error message on the device and removes the jammed mask original from the mask original. Clearing was performed to reset the image forming apparatus.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, unused photosensitive recording media pulled out from the storage section to the exposure table are exposed to light when the cover is opened, are wound up when the device is reset, and are wasted. This poses problems such as increasing the running cost of the device.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and when a mask original jams during image forming operation of the device, the unexposed portion of the photosensitive recording medium is exposed to light before the device displays an error message. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can reduce the running cost of the apparatus by rewinding the recording medium into a recording medium storage section (cartridge) and then displaying an error message, without wasting the need to discard unused photosensitive recording media. There is.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a storage section for storing the unused photosensitive recording medium supplied to the exposure table, and a storage section for storing the unused photosensitive recording medium supplied to the exposure table; A storage means for storing the supplied photosensitive recording medium into the storage section again, a detection means for detecting a jam of the mask original supplied to the exposure table, and an error signal is generated based on the detection result of the detection means. and a control means for controlling the storing means to store a predetermined amount of the photosensitive recording medium in the storing portion before the error signal generating means is generated.

[Function] In the image forming apparatus of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, when a jam of the mask original is detected by the detection means, the storage means causes the control means to store the unexposed photosensitive recording medium into the storage section again. After that, an error signal is generated by the error signal generating means.

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

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a monochrome laser printer 1 and a color image recording device 20 in a combined arrangement.

First, the monochrome laser printer l is mounted on top of the color image recording device 20. In the laser printer 1, a polygon scanner 2 irradiates a charged photoreceptor 3 with laser light, thereby drawing an electrostatic latent image. 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 path switching unit 10.
If a black and white image is required, it is fed to the monochrome output tray 11 or automatic document feeder (hereinafter referred to as ADF) tray 12; if a color image is required, it is fed to the ADF.
) After being sent to the ray 12, it is taken into the color image recording device 20.

The sheets sent to the ADF h-ray 12 are taken one by one into the color image recording device 20 by the ADF paper feed roller 13, and a set of three sheets of monochrome printed paper output from the laser printer 1 is formed. The mask original plate 15 (15R, 15G, 15
It is used as B).

Next, the configuration of the color image recording device 20 will be explained.

A positioning device 31 is located at the bottom of the main body of the color image recording device 20, and the ADF tray 12 and the positioning device 31 are connected by a mask original transport path 21.

On the left and right sides of the positioning device 31, there are pairs of rollers 22, 23, 24, 25, whose rotational direction can be controlled. 26. 27
．． Gates 28 and 29 and a mask original storage section 102 are arranged. A pair of glue curler rollers 101 is arranged in the middle of the masking original transport path 21 to remove curls from the masking original 15 discharged from the laser printer 1. Used mask original plate 1 is placed on the outside of roller pair 26 and 27.
There is a mask original discharge tray 30 for discharging the mask original plate 5. Furthermore, jam detection sensors 130a and 130b are provided in the mask original transport path 21 and the mask original storage section 102, respectively, to detect jams in the mask original 15.

The positioning device 31 includes a sensor (not shown), a pair of rollers 32 and 33 placed near both left and right ends, a glass plate 34 placed between them, and the like.

An exposure device 41 is arranged below the alignment device 31.
It can be moved left and right along the The exposure device 41
includes a linear white light source (hereinafter referred to as a lamp) 42, a reflector 43 that reflects light from the lamp 42, and a red filter 4.
4R, green filter 44G and blue filter 44B
It is composed of a filter unit 44 consisting of.

The photosensitive recording medium 50 is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-14304.
The main material is a photocurable resin using a photopolymerization initiator known in Publication No. 4, and includes a photocurable resin that cures with light of each wavelength of red, green, and blue, and cyan, magenta, Microcapsules containing yellow dye precursors are coated onto 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 passes from inside the cartridge 51 between the glass plate 34 and the exposure table 52,
It is routed through a buffer 55, a separation roller 64, a pressure developing device 70, and a drive roller 57 to a winding roller 54. Further, a DC motor 110 is provided at the core of the cartridge 51, and the DC motor 110 normally operates at
Controlled by a constant current, the photosensitive recording medium 50 is transferred to the cartridge 5.
1, and a certain amount of tension is applied to the photosensitive recording medium 50 between the core of the cartridge 51 and the drive roller 57.

The exposure table 52 is lowered by a cam 53 and is configured to bring the mask original 15 conveyed onto the glass plate 34 and the photosensitive recording medium 50 into close contact. The fixed roller 56 is pressed against the left end of the exposure table 52 when the exposure table 52 is lowered to a predetermined position, and is arranged so as to fix the photosensitive recording medium 50 to the exposure table 52 during exposure of the mask original 15. has been done.

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

At the top of the cassette 61, a suction cup 62 is arranged for feeding the color developer C-60 one by one.

The pressure developing device 70 is composed of a photosensitive recording medium 50 on which a latent image is formed by exposure, a pair of pressure rollers 71 for overlapping a color developer sheet 6o, and developing the image under pressure.

The heat fixing device 80 includes an upper heater 81 and an impeller 82, a casing 83, rubber rollers 84, 85, 86 for conveying the color developer sheet 60, a roller 87, and a roller 88.
An endless belt 89 is installed between the heat fixing device 80 and a paper discharge tray 63 attached to the outside of the heat fixing device 80 .

FIG. 3 shows a control device of this image forming apparatus.

The main control device is CPU122, RAMI23, ROM1
24 and bus 125.
It is 126.

The microcomputer 126 is further connected to the panel display section 12 via an error occurrence display circuit 127, a DC motor control circuit 129, and a drive roller control circuit 132.
8, a DC motor 110, and a drive roller 57 are connected. In addition, the mask original plate jam detection sensor 130a
, 130b.

A cover oven detection sensor 131 is also connected in the same way. The panel display section 128 displays errors such as jams in the mask original 15, and the DC motor 110 applies a certain amount of tension to the photosensitive recording medium 50 between the core of the cartridge 51 and the driving roller 57, and the cartridge The photosensitive recording medium 50 supplied from the photosensitive recording medium 51 to the exposure table 52 is stored in the cartridge 51 again, and the drive roller 57 determines the feed amount of the photosensitive recording medium 50 and conveys it.

In the apparatus configured as described above, the operation when obtaining a plurality of color images from one set of mask originals will be described next.

First, the monochrome laser printer 1 creates a red mask original 15R. This mask original version 15R is
In order to harden the microcapsules containing a cyan dye precursor among the microcapsules coated on the photosensitive recording medium 50, this mask original plate has toner as a light-shielding image placed on other parts. At this time, the mask original plate 15R outputted from the monochrome laser printer 1 is ADF) Ray 1
2 and fed into the color image recording apparatus 20 by the ADF paper feed roller 13. The mask original 15R fed into the color image recording device 20 is transferred to the mask original transport path 2.
Positioning device 3 by roller pair 24, 22 passing through 1
Sent to 1. On the way, the curl of the mask original 15R is corrected by the curler roller 101. At this time, the gate 28 is at the position indicated by the solid line.

Next, the alignment device 31 transports the mask original 15R to an appropriate exposure position by a pair of rollers 32, and then uses a drive source (not shown) to move the mask original 15R while reading the alignment mark printed on the mask original 15R with a sensor.
Move R to a predetermined position.

Immediately before positioning, the exposure table 52 is lowered to a predetermined position by a cam 53, and a fixed roller 56 is pressed against the left end of the exposure table 52 to fix the photosensitive recording medium 50 to the exposure table 52. After the alignment is completed, the exposure table 52 is further lowered by the cam 53.

It contacts the glass plate 34 of the alignment device 31 to bring the mask original 15R and the photosensitive recording medium 50 into close contact.

When the exposure table 52 comes into close contact with the alignment device 31, the lamp 4
2 is turned on, and the exposure device 41 performs scanning exposure in the direction of arrow A in order to expose the photosensitive recording medium 50 with red light via the red filter 44R and the mask original 15R.

When the exposure is completed, the lamp 42 is turned off, and the exposure device 41 moves back in the direction of arrow B. At this time, the filter unit 44 of the exposure device 41 is moved by a drive source (not shown), and the green filter 44G is positioned above the lamp 42.

While the exposure device 41 moves backward, the exposure table 52 is raised 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 DC motor 110 is attached to the photosensitive recording medium 50 at the center of the roll rotation of the photosensitive recording medium 50 in the cartridge 51.
Back tension is applied by the rotation of the exposure table 52, and when the exposure table 52 is lowered, a length corresponding to the amount of descent of the exposure table 52 is pulled out from the storage cartridge 51, and when the exposure is finished and the exposure table 52 is raised. Sometimes, the photosensitive recording medium 50 is rewound in a direction to take up slack.

Even after the exposure of the red mask master plate 15R is completed, the exposure table 52 only rises to a predetermined position, and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is moved onto the exposure table 52 by a fixed roller 56 pressed against the left end of the exposure table 52. remains fixed.

Next, the green mask original 15G created by the monochrome laser printer 1 is transferred to the ADF t-ray 12. A
DF paper feed roller 13. When the recurler roller 101 passes through the mask original transport path 21 and reaches just before the roller pair 24, the roller pair 22. 2425, 27. The pair of rollers 32 and 33 of the alignment device 31 are rotated in the direction of conveying the mask original 15R to the right, and at the same time the mask original 15R is sent out from the alignment device 31, the mask original 15
G is transported to the exposure position and stopped. At this time gate 28
．． 29 is located at the position of the solid line and is the exposed mask original plate 1.
5R is held between the pair of rollers 27 and is held by stopping the rotation of the pair of rollers 27 with its rear end passing through the gate 29.

The mask original 15G guided by the alignment device 31 is aligned with the photosensitive recording medium 50 in the same manner as the mask original 15R, and then the exposure table 52 is lowered to align the mask original 15G with the photosensitive recording medium 50. Being brought into close contact. Thereafter, the lamp 42 is turned on and exposure to green light is performed via the green filter 44G. After the exposure is completed, the exposure table 52 is raised to a predetermined position. The exposure device 41 is moved back to the original position, and the filter unit 44 is moved so that the blue filter 4.4B is positioned above the lamp 42.

Next, the blue mask original plate 15B created by the monochrome laser printer 1 is similarly applied to the color image recording device 2.
0 and is conveyed just before the roller pair 24, the roller pair 24, 22°25.26 and the positioning device 3
1 roller pair 32° 33 is rotated in the direction of conveying the mask original 15G to the right, and sends out the mask original 15G from the alignment device 31, and also transfers the mask original 15G to the mask original 15B.
is transported to the exposure position and stopped. At this time, the gate 28 is located at the position shown by the solid line, and the gate 29 is located at the position shown by the broken line. It is maintained by stopping rotation.

The mask original 15B guided by the alignment device 31 is brought into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium 50 by a similar operation. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is exposed to blue light through the mask original 15B.

Through the above operations, a latent image of a desired color image is recorded on the photosensitive recording medium 50.

Next, the exposure table 52 is raised to the initial position, the fixed roller 56 and the left end of the exposure table 52 are separated from each other, and the buffer 55 is moved from the dashed line - in the direction of the arrow E. The unexposed portion of the image is pulled out from inside the cartridge 51 below the exposure table 52. The drive roller 57 transports the photosensitive recording medium 50 and stops the photosensitive recording medium 50 when the leading edge of the latent image reaches the pressure roller 71 of the pressure developing device 70 .

In synchronization with the movement of the photosensitive recording medium 50, the developer sheet 60 is fed out from the cassette 61 by a suction cup 62 until the tip of the developer sheet 60 corresponds to the tip of the latent image on the photosensitive recording medium 50. After being transported, it stops.

Next, the pressure roller 71 of the pressure developing device 70 is rotated in the direction of the arrow by a drive device (not shown) and pressed against the roller 71 . At this time, by lowering the exposure table 52 to a predetermined position again, the fixed roller 5 is placed on the left end of the exposure table 52.
6 is pressed, and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is fixed to the exposure table 52. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is conveyed while being pressed while being overlapped with the color developer sheet 60, and the photosensitive recording medium 50
The upper uncured microcapsules are destroyed by pressure, and a color image corresponding to the latent image on the photosensitive recording medium 50 is developed on the color developer sheet 60.

By rotating the pressure roller 71 of the pressure developing device 70 in the direction of the arrow, the buffer 55 is moved from the position of the solid line in the direction of the arrow F.

The color developer sheet 60 is peeled off from the photosensitive recording medium 50 by a separation roller 64 and guided toward a heat fixing device 80 .

In the heat fixing device 80, the color developer sheet 60 is connected to the heater 8.
1 and heated by the air circulating in the casing 83 by the impeller 82, thereby promoting color development of the color image. At the same time, the binder polymer (binder resin) for fixing the color developing medium to the base paper of the color developer sheet 60 is thermally melted and the surface becomes smooth, giving the surface of the color developer sheet 60 an appropriate level of gloss. It will be done. The color developer sheet 60 that has been subjected to color development and gloss treatment is discharged to a paper discharge tray 63.

During the above-described series of development and color gloss processing, the photosensitive recording medium 50 is held and fixed between the exposure table 52 and the fixed roller 56, so that while the development processing for one screen is being performed, the following Exposure processing of a latent image of a color image can be performed.

When exposing the second color image, first, the mask original 15B at the exposure position is sent to the left, and the mask original 15R held at the position of the roller pair 27 is sent to the alignment device 31 by the rollers. vs. 24, 22, 2
5.27 and the roller pair 32.33 of the alignment device 31 are rotated so as to convey the mask original 15R to the left. At this time, the gates 28 and 29 are located at the positions indicated by solid lines. The mask original 15B is held between the pair of rollers 24, and the rotation of the pair of rollers 24 is stopped at the position where the rear end passes through the gate 28. The mask original 15R sent to the alignment device 31 is aligned and brought into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium 50. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is exposed to red light through the mask original 15R.

Next, the mask original 15R at the exposure position is sent to the left, and the mask original 15G held at the position of the roller pair 26 is aligned with the roller pairs 22, 23, 25, and 26 in order to be sent to the alignment device 31. The pair of rollers 32 and 33 of the device 31 are rotated so as to convey the mask original 15G to the left. At this time, the gates 28 and 29 are located at the positions indicated by broken lines. Mask original plate 15R has roller pair 23
It is held by stopping the rotation of the pair of rollers 23 at a position where the rear end passes through the gate 28.

The mask original 15G sent to the alignment device 31 is aligned and brought into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium 50. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is exposed to green light through the mask original 15G.

Next, the mask original 15G at the exposure position is sent out to the right, and the same operation is performed to send the mask original 15B held at the position of the roller pair 24 to the alignment device 31, and the color is placed on the photosensitive recording medium 50. A latent image of the image is formed to form a color image on the developer sheet 60.

By repeating the same operation, one set of mask originals 1
5, a predetermined number of color images can be output.

After obtaining the required number of color images from the same mask original 15, each mask original 15 is discharged from the roller pair 27 or the roller pair 26 to the paper discharge tray 30.

In addition, if the next mask original 15 is output from the monochrome laser printer 1 while a series of color images are being exposed, it is temporarily stored in the ADF tray 12 and the exposure of the previous set is completed. Then, the ADF paper feed roller 13 feeds the paper sheets one by one into the color image recording apparatus 20.

Further, when a mask original output from another monochrome laser printer or a previously used mask original is to be used again, the mask original can be input by setting it on the ADF tray 12.

Next, a case where a jam of the mask original 15 occurs during the image forming process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2.

During the process of forming an image, the mask original 15 is placed in a positioning device 31, for example. If a jam occurs in the mask original transport path 21 or the mask original storage unit 102 while being transported to the exposure table 52, the image recording device 20 is installed in the mask original transport path 21 or the mask original storage unit 102, respectively. The jam detection sensors 130a and 130b detect that the mask original has jammed in step 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as Sl; the same applies to other steps), and then S2 is performed. In s2, RAMI2
3, the CPU 122 determines whether the photosensitive recording medium 50 supplied to the exposure table 52 has already been exposed at the time when the mask original 15 jams. CPU1
22 determines that the photosensitive recording medium 50 supplied to the exposure table 52 has not been exposed yet, in S3,
The unexposed photosensitive recording medium 50 that has been fed from the cartridge 51 to the exposure table 52 is stored into the cartridge 51 again by the rotation of the DC motor 110 and the drive roller 57. In this case, the control circuit 132 for the drive roller 57
The drive roller 5 is driven by an encoder (not shown) included in the
The number of revolutions of 7 is counted to determine the feed amount of the photosensitive recording medium 50 to be stored in the cartridge 51. On the other hand, S
2, if the CPU 122 determines that the photosensitive recording medium 50 supplied to the exposure table 52 has already been exposed,
At $4, the unexposed photosensitive recording medium from the cartridge 51 to the fixed roller 56 provided in front of the exposure table 52 is stored in the cartridge 51 as in S3.

When storage of the photosensitive recording medium 50 is completed in S3 or S4, an error that the mask original 15 has jammed is displayed on the panel display section 128 of the image forming apparatus 20 in S5.

When the error is displayed on the panel display section 128, the user opens the cover of the image forming apparatus 20, removes the jammed mask original, and closes the cover again.

In S6, when the cover open detection sensor 131 detects that the cover has been closed by the user, the unexposed photosensitive recording medium 50 is again supplied from the cartridge 51 to the exposure table 52 by the rotation of the drive roller 57 in S7. Ru.

In this case, S3. At the time of S4, the leading ends of the respective housed photosensitive recording media 50 are conveyed from the cartridge 51 to the right end of the exposure table 52, and the unexposed photosensitive recording medium 50 is supplied to the exposure table 52, so that image formation is performed. The device becomes operational again.

In this embodiment, a jam of the mask original 15 is detected by a detection sensor 130a provided in the mask original transport path 21 and the mask original storage section 102.

130b, or detecting a jam of the mask original 15 in a part of the mask original 15 where there is a possibility of a jam occurring, such as by installing it in the mask original storage section provided on the right side of the exposure table 52 shown in FIG. The photosensitive recording medium 50 may be stored in the cartridge 51 based on the result.

Further, in this embodiment, the jam of the mask original 15 is detected and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is stored in the cartridge 51, but the same applies when an error occurs in the alignment of the mask original 15 in the alignment device 31. To,
The photosensitive recording medium 50 may be stored in the cartridge 51.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the detailed description above, according to the present invention,
When a jam of the mask original supplied to the exposure table is detected, the unexposed photosensitive recording medium supplied to the exposure table is stored in the storage section before an error signal is generated, thereby wasting the photosensitive recording medium. Running costs can be reduced without any problems.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus showing the configuration of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a part of a control program related to the invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the control device. 15: Mask original plate 52: Exposure stage 50: Photosensitive recording medium 51: Cartridge 110: DC-E-
Evening 13o: Jam detection sensor

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A mask original (15) created based on image information is supplied to an exposure table (52), is brought into close contact with a photosensitive recording medium (50), and is subjected to color separation exposure. An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium (50) includes: a storage section (51) that stores the unused photosensitive recording medium (50) supplied to the exposure table (52), and a storage section (51).
Photosensitive recording medium (50) supplied to the exposure table (52) from
storage means (110) for storing the original mask (15) into the storage section (51) again; detection means (130a, 130b) for detecting a jam in the mask original plate (15) supplied to the exposure table (52); Error signal generating means (130a, 130b) for generating an error signal based on the detection results of (130a, 130b)
27, 128), and controlling the storage means (110) to store a predetermined amount of the photosensitive recording medium (50) into the storage section (51) before the error signal generation means (127, 128) generates the error signal. An image forming apparatus comprising: a control means (129) for controlling the image forming apparatus.