JPH0481851A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the loss of time by paper feeding and to shorten the time of image output by starting the next paper feeding operation by a paper feeding means immediately when the completion of the paper feeding is detected by a detecting means. CONSTITUTION:A color developer sheet 60 is delivered from a cassette 61 and is stopped after the sheet is transported to the position where the front end of the sheet 60 faces the front end of the latent image of a photosensitive recording medium 50. A pressurizing roller 71 of a pressure developing device 70 is then brought into pressurized contact with the sheet while the roller is kept rotated in an arrow direction. A fixing roller 56 is pressed to the left end of an exposing base 52 and the recording medium 50 is fixed to the base 52 as the exposing base 52 is lowered down to a prescribed position. The recording medium 50 is pressurized in the state of being superposed on the sheet 60 and is fed in this state. The color image corresponding to the latent image of the recording medium 50 is developed onto the sheet 60. Whether the copy of this time is the final copy or not is judged when the rear end of the sheet 60 is detected by a paper feed sensor 110. The next paper feeding operation is executed if the copy is not the final copy and the sheet 60 is transported to the position just before the device 70 and is stopped.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that records an image by exposing a photosensitive recording medium and developing and coloring the exposed latent image.

[Prior Art] Recently, mask masters for three colors are created using a monochrome laser printer, these mask masters are sequentially sent to an exposure device, a photosensitive recording medium is color-separated and exposed through the mask masters of each color in this exposure device, and then A color image recording apparatus has been proposed in which a color image is transferred onto the photosensitive recording medium by pressing a color developer paper, and the color image is recorded after being thermally fixed.

The feeding of the paper on which the color image was to be recorded was started during exposure.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, if the paper feeding means takes a long time, such as a suction cup method, the paper cannot be fed in time, and time is required in addition to the exposure time, making it difficult to create an output image. It takes a lot of time.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image recording apparatus that eliminates time loss due to paper feeding and that outputs an image in a short time.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, an image recording apparatus of the present invention includes a paper feeding means for feeding paper on which an image is to be recorded, and a detection means for detecting completion of paper feeding. ing.

[Operation] In the present invention having the above configuration, when the detection means detects the completion of paper feeding, the paper feeding means immediately starts the next paper feeding operation.

[Example 1] 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 1 is loaded on top of a color image recording device 20. As shown in FIG. In the laser printer 1, a polygon scanner 2 irradiates laser light onto a charged photoreceptor 3, 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 bus 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 tray 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. Mask original plate 15 (15R, 15G, 15B) of color image recording device 20
) is used as.

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 through a mask original transport path 21.

On both left and right sides of the alignment device 31, roller pairs 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 whose rotational directions can be controlled, gates 28, 29, and a mask original storage section 102 are arranged.

In the middle of the mask original transport path 21, a pair of recurler rollers 101 is arranged to remove curls from the mask original 15 discharged from the laser printer 1. roller vs 2
On the outside of 6.27, there is a mask original discharge tray 30 for discharging the used mask original 15.

The positioning device 31 includes a sensor (not shown), pairs 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, and this exposure device 41
It is movable in the left and right direction along 1. The exposure device 4
1 includes a linear white light source (hereinafter referred to as a lamp) 42, a reflecting plate 43 that reflects light from the lamp 42, a red filter 44R, a green filter 44G, and a blue filter 44.
It is composed of a filter unit 44 consisting of B.

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 on a base sheet. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is housed in a cartridge 51 so as not to be exposed to light. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is passed from inside the cart Fuji 51 between the glass plate 34 and the exposure table 52, passed through a buffer 55, a separation roller 64, a pressure developing device 70, and a drive roller 57, and is then routed to a take-up roller 54. ing. The exposure table 52 is lowered by a cam 53, and the mask original 15 conveyed onto the glass plate 34 is placed on the exposure table 52.
and the photosensitive recording medium 50 are brought into close contact with each other.

Further, 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.
The photosensitive recording medium 50 is placed on the exposure table 5 during exposure of the mask original 15.
It is arranged to be fixed at 2.

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 provided as a paper feeding means of the present invention for feeding the color developer sheets 60 one by one.
is located.

The pressure developing device 70 is composed of a photosensitive recording medium 50 on which a latent image has been formed by exposure, and a pair of pressure rollers 71 for overlapping a color developer sheet 60 and developing it under pressure.

The heat fixing device 80 is installed between a casing 83 containing a heater 81 and an impeller 82 in the upper part, rubber rollers 84, 85, 86 for conveying the color developer sheet 60 in the lower part, and rollers 87 and 88. A paper ejection tray 63 is attached to the outside of the heat fixing device 80.

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 is a mask original plate on which toner, which is a light-shielding image, is placed on other parts. At this time, the mask original 15R outputted from the monochrome laser printer 1 is sent to the ADF tray 12 and fed into the color image recording device 20 by the ADF paper feed roller 13. Color image recording device 20
The mask original plate 15R fed inside passes through a mask original transport path 21 and passes through a pair of rollers 22. 24 to the alignment device 31. On the way, the curl of the mask master plate 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 the roller pair 32 to an appropriate exposure position, 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 the cam 53, and the fixed roller 56 is pressed against the left end of the exposure table 52, and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is moved onto the exposure table 52.
Fixed to. After the alignment is completed, the exposure table 52 is moved to the cam 53.
The mask original plate 15R and the photosensitive recording medium 5 are further lowered to contact the glass plate 34 of the alignment device 31, and
0 in close contact.

When the exposure table 52 comes into close contact with the alignment device 31, the lamp 4
2 lights up, and the exposure device 41 performs operational exposure in the direction of arrow A in order to expose the photosensitive recording medium 50 to red light via the red filter 44R and the mask original plate 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 exposure device 41
The filter unit 44 is moved by a drive source (not shown), and a 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, pack tension is applied to the photosensitive recording medium 50 at the roll rotation center of the photosensitive recording medium 50 in the cartridge 51, and when the exposure table 52 is lowered, the tension is applied to the photosensitive recording medium 50, and when the exposure table 52 is lowered, the tension is applied to the photosensitive recording medium 50. The length is pulled out from the storage cartridge, and when the exposure is completed, the exposure stage 52
When the photosensitive recording medium 50 is raised, the photosensitive recording medium 50 is rewound in a direction to take up the 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 to the exposure table by a fixed roller 56 pressed against the left end of the exposure table 52. It remains fixed at 52.

Next, the green mask original plate 15G created by the monochrome laser printer 1, the ADF tray 12, the AD
When the sheet passes through the F paper feed roller 13, recurler roller 101, and mask original transport path 21, and reaches just before the roller pair 24,
Roller pair 22.24.25.27, positioning device W31
The pair of rollers 32 and 33 are rotated in a direction to convey the mask original 15R to the right, and at the same time the mask original 15R is sent out from the positioning device 3, the mask original 15G is conveyed 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 15.
R is held between the pair of rollers 27 and is held by stopping the rotation of the pair of rollers 27 with the 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 way 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 exposure,
The exposure table 52 is raised to a predetermined position. Exposure device 4
1 is moved back to the original position and moves the filter unit 44 so that the blue filter 44B is positioned above the lamp 42.

Next, the blue mask original plate 15B created by the monochrome laser printer 1 is similarly transferred to the color image recording device 2.
0 and conveyed just before the roller pair 24, the roller pair 22, 24, 25, 26 and the positioning device 3
The pair of rollers 32 and 33 of 1 are rotated in the direction of conveying the mask original 15G to the right, and the mask original 15G is sent out from the alignment device 31 and the mask original 15
B is transported to the exposure position and stopped. At this time, gate 2
8 is located at the position shown by the solid line, and the gate 29 is located at the position shown by the broken line.The exposed mask original 15G is held between the pair of rollers 26, and with its rear end passing through the gate 29, the pair of rollers 26 are rotated. It is maintained by stopping it.

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.

By 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 in the direction of the arrow E to remove the unexposed portions of the photosensitive recording medium 50. The cartridge 51 is pulled out below the exposure table 52. Drive roller 57
The photosensitive recording medium 50 is conveyed and stopped when the leading edge of the latent image reaches the pressure roller 71 of the pressure developing device 70.

Next, a color developer sheet 60 is fed, and this feeding will be explained with reference to FIG. 3. The color developer sheet 60 is sent out from the cassette 61 by a suction cup 62 (Sl), After the leading edge of the color developer sheet 60 is conveyed to a position corresponding to the leading edge of the latent image on the photosensitive recording medium 50,
Stop (S2).

Next, the pressure developing device 70 is driven by a drive device (not shown).
The pressure roller 71 is pressed while being rotated in the direction of the arrow. At this time, by lowering the exposure table 52 to a predetermined position again, the fixed roller 56 is pushed against the left end of the exposure table 52, and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is moved to the exposure table 5.
It is fixed at 2.

The photosensitive recording medium 50 is conveyed under pressure while being overlapped with the color developer sheet 60, and the uncured microcapsules on the photosensitive recording medium 50 are destroyed by the pressure, and the latent image on the photosensitive recording medium 50 is Compatible color image or developer sheet 60
The upper surface is developed (S3). When the rear end of the color developer sheet 60 is detected by the paper feed sensor 110 (S4), it is determined whether the current copy is the final copy, and if it is not the final copy, the next paper feed operation is performed and the pressure developing device 70, convey the color developer sheet 60 and stop it (SI S2)
.

By rotating the pressure roller 71 of the pressure developing device 70 in the direction of the arrow, the buffer 55 is moved 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 heated by a heater 81 and heated by air circulating in a casing 83 by an impeller 82, thereby promoting color development of a color image. At the same time, the binder polymer (fixing 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 coloring/glossy processing, the photosensitive recording medium 50 is held and fixed between the exposure table 52 and the fixed roller 56. Therefore, while the development processing for one screen is being performed, the next exposure point is It is possible to perform exposure processing on the latent image of a color image.

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. 22.24.2
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 plate 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, and the mask original plate 15B is held. 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 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 ray 12.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the detailed description above, according to the present invention, by using a detection means for detecting the completion of paper feeding, time loss due to paper feeding is eliminated and the time required for image output is reduced. can be shortened.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 show embodiments embodying the present invention; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a color image recording device embodying the invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration. , FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation. In the figure, 1 is a mask original plate creation device, 15 is a mask original plate, and 4
1 is an exposure device, 50 is a photosensitive recording medium, 62 is a paper absorption means,
110 is a detection means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An image recording device that records an image by exposing a photosensitive recording medium using an exposure device and developing and coloring the exposed latent image, comprising: a paper feeding means for feeding paper on which an image is to be recorded; 1. An image recording apparatus comprising a detection means for detecting the completion of paper feeding, and the paper feeding means starts the next paper feeding operation as soon as the detection means detects the completion of paper feeding.