JPH05224558A - Electrophotographic plate making device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively shield leaking of light from a fixing processing part. CONSTITUTION:A shutter 546 is arranged inside a cover 530 in the vicinity of a notch 536. The shutter 546 is hung by a shielding plate rotating shaft 548 and is made to be freely rotatable. A guide roll 550 which is made to be freely rotatable, is provided on a surface on a side of a developing part 38 of the shutter 546. When a direct printing plate 14 is placed on a mounting plate 522 and carried, the guide roll 550 is abutted or an edge part on a leading side in the carrying direction of the direct printing plate 14 and the direct printing plate 14 is proceeded inside the fixing part 44 by rotating the shutter 546. Because the guide roll 550 is made to follow over the direct printing plate 14, the space between a bottom edge part 546AB of the shutter 546 and the direct printing plate 14 is made approximately fixed. Thus, the space between the shutter 546 and the direct printing plate 14 can be made extremely narrow and the leaking of light to a developing part can be reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic plate making apparatus which develops a direct printing plate with a liquid developer and heats and fixes it with light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an electrophotographic plate making apparatus which develops a direct printing plate with a liquid developer and fixes and elutes the planographic plate after development. In this type of electrophotographic plate making apparatus, a drawing section, a development processing section, a drying section, and a fixing processing section are arranged in order. In the drawing section, the direct printing plate is charged by the charger and then an electrostatic latent image is formed by the laser beam.

As shown in FIG. 21, the direct printing plate 714 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed is developed in a developing processing section 738 with a liquid developer containing toner particles and carrier liquid. In this developing step, the toner particles adhere to the image portion of the direct printing plate 714 to visualize the electrostatic latent image. The direct printing plate 714 which has been developed is transferred to the belt conveyor 740.
The toner image that has been conveyed by and is wet in the drying unit 739 is dried. After that, the direct printing plate 714 is conveyed to the fixing processing section 744 and heated by the radiant heat of the halogen lamp 746, and the toner particles are melted and fixed to the direct printing plate.

By the way, the direct printing plate 714 immediately after leaving the development processing section 738 is in a state where the toner image is wet.
The potential of the light-exposed portion of 14 falls, and the toner particles flow to make the image unclear.

Therefore, in the fixing processing section 744, the periphery is covered with the cover 748, the entrance 750 of the direct printing plate 714 is set as small as possible, and the direct printing plate 714 is exposed to light when the toner image is wet. It is desirable not to hit. By the way, in order to perform the processing quickly, the direct printing plate 714 must be heated in a short time, and the output of the halogen lamp 746 is very strong. Therefore, the direct printing plate 714 that has entered the fixing processing section 744 is rapidly heated and thermally expanded, and the direct printing plate 714 rises. This raised height is about 10 mm when the temperature of the direct printing plate is 100 ° C.

Therefore, when the direct printing plate 714 rises, the direct printing plate 714, the entrance 750, the halogen lamp 746, etc. are prevented from coming into contact with the entrance 750 of the fixing processing unit 744, the halogen lamp 746, etc. inside. It is necessary to provide a clearance with some margin.
Therefore, the light from the halogen lamp 746 (see arrow L in FIG. 21)
It is unavoidable that B) leaks from the entrance 750 to the developing section 738 side, and a countermeasure for this has been desired. Further, since the direct printing plate 714 and the halogen lamp 746 are separated from each other, the efficiency of applying radiant heat cannot be said to be good.

A protrusion for bending the direct printing plate into a chevron shape is provided between the fixing section and the developing section, and the direct printing plate is curved in a chevron shape between the fixing section and the developing section so that the light from the halogen lamp is emitted. A method of blocking with a curved inclined surface can be considered, but
When the direct printing plate gets over the protrusion, the tip floats up, and the raised part vibrates up and down during transport. Therefore, the image forming surface of the direct printing plate may come into contact with the entrance. Further, in order to allow the raised portion to be lowered by the weight of the direct printing plate, it is necessary to increase the distance in the carrying direction, which causes a problem of increasing the size of the entire apparatus.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above facts, the present invention effectively blocks the leakage of light in the fixing processing section and makes it possible to produce a direct printing plate on which a clear image is formed. It is an object to provide a plate making device.

[0009]

The invention according to claim 1 is
An image forming portion for forming an electrostatic latent image on a direct printing plate having a photoconductive photosensitive layer and the direct printing plate on which the electrostatic latent image is formed are developed with a liquid developer to reveal the electrostatic latent image. An electrophotographic plate making apparatus comprising: a development processing unit for converting the developed direct printing plate to a light irradiation hand unit; and a light irradiation unit for heating and fixing the developed direct printing plate. Conveying means, a light blocking member provided between the development processing unit and the light irradiation unit, and blocking light leakage from the light irradiation unit toward the development processing unit, and provided on the light blocking member, A rotation support portion that rotatably supports the light blocking member in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the direct printing plate and about an axis that is horizontal, and is provided on the light blocking member and contacts the direct printing plate. And the direct printing plate and the Electrophotographic plate making apparatus characterized by comprising a guide member portion to maintain the relative distance between the end portion of the optical member to be constant, the.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to the first aspect, the direct printing plate is brought into contact with the direct printing plate in the vicinity of the light irradiation section or the light irradiation section. It is characterized in that deformation preventing means for suppressing deformation is provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the transport path of the direct printing plate of the transport means is the development processing section and the light irradiation section. The feature is that it is non-linear between and.

[0012]

According to the electrophotographic plate making apparatus of claim 1, in the direct printing plate having the photoconductive photosensitive layer, an electrostatic latent image is formed by the image forming section, and thereafter, the electrostatic latent image is formed in the developing processing section. Is revealed. The developed direct printing plate is
It is transported to the light irradiation unit by the transport device. When the direct printing plate is conveyed, the light blocking member rotates around the axis to reach the direct irradiation plate. At this time, the guide member attached to the light shielding member comes into contact with the direct printing plate to maintain a constant gap between the end portion of the light shielding member and the direct printing plate. That is, even if the direct printing plate is vertically deformed, the end of the light shielding member and the direct printing plate do not come into contact with each other due to the action of the guide. The gap can be set small. Therefore, leakage of light from the light irradiation unit toward the development processing unit is extremely reduced, and the wet image portion immediately after the development unit is carried out is prevented from being disturbed by the light.

Further, according to the electrophotographic plate making apparatus of the second aspect, since the deformation preventing means is provided in the light irradiation section or in the vicinity of the light irradiation section, the direct printing plate thermally expands in the light irradiation section. Deformation is suppressed. Therefore, there is no fear that the image forming surface of the direct printing plate will come into contact with the wall surface of the light irradiation portion.

According to the electrophotographic plate making apparatus of the third aspect, the direct printing plate transport path of the transport means is non-linear between the development processing section and the light irradiation section. That is, by making a non-linear shape between the development processing section and the light irradiation section, for example, by forming a curved mountain shape in the transportation path, the direct printing plate is curved in a mountain shape during transportation, and light is emitted from the top of the curve. The inclined portion on the irradiation unit side blocks the leakage of light from the light irradiation unit toward the development processing unit, and the leaked light does not reach the portion from the top of the curve to the development processing unit.
The liquid developer adhering to the direct printing plate is dried between the development processing section and the light irradiation section, but since the wet image near the development processing section is not exposed to light, the image is disturbed by the leaked light. Are more effectively prevented.

[0015]

【Example】

[First Embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
Follow the instructions below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the direct printing plate 14 used in this embodiment is a thin plate electrophotographic printing plate.
A photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 is formed on one surface of the conductive support 28 to serve as an image forming surface. The conductive support 28 is made of an aluminum material and has a thickness of about 0.3 mm. In addition, the conductive support 28 is the photoconductive photosensitive layer 3
The boundary surface with 0 is subjected to hydrophilic treatment. In this embodiment, an organic conductive photoreceptor is used as the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30, and the color of the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 is dark blue.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the electrophotographic plate making apparatus 10 to which the present invention is applied, a drawing section 16 as an image forming section is arranged on the upstream side of the direct printing plate 14 in the conveying direction, and the drawing is performed. In the direction of arrow B in FIG.
Are arranged. In the direction of the arrow A in FIG.
A developing and fixing processing section 18, an elution processing section 22, and a standby section 118 are arranged in this order, and a puncher section 24 and a plate bending section 26 are arranged in a direction opposite to the arrow B direction in FIG. ing.

(Drawing unit 16) As shown in FIG. 4, the drawing unit 16 is provided with a carrying table 32 on which the direct printing plate 14 is placed, and the carrying table 32 is shown in FIG. It can move in the direction of arrow A and in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow A. The direct printing plate 14 is placed on the carrier 32 with the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 on the upper side and the longitudinal direction along the arrow A direction and the direction opposite to the arrow A direction (see FIG. 3).

The direct printing plate 1 is provided on the upper side of the drawing unit 16 in the arrow A direction in FIG. 4 and in the intermediate portion in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction.
Charger 3 for positively charging the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 of No. 4
4 is provided, and an exposure unit 36 is arranged on the side of the charger 34 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The exposure section 36 is provided with a semiconductor laser (not shown), and a laser beam is applied to the image section of the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 after charging to scan and expose the image. The drawing unit 16 is provided with a holding claw (not shown) that discharges the exposed direct printing plate 14 to the plate discharging unit 12.

(Plate Discharging Section 12) The plate discharging section 12 is provided with a conveyor device (not shown), and conveys the exposed plate material 14 to the developing and fixing processing section 18 in the direction of arrow A in FIG.

(Developing and Fixing Processing Section 18) Developing and Fixing Processing Section 1
8 is provided with a belt conveyor 126 (not shown in FIG. 3) as a conveying means for conveying the direct printing plate 14 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The upstream side of the printing plate 14 in the conveying direction (arrow A in FIG. 3).
From the side opposite to the direction) from the developing unit 38 to the squeeze unit 4
0, a drying unit 42, a fixing unit 44, and a water cooling unit 300 are sequentially arranged. (Developing Section 38) As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the developing section 38 is formed in a hollow prismatic shape with both ends upstream and downstream of the direct printing plate 14 in the transport direction. The frame body 446 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 5A, this frame 446 is
Is arranged with the upper surface portion 446A facing upward. Further, the direct printing plate 14 is arranged in a state of being inclined by about 7 ° with respect to the horizontal so that the downstream side in the transport direction is located below the upstream side. The frame body 446 is formed of an insulating material such as resin, and the upper surface portion 4 of the frame body 446 is
An opening 446B is formed substantially in the center of 46A along the transport direction.

A developing electrode 442 is attached to the opening 446B in a state of being in close contact with the inner wall of the opening 446B and in a state of being arranged in the longitudinal direction in the transport direction of the direct printing plate 14. The developing electrode 442 is formed of a metal plate, and a power source 445 is connected to the developing electrode 442. Further, a ground terminal (not shown) is provided below the developing electrode 442, and when the direct printing plate 14 passes under the developing electrode 442, the direct printing plate 14 is brought into contact with the direct printing plate 14 so as to contact the direct printing plate 14. It is designed to be grounded.

A rectangular recess 446D is formed in a bottom portion 446C of the frame body 446 which faces the upper surface portion 446A. The recess 446D is formed along the transport direction of the direct printing plate 14, and the back plate 444 is attached thereto.
The back plate 444 is made of an insulating material such as glass. The direct printing plate 14 is conveyed with the back surface (on the side of the conductive support 28) contacting the top surface of the back plate 444. Further, by using glass as the insulating material, even if the back surface of the direct printing plate 14 is conveyed in contact with it, the conductive support 28 does not scratch the back surface of the direct printing plate 14. Note that the material of the back plate 444 is not limited to the above materials, and any material having an insulating property that is not scratched by the conductive support 28 can be applied.

On the upper surface of the back plate 444, a groove portion 443 is formed which extends in the longitudinal direction along the transport direction of the direct printing plate 14. As a result, the direct printing plate 14 can be conveyed with a small contact surface between the back surface and the upper surface of the back plate 444. Further, a portion surrounded by the developing electrode 442, the back plate 444, and the inner wall 446E of the frame body 446 is a developing chamber 447.
Has become.

As shown in FIG. 6, a liquid delivery nozzle 449 is arranged on the upstream side of the developing electrode 442, and during the development processing, the developer stored in a developer tank (not shown) is supplied to the liquid delivery nozzle. It is supplied into the developing chamber 447 via 449.

As the developing solution used in this embodiment, a known developing solution can be used. Examples of the developing solution include JP-B-35-5511, JP-B-35-13424, JP-B-50-40017, JP-B-49-98634, JP-B-58-129438, JP-A-61-180248, and the basis of electrophotographic technology. The developing solution disclosed in application (edited by The Electrophotographic Society, Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. (1988)) and the like can be mentioned.

These developing solutions are generally a carrier liquid, a colorant for forming toner particles, a coating material made of a polymer resin for imparting fixing property to the colorant, accelerating the dispersion of the toner particles and stabilizing the dispersion. And a charge control agent that controls the polarity and charge amount of the toner particles.

A conveying roller pair 420 is arranged on the upstream side of the liquid feeding nozzle 449, and the conveying roller pair 420 is arranged.
Is rotated by a driving means (not shown) to feed the direct printing plate 14 between the developing electrode 442 and the back plate 444. Further, on the downstream side of the developing electrode 442, a pair of squeeze rollers 422 for squeezing out the excess developer adhering to the direct printing plate 14 is arranged. The aperture roller pair 422 includes an upper roller 424 provided on the image forming surface 14A side of the direct printing plate 14 and a lower roller 426 provided on the back surface 14B side of the direct printing plate 14.
Each of them is rotated by driving means (not shown), and the direct printing plate 14 is nipped and conveyed horizontally in the direction of arrow A.

As shown in FIG. 6, a pair of aperture rollers 422.
A developing solution receiver 450 is disposed under the developing solution container 450, and the squeezed developing solution is collected in a developing solution tank (not shown) via the developing solution receiver 450. Also, the developer receiver 45
Above 0, an evaporation prevention cover 454 is provided so that the vapor of the developer does not scatter around.

When the liquid developer is applied to the exposed direct printing plate 14, the electrostatic latent image on the direct printing plate 14 becomes visible. The development in the developing unit 38 is performed by reversal development, and the positively charged direct printing plate 14 is developed with toner having a positive charge. Further, the portion of the direct printing plate 14 to which the toner 19 is attached becomes lipophilic.

The squeeze section 40 is provided with a blower 456, and blows air to the surface of the direct printing plate 14. (Belt Conveyor 126) A belt conveyor 126 is arranged downstream of the squeeze unit 40. On the belt conveyor 126, a pair of rotating shafts 5 arranged in the arrow A direction in FIG. 6 and in a direction opposite to the arrow A direction with a predetermined distance therebetween.
10, 512 are provided. The rotary shaft 510,
One of the 512 is rotated in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 6 by a motor (not shown).

The axes of the rotary shafts 510 and 512 are horizontal and in the direction of arrow A and the direction orthogonal to the direction of arrow A (vertical direction in the plane of FIG. 6), and the longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft 510 (plane in FIG. 6). A pair of sprockets 514 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 6) having a predetermined size are attached to the intermediate portion in the vertical direction), and are provided at the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in the plane of FIG. 6) of the rotary shaft 512. Is fitted with a pair of sprockets 516 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 6) having a predetermined size. One of the endless roller chains 518 meshes with these sprockets 514, and the other of the roller chains 518 meshes with the sprocket 516 (only one of the two roller chains 518 is shown in FIG. 6). .) Link plate 518 of roller chain 518
In A, every other frame, the end portion 520 of the plate support plate 520 is
A is attached. The plate support plate 520 has a rotary shaft 5
It is formed into an elongated plate shape along the longitudinal direction of 10 and 512 (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 6) and has a substantially U-shaped cross section.

The surface of the plate support plate 520 (rotating shaft 510,
A mounting plate 522 made of a material such as Bakelite having chemical resistance, heat resistance, and insulation is fixed to the surface opposite to the side facing 512) by a screw or the like (not shown). As shown in FIG. 8, the longitudinal dimension L1 of the mounting plate 522 is slightly shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the plate support plate 520. Further, the width dimension L2 of the direct printing plate 14
Is larger than the longitudinal dimension L1 of the mounting plate 522 by a predetermined dimension, and the direct printing plate 1 is attached to the belt conveyor 126.
4 is placed, the side end portion 15 of the direct printing plate 14 is projected outward from the roller chain 518 by a predetermined dimension.

As shown in FIG. 6, rotating shafts 510 and 512 are provided.
Below the roller chain 518 disposed above the roller chain 518, a chain guide 524 is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the roller chain 518. As shown in FIG. 7, the chain guide 524 is in the form of a plate of pressure wall, and its wall thickness is the roller 5 of the roller chain 518.
It is smaller than the length of 18B. by this,
The upper surface of the chain guide 524 is attached to the roller chain 518.
The roller 518B can be moved while it is placed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the chain guide 524
The upper surface of is formed horizontally except that a portion near the end on the developing unit 38 side is formed to be convex in a substantially arc shape, and the apex of the convex portion 526 formed to be convex is the present embodiment. Is about 4 mm above the horizontal portion, and the radius of curvature of the convex portion 526 is about 670 mm in this embodiment. The upper surface of the belt conveyer 126 is horizontal in the vicinity of the end on the developing unit 38 side, temporarily rises in the vicinity of the convex portion 526 of the chain guide 524, and on the arrow A direction side of the convex portion 526, the developing unit is located. It becomes horizontal (horizontal line HL-HL) at the same height as the vicinity of the end on the 38 side.

Above the belt conveyor 126, above the convex portion 526 of the chain guide 524 is the drying section 42, and a dryer 458 for blowing warm air to the direct printing plate 14 is provided.

Direct printing plate 14 rather than dryer 458
Of the chain guide 524 on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the
An edge pressing roller 528 as a deformation preventing means is provided at a position corresponding to the side end portion 15 of the direct printing plate 14 near the inclination end point of 6. The edge pressing roller 528 is made of a material having insulating properties such as ceramic and abrasion resistance, and is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 9, the edge pressing roller 528 has a side end portion 15 of a non-image forming area 14A (shaded portion in FIG. 9) provided with a constant width around the upper surface of the direct printing plate 14. It is provided at a position that contacts the side but does not contact the image area, and prevents the direct printing plate 14 from rising from the belt conveyor 126.

As shown in FIG. 6, the fixing unit 44 is disposed downstream of the edge pressing roller 528 in the transport direction of the direct printing plate 14. The fixing unit 44 is provided with a box-shaped cover 530 that covers the upper and lateral sides of the belt conveyor 126.

A vertical wall 532 on the arrow A side of the cover 530.
There is a rectangular notch 53 for escape of the belt conveyor 126.
6 (see FIG. 7) is formed, and a rectangular notch 538 is similarly formed in the vertical wall 534 in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction.

As shown in FIG. 11, inside the cover 530, the direct printing plate 1 is provided above the belt conveyor 126.
4. A plurality of halogen lamps 540 are provided as a light irradiation unit for heating. The halogen lamp 540 has a long rod shape, and the longitudinal direction is arranged in the width direction of the belt conveyor 126 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 11). Further, above the halogen lamp 540, a reflection plate 542 that reflects the light of the halogen lamp 540 downward is disposed. Note that a wire (not shown) for protecting the halogen lamp 540 is horizontally stretched just below the halogen lamp 540. At the center of the inside of the cover 530, the reflection plate 5
A blower fan 544 for introducing outside air is provided above 42, and the blower fan 544 causes the air inside to flow downward.

Further, inside the cover 530, a notch 53 is formed.
A shutter 546 as a light shielding member is arranged in the vicinity of 6.

The shutter 546 is formed of a flat plate material, and a light shielding plate 546A arranged substantially along the vertical wall 532.
And a pair of bearing portions 546B (see FIG. 7, only one of which is shown in FIG. 7) extending at both widthwise corners of the upper end of the light shielding plate 546A. A light shielding plate rotation shaft 548 as a rotation support portion which is in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the belt conveyor 126 and is horizontal is pierced and fixed to these bearing portions 546B. As shown in FIG. 7, the light shielding plate rotating shaft 5
Both ends in the longitudinal direction of 48 are bushes 53 attached to the side wall 532 of the cover 530 on the side intersecting with the vertical wall 532.
4 is rotatably supported. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 11, the shutter 546 is swingable about the light shielding plate rotation shaft 548 in the arrow D direction and in the direction opposite to the arrow D direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the light-shielding plate 546A of the shutter 546 has a lateral width dimension L3 in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 126, and the cutout 5 of the cover 530.
The width 36 of the 36 is larger than the width L4 in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 126, and the position of the upper end 546AA is set above the upper end 536A of the notch 536.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 7, the light shielding plate 54
A guide roller 550 as a guide member is disposed near the lower end portions on both sides in the width direction on the surface of the developing unit 38 side of 6A. This guide roller 550 is a light blocking plate 546A.
It is rotatably supported by a rotary shaft 554 attached to a pair of support portions 552 that are vertically installed.

As shown in FIG. 11, the axis of the rotary shaft 554, that is, the guide roller 550 is set above the upper surface of the mounting plate 522 of the belt conveyor 126 by a predetermined dimension. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the direct printing plate 14 is placed on the placing plate 522 and conveyed in the direction of arrow A, the guide roller is provided at the end of the direct printing plate 14 on the leading side in the conveying direction. The shutter 54
6 is rotated in the direction of arrow D, and the guide roller 550 rolls on the non-image area 14A of the direct printing plate 14.

As shown in FIG. 11, the dimension L5 of the vertical width in the direction intersecting the horizontal width of the light shielding plate 546A is determined by the shutter 54.
The lower end portion 546AB in the state where 6 is hanging by its own weight (the state of FIG. 11) is located below the upper surface of the mounting plate 522 of the belt conveyor 126, and as shown in FIG. 1, the guide roller 550 directly prints. The length of the direct printing plate 14 is set so as to be separated from the upper surface of the direct printing plate 14 by a predetermined dimension when the plate 14 is placed on the plate 14.

Therefore, when the shutter 546 hangs down by its own weight, the light inside the fixing section 44 is shielded by the shutter 546, the mounting plate 522, and the plate support plate 520, and above the upper surface of the belt conveyor 126. There is no leakage.

The guide roller 550 and the light shielding plate 54
Since the positional relationship with the lower end portion 546AB of 6A is constant, the gap between the direct printing plate 14 and the light shielding plate 546A lower end portion 546AB in a state where the guide roller 550 is placed on the direct printing plate 14. Is extremely narrow,
For example, it can be set to 1 to 2 mm, and even if the direct printing plate 14 is curved or the like and the position of the upper surface changes, the guide roller 550 follows the direct printing plate 14 so that the lower end portion of the light shielding plate 546A. The gap with 546AB remains approximately constant.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 7, immediately below the guide roller 550, a guide roller receiver 556 formed of a material such as Teflon resin in the shape of a thick plate is disposed. The upper surface of the guide roller receiver 556 is horizontal, and the height of the upper surface is set to be substantially the same as or slightly lower than the upper surface of the belt conveyor 126 located on the side (the upper surface of the mounting plate 522). Further, the guide roller receiver 556 is provided with an inclined portion 556A at the upper end portion on the upstream side in the transport direction of the direct printing plate 14. The lower end portion 54 of the guide roller 550 and the shutter 546
6AB approaches the guide roller receiver 556 with a very narrow gap in a state where the shutter 546 hangs down by its own weight (state of FIG. 11).

On the other hand, inside the cover 530 near the notch 538, a shutter 558 having the same structure and shape as the shutter 546 is provided. Below the shutter 558, a pair of guide roller receivers 560 having the same structure and shape as the guide roller receiver 556 are arranged. The shutter 558 and the guide roller receiver 560 have the same reference numerals as those of the shutter 546 and the guide roller receiver 556, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Further, the fixing unit 44 of the belt conveyor 126
One of the exhaust ducts 562 is disposed below the plate supporting plate 520, which is located above the rotary shafts 510 and 512. On the other side of the exhaust duct 562,
A fan (not shown) is provided to discharge the hot air in the fixing unit 44 to the outside air.

As shown in FIG. 6, on the downstream side of the fixing portion 44 in the conveying direction of the direct printing plate 14, a pair of deformation preventing means are provided at predetermined intervals along the conveying direction of the direct printing plate 14. Nip rollers 564 and 566 are provided. As shown in FIG. 12, the nip roller 5
64 and 566 are rod members 56 made of metal or the like formed in a columnar shape.
A surface material 570 having a large friction coefficient within a range that does not disturb the toner image after fixing is adhered to the outer peripheral surface of No. 8 and the outer peripheral surface is polished. The surface material 570
For example, Clarino (trade name) can be applied.

As shown in FIG. 6, the nip roller 56
4, 566, the longitudinal direction is horizontal and the belt conveyor 1
The direction 26 is orthogonal to the carrying direction (direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 6), and both ends are rotatably supported by the main body (not shown). The positional relationship between the nip rollers 564 and 566 with respect to the belt conveyor 126 is as follows.
Direct printing plate 1 with the lower end of 4, 566 conveyed
The position is set so as to come into contact with 4 and rotate. Further, the nip rollers 564 and 566 are arranged in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 6) so that they can contact the entire surface of the direct printing plate 14.
The dimension in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface) is set larger than the lateral width dimension L6 of the direct printing plate 14. (Water Cooling Unit 300) As shown in FIG. 13, a tray 312 is disposed below the cooling unit 300, and the direct printing plate 14 conveyed from the fixing unit 44 is provided above the tray 312 in FIG. There are three spray beds 314 that lead in the direction of arrow A in FIG. Each of these spray beds 314 has an L-shaped cross section including a vertical wall portion 314A on the upstream side in the transport direction of the direct printing plate 14.
The direct printing plates 14 are arranged parallel to each other with a predetermined gap in the transport direction.

An optical sensor 316 is provided above the cooling unit 300 on the upstream side, detects whether the direct printing plate 14 has been carried into the cooling unit 300 from the fixing unit 44, and controls the detection signal. To the device 317.

Further, a water absorption pipe 318 is erected from the bottom of the tray 312. This water absorption pipe 318
Is bifurcated near the bottom of the saucer 312,
One is further branched into three, and the tip portion 318A of each branch portion
Are arranged along the lower portions of the three spray beds 314, respectively. The other side of the water absorption pipe 318 is branched into two at the upper part of the three spray beds 314,
The tip portions 318B of the respective branch portions are arranged along the gaps between the three spray beds 314, respectively.

Circular through holes 320 are formed at predetermined intervals along the axial direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 13) on the upper surface of the tip portion 318A of the water absorption pipe 318, and the upper wall portion of the spray bed 314 is formed. A circular through hole 322 is formed coaxially with the through hole 320 in 314B. On the other hand, circular through holes 324 are formed at predetermined intervals in the lower portion of the tip end portion 318B of the water absorption pipe 318 along the axial direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 13), which serves as a spray nozzle. A squeeze roller 326 is provided on the downstream side of the cooling unit 300.
Are provided, and the direct printing plate 14 passes between the squeeze rollers 326.

The water absorption pipe 318 penetrates the bottom of the tray 312 and extends downward, and the cooling water tank 328.
Has reached. Cooling water is filled in the cooling water tank 328, and this cooling water is pumped up into the water absorbing pipe 318 by the pump 330. The operation of the pump 330 is controlled by the control device 317.

On the other hand, one end of the recovery pipe 332 is connected to the bottom of the tray 312, and the recovery pipe 3
The other end of 32 reaches the cooling water tank 328, and the cooling water of the tray 312 can be collected in the cooling water tank 328. A filter 334 is provided in the middle of the recovery pipe 332 to remove foreign matter in the cooling water.

(Elution Processing Section 22) As shown in FIG.
An alkaline solution is applied to the direct printing plate 14 in the elution processing section 22 to elute the photoconductive photoreceptor layer in the non-image portion (that is, the non-image portion other than the portion where the toner image is formed) of the direct printing plate 14. Elution part 48, squeeze part 50 for removing the excess alkaline solution adhering to direct printing plate 14, water washing part 52 for washing the squeezed direct printing plate 14 with water to remove the alkaline solution, water-washed direct printing plate 1
4, a gum solution applying section 54 for applying the gum solution, a drying section 117 for drying the direct printing plate 14 coated with the gum solution, and a plurality of carrying rollers 56, 58, 60 for nipping and carrying the direct printing plate 14, 62, 64, 66 are provided.

The carrying roller 56 is arranged on the upstream side of the elution processing section 22 (the side opposite to the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 14) and is on the downstream side of the carrying roller 56 in the carrying direction of the direct printing plate 14 ( The elution portion 48 is located on the arrow A direction side in FIG.
Are arranged. The elution section 48 is provided with an elution tank 68, and the elution tank 68 is provided with conveyance rollers 58, 60 and a plurality of guide rollers 88. The direct printing plate 14 is transported to the transport rollers 58 and 60 and the guide roller 88 and immersed in the alkaline solution in the elution tank 68. A circulation pump 84 is connected to the elution tank 68, and the alkaline solution in the tank is sucked to spray the alkaline solution from the nozzle 86 onto the direct printing plate 14.

Further, the direct printing plate 14 in the elution tank 68
A roller-shaped brush 90 is arranged at a position corresponding to the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30. The brush 90 is connected to a rotation driving means such as a motor (not shown), and the rotation driving means rotates the brush 90. A drain pipe 82 is connected to the lower end of the elution tank 68, and the deteriorated alkaline solution in the tank can be discharged to the outside of the tank through the drain pipe 82.

A squeeze portion 50 is arranged downstream of the elution tank 68 in the conveying direction of the direct printing plate 14 (direction of arrow A in FIG. 14), and a conveying roller 62 is arranged in the squeeze portion 50. There is. The squeeze section 50 is provided with a receiving section 94, and the direct printing plate 14 is sandwiched by the transport rollers 62 to remove the alkaline solution adhering to the surface thereof. A roller 96 is disposed on the receiving portion 94 side of the transport roller 62 so as to be in close contact with the transport roller 62, and the alkaline solution removed by the transport roller 62 falls onto the receiving portion 94 via the roller 96. Also, the receiving portion 94
A pump 98 for returning the removed alkaline solution to the elution tank 68 is connected to the.

A washing section 5 is provided downstream of the elution section 48 in the conveying direction of the direct printing plate 14 (on the side of arrow A in FIG. 14).
2 is arranged, and a transport roller 64 is attached to the washing section 52.
Are arranged. The water washing unit 52 is provided with a roller-shaped brush 100 and a water receiving tank 102. Water tank 10
Wash water is stored in 2 and this wash water is pump 1
It is sucked up by 04 and sprayed from the nozzle 106 to the direct printing plate 14. The brush 100 is arranged at a position corresponding to the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 of the direct printing plate 14, and the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 of the direct printing plate 14 can be washed.

A gum solution applying section 54 is arranged downstream of the water washing section 52 in the transport direction of the direct printing plate 14 (direction of arrow A in FIG. 14). The gum solution applying section 54 is provided with a gum solution tank 110.
The gum solution is stored in. The gum solution in the gum solution tank 110 is sucked up by the pump 112 and sprayed from the nozzle 114 to the direct printing plate 14.

(Drying Section 117) The drying section 117 includes a pair of rollers 1 for conveying the direct printing plate 14 to the standby section 118.
15 and a dryer 116 for blowing warm air are provided, and this dryer 116 dries the direct printing plate 14 after the gum treatment.

(Standby Unit 118) The standby unit 118 is provided with a conveyor device (not shown), which conveys the direct printing plate 14 in the direction opposite to the arrow B direction in FIG.

(Puncher section 24) In the puncher section 24, a punch (not shown) for forming a notch for positioning the direct printing plate 14 during plate mounting and the direct printing plate 14 are provided.
A conveyor device (not shown) that conveys the sheet to the plate bending section 26 is provided.

(Plate Bending Section 26) The plate bending section 26 is provided with a folding device (not shown) that bends both ends of the direct printing plate 14 in the longitudinal direction by a predetermined dimension.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below. In the drawing unit 16, the unexposed direct printing plate 14 has the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 facing upward, and the longitudinal direction along the transport direction.
Conveyor stand 3 placed on the table and on which the direct printing plate 14 is placed
2 is moved in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4 by a driving device (not shown). During this movement, the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 of the direct printing plate 14 on the carrier 32 is positively charged by the charger 34. When the direct printing plate 14 is conveyed directly below the exposure unit 36, the surface of the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 is irradiated with a laser beam corresponding to an original image emitted from a semiconductor laser (not shown). As a result, the incident portion where the laser beam is incident becomes conductive, and positive charges move from the surface of the incident portion of the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information. ..

Direct printing plate 14 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed
The sheet is clamped at its end by a clamping claw (not shown), is conveyed to the plate discharge section 12, and is discharged from the plate discharge section 12 to the developing and fixing processing section 18.

In the developing and fixing processing section 18, the direct printing plate 14 has the positively charged toner particles in the liquid developer in the developing section 38 attached to the exposed portions of the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30.

When the direct printing plate 14 reaches the squeeze portion 40, the air from the blower 456 is blown to both surfaces of the direct printing plate 14 to remove the excess liquid developer adhering to both surfaces. After that, the direct printing plate 14 is conveyed to the drying unit 42, and the toner moistened with the warm air of the dryer 458 is dried. In this drying process, the toner image that has been gradually wet is dried on the direct printing plate 14 immediately after the developing unit 38 is carried out, and the toner image is formed near the center of the drying unit 42 in the transport direction, that is, near the ridge of the direct printing plate 14. The drying is almost completed, and the drying is completely completed immediately after being conveyed to the drying section 42. Therefore, the drying unit 42
On the downstream side in the transport direction than in the vicinity of the center in the transport direction, there is no possibility that the toner particles will flow even if the direct printing plate 14 is exposed to light.

The direct printing plate 14 thus developed is conveyed to the fixing section 44. Direct printing plate 14
When the sheet is conveyed to the fixing portion 44, first, the guide roller 550 is attached to the end portion of the direct printing plate 14 on the leading side in the conveying direction.
Contact and rotate the shutter 546 in the direction of arrow D,
The direct printing plate 14 enters the fixing unit 44. The guide roller 550 is the non-image area 14 of the direct printing plate 14.
Roll on A (see FIG. 1).

In the fixing section 44, a halogen lamp 540
Light is applied to the direct printing plate 14 to heat the direct printing plate 14 to a predetermined temperature. As a result, the toner adhering to the direct printing plate 14 is melted, fixed and fixed.

The guide roller 550 and the light shielding plate 54
The gap with the lower end portion 546AB of 6A is extremely narrow (for example, 1
(About 2 mm) The amount of light leakage inside the fixing unit 44 is significantly reduced as compared with the conventional one. In addition, the lower end portion 546A of the light shielding plate 546A
The light from the gap with B leaks to the developing unit 38 side,
The leaked light does not reach the wet direct printing plate 14. That is, on the upstream side of the fixing unit 44, since the direct printing plate 14 is raised and curved, the leaked light does not hit the inclined portion of the raised portion on the developing unit 38 side, that is, the wet toner image portion.

Even when the direct printing plate 14 is curved or the like and the position of the upper surface is changed, the guide roller 550 follows the direct printing plate 14 so that the gap between the lower end portion 546AB of the light shielding plate 546A is almost constant. Is kept constant. Also,
Since the guide roller receiver 556 supports the lower surface of the direct printing plate 14 when the guide roller 550 is rolling on the direct printing plate 14, the vicinity of the side end portion 15 of the direct printing plate 14 is weighted by the shutter 546. It does not deform significantly.

In this way, since the light of the fixing section 44 is shielded, a clear toner image can be obtained without the toner particles flowing.

Although the direct printing plate 14 tends to bend when heated, it is prevented by the edge pressing roller 528 and the nip rollers 564 and 566.
The edge pressing roller 528 may be arranged in the fixing unit 44, and in this case, the curvature of the direct printing plate 14 can be suppressed more effectively. When the edge pressing roller 528 is arranged in the fixing unit 44,
As the edge pressing roller 528, it is preferable to use, for example, a bearing made of ceramics, which has heat resistance and does not contain oil.

After that, the direct printing plate 14 is carried out from the fixing section 44 by rotating the shutter 558 in the direction of arrow D, like the shutter 546. The hot air in the fixing unit 44 is blocked by the shutter 546 and the shutter 558 and discharged to the outside air by the exhaust duct 562. Therefore, the hot air in the fixing unit 44 does not affect the devices in the vicinity of the fixing unit 44. ..

When the rear end of the direct printing plate 14 in the carrying direction passes through the shutter 546, the shutter 546 hangs down again by its own weight and blocks the light inside the fixing section 44. For this reason, even if the direct printing plate 14 in the subsequent step approaches the developing section 38 side of the fixing section 44, the light inside the fixing section 44 does not strike the direct printing plate 14 in the subsequent step.

The direct printing plate 14 after the fixing process is
It is conveyed to the cooling unit 300. As shown in FIG. 13, the direct printing plate 14 conveyed to the cooling unit 300 is conveyed along the spray bed 314 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. Further, the optical sensor 316 allows the direct printing plate 1 to be printed.
When 4 is detected, the control unit activates the pump 330. As a result, the cooling water in the cooling water tank 328 is pumped up, and the cooling water is passed through the through hole 3 of the tip portion 318A.
It is sprayed onto the direct printing plate 14 from 20 and is also sprayed onto the direct printing plate 14 from the through hole 324 of the tip portion 318B. Therefore, direct printing plate 1
4 is cooled quickly.

The cooling water sprayed on the direct printing plate 14 is collected in the tray 312, foreign matters are removed by the filter 334 provided in the recovery pipe 332, and returned to the cooling water tank 328. Then, the squeeze roller 326 squeezes the cooling water from the direct printing plate 14 and conveys it to the elution processing unit 22.

As shown in FIG. 14, the direct printing plate 14 conveyed to the elution processing section 22 is nipped by the conveyance rollers 56, conveyed into the elution tank 68, and immersed in the alkaline solution. The direct printing plate 14 dipped in the alkaline solution has a photoconductive photoreceptor layer 30 on which toner is not attached.
, I.e., non-image areas are eluted. At this time, the photoconductive photoreceptor layer 30 of the direct printing plate 14 is rubbed by the brush 90 to promote the elution reaction. By this elution treatment, the surface of the direct printing plate 14 to which the toner is not attached exposes the surface of the conductive support 14 which has been subjected to the hydrophilic treatment.

After the elution treatment, the direct printing plate 14 is squeezed by the squeeze unit 50, which is sandwiched by the conveying rollers 62 and the alkaline solution attached to the surface thereof is squeezed. The squeezed alkaline solution falls through the roller 96 and is collected in the receiving portion 94. The alkaline solution accumulated in the receiving portion 94 is returned to the elution tank 68 by the pump 90.

The squeezed direct printing plate 14 is conveyed to the water washing section 52, and the washing water is sprayed from the nozzle 106. Further, the direct printing plate 14 is rubbed by the brush 100 to completely remove the attached alkaline solution.

When the direct printing plate 14 is conveyed and reaches the gum solution applying section 54, the gum solution is jetted from the nozzle 114 and the gum solution is applied to the direct printing plate 14. The direct printing plate 14 after the gum treatment is conveyed to the direct printing plate 1
When 4 reaches the drying section 117, the gum liquid adhering to the direct printing plate 14 is dried by the hot air of the dryer 116. As a result, the non-image portion of the direct printing plate 14 (portion to which toner is not attached) is made hydrophilic.

The direct printing plate 14 processed by the elution processing unit 22 is then temporarily waited by the waiting unit 118, and is sent to the puncher unit 24 after the plate inspection work and the like, and is sent to a puncher (not shown) for positioning during plate mounting. A notch is formed.

In the direct printing plate 14 having the notches for positioning formed in the puncher portion 24, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the direct printing plate 14 are bent by a predetermined size by a folding device (not shown) of the plate bending portion 26. Thus, the plate making process of the direct printing plate 14 is completed.

As described above, in the electrophotographic plate making apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the light of the fixing section 44 can be effectively shielded, so that the wet toner image immediately after development of the direct printing plate 14 can be disturbed. It is possible to obtain a clear toner image.

[Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
It will be described according to 5. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 15, in the electrophotographic plate making apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the electrophotographic plate making apparatus 10 of the first embodiment is used.
Unlike the above, the convex portion 526 of the chain guide 524 is not provided, and the upper surface of the chain guide 524 is entirely horizontal. However, even in the electrophotographic plate making apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the light from the fixing unit 44 is released by the shutter. Since the light is sufficiently shielded by 546, a wet toner image immediately after development is not disturbed and a clear toner image can be obtained.

[Third Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
6 will be described. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 16, in the electrophotographic plate making apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the electrophotographic plate making apparatus 10 of the first embodiment is used.
Unlike the above, the chain guide 524 does not have the convex portion 526, and the upper surface of the chain guide 524 is formed horizontally, and the shutter 546 having the same structure as the shutter 546 is provided on the upstream side of the shutter 546. There is. Further, below the shutter 546 and the shutter 547, the roller chain 5 of the belt conveyor 126 is provided.
18, the plate support plate 520 (not shown in FIG. 16) and the platen plate 522 (not shown in FIG. 16) escape, and the fixing unit 4
A vertical partition wall 531 is provided below 4 in a direction intersecting with the conveyance direction of the belt conveyor 126. By the shutter 547 and the vertical partition wall 531, the fixing unit 4
The light of No. 4 can be blocked more effectively, and a wet toner image immediately after development does not get disturbed and a clear toner image can be obtained.

[Fourth Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
7 and FIG. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 17, in the electrophotographic plate making apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the electrophotographic plate making apparatus 10 of the first embodiment is used.
Unlike the above, there is no convex portion 526 of the chain guide 524, and in the longitudinal direction of the belt conveyor 126, the downstream side is positioned above the upstream side and is inclined by θ °. Also,
As shown in FIG. 18, the edge pressing roller 528 of the present embodiment is orthogonal to the conveying direction of the direct printing plate 14,
It also has a horizontal rotation axis. The edge pressing roller 528 of the present embodiment has a columnar shape in which the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction has a smaller diameter than the both ends by a predetermined dimension, and both ends are rotatably supported by a main body (not shown). The large diameter portion 528A of the edge pressing roller 528 comes into contact with the non-image forming area 14A of the direct printing plate 14.

Further, the developing unit 38 of the belt conveyor 126
The upper surface of the end portion in the longitudinal direction on the side is located below the direct plate discharge position of the developing unit 38.
The direct printing plate 14 discharged from the belt conveyor 1 moves diagonally downward, and further curves while being curved upward.
To 26.

In this embodiment, the light leaking from the lower side of the lower end portion 546AB of the shutter 546 is blocked by the edge pressing roller 528, so that the amount of light leaking to the developing portion 38 can be further reduced. it can.

[Fifth Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
9 will be described. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 19, in the electrophotographic plate making apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the chain guide 524 is provided in the drying unit 4.
2 and the fixing portion 44 have a substantially triangular shape with an apex between the fixing portion 44 and the fixing portion 44, and the fixing portion 44 is inclined along the slope of the chain guide 524.

In this embodiment, light (arrow LB) leaking from the lower side of the lower end portion 546AB of the shutter 546 is radiated obliquely upward, so that the direct printing plate 14 positioned immediately after development is the light. Never reach.

[Sixth Embodiment] A sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
It will be described according to 0. The present embodiment is a modification of the fourth embodiment, and the same components as those in the fourth embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 20, in the chain guide 524 of this embodiment, the lower portion of the fixing portion 44 is recessed in an arc shape. For this reason, the direct printing plate 14 conveyed in the fixing unit 44 is curved in an arc shape protruding downward along the belt conveyor 126, and therefore, when heated in the fixing unit 44, the direct printing plate 14 moves upward. Bending is prevented.

In this embodiment, light leaking from the lower side of the lower end portion 546AB of the shutter 546 is blocked by the edge pressing roller 528, so that the amount of light leaking to the developing portion 38 can be further reduced. it can.

In this embodiment, the direct printing plate 14 is used.
Is configured to positively charge the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 and develop with a toner having a positive charge. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 is negatively charged to a negative charge. Needless to say, it may be developed with a toner having a. Alternatively, the direct printing plate 14 may be developed with a toner having a negative charge and the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 being positively charged, or the photoconductive photosensitive layer 30 may be negatively charged and a positive charge is applied. Needless to say, the development may be performed with a toner having a toner.

[0107]

As described above, since the electrophotographic plate making apparatus of the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, the leakage of light in the fixing processing section is effectively blocked, so that the toner image immediately after development is not disturbed. It has an excellent effect that a direct printing plate on which a clear image is formed can be produced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a fixing unit showing a state where a direct printing plate is placed on a belt conveyor.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the structure of a direct printing plate used in the electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an arrangement of processing units of an electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view showing a drawing unit in FIG.

5A is a cross-sectional view of the developing unit of FIG. 3 as seen from the transport direction of the direct printing plate, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the main part of the developing unit.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a developing and fixing processing section of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing the left half of the fixing unit when the direct printing plate is not placed on the belt conveyor as viewed from the developing unit side.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing the left half of the fixing unit when the direct printing plate is placed on the belt conveyor as seen from the developing unit side.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an image area and a non-image area of a direct printing plate.

FIG. 10 is a front view of an edge pressing roller when a direct printing plate is placed on a belt conveyor as seen from the developing section side.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a fixing unit showing a state in which a direct printing plate is not placed on the belt conveyor.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a nip roller.

13 is a cross-sectional view showing the cooling unit of FIG.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing an elution processing section and a drying section of FIG.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing a developing and fixing processing section of an electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing a developing and fixing processing section of an electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view showing a developing and fixing processing section of an electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a front view of the edge pressing roller of the electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the developing section side.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view showing a developing and fixing processing section of an electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing a developing and fixing processing section of an electrophotographic plate making apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing a developing and fixing processing section of a conventional electrophotographic plate making apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Electrophotographic Plate Making Equipment 14 Direct Printing Plate 16 Drawing Section (Image Forming Section) 30 Photoconductive Photosensitive Layer 38 Developing Section (Development Processing Section) 126 Belt Conveyor (Conveying Means) 528 Edge Pressing Roller (Deformation Preventing Means) 540 Halogen Lamp (Light irradiation part) 546 Shutter (light blocking member) 548 Light blocking plate rotating shaft (rotation supporting part) 550 Guide roller (guide member) 564 Nip roller (deformation preventing means) 566 Nip roller (deformation preventing means)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming portion for forming an electrostatic latent image on a direct printing plate having a photoconductive photosensitive layer, and the direct printing plate on which the electrostatic latent image is formed are developed with a liquid developer and then statically charged. An electrophotographic plate making apparatus comprising: a development processing unit for exposing a latent electric image; and a light irradiation unit for heating and fixing the developed direct printing plate, wherein the direct printing plate is illuminated from the development processing unit. A conveying means for conveying to the shooter section, a light-shielding member provided between the development processing section and the light irradiation section for blocking light leakage from the light irradiation section toward the development processing section, and A rotation support portion that is provided on an upper portion and that supports the light shielding member in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the direct printing plate and rotatably around an axis that is horizontal, and that is provided on the light shielding member, Direct contact with the printing plate Electrophotographic plate making apparatus, wherein a guide member to maintain the relative distance between the end portion of the shielding member and transfected plate constant, that was provided. 2. The deformation preventing means for suppressing deformation of the direct printing plate in contact with the direct printing plate is provided in the light irradiation part or in the vicinity of the light irradiation part. Electrophotographic plate making equipment. 3. The transporting path of the direct printing plate of the transporting means has a non-linear shape between the developing processing section and the light irradiation section. Electrophotographic plate making equipment.