JPH0524245A - Image recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To unify glossiness of finished image and improve the reproducibility based on image signal without prolonging the whole recording time. CONSTITUTION:A line buffer 182 outputs a signal for 1 line to a driver 184 synchronizing with rotation of a holding drum 30. Here, a picture element whose density becomes O is selected. At heating a third layer (C coloring matter layer 108), a signal (signal line D0) corresponding to a predetermined energy is outputted to a table on the line buffer 182 corresponding to the picture element whose density becomes 0. Thus, maximum energy for heating an M coloring matter layer 104 is given to the picture element whose density becomes O at heating the C coloring matter layer 108, so that more than predetermined energy is given to the whole picture element, thereby solving the irregularity of glossiness.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording head for recording each image on a thermosensitive recording material provided with a plurality of thermosensitive coloring layers each having different sensitivity and coloring in different hues. The present invention relates to an image recording method for recording an image by repeating scanning recording and fixing by irradiation of light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, there is a heat-sensitive recording method as a method of recording an image on a recording sheet using a heating element. In this heat-sensitive recording method, a heat-sensitive recording material in which a color former and a developer are applied to a support such as paper or synthetic paper is used, and the heat-sensitive recording material is heat-treated by a thermal head for recording. Such a heat-sensitive recording method does not require development, when the support is paper, the quality of the paper is similar to general paper, it is easy to handle, the color density is high, the recording device is simple and inexpensive, It is advantageous in that it produces less noise when compared to a dot printer, etc., and has rapidly become widespread in the fields of monochrome facsimiles and printers in recent years.

Further, in such a recording field, with the rapid development of the information industry, there is an increasing demand for easily obtaining a color hard copy from a terminal of an information device such as a computer or facsimile.

The applicant of the present invention has proposed a multicolor thermosensitive recording material capable of obtaining an excellent thermosensitive color image which has never been obtained by providing a support with a plurality of color forming layers which develop different hues. (Japanese Patent Application No. 2-89384, Japanese Patent Application No. 2
-134303). On this heat-sensitive recording material, a heat-sensitive head having heads arranged in the main scanning direction is scanned and recorded in the sub-scanning direction to record an image.

According to this, it is possible to obtain a multicolor image having excellent hue, excellent color separation, and good image storability which could not be obtained by the conventional thermal recording method.
Further, the obtained image may be a transmission image or a reflection image.

In such a thermosensitive recording paper, when multiple color forming layers are provided on one side, the upper layer is heated and colored with a heat quantity such that the lower layer is not heated, and the fixing process of the color forming layer is performed. After the completion, it is necessary to heat the lower color-developing layer.

By the way, there may be pixels in the image that are not to be colored at all. For example, it is not necessary to color the frame around the image.

No heat is applied to such a pixel having an indicated density of 0 based on the image signal, and there is no heat between the non-heated part and the heated part.
There is a difference in glossiness. The difference in glossiness causes a problem that the image becomes unnatural and an appropriate image based on the image signal cannot be reproduced.

In order to solve this problem, a heat roller is provided on the downstream side in the conveying direction after the heat treatment of all the coloring layers is completed, and the heat roller is used to heat the entire surface of the thermosensitive recording paper with a predetermined energy. Conceivable.

As a result, the glossiness can be made uniform, the reproducibility of the image can be improved, and the unnaturalness of the image can be eliminated.

[0011]

However, in such an image recording method, the entire surface heating time by the heat roller is added to the heat treatment time of each color forming layer, so that the entire recording time is extended. .

In consideration of the above facts, the present invention provides an image recording method capable of making glossiness of a finished image uniform and improving reproducibility based on an image signal without extending the entire recording time. That is the purpose.

[0013]

The invention according to claim 1 is determined based on the level of an image signal to a thermosensitive recording material provided with a plurality of thermosensitive coloring layers each having different sensitivity and coloring in different hues. When an image is recorded by applying energy in accordance with a predetermined density value, the recording head repeats scanning recording to each thermosensitive coloring layer and fixing by irradiation of light in order from the coloring layer with the lowest energy for coloring. An image recording method for recording an image according to claim 1, characterized in that the highest energy of the energy given to the color-forming layer for which scanning and recording has been completed is given to at least the pixel whose indicated density based on the image signal is 0. There is.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a thermosensitive recording material provided with a plurality of thermosensitive coloring layers each having different sensitivity and coloring in different hues is provided with a predetermined density value determined based on the level of an image signal. When an image is recorded by applying energy to the recording layer, the image is recorded by repeating scanning recording to each thermosensitive coloring layer by the recording head and fixing by irradiation of light in order from the coloring layer with the lowest energy for coloring. The recording method is characterized in that maximum energy for the (n-1) th scan recording is applied to the pixel for which the indicated density based on the image signal is 0, at the time of the nth scan recording.

The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that the n-th scanning recording is scanning recording of the final layer.

[0016]

When the indicated density based on the image signal is 0,
Energy is not applied to the pixels corresponding to this.

Therefore, a difference in glossiness occurs between the pixels to which energy is applied. According to the invention described in claim 1, in the pixel for which the indicated density based on the image signal is 0,
The highest energy of the energy imparted to the color-developing layer for which scanning recording has been completed is imparted. For example, in the case of an apparatus that heat-processes a thermal recording material with a thermal head and scan-records, a heat roller is newly added by using a heat roller as a discharge roller for discharging the thermal-recording material for which scanning recording has been completed. The total recording time can be shortened as compared with the case where the number of steps is increased. As a result, the glossiness of the finished image is made uniform, and an image with good reproducibility can be obtained.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the maximum energy for the scan recording of the (n-1) th surface is given to the pixel having the indicated density of 0 based on the image signal during the nth scan recording. As a result, energy can be applied to the pixels having the indicated density of 0 based on the image signal during the scan recording time without any influence on the coloring layer that is colored by the scan recording of the nth time and thereafter. The time can be shortened.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, sufficient energy can be applied to this pixel by applying energy to the pixel having the indicated density of 0 based on the image signal during the scanning recording of the final layer. it can.

[0020]

FIG. 1 shows the schematic structure of an image recording apparatus according to this embodiment.

On the front surface of the image recording apparatus, there is an insertion slot 1 for a cassette 150 containing a thermal recording material 10 in the form of a slit hole.
12 and a discharge port 114 through which the processed thermal recording material is discharged are provided vertically. Cassette 150
, The sheet-shaped thermal recording materials 10 of the same size are stacked and accommodated, and the uppermost thermal recording material 1
It is configured to be sent from 0 to the inside of the device.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the thermosensitive recording material 10, a cyan dye layer (hereinafter C
A dye layer 108, a magenta dye layer (hereinafter M dye layer) 104, and a yellow dye layer (hereinafter Y dye layer) 106 are provided and all transparent. In addition,
The Y dye layer 106 and the M dye layer 104 are light fixing type,
By irradiating with light having a wavelength of 420 nm and light having a wavelength of 365 nm, the layer does not change even after being heated.

A so-called half-moon roller 164 is disposed on the inner side of the insertion port 112. The half-moon roller 164 is stopped with its notch 164A facing the uppermost thermal recording material 10 in the cassette 150, and a gap is created in this state.

Here, when the half-moon roller 164 makes one rotation, its peripheral surface comes into contact with the uppermost thermosensitive recording material 10, and only the uppermost thermosensitive recording material 10 is pulled out from the cassette 150 by frictional force, and the insertion port 112 is inserted. Can be transported to the back side of the.

A pair of conveying rollers 72 are provided further on the inner side of the insertion port 112, and the thermosensitive recording material 10 pulled out by the half-moon roller 164 is the pair of conveying rollers 7.
It is sandwiched by 2 and further transported.

For example, a VTR 116 is connected to the image recording apparatus, and an image recording signal at the time of image recording by a thermal head 32 (see FIG. 3) described later is created based on the image signal from the VTR 116. Has become. A CCD camera or the like may be used as an image signal source connected to the image recording apparatus.

The front panel 117 provided with the insertion port 112 and the ejection port 114 is provided with a power switch 120, a display device 122 for displaying the number of prints, and a print button 124. Also, the print button 12
A sub-cover 126 that can be opened and closed is provided below 4, and a fine adjustment knob (not shown) for image quality and the like is attached.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the cassette 1
The thermal recording material 10 pulled out from 50 detects this by the limit switch 118, and by this, the driver 7
It is nipped by a pair of conveyance rollers 72 driven by the driving force of 4 and guided by the guide plate 70 to be conveyed.
You will be guided to 8.

The heat treatment section 28 is provided with a support drum 30 which is a rotating body and a line type thermal head 32 which is a recording head, and the thermal recording material 10 is thermally wrapped around the support drum 30. The head 32 is adapted to be heated. The support drum 30 is formed of a metallic cylindrical body 34, and an elastic body 36 is formed on the outer periphery thereof.
Is wrapped around. The support drum 30 is the driver 3
It is designed to rotate at a constant speed in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 by the driving force of 8, and has a role of sequentially making the thermal recording material 10 wound around the supporting drum 30 correspond to the thermal head 32. There is.

One of the thermal heads 32 is rotatably supported by the frame of the apparatus through a shaft 40, and the driving force of a driver 41 moves the thermal head 32 around the shaft 40 in the direction of arrow C in FIGS. 3 to 5 and in the opposite direction. The heating element 42 which is rotated and arranged on the other side is brought into contact with and separated from the heat-sensitive recording material 10 wound around the support drum 30. An image signal is output from the control device 45 to the heating element 42 when it contacts the heat-sensitive recording material 10, and an image is formed on the heat-sensitive recording material 10 by heat generation according to the image signal 100.

The heat-sensitive recording material 10 conveyed to the heat treatment section 28 by the conveyance roller 26 is guided in the conveyance direction by the guide plate 70 and constitutes a part of the holding section 46 provided on the outer periphery of the support drum 30. It reaches the recess 48. A latch claw 52, which constitutes a holding portion together with the concave portion 48, is axially supported by the concave portion 48 via a shaft 50 arranged in parallel with the rotation axis of the support drum 30. The latch claw 52 rotates in the direction of arrow D in FIGS. 3 to 5 via the shaft 50 by the driving force of the driver 49 when one end of the thermosensitive recording material 10 guided by the guide plate 44 is accommodated in the recess 48. By doing so, it has a role of holding one end of the thermal recording material. When the thermal recording material 10 is held by the latch claws 52, the thermal recording material 10 is sequentially wound around the outer circumference of the support drum 30 by the rotation of the support drum 30.

The timing at which the latch claw 52 holds the heat-sensitive recording material 10 is set by the limit switch 54 provided in the middle of the conveying path of the heat-sensitive recording material 10.
That is, the thermal recording material 10 is the limit switch 5
When the position 4 is reached, the actuator 56 of the limit switch 54 interferes with the thermal recording material 10 to switch the contact (in this embodiment, the normally open type limit switch is applied to the thermal recording material 10). It is turned on when it comes into contact with). An ON (high level) / OFF (low level) signal from the limit switch 54 is supplied to the control device 45, and the control device 45 controls the predetermined time (at least the heat sensitive recording material 10 according to the transport speed of the heat sensitive recording material 10). 10 is a concave portion 4
8 and the latch claw 52 is operated (see FIG. 3).
(Rotation in the direction of arrow D). This allows
In the holding state by the latch claw 52, the relative position between the thermosensitive recording material 10 and the support drum 30 is always constant, and the positioning is accurately performed.

Idle rollers 58, 60, 62 are provided at a plurality of locations (three locations in this embodiment) on the outer periphery of the support drum 30, and the support drum 30 and the idle rollers 58,
The heat-sensitive recording material 10 is supported by the supporting drums 3 and 60.
It is wrapped around the outer circumference of 0 in close contact.
Further, light sources 64A and 64B connected to the control device 45 via drivers 63A and 63B are arranged on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the support drum 30 at the position where the thermal recording material 10 is heated by the thermal head 32. 10 is irradiated with light. The wavelengths of this light are 420 nm and 365 nm, respectively, and the light source 64A is for fixing the Y dye layer 106 of the thermal recording material 10 and the light source 64B is for fixing the M dye layer 104. That is, in this embodiment, the support drum 30 is rotated three times in succession after the rotation is started. In the first rotation of the thermal recording material 10, the thermal head 32 heats the Y dye layer 106. Processing is performed and fixing is performed immediately after this processing.

At the next rotation of the support drum 30, that is, 2
The M dye layer 1 provided below the Y dye layer 106 in the rotation
04 (see FIG. 2) was heat treated and fixed, then 3
The C dye layer is heat-treated at the turn of rotation.

The heating element 4 that the thermal recording material 10 receives
The energy (heat amount) from 2 is "weak" during the first rotation of the support drum 30, has no effect on the lower M dye layer 104 and the C dye layer 108, and "is low" during the second rotation. It is controlled by the control device 45 so that it is "medium" and "strong" during the third rotation.

The heat-sensitive recording material on which the image has been formed after the heat treatment is sandwiched by a pair of conveying rollers 166, and is guided to the discharge port 114 and discharged.

The control device 45 includes a CPU 82 and a RAM 8
4, a ROM 86, an input port 88, an output port 90, and a micro computer 94 including a bus 92 such as a data bus or a control bus connecting these. A print button 124 and a limit switch 118 are connected to the input port 88, and a series of heat treatments are performed by operating the print button 124 and detecting the thermal recording material 10 by the limit switch 118. Further, the signal line 98 from the limit switch 54 is connected to the input port 88.

The output port 90 has a support drum 30, a thermal head 32, a latch claw 52, and light sources 64A, 64.
B, transport roller 72, half-moon roller 164, transport roller 1
66 are drivers 38, 41, 49, 63A, 6 respectively
3B, 74, 165, 167, and their respective drives are controlled. A signal line 100 for supplying the image signal to the thermal head 32 is also connected to the output port 90.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a flow for heating each heating element 42 of the thermal head 32 based on the image signal.

The image signal from the VTR 116 includes Y,
A K (black) signal indicating other characters such as M and C colors is included. These signals are Y,
Converted to three colors, M and C.

The converted image signal of each color is represented by gradation (0 to 255 for 256 gradations) indicating the density, and the LUT
The data for one line is output to the line buffer 182 via the (lookup table) 180. A pulse signal from the driver 38 that rotates the support drum 30 is input to the line buffer 182, and a signal for one line is output to the driver 184 in synchronization with the rotation of the support drum 30. As a result, each heating element 42 of the thermal head 32 is heated according to the output from the driver 184, and energy (amount of heat generation) is applied to each coloring layer.

Here, in the present embodiment, the pixels having the indicated density of 0 based on the image signal at the time of conversion by the CPU 82 are selected, and the instruction based on the image signal is performed during the heat treatment of the third layer (C dye layer 108). Predetermined energy (maximum value of energy for heating the M dye layer 104) is stored in the table on the line buffer 182 corresponding to the pixel having the density of 0.
Is output (signal line D _{0 in} FIG. 6).

As a result, the maximum energy for heating the M dye layer 104 is given to the pixels having the indicated density of 0 based on the image signal during the heating process of the C dye layer 108, and all the pixels have the predetermined energy. The above energy is applied.

In general, it is known that a glossy feeling is different in a finished image between a pixel to which energy more than a predetermined value is applied and a pixel to which energy is not applied. The above-described processing in this embodiment has a role of eliminating this nonuniform glossy feeling.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below. When the print button 124 is operated, the half-moon roller 164 becomes 1
Rotate. As a result, the uppermost thermal recording material 10 comes into contact with the peripheral surface of the half-moon roller 164 and is pulled out by the frictional force.

The heat-sensitive recording material 10 pulled out by the half moon roller 164 is guided by the guide plate 70 and moves. When the limit switch 118 is turned on, the conveyance roller 72 starts driving and is conveyed by a predetermined amount.

When the thermal recording material 10 is further conveyed, it comes into contact with the actuator 56 of the limit switch 54. Here, when the limit switch 54 is turned on, a high-level signal is input to the input port 88, and the latch claw 52 is rotated in the direction of arrow D after a predetermined time has elapsed. The recording material 10 is accommodated in the recessed portion 48 of the support drum 30, and the leading end portion of the recording material 10 is in contact with the locking portion 49. The latch claw 52 holds the leading end portion.

The tip of the thermal recording material 10 has a latch claw 52.
When held by, the support drum 30 starts rotating in the direction of arrow B (first rotation). First heat treatment control is performed. That is, the holding portion 46 is the thermal head 3
After passing through the second heating element 42, a drive signal is output from the output port 90 via the driver 41, the thermal head 32 is rotated about the shaft 40 in the direction of arrow C, and the heating element 4
2 contacts the thermal recording material 10. As a result, the support drum 30 is rotated with the heating element 42 in contact with the thermal recording material 10, and an image signal is output to the heating element 42 in response to this rotation.

The heating element 42 is set to "weak" in the amount of heat,
The thermal recording material 10 is heated according to this image signal, and only the Y dye layer 106 is colored. The heating element 4
When the heating process by 2 is completed, the thermal head 32 is rotated in the direction of the counter arrow C about the shaft 40, and the heating element 42 is separated from the thermal recording material 10.

Next, a wavelength of 42 is applied to the image surface of the photosensitive material 10.
Light of 0 nm is emitted from the light source 64A. This makes Y
The dye layer 106 is fixed.

Next, the process continuously moves to the second rotation, and the M dye layer 104 is heat-treated. That is, the amount of heat for the heating process by the heating element 42 is switched to "medium", the same process as the heating of the Y dye layer 106 is performed, the thermal recording material 10 is heated according to the image signal, and M Dye layer 1
Only 04 is colored.

The heat-sensitive recording material 10 on which the heat treatment of the M dye layer has been completed is irradiated with light having a wavelength of 365 nm by the light source 64B, whereby the M dye layer 104 is fixed.

Next, in the third rotation, the C dye layer 108
Heat treatment is performed. That is, the amount of heat for the heat treatment by the heating element 42 is switched to "strong", the heat-sensitive recording material 10 is heated according to the image signal, and the C dye layer 10 is heated.
Only 8 is colored.

During the heat treatment of the C dye layer 108, the rye buffer 182 has the indicated density of 0 based on the image signal.
Since the maximum value of energy for heating the M dye layer 104 (corresponding to “medium”) is input to the table corresponding to the pixel of, the indicated density based on the image signal is obtained at the same time as the heating process of the C dye layer 108. Predetermined energy is applied to the 0 pixel.

When the heat treatment of each color forming layer is completed, the heating element 42 of the thermal head 32 is separated from the heat-sensitive recording material 10, and after a lapse of a predetermined time, the holding portion 46 passes through the idle roller 62, and at this time, the holding portion. The heat-sensitive recording material 10 is released from being nipped by 46, and is conveyed between the guide plates 66 and 68 according to the rotation of the support drum 30.

The thermal recording material 10 between the guide plate 66 and the guide plate 68 is nipped by the conveying roller 166 and is conveyed by a predetermined amount by the conveying roller 166, whereby the discharge port 1
It is sent to 14 and discharged. As a result, the heat treatment of one thermal recording material is completed.

As described above, in this embodiment, the predetermined energy or more is applied to all the pixels, and the uneven glossiness of the finished image is eliminated.

In particular, conventionally, there is a difference in glossiness from the inside of the image in the white frame portion around the image, which may cause unnaturalness. The reproducibility of the image based on the signal can be improved.

When 10 subjects evaluated the difference in glossiness, there was no difference in this example, and those without such treatment recognized the difference from all.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the pixel having the indicated density of 0 based on the image signal is given a certain energy or more at the same time as the heat treatment of the C dye layer 108, sufficient energy is given. However, it may be performed simultaneously with the heat treatment of the M dye layer 104.
In this case, the applied energy is limited to the maximum value of the energy for developing the Y dye layer 106, but there is substantially no effect and an appropriate image with no difference in glossiness can be obtained.

Further, in the present embodiment, the predetermined energy is applied only to the pixels whose indicated density based on the image signal is 0 during the scanning recording, but the conveying roller 166 for discharging the thermal recording material 10 is provided. A heat roller may be used to apply predetermined energy to the entire surface of the heat-sensitive recording material 10.

[0062]

As described above, according to the image recording method of the present invention, the glossiness of the finished image can be made uniform and the reproducibility based on the image signal can be improved without extending the entire recording time. It has an excellent effect that it can be done.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of an image recording apparatus according to this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a multicolor heat-sensitive recording material applied to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the image recording apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the periphery of a support drum.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a flow of an image signal in the control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Thermal recording material 28 Heat treatment section 30 Support drum 32 Thermal Head 45 Control device 182 line buffer

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location B41J 29/46 D 8804-2C 9113-2C B41J 3/20 115 Z 8907-2C 117 C

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image is obtained by applying energy to a thermosensitive recording material provided with a plurality of thermosensitive coloring layers that have different sensitivities and develop different hues according to a predetermined density value determined based on the level of an image signal. In the case of recording, an image recording method for recording an image by repeating scanning recording to each thermosensitive coloring layer by a recording head and fixing by irradiation of light in order from a coloring layer having low energy for coloring, An image recording method, characterized in that the highest energy of the energy given to the color-forming layer for which scanning and recording has already been completed is given to a pixel whose indicated density based on the image signal is 0. 2. An image is formed by applying energy to a heat-sensitive recording material provided with a plurality of heat-sensitive color-developing layers having different sensitivities and coloring in different hues in accordance with a predetermined density value determined based on an image signal level. When recording, an image recording method for recording an image by repeating scanning recording to each thermosensitive coloring layer by a recording head and fixing by irradiation of light in order from a coloring layer having low energy for coloring, An image recording method, wherein maximum energy for the (n-1) th scan recording is applied to the pixel for which the indicated density based on the image signal is 0, during the nth scan recording. 3. The image recording method according to claim 2, wherein the nth scan recording is scan recording of the final layer.