JPH0659427A - Optical printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a desired image at a low cost even if special image receiving paper coated with the color developing agent to be exclusively used. CONSTITUTION:A photosensitive film 3 fed by rolls 4a, 4b is selectively photoirradiated by a light source 1 for exposing. On the other hand, image receiving paper (plain paper) 9 is sent in a direction A from a paper feed cassette 17. A color developing agent film 5 is held by a platen roller 8 and a thermal head 18 and the color developing agent is transferred onto the image receiving paper 9. The image receiving paper 9 is further superposed on a photosensitive film 3 and is pressurized by pressure developing rollers 7, 7, by which uncured capsules are crushed and the dyes included therein are transferred onto the image receiving paper.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical printer used as a non-contact type full-color output device utilizing light in the field of office equipment and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the field of office equipment and the like, a printer utilizing light is widely used as a non-contact type output device.
A typical device of these printers will be briefly described.

A conventional printer using light uses white or red, green, and blue three-color light as a light source for exposure, and exposes light to a photosensitive dye-containing capsule arranged on a sheet. . By exposing this light to light, the photosensitive outer coat covering the outside of the capsule undergoes a curing reaction. In the subsequent process, to transfer the dye enclosed in the uncured capsule in the unirradiated area to the special image-receiving paper side that is already coated with the color developer that reacts with the dye to reproduce color. Then, the unexposed capsule is crushed by pressure development. By this step, the developer coated on the image receiving paper and the transferred dye react with each other to form a color and form an image.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional printer, since the output paper requires a special image-receiving paper coated with a dedicated developer, the running cost is higher than that of plain paper. Further, in order to suppress the discoloration and defective coloring of the coated surface of the dedicated coated paper, it is necessary to regulate the storage state before use, which is a problem that it is difficult for the user to handle.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the optical printer of the present invention, a transfer means for transferring a color developer, which reacts with a dye to develop color, to an image receiving paper is provided with a paper feed section and a pressurizing means. The transfer means is constituted by a thermal transfer means.

[0006]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an optical printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the optical printer.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the process of transferring the color developer onto the image receiving paper, and FIG. 4 is a view showing that the photosensitive dye-containing capsule is crushed by pressure development,
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion where the dye contained therein is transferred to the image receiving paper.

The exposure light 2 (means for irradiating light) from the exposure light 2 is irradiated while being sent to the sheet, for example, the photosensitive film 3 in the direction of arrow B, so that the photosensitivity arranged on the photosensitive film 3 is increased. The dye-containing capsule 13a is selectively cured by a photocuring reaction (13b). On the other hand, the image receiving paper 9 is fed from the paper feeding cassette (paper feeding unit) 17 to the paper feeding roller 1
The sheet is fed inside the apparatus by 1 and conveyed by the sheet feed roller 12. (Direction of arrow A) On the image receiving side (upper side of the drawing) of the fed image receiving paper 9, a thermal head (thermal transfer portion) 18 and a platen roller (pressurizing means) 8 which constitute a transfer means.
The developer layer 15 provided on the developer film 5 by
Are transferred due to the fusion property of the heat fusion layer 16. (Figure 3)

By the above processing, the image receiving paper 9 accompanied by the color developer is sent to the pressure phenomenon roller (pressing means) 7 (direction of arrow A). Therefore, the unexposed uncured capsules 13b of the photosensitive dye-containing capsules 13 on the photosensitive film 3 are combined with the exposed photosensitive film 3.
And the dye 14 contained therein is transferred to the image receiving paper 9 (FIG. 4). The image receiving paper 9 to which the dye 14 has been transferred is sent to the thermal fixing device 10, where the color reaction and fixing processing is performed and the image is output to the outside of the apparatus. (Arrow A)

[0010]

The present invention has the following effects by having the above-mentioned structure.

Since the developer is transferred onto the image receiving paper immediately before the dye transfer without using a special coated paper in which the developer is previously coated on the image receiving paper, plain paper can be used. Also,
Since plain paper can be used, the running cost is low, there are few restrictions on the storage state of the paper, and it is possible to obtain an apparatus that does not burden the user.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a device configuration diagram of an optical printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the optical printer.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a process of thermally transferring a color developing agent onto image receiving paper.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion where a photosensitive dye-containing capsule is crushed by pressure development and the encapsulated dye is transferred to an image receiving paper.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 means for irradiating light (light source for exposure) 3 sheet (photosensitive film) 4a supply roll 4b take-up roll 5 developer film 6 roll 7 pressurizing means (pressure developing roller) 8 pressurizing means (platen roller) 9 image receiving Paper 11 Supply Roll 12 Paper Feed Roller 13 Photosensitive Dye Encapsulation Capsule 13a Exposed Capsule 13b Unexposed Capsule 14 Transfer Dye 17 Paper Feeding Section (Paper Feeding Cassette) 18 Thermal Transfer (Thermal Head)

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] August 31, 1993

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 1]

[Fig. 2]

[Figure 3]

[Figure 4]

Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location B41J 17/02 9211-2C H04N 1/23 103 C 9186-5C

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A means for selectively irradiating light-sensitive dye-containing capsules arranged on a sheet with light, a means for feeding an image-receiving paper from a paper feeding section, and a sheet and the image-receiving paper are superposed and pressed. And a pressurizing unit for crushing the uncured capsule in the non-irradiated portion, and a transfer unit for transferring the color developer to the image receiving paper provided between the paper feeding unit and the pressurizing unit. Optical printer. 2. The transfer means comprises a thermal transfer portion, a film coated with a color developer, and means for feeding the film in a fixed direction.
2. The optical printer according to claim 1, further comprising means for superposing the film and the image receiving paper on each other and pressurizing them. 3. The optical printer according to claim 2, wherein the thermal transfer section is a thermal head.