JPH09171245A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain a photographic print-developing machine by a digital exposure, that is, a digital photoprinter by specifying constitution so as to prepare the sufficient capacity of a reservoir for transiently housing a photosensitive material after being exposed. SOLUTION: This image recorder is constituted so that the reservoir 34 is arranged under a photosensitive material supplying part and an exposure means (an exposing part and a light beam scanner 24) and further, an electrical part 20 is arranged on the side of the reservoir 34. In other words, the photosensitive material supplying part and the exposure means are arranged in the upper part of a printing/carrying device 22 and the electrical part 20 is arranged in a position where the exposing part, an operation table or the like is arranged heretofore. Thus, a large space is formed in the lower part of the printing/ carrying device 22, to be all usable as the reservoir 34. In the constitution of the image recorder 10, the capacity of the reservoir can be made maximum without a dead space and moreover, a desired capacity meeting a dmand is prepared in accordance with the size of a device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus for recording an image on a roll-shaped photosensitive material for exposure and development, and sufficiently increasing the capacity of a reservoir for temporarily storing the exposed photosensitive material. The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus capable of realizing a photographic printing / developing machine by digital exposure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, an image photographed on a photographic film (hereinafter, referred to as a film) such as a negative film or a reversal film is printed on a photosensitive material such as photographic paper by projecting an image of the film onto the photosensitive material. Surface-exposing the photosensitive material,
It is performed by so-called direct exposure (analog exposure).

On the other hand, in recent years, a printing apparatus using digital exposure, that is, photoelectrically reading image information recorded on a film, converting the read image into a digital signal, and then performing various image processes. Image information for recording, and a photosensitive material is scanned and exposed by a light beam modulated according to this image information to record an image (latent image), and development processing is applied to develop a digital photo printer. I'm out.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a conventionally used direct exposure (analog) photo printer. The conventional photo printer 200 basically includes an exposure device 202,
The printing / transporting device 204, the developing unit 206, the drying unit 208, and the discharging unit 210 are provided.
Then, an image of a film (original) is exposed on the photosensitive material A by the printing / transporting device 204, developed in the developing unit 206, dried in the drying unit 208, and cut into individual sheets in the discharging unit 210. It is a finished print.

In such a photo printer 200, the exposure of the photosensitive material A is basically performed in the following manner. First, when the film is conveyed by the film carrier 212 and set in a predetermined position, the exposure device 202
The light source unit 214 irradiates the film with light, and the projected image is displayed on the monitor. The operator determines the exposure condition (color / density correction amount) by looking at the monitor image, inputs it through the keyboard of the operation table 216, and inserts the color filter of the exposure device 202. Then
When an exposure instruction is issued, the light source unit 214 irradiates the film with light, and the projected light irradiates the photosensitive material A as shown in FIG. 4, so that the photosensitive material A is exposed. That is, in the conventional photo printer 200, the operator determines the exposure condition by determining the photographing state (over or under) of the film for each original film, and adjusts the insertion amount of the filter or the like accordingly. Since the exposure is performed in such a manner, it takes a long time to perform exposure (condition determination and exposure time) per image. There is also a problem that the exposure time varies depending on the image.

On the other hand, in a digital photo printer, a reading device photoelectrically reads a film, and a processing device performs color density correction by signal processing to determine an exposure condition in an image recording device as modulation of a light beam. To be done. Therefore, it is not necessary to determine the exposure conditions by the operator when the photosensitive material is exposed in the image recording apparatus, and further, it is unnecessary to adjust the filter, the diaphragm, etc., so that the exposure time per image is short, and Since the scanning speed is constant, the exposure time is also constant according to the image size. Moreover, it is also possible to freely perform various image processes such as edit layout of print images such as composition of a plurality of images and image division, editing of characters and images, and color / density adjustment, scaling, and edge enhancement. It is possible to output a finished print that is freely edited and image-processed according to the purpose. Further, in conventional direct exposure printing, it is not possible to reproduce all the image density information recorded on a film or the like in terms of density resolution, spatial resolution, color / density reproducibility, etc. For example, it is possible to output a print that reproduces almost 100% of the image density information recorded on the film.

Such a digital photo printer is basically a reading device for reading an image recorded on a document such as a film, a set-up device for image-processing the read image to determine an exposure condition for image recording, and a determination device. The image recording apparatus is configured to scan and expose the light-sensitive material according to the exposure conditions thus set to perform a developing process. The applicant of the present invention has invented various image reading devices and methods for realizing such a digital photo printer, and disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-217091.
No. 6,2,330,52, and No. 6-245062, this is proposed, and the gazette discloses the outline of the device of the digital photo printer.

[0008]

By the way, in a photo printer 200 that performs exposure and development processing of a photosensitive material and then cuts it, the photo printer 200 is exposed in order to absorb the speed difference between the exposure speed and the development processing speed. However, in the conventional photo printer, it takes a long time to expose one image, so that the difference between the exposure speed and the development processing speed is small and a large reservoir is not required. . Further, in the conventional apparatus, a large exposure section 202 and a work space for the operator (operation table 216, etc.) are required as shown in FIG. 4, and for that reason, the electrical equipment section 220 is housed in the printing and conveying apparatus 204. Therefore, the reservoir 218 cannot help miniaturization.

On the other hand, in the digital photo printer, as described above, since the exposure per image does not take much time and is constant, the exposure speed is much faster than the developing processing speed. Moreover, in digital exposure, the amount of light per unit area needs to be higher than in surface exposure. Therefore, when development processing is performed immediately after exposure, so-called latent image regression occurs in which the image color balance is disturbed. Therefore, in order to obtain a high quality image, it is necessary to perform development after a certain amount of time has elapsed after exposure. Therefore, in order to efficiently produce high-quality prints, a large reservoir that can retain the exposed photosensitive material for a time that can prevent latent image regression and that can sufficiently absorb the speed difference between development and exposure is required. is there. In addition, since the digital photo printer performs digital exposure, the size of the control board is large and the number of control boards is large as the control becomes complicated and the number of memories increases as compared with the conventional photo printer using analog exposure. Since the power source is greatly increased and the power source is diversified and the capacity is increased, the electrical component portion is also significantly increased, and the space available for the reservoir is further reduced.

Further, in image recording in a digital photo printer, it is necessary to continuously print a large number of images on a belt-shaped photosensitive material, and to record positional information of the continuously printed images, photographing information, etc. It is required to perform back-printing of the information on the recorded image, and performance and characteristics which are completely different from those of the image recording apparatus using ordinary digital exposure are required, and an image recording apparatus satisfying such requirements has not yet been realized. Absent.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems of the prior art. In an image recording apparatus using a roll-shaped photosensitive material and performing image recording and development processing without cutting the photosensitive material, exposure is performed. An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus capable of realizing a photographic printing / developing machine by digital exposure, that is, a digital photo printer, which can make a sufficient capacity of a reservoir for temporarily storing a used photosensitive material.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a photosensitive material supply section for loading a photosensitive material wound in a roll shape, and a conveying means for conveying the photosensitive material through a predetermined path. , A light beam modulated according to a recorded image is deflected in the main scanning direction, and the photosensitive material is held in a predetermined exposure position while being sub-scanned and conveyed in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction, thereby transferring the photosensitive material. An exposure unit for two-dimensionally scanning and exposing, a reservoir for storing the exposed photosensitive material, a developing device for developing the exposed photosensitive material, and an electrical component section for storing the control system for the conveying unit and the exposing unit. Has and
Provided is an image recording apparatus characterized in that the photosensitive material supply unit and the exposure unit are arranged above the reservoir, and the electric component unit is arranged at a side of the reservoir.

Further, the photosensitive material supply unit, the exposure unit, the reservoir, and the developing device are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream in the transportation direction by the transportation unit, and further, between the photosensitive material supply unit and the exposure unit. Preferably, means for recording image position information in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive material is arranged, and means for recording information on the back surface of the photosensitive material is arranged between the exposure section and the reservoir.

A first loop forming unit is provided between the photosensitive material supplying unit and the image position information recording unit, a second loop forming unit is provided upstream of the exposing unit, and a third loop is provided downstream of the exposing unit. It is preferable that the forming unit has a fourth loop forming unit disposed between the reservoir and the developing device.

Further, the capacity of the reservoir is equal to that of the photosensitive material 4.
It is preferably m to 20 m minutes.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The image recording apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an example of the image recording apparatus of the present invention. The image recording device 10 shown in FIG.
It is mainly used for image recording devices of digital photo printers, and is read by an image reading device such as a film scanner, and according to the exposure condition (image recording condition) determined by the setup device according to the read image. Is a device for scanning and exposing the photosensitive material A by light beam scanning exposure to form a latent image, developing the latent image, and outputting a print on which an image on a film is recorded. , A developing unit 14, a drying unit 16, a discharging unit 18, and an electric component unit 20 in which a control board, a power supply unit, and the like are housed.

The image recording section 12 comprises a printing / transporting device 22 and a light beam scanning device 24. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the printing and conveying device 22, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the light beam scanning device 24 (and the sub-scanning and conveying system 60).

The printing / conveying device 22 carries out recording of image position information, image exposure (printing), back printing, etc., while pulling out a long photosensitive material A wound in a roll and conveying it along a predetermined path. The photosensitive material supply unit 26, the image position information forming unit 28 for recording the image position information, the exposure unit 30, the back print unit 32, the reservoir 34, and the photosensitive material A are conveyed by the device for conveying to the developing unit 14 in the next step. It has a conveyance means which conveys by a predetermined route which passed these parts.

Further, in the image recording apparatus 10 according to the present invention, the reservoir 34 is provided below the photosensitive material supply section 26 containing the rolled photosensitive material A and the exposing means (the exposing section 30 and the light beam scanning device 24). And the electrical component 20 is disposed laterally of the reservoir 34.

The photosensitive material supply section 26 is a section for loading the photosensitive material magazine 27 which is formed by housing the rolled photosensitive material A in a light-shielding case. Above the reservoir 34, the exposure section 30 is provided. And a light beam scanning device 24. The configuration of the photosensitive material supply unit 26 is not particularly limited, and various configurations in a known image recording apparatus using the photosensitive material A wound in a roll shape can be used.

A pull-out roller pair 36, a sensor 38, and a guide 40 are disposed downstream of the photosensitive material supply unit 26 in the conveying direction of the photosensitive material A (hereinafter referred to as "downstream"), and further, the first roller is arranged. The loop forming part 42 is arranged.
The pull-out roller pair 36 pulls out the photosensitive material A from the photosensitive material magazine 27 loaded in the photosensitive material supply unit 26. The draw-out roller pair 36 is configured to be able to pinch and open the photosensitive material A by being brought into contact with or separated by a solenoid or the like, thereby facilitating removal of the magazine and passage of the photosensitive material A when the photosensitive material magazine 27 is replaced. . The sensor 38 is used for loading (passing of the photosensitive material A) and rewinding (for the photosensitive material magazine 27 of the photosensitive material A).
This is for detecting the presence or absence of the photosensitive material A at the time of (winding around). The sensor used in the image recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, including the sensor 38, is not particularly limited, and is a known sensor used for detecting a sheet-like object such as an optical sensor or a mechanical sensor. Are all available. The guide 40 adjusts the width according to the size (width) of the photosensitive material A stored in the photosensitive material magazine 27 loaded in the photosensitive material supply unit 26. Regarding this point, guides 52a, 52b, 90, 104 and 122
The same is true for

The first loop forming section 42 is a section for forming a loop (slack) of the photosensitive material A to absorb conveyance and stop of the photosensitive material A by the image position information forming section 28 arranged downstream. There is a transport roller 44,
Guide rollers 46 and 48 for guiding the photosensitive material A from the guide 40 to the image position information forming section 28;
9 and a sensor 52.

The guide 49 is configured to be movable by a motor 49M, and is positioned (closed) so as to guide the photosensitive material A from the guide roller 46 to the guide roller 48 when the photosensitive material A is passed. In the normal state, as shown in FIG. 2, it is positioned so as to retract from the loop (open). The guide 49 has a driven roller (not shown) that comes into contact with the transport roller 44 when the photosensitive material A is located at a position where the photosensitive material A is guided from the guide roller 46 to the guide roller 48. The photosensitive material A is nipped and transported by the roller 44 and the driven roller. The sensor 52 is the first
The loop forming unit 42 detects that a loop having a predetermined size is formed, and the above-mentioned pull-out roller pair 36 detects the loop by the sensor 52 according to the detection result of the loop by the sensor 52. When it disappears, a predetermined amount of the photosensitive material A is pulled out from the photosensitive material magazine 27 and sent out.

An image position information forming section 28 is arranged downstream of the first loop forming section 42. In the image recording apparatus 10 of the present invention corresponding to the digital photo printer, the photosensitive material A is not cut by the image recording section 12, the developing section 14 and the drying section 16 in a normal operation, and is continuously strip-shaped. Image recording and development processing are performed on the sheet, and the sheet is cut off at the final discharging unit 18 to obtain a finished print. Therefore, for the cutting of the photosensitive material A performed later, and for the exposure and back printing depending on the configuration of the apparatus as shown in the drawing, position information (so-called frame information) for each print, for example, 24 It is necessary to form image position information such as position information (so-called sort information) for each appropriately set unit number of sheets such as one sheet, 36 sheets, or the like. The image position information forming unit 28 uses this frame information and / or
Alternatively, it is a part that forms sort information.

The image recording apparatus 10 of the illustrated example punches a square hole to form frame information and sort information. The image position information forming section 28 includes a punch 50 for punching frame information and the like. It has guides 52a and 52b arranged upstream and downstream of the punch 50, and a sensor 54 for detecting the presence or absence of the photosensitive material A. The punch 50 is activated when a pair of conveying rollers 56 of a second loop forming section 58, which will be described later, conveys one print of the photosensitive material A, pierces the photosensitive material A into a predetermined shape, and forms a frame corresponding to one print. Form information. After forming the frame information for the set number of prints, the punch 50 forms the sort information.

In the apparatus shown in the figure, frame information and the like are formed by punching the photosensitive material A using the punch 50, but the present invention is not limited to this, and thermal transfer using an ink ribbon or the like. The frame information and the like may be formed by recording marks such as lines and dots by using various recording means described above. In this case, a back print unit 32, which will be described later, may be arranged at the position of the image position information forming unit 28, and this may have a function of forming frame information and the like.

Further, in the apparatus of the illustrated example, the image position information forming unit 28 is arranged upstream of the exposure unit 30, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the image position information forming unit 28 is arranged on the downstream side of the exposure unit 30. The forming portion 28 may be arranged. However, as shown in the figure, by arranging the image position information forming unit 28 upstream of the exposure unit 30, the previously formed frame information is detected and the exposure start position by the light beam L, that is, the conveyance of the photosensitive material A, is detected. Since the image recording position in the direction can be determined, the image position of the print can be controlled with higher precision, and the exposure unit 30 can be controlled as compared with the case where the image position information forming unit 28 is arranged downstream of the exposure unit. Up to this point, the conveyance control of the photosensitive material A can be simplified, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

An exposure unit 30 is arranged downstream of the image position information forming unit 28. In the apparatus shown in the figure, the exposure unit 30 and the light beam scanning device 24 shown in FIG. 3 constitute exposure means for two-dimensionally scanning and exposing the photosensitive material A with a light beam by digital exposure. Also,
The exposure section 30 basically includes a second loop forming section 58, a sub-scanning transport system 60, and a third loop forming section 62.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an image exposing means composed of the light beam scanning device 24 and the sub-scanning carrier system 60. The image recording apparatus 10 of the illustrated example uses the light beams L of the three primary colors modulated according to (the exposure density corresponding to) the image recorded by the light beam scanning device 24 in the main scanning direction (direction of arrow a in FIG. 3, FIG. 2). Then, while deflecting and scanning in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface,
While holding the photosensitive material A at a predetermined exposure position by the exposure drum 80 and the nip rollers 82, 84 which constitute the sub-scanning conveyance system 60, the photosensitive material A is exposed in the sub-scanning direction (direction of arrow b in the figure) substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction. By transporting material A, 3
The photosensitive material A is two-dimensionally scanned and exposed by the light beam L to record a latent image.

The light beam scanning device 24 scans a light-sensitive material A having wavelength dependence in spectral sensitivity, particularly a light-sensitive material A having a spectral sensitivity peak of three primary colors in a visible light region by using light beams of three primary colors. A three-laser-light different-angle incidence optical system (three-light source non-multiplexing optical system) for exposure is configured, and a laser light source 64R,
64G and 64B and collimator lenses 66R and 6R along the traveling direction of the light beam L emitted from each laser light source.
6G, 66B and AOM (acousto-optic modulator) 68R, 6
8G, 68B and reflection mirrors 70R, 70G, 70B
And cylindrical lenses 72R, 72G, 72B,
It has a polygon mirror 74, an fθ lens 76, a cylindrical mirror 78, and a reflection mirror 79.

The three-light-source non-multiplexing optical system includes three laser light sources 64R, 64 which emit light beams of predetermined narrow band wavelengths corresponding to red (R) exposure, green (G) exposure, and blue (B).
G, 64B is an optical system in which the light beam L emitted from each light source is incident on one point of the reflecting surface 74a of the polygon mirror 74 at a slightly different angle (for example, about 4 °). For example, the laser light source 64R is R A semiconductor laser (LD) that emits a light beam Lr having a wavelength of 680 nm for exposure, and a laser light source 64G has a light beam Lg having a wavelength of 532 nm for G exposure.
Wavelength conversion laser (GS) that uses an SHG element that emits
HG) and the laser light source 64B has a wavelength of 47 for B exposure.
It is a wavelength conversion laser (B-SHG) using an SHG element that emits a 3 nm light beam.

The exposure optical system used in the present invention is
The invention is not limited to the three-light-source non-multiplexing optical system such as the three-laser-light different-angle incidence optical system shown in the drawing, but any material may be used as long as it can scan and expose the photosensitive material A using the light beams of the three primary colors. For example, an exposure optical system may be used in which three light beams from three light sources are combined into one using a dichroic mirror and are incident on a polygon mirror. The light source is not particularly limited, and any combination of light sources capable of exposing the photosensitive material A may be used. For example, a gas laser such as a semiconductor laser or a He-Ne laser can be used, A light source that emits a required light beam can be appropriately selected according to the spectral sensitivity characteristic of the photosensitive material A.

Collimator lenses 66R, 66G, 66B
Is to shape the light beams Lr, Lg, and Lb emitted from the laser light sources 64R, 64G, and 64B into parallel lights. The AOMs 68R, 68G, 68B modulate the light beams Lr, Lg, Lb in accordance with the exposure conditions (image data signals) of the photosensitive material A set by the setup device. In the present invention, the modulation method of each light beam is not particularly limited, and any modulation method may be used. For example, various optical modulators other than the illustrated AOM may be used, or the laser light source may be directly modulated. Also, the modulation method may be intensity modulation or pulse width modulation.

In the light beam scanning device 24 which is a three-source non-combining optical system, the light beams Lr, Lg, Lb are incident on the reflecting surface 74a of the polygon mirror 74 at slightly different angles and are reflected by the reflecting surface 74a. The laser light sources 64R, 64G, 64B are arranged so that they are incident on the same main scanning line on the photosensitive material A at different angles to form images, and the main scanning lines are scanned at time intervals. . Here, the reflection mirrors 70R, 70G, and 70B have the light beams Lr, Lg,
The optical paths of Lb are folded back so that all of them are made incident on the same position on the reflecting surface 74a of the polygon mirror 74 or at the same point.

Cylindrical lenses 72R, 72G, 7
The 2B, the fθ lens 82, and the cylindrical mirror 83 constitute a face tilt correction optical system, and corrects the face tilt of the polygon mirror 74. In addition, the fθ lens 81 uses the respective light beams L
This is for correctly forming an image of r, Lg, and Lb at any position on the main scanning line. The fθ lens 81 is corrected so that chromatic aberration falls within an allowable range with respect to light having wavelengths of 473, 532, and 680 nm.
The cylindrical mirror 78 is a cylindrical lens 7.
2R, 72G, and 72B form a surface tilt correction optical system, and the light beams Lr, Lg, and Lb are bent and made incident on a reflection mirror 79.
r, Lg, and Lb are bent again and directed to the main scanning line that is substantially orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction on the photosensitive material A which is sub-scanned and transported by the sub-scanning transport system 60.

On the other hand, the sub-scanning conveyance system 60 holds the photosensitive material A at a predetermined exposure position and conveys it in the sub-scanning direction (direction of arrow b) substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction.
And two nip rollers 82 and 84 which are pressed against the exposure drum 80 by sandwiching the exposure position (main scanning line) in the sub-scan transport direction, and the sensor 86 which detects the frame information and the presence or absence of the photosensitive material A. , A guide 90, and the photosensitive material A includes an exposure drum 80 and a nip roller 82.
And 84 are conveyed in the sub-scanning direction. The nip rollers 82 and 84 are configured to be able to contact and separate from the exposure drum 80, and to facilitate the passage of the photosensitive material A to the sub-scanning conveyance system 60.

As will be described in detail later, if the amount of the photosensitive material A in the second loop forming portion 58 exceeds a predetermined amount x, the photosensitive material A is sub-scanned and transported by the sub-scanning transport system 60, and the image position is first calculated. The frame information formed by the information forming unit 28 is detected by the sensor 86.
When the recording start position of the photosensitive material A is conveyed to the exposure position (main scanning line), the light modulated according to the exposure condition as described above is detected. The scanning exposure of the photosensitive material A with the beam L is started. Here, the light beam L is deflected in the main scanning direction, and the photosensitive material A is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction.
Are scanned two-dimensionally, and the entire surface is exposed.

By the way, the error of the sub-scanning conveyance at the time of exposure directly leads to the deterioration of the image quality such as the unevenness of the image.
Therefore, in order to obtain a print on which a high-quality image is recorded, it is necessary to transport the photosensitive material A by the sub-scanning transport system 60 with high accuracy. Further, the speed and timing of the determination of the recorded image and the formation of the frame information and the like, the exposure of the photosensitive material A, and the back print described later are different from each other. Therefore, in the image recording apparatus 10 of the illustrated example, the second loop forming section 58 is provided upstream of the sub-scanning conveyance system 60.
However, a third loop forming unit 62 is disposed on the downstream side, and the photosensitive material A is disposed between the sub-scanning conveyance system 60 and the conveying means (conveying roller pairs 56 and 98) upstream and downstream of the sub-scanning conveyance system 60. To form a loop. By having this loop forming unit, the adverse effect of the transporting means disposed upstream and downstream on the sub-scanning conveyance of the photosensitive material A in the sub-scanning conveyance system 60, that is, the so-called back tension and pulling, is eliminated, so that high-precision photosensitive The material A can be transported in the sub-scanning direction, and the formation of frame information, the scanning exposure of the photosensitive material A, the back printing, and the like can be performed as independent operations.

The second loop forming section 58 has a pair of conveying rollers 56 arranged downstream of the image position information forming section 28, a guide 88 and a sensor 92. The conveying roller pair 56 is driven by a pulse motor. When the size of the image to be recorded is determined after the previous frame information is formed, the photosensitive material A is transported by one print of the determined image. As described above, the punch 50 operates after this conveyance, and the frame information corresponding to one print is formed. The guide 88 is configured to be rotatable around a motor 88M, and when the paper is passed, the end portion on the right side in the drawing is positioned near the guide 90, that is, so as to guide the photosensitive material A to the guide 90. When the leading edge of the sheet is closed (closed), the sheet is rotated by the motor 88M to the normal state shown in FIG. 2, that is, the position retracted from the loop of the photosensitive material A (open). Further, the sensor 92 is a sensor for detecting that a loop is formed in the second loop forming portion 58, and if the sensor 92 does not detect the loop of the photosensitive material A during normal operation, some error occurs. It is determined that it has occurred.

In the apparatus of the illustrated example, the size of the loop formed in the second loop forming portion 58, that is, the amount (length) of the photosensitive material A is determined by the photosensitive material A by the conveying roller pair 56 and the sub-scanning conveying system 60. Detected from the transport amount of
And the sub-scanning conveyance system 6 in accordance with the amount of the photosensitive material A in the second loop forming section 58.
0 is controlled. That is, when the amount of the photosensitive material A in the second loop forming section 58 is less than the predetermined amount x, the transport of the photosensitive material A by the sub-scanning transport system 60 is stopped, and the transport roller corresponding to the determination of the recorded image is stopped. Vs. 5
When the amount of the photosensitive material A in the second loop forming section 58 exceeds a predetermined amount x, the photosensitive material A is transported by the sub-scanning transport system 60, that is, image exposure is performed. In addition,
The present invention is not limited to this, and the conveyance of the photosensitive material A by the sub-scanning conveyance system 60 and the conveyance roller pair 56 depends on the speed of the image confirmation and the image exposure. The amount may be controlled so as to be a predetermined amount (range).

On the other hand, in the third loop forming portion 62, the sensor 94, the guide 96, and the conveying roller pair 9 are arranged in the downstream direction.
8. It has a sensor 100. Guide 96 is a motor 96M
It is configured so as to be rotatable about this, and at the time of sheet passing, the end portion on the right side in the drawing is positioned near the conveying roller pair 98, that is, so as to guide the photosensitive material A to the conveying roller pair 98 (blocking). ), The motor 96M
It is rotated by and is brought to a normal state shown in FIG. 2, that is, a position retracted from the loop of the photosensitive material A (open). The sensor 94 is a sensor for detecting that a loop is formed in the third loop forming portion 62, and if the sensor 94 does not detect a loop of the photosensitive material A during normal operation, some error occurs. Is determined to have occurred.

The conveying roller pair 98 is a conveying roller driven by a pulse motor, and when the amount of the photosensitive material A in the third loop forming portion 62 exceeds a predetermined amount y, the photosensitive material A is intermittently printed for each print. To transport. In the illustrated example, the third loop forming section 62 is similar to the second loop forming section 58 described above.
The amount of the photosensitive material A is detected from the amount of the photosensitive material A conveyed by the sub-scanning conveying system 60 and the conveying roller pair 98 (the bending conveying unit 107 described later) (for example, detected by a pulse), Photosensitive Material A of Third Loop Forming Section 62
The conveyance of the photosensitive material A by the conveyance roller pair 98 is controlled in accordance with the amount of the photosensitive material A. That is, when the amount of the photosensitive material A in the third loop forming section 62 is less than the predetermined amount y, the photosensitive material A is not transported by the transport roller pair 98, and only the transport of the photosensitive material A by the sub-scanning transport system 60 is performed. When the photosensitive material A in the third loop forming section 62 exceeds the predetermined amount y, the conveyance is performed by the conveyance roller pair 98. The conveyance of the photosensitive material A by the sub-scanning conveyance system 60 and the conveyance roller pair 98 is not limited to this, and may be appropriately determined according to the image exposure speed and the back print speed. This is the same as the part 58.

In the apparatus of the illustrated example, in a normal state, the conveyance of the photosensitive material A is stopped at the position where the frame information is detected by the sensor 100 or at a predetermined position from the detection position, and the conveyance roller pair 98 (bending conveyance) is used. The conveyance of the photosensitive material A by the section 107) is intermittently performed one by one according to the detection result of the frame information by the sensor 100.

The sheet passing from the first loop forming section 42 to the third loop forming section 62 and the initial formation of loops will be described below. In the image recording apparatus 10 of the illustrated example, when the photosensitive material A is passed, first, the downstream side of the third loop forming section 62,
That is, the process is repeated until the tip of the photosensitive material A is detected by the sensor 100. More specifically, when the photosensitive material magazine 27 is attached to the photosensitive material supply section 26, first, the pair of pull-out rollers 36 feeds the photosensitive material A until the sensor 38 detects the leading end thereof. At this point, the guides 40, 52a, 5
2b, 90, 104 and 122 are adjusted in width, and guides 49, 88 and 96 of the first loop forming portion 42 to the third loop forming portion 62 (further, a reservoir 34 and a fifth loop forming portion 125 which will be described later). Guides 114 and 130) are closed. Further, the nip rollers 82 and 84 of the sub-scanning conveyance system 60 are located away from the exposure drum 80.

When the above operation is confirmed, the pull-out roller pair 36, the transport roller pairs 56 and 98, etc. are driven,
The photosensitive material A is transported to a position where the leading end is detected by the sensor 100. As described above, since the guides of each loop forming section are all closed, no loop of the photosensitive material A is formed in the first loop forming section 42 to the third loop forming section 62, and the photosensitive material A is conveyed linearly. To be done. Further, the conveyance of the photosensitive material A at each part is performed by the sensors 54 and 8
Confirmed by 6.

When the photosensitive material A is conveyed up to this point, the nip rollers 82 and 84 of the sub-scanning conveying system 60 contact the exposure drum 80 to sandwich the photosensitive material A, and guide the first loop forming portion 42. 49 opens. When the opening of the guide 49 is confirmed, the pull-out roller pair 36 and the transport roller 44 are driven to form a loop of the photosensitive material A in the first loop forming section 42, and when the sensor 52 detects the loop, the loop is formed. To complete the formation of. The subsequent conveyance of the photosensitive material A to the first loop forming unit 42 (drawing roller pair 36) is as described above, and the sensor 5 is used.
It is performed according to the detection result of the loop by 2.

When the loop formation of the first loop forming portion 42 is completed, the guide 88 of the second loop forming portion 58 and the guide 96 of the third loop forming portion 62 are opened. When both guides are released and the first image to be recorded is determined, the punch 50 operates to form frame information indicating the leading end of the image,
The pair of conveyance rollers 56 conveys the photosensitive material A by the amount of one print of the determined image. After that, with the confirmation of the image, the conveyance roller pair 56 conveys one print and the punch 50 forms frame information, and a loop is formed in the second loop forming unit 58. In this way, when the loop formed in the second loop forming section 58 has a size detected by the sensor 92, the sub-scanning conveyance system 60 is driven and the position where the first frame information is detected by the sensor 86 is detected. The photosensitive material A is transported up to this point. Subsequent conveyance of the photosensitive material A in the second loop forming section 58 is as described above, and the photosensitive material A in the second loop forming section 58 has a predetermined amount x.
When it exceeds, the photosensitive material A is transported by the sub-scanning transport system 60, and the photosensitive material A is scanned and exposed.

On the other hand, when scanning exposure of the photosensitive material A (conveyance of the photosensitive material A by the sub-scanning conveyance system 60) is started, the third
A loop is also formed in the loop forming section 62. When the size of this loop is detected by the sensor 94, the conveying roller pair 98 is driven to convey the photosensitive material A to a position where the first formed frame information is detected by the sensor 100.
Subsequent conveyance of the photosensitive material A in the third loop forming portion 62 is as described above, and when the photosensitive material A in the third loop forming portion 62 exceeds the predetermined amount y, the conveying roller pair 98
The photosensitive material A is conveyed by (and the bent conveying portion 107), and the back printing portion 32, which will be described later, performs back printing on the photosensitive material A.

A back print section 32 is arranged downstream of the exposure section 30 (third loop forming section 62), and a bending conveyance section 107 is arranged downstream thereof. In an image recording apparatus 10 used for a digital photo printer, various kinds of print data such as the shooting date of the original film and the recording date on the photosensitive material A are recorded on the back side of the print, information recording on the back side, so-called back print. In the apparatus shown in the figure, the back print unit 32 does this.

The back printing section 32 is provided in the printing device 102.
And a guide 104 for supporting the photosensitive material A at a predetermined position at the time of back printing. The illustrated device performs back printing by, for example, thermal transfer using an ink ribbon cassette. Perform the back print. As the printing apparatus 102, all known recording means such as pressure-sensitive transfer and ink-jet can be used in addition to thermal transfer using an ink ribbon cassette. On the other hand, the bending conveyance section 107
Is composed of the transport roller 106 and the endless belt 108 which is stretched around the rollers 108a, 108b and 108c and pressed by the transport roller 106, and is synchronized with the transport roller pair 98 of the third loop forming portion 62 described above. Then, the photosensitive material A is conveyed.

As described above, when the photosensitive material A in the third loop forming portion 62 exceeds the predetermined amount y, the photosensitive material A is intermittently transferred by the conveying roller pair 98 and the bending conveying portion 107 for each print. Be transported. The back print section 32 is
Back printing is performed on the back surface of the photosensitive material A in synchronization with the conveyance. Here, the conveyance of the photosensitive material A usually stops once at the position where the frame information is detected by the sensor 100, and the position of the back print by the printing device 102 is set accordingly.

Although the back print unit 32 is arranged downstream of the exposure unit 30 in the illustrated example, the present invention is not limited to this, and the back print unit 32 is arranged upstream of the exposure unit 30. May be. However, the aforementioned exposure unit 3
For the same reason as 0, the back print unit 32 is set to the exposure unit 30
However, even if it is arranged upstream, it is preferable that it is arranged downstream from the image position information forming unit 28.

A sensor 11 is provided downstream of the bending conveyance unit 107.
0 and the first cutter 112 are arranged, and downstream thereof,
A reservoir 34 is arranged. The first cutter 112 is not used in a normal operation state. For example, after the exposure operation is completed, the photosensitive material A is cut when discharging all the exposed photosensitive material A stored in a reservoir 34 described later. The sort information and the frame information are detected by the sensor 110, and the photosensitive material A is cut by operating the first cutter 112 at the rear end of the print on which the image is recorded.

A reservoir (fourth loop forming portion) 34 is arranged downstream of the first cutter 112. In the image recording apparatus 10, the photosensitive material A is processed in a strip shape from the exposure to the completion of the development processing, and is cut and printed at the end, but in the image recording unit 12 and the developing unit 14. The processing speeds are not the same, and the processing speed by the image recording unit 12 is faster. Therefore, by having such a reservoir 34, it is possible to store the exposed photosensitive material A in which development is not in time, and it is not necessary to stop the exposure operation in response to the delay in development with respect to exposure, and continuous exposure is possible. Work can be done.

Here, in the conventional image recording apparatus using direct (surface) exposure, it takes a long time to expose each image, and there is no large difference between the exposure speed and the development processing speed. As described above, it is not necessary.

On the other hand, in the image recording apparatus 10 of the present invention which performs light beam scanning exposure, color / density correction according to the photographing condition of the film has already been performed by the image signal processing in the setup apparatus and the exposure conditions. Since it is determined that the exposure time of the photosensitive material A is not required to be determined by the operator or the filter operation, and the exposure time per image is constant according to the image size, This is significantly faster than the processing time by the unit 14. Further, since the amount of exposure light in digital exposure is higher than that in surface exposure, there is a problem that latent image regression occurs if the developing process is performed immediately after exposure. Moreover, the exposure time can be further shortened by using a light source with a higher light amount, and as described above, it is preferable in terms of efficiency. That is, in the image recording apparatus 10 compatible with a digital photo printer, in order to stably obtain a high-quality image with high efficiency, the reservoir can gain sufficient time from the end of exposure to the development, and It is necessary to be able to accommodate a large amount of exposed light-sensitive material A, and thus a very large reservoir is required as compared with a conventional photo printer.

However, in the conventional photo printer as shown in FIG. 4, a large exposure section 202 and a working space for the operator are required, and for that reason, the electrical equipment section 220 is housed in the printing and conveying device 204. So
The reservoir 218 had to be miniaturized. Moreover,
In the apparatus for performing digital exposure as in the present invention, the electrical component unit 2
It is essential to increase the size of 0, and in the conventional layout as shown in FIG. 4, the reservoir is inevitably smaller.

On the other hand, in the image recording apparatus 10 according to the present invention, the exposure means (the exposure unit 30 and the light beam scanning device 24) can be made small by using digital exposure, and the operator's work such as the determination of the exposure conditions. Focusing on the fact that a space is basically unnecessary, the configuration is such that the reservoir 34 is arranged below the photosensitive material supply unit 26 and the exposure means, and the electrical equipment unit 20 is arranged on the side of the reservoir 34. That is, by arranging the photosensitive material supply unit 26 and the exposure unit above the printing / conveying device 22, and by arranging the electrical component unit 20 at the position where the exposure unit 202, the operation table 216 and the like are arranged in the past, the printing is performed. A large space is formed in the lower part of the carrying device 22 and all of the space can be used as the reservoir 34. In the configuration of the image recording device 10, the capacity of the reservoir can be maintained without wasting the space. Can be maximized and the volume of the reservoir can be as high as desired depending on device size. Moreover, by disposing the electrical component section 20 in the area of the exposure section 202, the operation table 216, and the like, which occupies a large space, the size of the board and the quantity of the board can be increased by using digital exposure without inviting an increase in the size of the apparatus. In addition, it is possible to sufficiently cope with the increase in size of the electrical component section 20 due to the diversification of power sources and the increase in size.

Therefore, according to the image recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, the speed difference between the exposure speed and the development processing speed can be sufficiently absorbed to realize highly efficient image recording, and the latent image regression can be sufficiently prevented. The exposed photosensitive material A can be stored in the reservoir 34 for as long as possible and then subjected to development processing, and a high-quality image can be stably obtained. Moreover, for example, since it is possible to store a certain amount of exposed photosensitive material A here, print production work can be continued even during the unattended period, and more efficient print production can be performed. It can be carried out. In addition, the electrical component section 2
In addition to being able to accommodate electrical components such as a board and a power source unit in one electrical component unit 20, the printing / transporting device 22, the light beam scanning device 24 and the electrical component unit 20 can be completely accommodated. Since the structure can be made independent, the air supply / exhaust of the electrical component section 20 can be performed independently, and the printing / transporting device 22 and the light beam scanning device 24 are not adversely affected by the heat of the electrical component section 20. Furthermore, shortening the passage of the photosensitive material A,
It is possible to reduce wasteful space, reduce the size of the device, and reduce the cost of the device.

The capacity of the reservoir 34 is not particularly limited.
However, as described above, there is the problem of latent image regression, and it is preferable that the light beam L has a high light amount in consideration of the exposure speed. In this case, the problem of latent image regression becomes greater. . Therefore, in the image recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, after exposure, to some extent (usually 30 seconds or more)
After the lapse of time, it is preferable to perform development processing, and the reservoir 34 correspondingly has a length of the photosensitive material A of 4 m.
It is preferable that the photosensitive material A has a capacity of not less than a minute, and the exposed photosensitive material A is carried out after staying in the reservoir 34 so as to sufficiently fill this time. On the other hand,
The larger the capacity of the reservoir 34, the larger the amount of exposed photosensitive material A.
However, if a large amount of the photosensitive material A is stored, the photosensitive material A may be twisted, bent, or the like, resulting in deterioration of print quality. Therefore, the capacity of the reservoir is preferably 20 m or less in length of the photosensitive material.

In the image recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, the reservoir 34 may be an ordinary box that can store the photosensitive material A, and has a guide or the like for preventing the photosensitive material A from being twisted. Good. Further, in order to more suitably prevent the photosensitive material A from being twisted, the width of the reservoir 34 may be adjustable according to the size of the photosensitive material A in the width direction.

The reservoir 34 has a guide 114 movable by a motor 114M, and a sensor 116 for detecting the photosensitive material A in the reservoir 34. Guide 1
When the paper is passed, the end portion 14 on the right side of FIG.
1. That is, the photosensitive material A is positioned on the side (closed) so as to be guided to the conveying unit 118 (closed), and when the leading edge sheet feeding is completed, it is moved by the motor 114M to be in the normal state shown in FIG. 2 (opened). . The sensor 116 detects that a predetermined amount or more of the photosensitive material A is stored in the reservoir 34 (that the reservoir 34 has a loop of a predetermined amount or more). When the loop of the photosensitive material A is not detected by the sensor 116, basically, the second cutter 1 to be described later
24 operates to cut the photosensitive material A.

As described above, the developing process usually takes longer time than the exposure (printing). If the process is continuously continued in the normal state, the exposed photosensitive layer in the reservoir 34 is exposed. The contained amount of the material A gradually increases.

At the downstream of the reservoir 34, the transport roller 12 is provided.
0, a guide 122 and a conveying means 118 having a sensor 119 are arranged, and a second cutter 124 is arranged downstream thereof. The conveying means 118 transfers the photosensitive material A to the reservoir 34.
And transported to a fifth loop forming section 125 described later.
The photosensitive material A is conveyed in accordance with the detection result of Step 8. In addition,
The transport speed of the photosensitive material A by the transport unit 118 is set to be higher than the transport speed of the developing unit 14 (transport unit 132 of the fifth loop forming unit 125). The sensor 119 is a sensor for detecting frame information and the presence or absence of the photosensitive material A. The second cutter 124 is used when the photosensitive material A
A cutter for cutting the, for example, the sensor 1 described later.
By cutting the photosensitive material A by the second cutter 124 when the detection result by 16 or a trouble occurs in the developing unit 14, etc., the exposed photosensitive material A stored in the reservoir 34 is adversely affected. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the photosensitive material A from being unnecessarily pulled by the developing section 14 and damaging the respective transporting means of the printing and transporting device 22.

A fifth loop forming portion 125 is arranged downstream of the second cutter 124. Fifth loop forming unit 125
Finally absorbs the difference between the processing speed in the printing / conveying device 22 and the processing speed in the developing section 14, and the conveyance / stop of the photosensitive material A by the conveying means 118, and the developing section 14 pulls the photosensitive material A unnecessarily. A portion forming a loop for preventing damage to the guide roll 126, the sensor 128, the guide 130, and the photosensitive material A in the downstream direction.
And a sensor 134 for detecting the photosensitive material A.

The guide 130 is configured to be rotatable around a motor 130M, and when the photosensitive material A is passed, the end portion on the left side of the drawing is near the guide roll 126, that is, the photosensitive material A is guided to the guide roll 126 ( When it is positioned (closed) so as to be guided from the transporting means 118) to the transporting means 132, and the leading edge of the sheet has passed, it is rotated by the motor 130M and retracted from the normal state shown in FIG. Is set to the open position (open).

The sensor 128 has a fifth loop forming portion 125.
Of the photosensitive material A, and the above-mentioned conveying means 118 operates according to the detection result of the sensor 128 to carry out the photosensitive material A from the reservoir 34.
That is, the transporting unit 118 does not operate when the loop is detected by the sensor 128 and operates when the loop is not detected by the sensor 128, and the predetermined amount (for example, one print) of the photosensitive material A is transferred to the fifth position. It is conveyed to the loop forming unit 125. In addition, the carry amount is determined by the sensor
It is controlled by detection of frame information by. Here, sensor 1
When the loop is no longer detected by 28, the photosensitive material A is not in the reservoir 34 (when the loop is not detected by the sensor 116), and the reservoir 34
When the waiting time of the image carried out from the inside of the reservoir 34 is not more than the predetermined time, the conveying unit 118 does not operate and the cutter 124 operates to cut the photosensitive material A.

Hereinafter, the passage of paper from the reservoir 34 to the fifth loop forming portion 125 and the formation of the loop will be described.
As described above with respect to the loop formation in the first loop forming unit 42 to the third loop forming unit 62, the photosensitive material A stands by at the position where the tip of the photosensitive material A is detected by the sensor 100, and the third loop forming unit When the amount of the photosensitive material A of 62 exceeds a predetermined amount y,
The conveying roller pair 98 and the conveying means 107 are operated to convey the photosensitive material A to the reservoir 34 while performing back printing. Here, since the guide 114 is closed as described above, the leading end of the photosensitive material A is conveyed to the conveying means 118. Further, the conveying means 118 is driven in synchronism with the conveying of the photosensitive material A by the conveying means 107 and the like, and at the time when the leading edge of the photosensitive material A is detected by the sensor 119, the conveying means 118.
Conveyance of the photosensitive material A by the
M operates to open the guide 114, and the photosensitive material A is stored in the reservoir 34.

The waiting time of the leading image of the photosensitive material A stored in the reservoir 34 is longer than or equal to a predetermined time set according to the prevention of latent image regression, and the amount of the photosensitive material A stored in the reservoir 34 (image When (number) exceeds the amount corresponding to the developing unit 14 from the reservoir 34, the transporting unit 118 is driven to transport the photosensitive material A to the fifth loop forming unit 125.
As described above, the guide 130 of the fifth loop forming unit 125.
Is closed, the leading edge of the photosensitive material A is conveyed by the conveying means 13.
2 is carried into the developing unit 14. Further, when the tip is detected by the sensor 134, the motor 130M operates and the guide 130 opens. Since the transport speed of the transport unit 118 is higher than the transport speed of the developing unit 14, a loop is formed in the fifth loop forming unit 125,
The photosensitive material A is not pulled by the developing section 14. Subsequent conveyance of the photosensitive material A by the conveying means 118 is as described above, and the photosensitive material A is conveyed in accordance with the detection result of the sensor 128 to hold the loop of the fifth loop forming unit 125 in a predetermined state. .

The exposed light-sensitive material A is then carried into the developing section 14 for development processing, dried in the drying section 16 and cut in the discharging section 18 to be a finished print and discharged.

The developing section 14 is a wet type development processing apparatus according to the type of the photosensitive material A to be used. For example, if the photosensitive material A is a silver salt photographic photosensitive material, as shown in FIG. Developing tank 136, bleach-fixing tank 138, washing tank 14
0a, 140b, 140c, and 140d, and the exposed photosensitive material A is transported by a transport roller or the like, sequentially immersed in each processing tank, subjected to predetermined processing in each processing tank, and developed. And the latent image is visualized. The developed photosensitive material A is then dried in a drying unit 16 by a known method, and is conveyed to a discharge unit 18.

The discharging section 18 includes a cutting section 142 and a sorter 14.
4 The cutting section 142 has a sensor 146 for detecting frame information and sort information, and a cutter 148 for cutting the photosensitive material A.
The photosensitive material A is cut in accordance with the detection of the frame information to make a finished print. On the other hand, the sorter 144 is a normal sorter having a large number of shelves. The sorter 144 rotates or slides in accordance with the result of the sorting information detected by the sensor 146 of the cutting section 142 to switch the shelf for storing the finished print. Then, a predetermined number of finished prints according to the sort information are sorted and stored.

The image recording apparatus 10 of the present invention basically has such a structure, and its operation will be described below. Sensor 52 of first loop forming unit 42
When the loop is no longer detected by, the pull-out roller 36 is driven to pull out a predetermined amount of the photosensitive material A from the photosensitive material magazine 27 and convey it to the first loop forming portion 42. The photosensitive material A conveyed to the first loop forming section 42 is
Next, it is conveyed to the frame information forming unit 28. As described above, in the apparatus of the illustrated example, when the image to be recorded is decided, the pair of transport rollers 5 of the second loop forming section 58 arranged downstream is arranged.
6 conveys the photosensitive material A for one print of the image, the frame information forming unit 28 drives the punch 50 every time the photosensitive material A is conveyed for one print to generate the frame information ( And / or sort information).

The photosensitive material A on which the frame information is formed is carried into the second loop forming section 58, and when the amount of the photosensitive material A in the second loop forming section 58 exceeds a predetermined amount x, the sub-scanning transport system 60
Is driven to be conveyed to the exposure unit 30, and is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction while being held at a predetermined exposure position by the exposure drum 80. By this conveyance, the sensor 86 detects the frame information, the exposure start position of the photosensitive material A by the light beam scanning device 24 is detected, and when the exposure start position of the photosensitive material A is conveyed to the exposure position, the exposure condition is satisfied. The photosensitive material A conveyed in the sub-scanning direction is scanned and exposed by the light beam L modulated in accordance with the light beam and deflected in the main scanning direction to form a latent image. The photosensitive material A on which the latent image is formed is carried into the third loop forming unit 62,
When the amount of the photosensitive material A in the third loop forming unit 62 becomes equal to or more than the predetermined amount y, the conveying roller pair 98 and the like are driven to be conveyed to the back print unit 32.

The photosensitive material A on which the latent image has been formed passes through the back print section 32, and the printing apparatus 102 using an ink ribbon cassette prints back information such as film shooting date. Here, as described above, the third
The photosensitive material A carried out of the loop forming section 62 temporarily stops at a position where the frame information is detected by the sensor 100, and the third
Since one print is conveyed to the back print unit 32 in accordance with the amount of the photosensitive material A in the loop forming unit 62, the back print position may be appropriately determined according to the distance from the sensor 100 to the printing device 102.

The photosensitive material A on which the back print has been performed is
It is accommodated in the reservoir 34 by the bending conveyance unit 107 and the like,
stand by. The loop of the fifth loop forming unit 125 is the sensor 1
The photosensitive material A which is not detected by the
When it is detected that the photosensitive material A is waiting for a predetermined time or more, the photosensitive material A is driven out from the reservoir, is transported to the fifth loop forming portion 125, and is transported to the developing portion 14 from here. Be done.

The photosensitive material A conveyed to the developing section 14 is conveyed at a predetermined speed, and in each tank, undergoes color development, bleach-fixing and washing with water in order for development, and is dried in the drying section 16. Then, the cutting unit 142 of the discharging unit 18 cuts each print according to the detection of the frame information by the sensor 146 to obtain a finished print, and the finished print is stored in the sorter 144 according to the sort information.

Although the image recording apparatus of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course.

[0080]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, an image recording apparatus which uses a roll-shaped photosensitive material and performs image recording and development processing by digital exposure without cutting the photosensitive material. In the above, it is possible to realize a large capacity of the reservoir and it is possible to sufficiently cope with an increase in the size of the electric component section by using digital exposure, and it is possible to realize an image recording apparatus suitable for a digital photo printer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an example of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a printing / conveying unit of the image recording apparatus shown in FIG.

3 is a schematic diagram of a light beam scanning device and a sub-scanning carrier system of the image recording apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a conventional photo printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 image recording device 12 image recording unit 14,206 developing unit 16,208 drying unit 18,210 discharge unit 20,220 electrical equipment unit 22,204 printing transfer device 24 light beam scanning device 26 photosensitive material supply unit 27 photosensitive material magazine 28 image Position information forming unit 30 Exposure unit 32 Back printing unit 34,218 Reservoir 36 Drawer roller pair 38, 52, 54, 86, 92, 94, 100, 11
0,116,128,134,146,146 sensor 40,49,52a, 52b, 88,90,96,10
4, 114, 122, 130 Guide 42 First Loop Forming Section 44 Drive Roller 46, 48, 82, 84 Nip Roller 50 Punch 56, 98 Conveying Roller Pair 58 Second Loop Forming Section 60 Sub-scanning Conveying System 62 Third Loop Forming Section 64R, 64G, 64B Laser light source 66R, 66G, 66B Collimator lens 68R, 68G, 68B Acousto-optic modulator (AOM) 70R, 70G, 70B, 79 Reflection mirror 72R, 72G, 72B Collimator lens 74 Polygon mirror 76 fθ lens 78 Cylindrical Mirror 80 Exposure drum 102 Printing device 106, 120 Conveying roller 107 Bending portion 108 Endless belt 112 First cutter 124 Second cutter 125 Fifth loop forming portion 136 Color developing tank 138 Bleach fixing tank 140a, 140b, 1 0c, 140d washing tank 142 cut 144 the sorter 148 cutter 200 photo printer 202 exposure device 212 film carrier 214 light source unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A photosensitive material supplying section for loading a photosensitive material wound in a roll shape, a conveying means for conveying the photosensitive material along a predetermined path, and a light beam modulated according to a recorded image in a main scanning direction. An exposing unit that two-dimensionally scans and exposes the photosensitive material by deflecting and carrying the sub-scan in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction while holding the photosensitive material at a predetermined exposure position, and an exposed photosensitive member. It has a reservoir for storing the material, a developing device for developing and processing the exposed photosensitive material, and an electrical equipment portion for housing the control system of the conveying means and the exposing means, and the photosensitive material supply section above the reservoir. And an exposure unit, and the electric component section is arranged laterally of the reservoir. 2. A photosensitive material supply section, an exposing means, a reservoir, and
Arranged in the order of the developing device, further, means for recording image position information in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive material is arranged between the photosensitive material supply section and the exposure section, and the photosensitive material is arranged between the exposure section and the reservoir. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a means for recording information is arranged on the back surface of the image recording apparatus. 3. A first loop forming section between the photosensitive material supplying section and an image position information recording section, a second loop forming section upstream of the exposing section, and a third loop downstream of the exposing section. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the forming unit includes a fourth loop forming unit disposed between the reservoir and the developing device. 4. A photosensitive material having a capacity of 4 m to 20 in the reservoir.
The image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is m minutes.