JPH10274816A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve operability and vibration stability by providing an image recording part for exposing a photosensitive material with recording light modulated in accordance with a digital image signal and a back print part for recording back print on the nod-recording surface of the photosensitive material. SOLUTION: Drawing roller pairs 26 and 28 draw and carry the photosensitive material Z housed in magazines 30 and 32 loaded in loading parts 22 and 24, a cutter 14 is operated to make the material Z a cut sheet having a specified length. A printer 16 records the information of various kinds such as the photographing date of a picture, a printing date, frame number, film ID number, and the ID number of a camera used in photographing, so-called back print (back printing) on the non-recording surface of the material Z. An image recording part 18 scans and carries the material Z which is made to be the cut sheet by a scanning and carrying means 36 while the means 36 keeps the material Z on a recording position X, and an exposing unit 34 two-dimensionally exposes the material Z by making the recording light L modulated in accordance with the digital image data incident on the position X.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention belongs to the technical field of digital image recording devices.

[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 light of the film onto the photosensitive material. The exposure is performed by so-called direct (analog) exposure in which the photosensitive material is surface-exposed with the projection light.

On the other hand, in recent years, a printing apparatus using digital exposure, that is, an image recorded on a film is photoelectrically read, the read image is converted into a digital signal, and then various image processing is performed. 2. Description of the Related Art A digital photo printer that scans and exposes a photosensitive material with recording light modulated according to the image data, records an image (latent image), develops the image, and outputs it as a print (photograph) is used as image data for recording. It was put to practical use.

[0004] In a digital photo printer, a film is read photoelectrically, gradation correction is performed by image (signal) processing, and exposure conditions are determined. Therefore, it is possible to freely perform editing of a print image such as synthesis of a plurality of images by image processing and image division, and various image processing such as color / density adjustment and contour enhancement. Can be output. Further, the image data of the print image can be supplied to a computer or the like, and can be stored in a recording medium such as a floppy disk. Further, according to the digital photo printer, it is possible to output a print with better image quality, which is excellent in resolution, color / density reproducibility, etc., as compared with the conventional direct exposure print.

[0005] Such a digital photo printer basically includes an input device having a scanner (image reading device) and an image processing device, and an output device having a printing device and a developing device. In a scanner, reading light emitted from a light source is incident on a film to obtain projection light carrying an image photographed on the film, and this projection light is imaged on an image sensor such as a CCD sensor by an imaging lens. The image is read by photoelectric conversion, and is sent to an image processing device as film image data (image data signal). The image processing apparatus performs predetermined image processing on the image data sent from the scanner, and sends the image data to the printing apparatus as output image data (exposure conditions) for image recording. For example, if the printing apparatus uses light beam scanning exposure, the printing apparatus modulates the light beam according to image data sent from the image processing apparatus, deflects the light beam in the main scanning direction, and By transporting the photosensitive material (photographic paper) in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the scanning direction, the photosensitive material is scanned and exposed (printed) by a light beam to form a latent image, and a back print is recorded. In the developing machine, the exposed photosensitive material is subjected to a predetermined developing process and the like, so that an image photographed on a film is reproduced.

[0006]

Incidentally, not only in such a digital photo printer but also in a photo printer by ordinary direct exposure, in a printing apparatus, an unused photosensitive material is wound in a roll shape to form a light-shielding material. The magazine is housed in a housing, and is loaded into a printing apparatus together with the magazine, pulled out of the magazine, transported, and subjected to exposure and the like. Here, with a normal photo printer,
The photosensitive material is not cut in the middle, and after exposure, back print recording, development processing, drying, etc. are performed while keeping the length, the photosensitive material is finally cut into a predetermined length to form one print.

However, in such an apparatus for cutting the photosensitive material at the end, before or at the time of exposing the photosensitive material, frame information (punch) for indicating a boundary of each frame (for each print) is formed. There is a need. Therefore, the photosensitive material in the portion where the frame information is formed is wasted, and a means for forming frame information having a punch, a sensor, and the like is required.

Further, in a printing apparatus for digital exposure, in order to record a high-quality image without unevenness, it is necessary to carry out scanning conveyance of the photosensitive material during exposure with high precision and without stopping. When forming the frame information, it is necessary to stop the conveyance of the photosensitive material, and the recording of the back print causes a load variation in the scanning conveyance of the photosensitive material. In order to avoid these inconveniences, in a printing apparatus of a digital photo printer, a deflection (loop) of a photosensitive material is caused between an exposure position and a frame information forming unit and between an exposure position and a recording unit for back print. Although it is formed, the transport route and transport control of the photosensitive material, such as the control of the amount (number of frames) of the photosensitive material in the loop and the timing of exposure, are complicated, which causes an increase in apparatus cost and running cost. .

Therefore, a digital photo printer is also required to realize a printing apparatus which can perform exposure after cutting a photosensitive material corresponding to one print into a cut sheet. However, in reality, a digital printing apparatus that performs exposure after forming a photosensitive material into a cut sheet has not been realized yet.

An object of the present invention is to realize an image recording apparatus (printing apparatus) used for a digital photo printer or the like, which performs digital exposure, back print recording, and the like after forming a photosensitive material into a cut sheet. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image recording apparatus excellent in workability and stability against vibration.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a loading method for loading a photosensitive material magazine in which a long photosensitive material is wound into a roll and housed in a light-shielding housing. A photosensitive material supply unit having a unit for extracting photosensitive material from the photosensitive material magazine, a cutter for cutting the photosensitive material extracted by the extracting unit, and holding the cut photosensitive material at a predetermined recording position. Scanning transporting means for scanning and transporting the photosensitive material, and exposing means for exposing the photosensitive material scanned and transported by the scanning transporting means with recording light modulated in accordance with a digital image signal. An image recording section, and the photosensitive material is transported from the cutter to the scanning transport means so that the recording surface of the photosensitive material is at the recording position, and then, And a back print unit that records a back print on a non-recording surface of the photosensitive material, which is disposed in a conveyance path of the photosensitive material by the transport means. provide.

It is preferable that the conveying means conveys the photosensitive material to the recording position, conveys the exposed photosensitive material upward, and then conveys the photosensitive material to the next step. Further, in the image recording apparatus of the present invention,
Further, it is preferable that a distribution means is provided downstream of the image recording section in the photosensitive material transport direction, for distributing the photosensitive material in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the transport means to form a plurality of rows.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an image recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a basic configuration of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention. An image recording apparatus 10 (hereinafter, referred to as a recording apparatus 10) shown in FIG. 1 cuts a long sheet of photosensitive material Z into a predetermined length corresponding to a print for forming a cut sheet, and then records back prints. Perform digital exposure,
This is a device for supplying the exposed photosensitive material Z to a developing machine (processor). Such a recording apparatus 10 includes a photosensitive material supply unit 12, a cutter 14, a printer 16 for recording a back print, an image recording unit 18 for exposing the photosensitive material Z with a recording light L at a predetermined recording position X, And a sorting device 20.

Although not shown in FIG. 1 for clarity of the basic configuration of the apparatus, the recording apparatus 10 may be provided with a means for conveying the photosensitive material Z, a conveyance guide, various sensors, and the like as necessary. It is arranged. In the recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, the image recording section 18 is positioned below the photosensitive material supply section 12 and is conveyed so as to convey the photosensitive material Z with the recording surface (emulsion surface) facing upward at the recording position X. The means are arranged to form a basic layout. The conveying means is not particularly limited, and various sheet material conveying methods such as lift conveyance using a nip roller, a nip belt, a belt conveyor, a suction cup and the like can be used.

In the recording apparatus 10, the photosensitive material supply unit 1
2 includes loading units 22 and 24 and a pull-out roller pair 26
And 28. Further, a cutter 14 for cutting the photosensitive material Z into a length corresponding to a print size is disposed on a downstream side (hereinafter, referred to as a downstream side) of the photosensitive material Z in the transport direction of the drawing roller pairs 26 and 28. ing.

The loading portions 22 and 24 are portions where magazines 30 and 32, in which a long photosensitive material Z wound in a roll shape with the recording surface outside, are housed in a light-shielding housing, are loaded. is there. The magazines 30 and 32 loaded in the loading units 22 and 24 usually have a size (width), a surface type (silk or mat, etc.), and a specification (thickness, base type, etc.).
For example, different types of photosensitive materials Z are stored. Although the recording apparatus 10 in the illustrated example is an apparatus capable of loading two magazines, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of magazines that can be loaded may be one, or three. The above magazines may be loadable.

The pull-out roller pairs 26 and 28 are connected to the magazines 30 and 32 loaded in the loading sections 22 and 24, respectively.
The photosensitive material Z stored in the container is pulled out and transported. This conveyance is stopped when the photosensitive material Z conveyed downstream from the cutter 14 has a length corresponding to the print to be made, and then the cutter 14 is operated so that the photosensitive material Z is cut into a cut sheet having a predetermined length. And The recording device 10 shown in FIG.
The two photosensitive materials Z of the magazine are shared by one cutter 14.
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and cutters may be individually provided corresponding to the respective loading units (magazines).

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 described later, in the recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, the loading sections 22 and 24 are located above the apparatus due to the basic layout configuration. Therefore, operations such as loading and replacement of the magazines 30 and 32 can be easily performed, and a device excellent in workability can be realized.

The printer 16 prints, on the non-recording side (non-emulsion side = back side) of the photosensitive material Z, the date of photographing, the date of printing, the frame number, the film ID number (sign), and the ID number of the camera used for photographing. And a portion for recording various information such as the ID number of the photo printer, so-called back print (back print). In the recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, the printer 16 for recording the back print is not particularly limited, and various back print recording methods used in known photo printers such as an ink jet printer, a dot impact printer, and a thermal transfer printer can be used. is there.
Among them, a non-contact type recording method such as an ink jet printer can be suitably used for the reason described later, and an ink jet printer using a non-water-soluble, room temperature, solid hot-melt ink is preferably exemplified. . In addition, the printer 16 is a new photo system (Advanced Phot
o), it is preferable to be able to print two or more lines.

In the recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, when printing a back print before exposing the photosensitive material Z as shown in the illustrated example, the distance from the cutter 14 to the recording portion of the back print is created by the printer 16. Depending on the size of the print, the back print may be recorded before the photosensitive material Z is cut by the cutter 14, may be recorded after the cut, or may be recorded before and after the cut.

The image recording section 18 has an exposure unit 34 and a scanning and conveying means 36, and scans and conveys the photosensitive material Z, which has been made into a cut sheet, at the recording position X by the scanning and conveying means 36. , Exposure unit 34
Recording light L modulated according to digital image data by
Is recorded on the photosensitive material Z by so-called digital raster scanning exposure in which the light is incident on the recording position X and is two-dimensionally exposed.

Here, in the recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, the image recording section 18 is disposed below the photosensitive material supply section 12 and the photosensitive material Z is stored in the image recording section 1.
At the recording position X of No. 8, the sheet is conveyed so that the recording surface faces upward. Further, in the illustrated example, after an image is recorded in the image recording unit 18, the photosensitive material Z is conveyed upward and carried into the developing machine. Accordingly, in the recording apparatus 10, the photosensitive material Z is firstly transported downward from the photosensitive material supply unit 12, then transported laterally with the recording surface facing upward, and then transported upward. Since the transport path is formed in a substantially C-shape, and the photosensitive material Z is basically transported with the recording surface facing inward with respect to the transport path, the exposure unit 34 controls the transport path of the photosensitive material Z. upon,
In the illustrated example, the printer 16 is arranged inside the transport path, and the printer 16 is arranged outside on the contrary. In the illustrated example, the exposure unit 34 emits the recording light L downward. However, in the case of the above-described configuration, the exposure unit 34 emits the recording light L in the horizontal direction according to the configuration of the apparatus and the like. It is also possible to expose Z.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, a heavy exposure unit 34 is located below the apparatus due to its basic layout configuration. Therefore, the entire apparatus and the exposure unit 34 are hardly affected by external vibration, and the stability against vibration is high.

The exposure unit 34 includes, for example, a photosensitive material Z
A light source that emits light beams corresponding to red (R) exposure, green (G) exposure, and blue (B) exposure, respectively, and an AOM that modulates the light beam emitted from the light source according to digital image data Modulation means such as an acousto-optic modulator), an optical deflector such as a polygon mirror which deflects the modulated light beam in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the scanning and conveying direction, and a light beam deflected in the main scanning direction at a recording position X ( This is a known light beam scanning device that includes an fθ (scanning) lens and the like that forms an image at a predetermined position on a scanning line) with a predetermined beam diameter.

The exposure unit 34 used in the recording apparatus of the present invention is not limited to such a light beam scanning apparatus, but may be any of various light emitting arrays or spatial modulations extending in a direction orthogonal to the scanning and conveying direction. Various digital exposure means using an element array or the like can be used. Specifically, PDP
(Plasma display) array, ELD (electroluminescent display) array, LED (light emitting diode) array, LCD (liquid crystal display) array,
A digital raster exposure unit using a DMD (digital micromirror device) array, a laser array, or the like is exemplified.

There is no particular limitation on the scanning / conveying means, and various kinds of conveying means for sheet materials used for scanning exposure can be used. In the illustrated example, a pair of sheet materials arranged with a recording position X (scanning line) interposed therebetween is used. The scanning transport means 36 is constituted by the transport roller pairs 38 and 40. If necessary, an exposure transport guide or the like may be provided to hold the photosensitive material Z more securely at the recording position X. Further, as the scanning and transporting unit, a scanning and transporting unit using an exposure drum that transports the photosensitive material Z while holding it at the recording position X, and two nip rollers that contact the exposure drum with the recording position X interposed therebetween are also preferable. Available.

In such a recording apparatus 10, the cutting of the photosensitive material Z by the cutter 14 is possible and the cutting length is made accurate, and the cutting of the photosensitive material Z and the recording of the back print are performed by the scanning and conveying means 36. In order to prevent the load from fluctuating in the scanning conveyance of Z and to make the scanning conveyance accurate, the distance from the cutter 14 to the recording position X and the distance from the printer 16 to the recording position X are set as follows.
The length needs to be longer than the length corresponding to the length of the maximum size print in the transport direction. That is, it is necessary to secure a cut buffer and a pre-exposure buffer for separating these components.

Here, if a non-contact type printer such as an ink jet printer is used as the printer 16, it is possible to prevent the printing of the back print from causing a load variation in the scanning and conveying, and the pre-exposure buffer is moved from the cutter 14 to the printing position X. The length of the photosensitive material Z (path length) can be shortened in accordance with the distance to the cut buffer, that is, the cut buffer. Further, by providing a loop forming section for forming a loop (flexure) of the photosensitive material Z in the middle of the transport path of the photosensitive material Z, fluctuations in the transport load given to each other by each component are eliminated, and the linear path length is increased. Can be shortened. Therefore, by using these, the device can be made more compact and inexpensive,
Get favorable results. When forming a loop of the photosensitive material Z, a small-size print may proceed linearly to form a loop only for a large-size print, or a loop may be formed even for a minimum-size print. You may make it.

In the recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, the photosensitive material Z exposed in the image recording section 18 is then transported upward and supplied to a developing machine. Therefore, in the recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, the photosensitive material Z is carried into the developing machine with the recording surface facing upward, and is subjected to development processing, drying, and the like. Here, in the recording device 10 of the illustrated example, a sorting device 20 is disposed in the middle of the transport path for transporting the photosensitive material Z upward. The sorting device 20 sorts the photosensitive material Z in a direction (hereinafter, referred to as a lateral direction) orthogonal to a transport direction (corresponding to a transport direction by the developing device), and supplies the photosensitive material Z to the developing device in a plurality of rows. .

At present, in a general silver halide photographic light-sensitive material used for photographic printing, development processing and exposure require more time for development processing.
The development processing cannot be performed in time, and it is necessary to temporarily store the paper in a stocker or a reservoir. The sorting device 20 is arranged to solve this inconvenience. The sorting device 20 sorts the photosensitive materials Z in the horizontal direction and divides the photosensitive materials Z into a plurality of rows overlapping in the transport direction, thereby improving the processing capacity of the developing machine. , 2
In the case of a row, it is possible to perform processing that is slightly less than twice that of a single row, and in the case of three rows, it is possible to perform processing that is slightly less than three times. Note that the arrangement position of the sorting device 20 is not limited to this, and may be arranged in a region where the photosensitive material Z is conveyed in the horizontal direction if it is downstream of the image recording unit 18.

In the present invention, the sorting device 20 is not particularly limited, and various sheet material sorting devices can be used. For example, a turret 70 that rotates around a shaft 70a as shown in FIG. Examples include a sorting device to be used, a device for dividing the photosensitive material Z in a transport direction into a plurality of, for example, three blocks, and distributing the photosensitive material Z by moving a central transport block in the horizontal direction. Further, as an apparatus capable of accommodating the photosensitive material in parallel with the exposure (scanning / conveying) by the image recording unit 18 and capable of efficiently and quickly sorting the photosensitive material Z at a short distance, the following short and long devices are available. A sorting device is preferably used.

FIG. 3 shows an example. The short / long sorting device 40 includes a belt conveyor and a half-moon roller (D) formed by cutting a cylinder in the axial direction to form a flat surface on a part of the conveying surface.
In the illustrated example, five belt conveyors 42 (4) are disposed at intervals to transport the photosensitive material Z in the downstream direction (the direction of arrow a in the figure).
2a, 42b, 42c, 42d and 42e) and a pair of half-moon rollers 44 arranged between the belt conveyors 42 for sorting the photosensitive material Z by transporting the photosensitive material Z in the lateral direction.
(44a, 44b, 44c and 44d).

As shown in FIG. 3 (b), when the photosensitive material Z is carried into the sorting device 40 from the upstream, the half-moon roller pairs 44 are in a state where their flat portions face each other. . Here, the flat portion of the lower half-moon roller is set to be the same as or slightly below the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 42, so that the conveyance of the photosensitive material Z by the belt conveyor 42 or the like does not interfere. When the photosensitive material Z is conveyed to a predetermined position, the half-moon roller pair 44 then distributes the photosensitive material Z in the direction of distribution, that is, clockwise when the photosensitive material Z is distributed to the right in the drawing, and conversely, when the photosensitive material Z is distributed to the left. Rotates counterclockwise. As shown in FIG. 3C, when the half-moon roller pair 44 rotates, the conveying surface of the lower half-moon roller projects above the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 42, so that the photosensitive material Z is lifted from the belt conveyor 42. Next, the half-moon roller pair 44 sandwiches the photosensitive material Z, and conveys and distributes the photosensitive material Z in the lateral direction.

As such a short and long sorting device,
A belt conveyor is used as a transporting unit for placing the photosensitive material Z and transporting it in the downstream direction, and a lift transporting unit is used as a distributing unit that lifts the photosensitive material Z using a suction cup or the like, transports the photosensitive material Z in the horizontal direction, and distributes it. Short and long sorting devices are also suitably exemplified. In this short and long sorting device, when the photosensitive material Z is conveyed to a predetermined position on the belt conveyor after the exposure is completed, the lift transporting means is operated to lift the photosensitive material Z to a horizontal or diagonal side (downstream side). ) Direction and sort.

The above-described sorting device using the turret 70 or the sorting device that separates and moves the transporting means enables sorting and allows the photosensitive material Z being exposed to light.
It is necessary to provide a post-exposure buffer (pre-distribution buffer) downstream of the recording position X in order not to cause a load variation in the scanning conveyance. Further, the post-distribution transport means (post-distribution buffer) downstream of the distribution device. It is necessary to provide. Here, since the scanning transport of the photosensitive material Z is usually a nipping transport by a roller or the like as described above, even if a part of the photosensitive material Z being exposed is placed on a driven belt conveyor, the scanning transport is performed. The applied load fluctuation is negligibly small. Therefore, by using the short and long sorting device as described above,
The short and long sorting device can be arranged immediately after the recording position X without providing a post-exposure buffer. The photosensitive material Z being exposed is received and accommodated at the scanning transport speed, and the photosensitive material Z is exposed. Then, at the time of being accommodated in the transport means, it can be quickly sorted and transported downstream. Therefore, the use of such a short and long sorting unit 18 can greatly improve the degree of freedom in designing the apparatus, and can shorten the path length of the photosensitive material Z according to the apparatus configuration and the developing machine. can do. In such a short and long sorting device, it is not always necessary to make the transport speed of the belt conveyor coincide with the scanning transport speed of the photosensitive material Z.

Although the example shown in FIG. 1 has such a sorting device 20 as a preferred embodiment, the image recording device of the present invention is not limited to this, and is used as a printing and developing machine (printer processor). Although the processing capacity is inferior, a configuration in which the photosensitive material Z is supplied to the developing machine in a single row without the sorting device 20 may be provided as an inexpensive mode.

Although the example shown in FIG. 1 has a configuration in which a back print is recorded prior to exposure of the photosensitive material Z, the present invention is not limited to this, and the back print is recorded after exposure of the photosensitive material Z. May be used. In this case, for example, a printer 16 for recording a back print may be arranged in an area where the photosensitive material Z is transported in the horizontal direction. When using a non-contact printer,
It is not necessary to consider a post-exposure buffer for the printer 16. However, the recording of the back print after arranging the photosensitive materials Z in a plurality of rows causes an increase in the number of printers 16 and the like.
When the back print is recorded after exposure, the sorting device 20 is preferably arranged downstream of the printer 16.

In a normal printing / developing machine, the image recording apparatus is usually arranged beside the developing machine. Therefore, the recording apparatus 10 in the illustrated example also has a configuration in which the photosensitive material Z is finally transported upward in order to supply the photosensitive material Z to the developing machine. However, if it is not necessary to transport the photosensitive material Z upward for supply to the developing device according to the configuration of the developing device, the configuration of the entire printing developing device, or the like, the upward transport path is omitted. Alternatively, the photosensitive material may be supplied to the developing device from the lateral conveyance.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the image recording apparatus of the present invention. The image recording device 5 shown in FIG.
0 (hereinafter, referred to as a recording device 50) is an example of the recording device 10 shown in FIG. 1 described above, and therefore, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. Mainly do. In addition, in the recording device 50, other than those shown in the drawings, a transporting unit for transporting the photosensitive material Z such as a transporting roller, a transporting guide, a sensor, and the like are arranged as necessary.

The image recording apparatus of the present invention has a configuration in which the photosensitive material supply section 12 is disposed above the image recording section 18. In the recording apparatus 50 shown in FIG.
The loading units 20 and 22 are connected to the housing 52 of the recording device 50.
The magazines 30 and 32 are set so as to be placed on the housing 52.

The photosensitive material Z pulled out of the magazines 30 and 32 of the loading sections 20 and 22 by the pull-out roller pairs 26 and 28 is conveyed downward by conveying means, and then conveyed rightward in the figure by a conveying guide 54. Is bent into a substantially horizontal direction with the recording surface facing upward, and is supplied to the scanning and conveying means 36. A cutter 14 and a printer 16 using an ink ribbon are arranged in the middle of the downward transport path. As described above, the transport of the photosensitive material Z is temporarily stopped when the length of the photosensitive material Z transported downstream from the cutter 14 reaches a length corresponding to the print size to be produced, and the cutter 14 is activated. The sheet is cut into a predetermined length, and a back print is recorded by the printer 16 in parallel with the conveyance.

As described above, the image recording section 18 has the exposure unit 34 and the scanning and conveying means 36. In the illustrated example, as an example, the exposure unit 34 records a light beam modulated in accordance with a recording image and deflected in a main scanning direction (perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 4) orthogonal to the scanning and conveying direction by the scanning and conveying unit 36. The above light beam scanning device exposes a photosensitive material Z as light L. On the other hand,
The scanning conveyance means 36 has an exposure conveyance guide 56 in addition to a pair of conveyance rollers 38 and 40 sandwiching the recording position X (scanning line), and transports the photosensitive material Z by the exposure conveyance guide 62. While being held at the recording position X, the sheet is conveyed by the conveying roller pairs 38 and 40 in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. Here, as described above, since the light beam is deflected in the main scanning direction, the photosensitive material Z
Is two-dimensionally scanned and exposed by a light beam to form a latent image.

The photosensitive material Z to which an image has been exposed in the image recording section 18 is conveyed in the horizontal direction by a belt conveyor 58, and then conveyed almost vertically upward with the conveyance path bent. In the middle of this upward transport path, a sorting device 20 is arranged. The photosensitive material Z is distributed to the sorting device 20
, Are arranged in a plurality of rows overlapping in the transport direction, are transported further upward, and are transported into the developing device 62 from the outlet 60 formed in the housing 52. According to the photosensitive material Z,
Each processing such as a color developing tank, a bleach-fix tank, and a washing tank is performed.
Dried and printed. The sorting device 20
If the above-mentioned short-length sorting device is used, it is also possible to arrange the sorting device at the position of the belt conveyor 58.

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

[0046]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, after a photosensitive material is formed into a cut sheet, image recording used in a digital photo printer or the like for performing digital exposure, back print recording, and the like. An image recording apparatus is provided which not only can realize the apparatus, but also has excellent workability and stability against vibration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a basic configuration of an example of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a photosensitive material sorting device used in the image recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are schematic views of another example of a photosensitive material sorting device used in the image recording apparatus of the present invention, wherein FIG. (B) and (c) are side views.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an example of the image recording apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 50 (image) recording apparatus 12 photosensitive material supply section 14 cutter 16 printer 18 image recording section 20 sorting apparatus 22, 24 loading section 26, 28 pull-out roller pair 30, 32 magazine 34 exposure unit 36 scanning transport means 38, 40 transport Roller pair 40 Short and long sorting device 42 (42a, 42b, 42c, 42d), 58 Belt conveyor 44 (44a, 44b, 44c, 44d) Half moon roller pair 52 Housing 54 Transport guide 56 Exposure transport guide 60 Discharge port 62 Developing machine

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A loading section for loading a photosensitive material magazine in which a long photosensitive material is wound into a roll and housed in a light-shielding housing, and a drawer for pulling out the photosensitive material from the photosensitive material magazine. A photosensitive material supply unit, a cutter for cutting the photosensitive material pulled out by the drawing means, a scan conveying means for scanning and conveying the cut photosensitive material at a predetermined recording position, and a digital image signal. An image recording unit having an exposure unit that exposes a photosensitive material scanned and conveyed by the scanning conveyance unit with the modulated recording light, an image recording unit located below the photosensitive material supply unit, and a recording surface of the photosensitive material at the recording position Transporting the photosensitive material from the cutter to the scanning transporting means so as to be on top,
Then, an image characterized by comprising a transport unit for transporting to the next step, and a backprint unit for recording a backprint on a non-recording surface of the photosensitive material, which is arranged in a transport path of the photosensitive material by the transport unit. Recording device. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conveying means conveys the photosensitive material to the recording position, conveys the exposed photosensitive material upward, and thereafter conveys the photosensitive material to the next step. Image recording device. 3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of rows of photosensitive materials that are arranged downstream of the image recording section in the photosensitive material transport direction in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction by the transport unit. An image recording apparatus having a sorting unit.