JPH11102057A - Image recorder and photosensitive heat-developable recording material - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure sufficient light transmissivity and to output a hard copy on which an image of high quality is recorded, without interference fringes and halation by providing a recording light absorbing part having almost the same refractive index as that of a photosensitive heat-developable recording material, in a part abutted thereon. SOLUTION: The recording material A is held by rollers 62a and 62b and a photoreceptive drum 60, while being kept in a recording position (x), in a state where the rear surface is closely stuck to the drum 60, and held in a subscanning direction by the rotation of the drum 60 in the direction of the arrow. The recording material A is two-dimensionally scanned/exposed with a light beam L, to record a latent image. On the surface of the drum 60, the absorbing layer 61 having almost the same refractive index as that of the recording material A is formed. The recording light L after passing through the recording material A is absorbed by the absorbing layer 61, without being reflected by the base of the recording material A. Then, it is carried to a heat developable part by a pair of carrying rollers, to be heated, so that the latent image becomes a visible image by heat development.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention belongs to the technical field of image recording using a photosensitive heat-developable recording material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ultrasonic diagnosis, CT diagnosis, MR
Diagnostic images such as I diagnosis and X-ray diagnosis are photographed on a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material and developed into a hard copy. However, while silver halide photographic materials can provide high-quality images, they require wet development processing such as color development, fixing bleaching, and washing with water. There is also a problem that the maintenance of the (processor) is troublesome, and it is desired to output a hard copy by an image forming method that does not require a wet developing process.

As an image forming method that does not require wet processing,
Thermal image recording is known. As is well known, the thermal image recording uses a thermal head having a glaze in which heating elements are arranged in one direction (main scanning direction), and presses the glaze against the thermosensitive recording material. The image is recorded on the heat-sensitive recording material by generating heat in each heating element according to the recorded image while relatively moving in the orthogonal direction. The image quality of such thermal recording images has been greatly improved in recent years. Recently, in addition to recording of ultrasonic diagnostic images conventionally used, CT diagnosis, MRI diagnosis,
Use for applications requiring large and high-quality images, such as line diagnosis, is also being studied. However, in terms of recording density and gradation reproducibility, an image formed by exposing a silver halide photographic material with a light beam or the like is also advantageous.

As an image forming method which has solved such problems, attention has been paid to image recording using a photosensitive heat-developable recording material. A photosensitive heat-developable recording material is a recording material in which a latent image is formed on a support such as a resin film by exposure, and an image forming layer that forms a color by heating is formed. After the latent image is formed, the exposed photosensitive material is heated by a heating drum or the like, so that the exposed portion or the non-exposed portion is colored to obtain a hard copy on which an image is recorded. According to the image recording using such a photosensitive heat development recording material,
High-definition high-quality images using light beam scanning exposure etc.
It can be formed without performing a wet development process.

[0005] In image recording by scanning exposure, particularly in image recording using laser light as recording light, interference fringes are known as one of the factors that degrade image quality. In scanning exposure, in order to prevent the recording light reflected by the recording material from being incident on the light source and affecting the intensity and wavelength of the recording light, the recording light is normally incident on the recording material. It is oblique to the surface. However,
Since the recording light is obliquely incident, the recording light reaching the bottom surface of the recording material and being reflected due to a difference in refractive index from the outside and the like is further reflected on the surface of the recording material and the like. In this case, the recording light overlaps with the incident recording light to cause interference, and as a result, stripe-shaped unevenness, that is, interference fringes occurs in the image.

[0008] Halation is known as another factor of image quality deterioration. The recording light that reaches the bottom surface of the recording material and is reflected as described above is regularly reflected or irregularly reflected by various factors, and the reflected light naturally exposes the image forming layer. Therefore, unnecessary areas of the image forming layer are exposed by the reflected light, and the image is blurred, that is, halation occurs.

[0007] Such interference fringes and halation not only reduce the image quality, but also cause misdiagnosis when recording images used for medical applications such as MRI and CT. Moreover, in a photosensitive heat-developable recording material requiring high image quality, photosensitive particles (for example, silver halide particles) having a small particle size are used in an image forming layer (emulsion layer) in order to achieve a desired image quality. Interference fringes and halation are likely to occur. In particular, the photothermographic recording material used in the medical applications described above is required not only to have high image quality but also to have light transmittance like the silver salt photographic light-sensitive material conventionally used. Therefore, the recording light cannot be absorbed by the image forming layer or the support, and
Interference fringes and halation easily occur.

[0008]

As measures to prevent such interference fringes and halation, various types of recording materials are used.
An antihalation layer (hereinafter, referred to as an AH layer) is formed. The AH layer is a layer containing a component that absorbs recording light for exposing the recording material, and is usually formed below the image forming layer or on the back surface of the recording material (the reverse side of the image forming layer). A
By having the H layer, the recording light that has passed through the image forming layer is absorbed by the AH layer and the intensity of the reflected light is reduced, so that interference fringes and halation can be prevented or suppressed.

Therefore, in image recording using visible light as recording light, the AH layer is colored to absorb light having a recording light wavelength. However, as mentioned above,
Light transmissive materials such as photosensitive heat development recording materials for medical use
Because it is transparent, interference fringes and halation tend to occur, and it is necessary to increase the coloring density of the AH layer in order to sufficiently exhibit the effect of preventing these and record a high-quality image. However, if the coloring density of the AH layer is increased in order to obtain a sufficient effect, the light transmittance of the recording material decreases, and conversely, the commercial value of the medical recording material (medical film) decreases. Result.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to secure a sufficient light transmittance in image recording in which a photosensitive heat-developable recording material is exposed to visible light, An image recording apparatus that has sufficient merchantability as a recording material and can output a hard copy on which high-quality images are recorded without interference fringes and halation even when fine photosensitive particles are used. And a photosensitive heat-developable recording material.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the image recording apparatus of the present invention, a recording light in a visible range modulated according to a recorded image is incident on a predetermined recording position. Recording means for exposing a photosensitive heat-developable recording material having light transmissivity; and the photosensitive means for abutting one surface of the photosensitive heat-developable recording material to hold the recording position on the photosensitive heat-developable recording material. A holding member having a recording light absorbing portion having substantially the same refractive index as the photosensitive heat-developing recording material on the contact surface with the photosensitive heat-developing recording material; and a photosensitive heat held at a recording position by the holding member. An image recording apparatus comprising: a scanning conveyance unit that conveys a developed recording material in a predetermined scanning conveyance direction; and a heat development unit that heats and develops the photosensitive heat development recording material exposed by the recording unit. provide.

Further, the photosensitive heat-developable recording material of the present invention comprises:
A support, a light- and heat-developable image forming layer having sensitivity to a visible region formed on one side of the support, and a peelable antihalation formed on one side of the support; And a photosensitive heat-developable recording material characterized by having a layer.

According to a second aspect of the image recording apparatus of the present invention, there is provided an image recording apparatus using the photosensitive heat-developable recording material of the present invention. Recording means for exposing the latent image, recording a latent image by the image recording unit, heat developing means for heating and developing the photosensitive thermal development recording material on which the latent image has been recorded, And an exfoliating means for exfoliating the antihalation layer from the heat-developable recording material.

Further, in the present invention, the photosensitive heat-developable recording material preferably satisfies at least one of the following a to d. a. The average size of silver halide grains is 0.2 μm or less b. The thickness of the support is 50 μm or less c. The coated silver amount is 3 g / m ² or less d. The absorbance of the image forming layer is 0.5 or less in recording light.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an image recording apparatus and a photosensitive heat-developable recording material of the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an image recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. An image recording apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as a recording apparatus 10) uses a light beam L having a wavelength in a visible region,
A latent image is recorded by imagewise exposing a photosensitive heat-developable recording material A (hereinafter referred to as recording material A), and the latent image is visualized by heating and developing the recording material on which the latent image is recorded. Output as a hard copy on which an image is formed,
Basically, the order of the recording material A in the transport direction, that is, the recording material A
In the order of processing, the recording material supply unit 12, the width adjustment unit 14,
An image exposure section 16 scans and exposes the recording material A with the light beam L to record a latent image, and a heat development section 18 that heats and develops the exposed recording material A to convert the latent image into a visible image. It is composed.

The recording material A used in the first embodiment of the present invention is a light-transmitting recording material (hereinafter referred to as a transmission material) such as a medical film, and is, for example, a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film. On one surface of such a transparent support (base film), a latent image is formed by exposure to visible light, and a light- and heat-developable image forming layer that develops a color by heating is provided. It is formed by forming various layers such as a protective layer for protecting the surface of the recording material A and a matting layer. As will be described later in detail, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the light is incident on the recording material A and passes through the image forming layer and the support by the sub-scanning conveyance means 48 (exposure drum 60) of the image exposure section 16. Since the light beam L thus absorbed is absorbed, the occurrence of interference fringes and halation can be suitably prevented. Therefore, the recording material A does not have an antihalation layer (hereinafter, referred to as an AH layer) for preventing these.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, various known photosensitive heat-developable recording materials can be used as long as they are transmissive materials having sensitivity in the visible region. For example, a recording material having an image forming layer in which 50% or more of a binder is composed of latex on one surface of a support and contains an organic silver salt and a reducing agent for an organic silver salt is preferably exemplified. In this recording material, a photocatalyst such as photosensitive silver halide forms a latent image nucleus when exposed to light, and when heated, silver of an organic silver salt ionized by the action of a reducing agent moves. Is a negative recording material that combines with photosensitive silver halide to form crystalline silver to form an image. Further, a heat-developable silver salt recording material (Pictrography recording material manufactured by FUJIFILM Corporation) that transfers an image to an image receiving material having an image receiving layer (dye fixing layer) in the presence of an image forming solvent to form a hard copy is also suitable. Is exemplified.

Here, the recording material A preferably satisfies at least one of the following conditions a to d. a. Average size of silver halide grains of 0.2 μm or less; b. The thickness of the support is 50 μm or less; c. Coated silver amount of 3 g / m ² or less; d. The absorbance of the image forming layer is 0.5 or less in recording light;

Although these conditions are advantageous for improving the image quality and the light transmittance, they are also the conditions on which the above-mentioned interference fringes and halation tend to occur. However, according to the image recording apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, although the recording material A without the AH layer is used, it is possible to suitably prevent the occurrence of interference fringes and halation. Using A, the light transmittance is high,
A hard copy on which a high-quality image is recorded can be output.

Such a recording material A is stored in a state of being stacked on a dedicated magazine 20 with the image forming layer facing downward, and is supplied to the recording apparatus 10. Recording material supply unit 12
(Hereinafter, referred to as a supply unit 12) is a part that takes out one recording material A from the magazine 20 and supplies the recording material A to the width adjustment unit 14 located downstream (hereinafter, referred to as downstream) in the transport direction of the recording material A. The loading units 22 and 24, sheet-feeding means and suction roller pairs 30 and 32 using suction cups 26 and 28 arranged in each loading unit, transport roller pairs 34 and 36, transport guides 38, 40 and 42 And is configured.

The loading sections 22 and 24 are sections for loading the magazine 20 containing the recording material A at a predetermined position.
The illustrated recording apparatus 10 includes two loading units 22 and 24.
Usually, recording materials A having different sizes (for example, half-cut size for CT and MRI, B4 size for FCR (Fuji Computed Radiography), etc.) are stored in both loading sections. The magazine 20 is loaded.
The single-wafer means arranged in each loading section includes suckers 26 and 28
The recording material A is sucked and held, and the recording material A is conveyed by moving the suction cups 26 and 28 by a known moving means such as a link mechanism, and is supplied to the supply roller pairs 30 and 32 disposed in the respective loading sections. Supply. The recording material A supplied to the supply roller pair 30 is supplied to the conveyance guides 38 and 4.
The recording material A supplied to the supply roller pair 32 while being guided by the conveyance rollers 40 and 42 is turned upside down in the conveyance direction by the conveyance roller pair 36 while being guided by the conveyance guides 40 and 42. The sheet is conveyed to the downstream width adjusting unit 14 with the image forming layer facing upward.

The width shifter 14 aligns the recording material A in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (hereinafter, referred to as a width direction), and thereby the position of the recording material A in the main scanning direction in the downstream recording unit 16. At this time, the recording material A is conveyed to the downstream recording unit 16 by the conveying roller pair 44 after taking a so-called side resist. There is no particular limitation on the method of the side resist in the width shifter 14. For example, there is a resist plate for positioning by contacting one end surface in the width direction of the recording material A, and an end surface by pushing the recording material A in the width direction. Using a pressing means for bringing the recording material A into contact with the resist plate, and controlling the conveying direction of the resist material and the recording material A in the width direction and making the recording material A contact the resist plate in the same manner. Such as using a guide plate that can be moved according to
Various known methods are exemplified.

The image exposing section 16 (hereinafter, referred to as the exposing section 16) is a portion for exposing the recording material A imagewise by light beam scanning exposure.
8 is provided.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the exposure unit 16. The exposure unit 46 uses the light beam L having a wavelength in the visible region as recording light, and deflects the light beam L modulated according to the recorded image in the main scanning direction (perpendicular to the paper in FIGS. 1 and 2). A light source 50, an exposure controller 52 for driving the light source 50, and a polygon mirror 5 serving as an optical deflector.
4, an fθ lens 56, and a falling mirror 58. The exposure unit 46 also includes a collimator lens and a beam expander for shaping the light beam L emitted from the light source, a surface tilt correction optical system, and the like.
Various members, such as an optical path changing mirror, arranged in a known light beam scanning device are arranged as necessary.

The light source 50 is a light source that emits a light beam L in a narrow band wavelength range according to the spectral sensitivity characteristics of the recording material A having sensitivity to visible light. In the present invention, the light source 50 has a wavelength in the visible range. A device that emits a light beam L is used. Light source 5
0 is driven by the exposure control device 52. In the illustrated example, the exposure control device 52 drives the light source 50 by pulse width modulation according to the recorded image, and drives the light source 50 according to the recorded image. The emitted light beam L is emitted.
Note that the modulation method is not limited to pulse width modulation, and may be pulse number modulation or intensity modulation.

The light beam L emitted from the light source 50 is deflected in the main scanning direction by the polygon mirror 54, so that fθ
The light is adjusted so that an image is formed at the recording position x by the lens 56, the optical path is changed by the falling mirror 58, and the light enters the recording position x. The recording device 10 in the illustrated example is a device for performing monochrome image recording, and the exposure unit 46 has only one light source 50. However, when the present invention is used for recording a color image, for example, a color recording material is used. R (red),
An exposure unit having three types of light sources that emit light beams having wavelengths according to the spectral sensitivity characteristics of G (green) and B (blue) is used.

On the other hand, the sub-scanning and conveying means 48 has a recording position x
The exposure drum 60 that scans and conveys the recording material A in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction while holding the recording material A, contacts the exposure drum 60 with the recording position x (scanning line) interposed therebetween, and records together with the exposure drum 60. It is composed of two rollers 62a (upstream side) and a roller 62b (downstream side) that pinch and transport the material A. The recording material A conveyed to the exposure unit 16 (sub-scanning conveyance unit 48) with the image forming layer facing upward is exposed to the rollers 62a and 62b while being held at the recording position x while the back surface is in close contact with the exposure drum 60. The exposure drum 60 is nipped and transported in the sub-scanning direction by the rotation of the exposure drum 60 in the direction of the arrow in the figure. As aforementioned,
Since the light beam L incident on the recording position x is deflected in the main scanning direction, the recording material A is two-dimensionally scanned and exposed by the light beam L, and a latent image is recorded.

Here, in the recording apparatus 10 according to the present invention, an absorption layer 61 for absorbing the light beam L is formed on the surface (outer peripheral surface) of the exposure drum 60. As described above, the recording material A is a material having no AH layer. However, in the recording apparatus 10 of the present invention, the recording light L transmitted through the recording material A is such that the absorption layer 61 is substantially equal to the recording material A. Since they have the same refractive index, they are not reflected on the bottom surface of the recording material A and are absorbed by the absorption layer 61, so that no interference fringes or halation occurs.

Therefore, according to the recording apparatus 10 of the present invention,
In the image recording using visible light, high quality image recording and high transparency can be realized, but even when using a recording material that satisfies the above-described conditions in which interference fringes and the like are liable to occur, AH which causes a decrease in transparency is used. By using the recording material A, which is a transmission material having no layer, a high-quality image without interference fringes or the like is recorded, and a high-quality hard copy with high transparency can be created. In addition, an inexpensive recording material A having no AH layer can be used, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

The absorbing layer 61 is, for example,
Since the support of the recording material A is PET, a polyethylene film coated with a dye that absorbs the light beam L, a polyethylene layer formed by dissolving or dispersing the dye that absorbs the light beam L, and the like are exemplified.

In the illustrated example, the scanning conveyance is performed while the recording material A is held at the recording position x by the exposure drum 60. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the recording material A is used as the holding member. May be used to carry out scanning and transport by two pairs of transport rollers arranged so as to sandwich the support in the sub-scanning direction.

The recording apparatus 10 shown in FIG.
Is directly modulated to perform pulse width modulation, but the present invention is also applicable to an indirect modulation device using an external modulator such as an AON (acousto-optic modulator). Further, in addition to the light beam scanning exposure as shown in the illustrated example, the present invention also provides scanning exposure by pulse modulation using a light emitting array such as an LED (light emitting diode) array, an LCD (liquid crystal display) array, or a spatial modulation element array. Available.

The recording material A on which the latent image has been recorded in the exposing section 16 is then conveyed by conveying roller pairs 64 and 66 and the like, and conveyed to the thermal developing section 18. The heat developing section 18 is a part that performs a heat development by heating the recording material A to convert a latent image into a visible image, and includes a heating drum 68, an endless belt 70, and a peeling claw 72. Is done.

The heating drum 68 is a drum having a built-in heating light source such as a halogen lamp and a heat source such as a heater. The surface of the heating drum 68 is heated and held at a temperature corresponding to the heat development temperature of the recording material A. The recording material A is pinched and conveyed together with the endless belt 70 by rotating about the shaft 68a. In addition,
The temperature of the heating drum 68 may be appropriately determined according to the coloring temperature of the recording material A to be used. Further, the heat development time may be adjusted by changing the conveying speed according to the type of the recording material A.

The endless belt 70 has rollers 74a,
It is stretched around four rollers 74b, 74c and 74d, wound around a heating drum 68 and pressed.
The peeling claw 72 peels off the recording material A from the heating drum 68, and is configured to lightly contact and separate from the heating drum 68 in accordance with the conveyance of the recording material A by the heating drum 68.

The recording material A conveyed into the thermal developing section 18 by the conveying roller pair 66 is nipped and conveyed by an endless belt 70 and rollers 76 and 78, and conveyed between the heating drum 68 and the endless belt 70. While being conveyed in accordance with the rotation of the heating drum 68, the latent image which is thermally developed by the heating drum 68 and recorded by exposure becomes a visible image. When the leading end of the recording material A is conveyed to the vicinity of the peeling claw 72, the peeling claw 72 lightly comes into contact with the heating drum 68 and penetrates between the heating drum 68 and the recording material A. Peel from 68.

The recording material A peeled off from the heating drum 68 by the peeling claw 72 after the completion of the heat development is conveyed out of the apparatus and discharged to the tray 80.

FIG. 3 shows a conceptual diagram of an example of the image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The image recording apparatus 90 shown in FIG. 3 (hereinafter, referred to as the recording apparatus 90) is basically the same as the recording apparatus 10 except that the photosensitive heat development recording material to be used and the configuration of the sub-scanning conveyance section are different. Therefore, the same reference numerals are given to the same members, and the following description will mainly be given to different parts.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a photosensitive heat development recording material Ar (hereinafter, referred to as a recording material Ar) used in the recording apparatus 90. The recording material Ar is the photosensitive heat-developable recording material of the present invention, and includes a support 100 and an image forming layer 102 formed on one surface of the support 100 (hereinafter, this side is referred to as a surface). ) Comprises a protective layer 104 formed on the image forming layer 102 and an AH (antihalation) layer 106 formed on the back side of the support 100. A transparent material that forms a latent image by exposure and develops a color image by heating to form a visible image in the same manner as described above.

As the support 100 of the recording material Ar, various materials used for known transmission materials can be used as long as they have the transparency required for the recording material Ar as a hard copy. And resin films such as polyester films, PET films, polyethylene naphthalate films, cellulose nitrate films, cellulose ester films, polyvinyl acetal films, and polycarbonate films.

The image forming layer 102 is the same as the image forming layer of the recording material A.
% Or more, a latent image is formed by exposure, such as an image forming layer containing an organic silver salt and an organic silver salt reducing agent, and the exposed or non-exposed portion is colored by heating to form a visible image. Any image-forming layer of a known photosensitive heat-developable (thermochromic) recording material on which an image is formed can be used.

The protective layer 104 protects the image forming layer 102, and various known materials used for transparent recording materials can be used. Such a protective layer 104
It is preferably formed of an anti-adhesion material, and for example, wax, silica particles, styrene-containing elastomeric block copolymer (such as styrene-butadiene-styrene), cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and cellulose propionate are used.

On the back side of the support 106, the AH layer 106
Is formed. The AH layer 106 is a layer that absorbs the light beam L that is incident from the front side and has passed through the support 100 to prevent the occurrence of interference fringes and halation in a recorded image.

Here, the recording material Ar of the present invention comprises
The H layer 106 is formed of a recording material A (the support 100 in the illustrated example).
It is configured to be peelable from the Therefore, the recording material Ar
Is a light beam L that has passed through the support 100 by performing exposure with the AH layer 106 attached to record a latent image.
Can be absorbed by the AH layer 106 to prevent interference fringes and halation. Further, by peeling off the AH layer 106 after exposure, a hard copy to be output can be made high without the AH layer 106 causing a decrease in transmittance. High quality with light transmittance can be obtained.

As the AH layer 106, various structures can be used as long as they can absorb the light beam L and can be separated from the support 100. For example, an AH layer in which a film made of a material having substantially the same refractive index as the support 100 and formed by dissolving or dispersing a dye that absorbs the light beam L is adhered with an adhesive having the same refractive index as the support 100 106 is illustrated.

In the recording material Ar of the present invention basically having such a configuration, the recording apparatus 1 of the first embodiment is also used.
0, for the same reasons as described for a. Average size of silver halide grains of 0.2 μm or less; b. Support thickness is 5
0 μm or less; c. Coated silver amount of 3 g / m ² or less; d. It is preferable that the absorbance of the image forming layer satisfies at least one of the following four conditions: 0.5 or less in recording light. Further, the recording material Ar of the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and may not have the protective layer 104, or
If necessary, various layers such as a mat layer and a back layer may be further provided. Further, the AH layer 106 is not limited to being formed on the surface opposite to the image forming layer 102, and may be formed outside the image forming layer 102 with respect to the incident direction of the light beam L. , May be formed on the same side. However, regardless of the configuration, the AH layer 106
It is necessary to prevent other necessary layers from being peeled off when peeling off.

In such a recording material Ar,
The image recording layer 102, the protective layer 104, and the like are prepared by a known method in which a coating solution (emulsion) containing the components of each layer is prepared using a solvent as necessary, and is coated by a known means and dried. do it.

The recording device 9 is similar to the recording device 10 described above.
0, such a recording material Ar is stored in the magazine 20 with the image forming layer 102 facing down, is turned upside down, and is supplied from the supply unit 12 to the width adjusting unit 14 with the image forming layer 102 facing up. Then, the side resist is removed at the width adjustment unit 14 and is conveyed to the exposure unit 16.

The exposure section 16 includes the exposure unit 46 and a sub-scanning transport section 92. The exposure unit 46
This is the same as the recording apparatus 10 described above, and modulates a light beam L having a wavelength in the visible region according to a recorded image and deflects the light beam in the main scanning direction (perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 3 and FIG. 5) to a predetermined value. At the recording position x.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of the sub-scanning conveyance section 92. The sub-scanning conveyance section 92 holds the recording material A at the recording position x and conveys the recording material A in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, and the exposure drum 94 with the recording position x (scanning line) interposed therebetween. , A sub-scanning and conveying means comprising two rollers 62a and 62b for holding and conveying the recording material A together with the exposure drum 94;
And a waste box 98 (see FIG. 3). The exposure drum 94 is the same as the exposure drum 60 except that the exposure drum 94 does not have the absorption layer 61.
The recording material A conveyed to the exposure unit 16 is exposed to an exposure drum 94
While being held at the recording position x, the sheet is nipped and conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by the rollers 62a and 62b and the exposure drum 94, pulse width modulated according to the recording image, and changed to the main scanning direction as described above. A two-dimensional scanning exposure is performed by a light beam, and a latent image is recorded. Here, since the recording material Ar has an AH layer (at the time of exposure), the light beam L that has passed through the support 100 is absorbed here, and interference fringes and halation of a recorded image can be suitably prevented.

In the sub-scanning conveyance section 92 of the recording apparatus 90, a peeling claw 96 is disposed downstream of the downstream roller 62b, and a waste box 98 is disposed below the separation claw 96. When the leading end of the recording material Ar after the exposure reaches the peeling claw 96,
A peeling claw 96 is inserted between the support 100 and the AH layer 106. As described above, since the AH layer 106 of the recording material Ar can be peeled, when the peeling claw 96 is inserted, the AH layer 106 is gradually peeled by the conveyance by the exposure drum 94 and the roller 62b, and finally, Is separated into two sheets.

The recording material Ar from which the AH layer 106 has been peeled off
As in the case of the recording material A, the AH layer 106 is conveyed to the developing unit 18 and heated and developed, and is discharged to the tray 80 as a hard copy on which an image is recorded.
Are stored in the lower waste box 98 and disposed. Therefore,
The recording material Ar discharged to the tray 80 is a high-quality transparent hard copy on which a high-quality image without interference fringes or the like is recorded and the transparency is not reduced by the AH layer.

In the recording apparatus 90 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the method of peeling the AH layer 106 is not limited to the peeling claw 96 in the illustrated example, but may use a peeling roller, or use a suction cup or the like. A method in which the AH layer 106 is peeled off by adsorbing and separating the surface of the recording material Ar can also be used. In addition, the peeling of the AH layer 106 is not limited to before the thermal development, and may be peeled after the thermal development, and a preferable one may be selected according to the configuration of the apparatus, the recording material Ar, and the like. Further, the scanning and conveying means is not limited to the method using the exposure drum 94 in the illustrated example, and the scanning and conveying by a pair of nip rollers disposed so as to sandwich the recording position x can be suitably used.

The image recording apparatus and the photosensitive heat-developable recording material of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described examples, and various improvements can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, changes may be made.

[0056]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in image recording in which a photosensitive heat-developable recording material is exposed to visible light, sufficient transparency is ensured, and a medical recording material (film) ) Has sufficient commercial properties as a transparent material,
Moreover, even when fine photosensitive particles capable of realizing a high-quality image are used, a hard copy on which a high-quality image is recorded without interference fringes or halation can be output.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an image exposure unit of the image recording apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of an image recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an example of the photosensitive heat-developable recording material of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of a scanning transport unit of the image recording apparatus shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 90 (image) recording device 12 (recording material) supply unit 14 width adjustment unit 16 (image) exposure unit 18 heat development unit 20 magazine 22, 24 loading unit 26, 28 suction cup 30, 32 supply roller pair 34, 36, 44, 64, 66 transport roller pair 38, 40, 42 transport guide 46 exposure unit 48 scanning transport means 50 light source 52 exposure controller 54 polygon mirror 56 fθ lens 58 falling mirror 60, 94 exposure drum 61 absorption layer 62 roller 68 heating Drum 70 Endless belt 70 72 Peeling claw 74a, 74b, 74c, 74d, 76, 78 Roller 80 Tray 92 Sub-scanning conveyance section 96 Peeling claw 98 Waste box 100 Support 102 Image forming layer 104 Protective layer 106 AH (antihalation) layer A, Ar Recording material

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H04N 1/00 108 H04N 1/00 108Q 1/23 103 1/23 103Z

Claims (5)

[Claims] A recording means for irradiating a recording material having a visible region modulated according to a recording image to a predetermined recording position and exposing a photosensitive heat-developable recording material having light transmittance; The photosensitive thermal development recording material is held at the recording position in contact with one surface of the recording material. The refractive index of the contact surface with the photosensitive thermal development recording material is substantially the same as that of the photosensitive thermal development recording material. A holding member having an absorption portion for the recording light; a scanning conveyance unit for conveying the photosensitive heat development recording material held at a recording position by the holding member in a predetermined scanning conveyance direction; An image recording apparatus comprising: a heat development unit configured to heat and develop a photosensitive heat development recording material. 2. The photothermographic recording material according to claim 1, wherein
The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the following is satisfied. a. The average size of silver halide grains is 0.2 μm or less b. The thickness of the support is 50 μm or less c. The coated silver amount is 3 g / m ² or less d. The absorbance of the image forming layer is 0.5 or less in recording light. 3. A light-transmissive, heat-sensitive and heat-developable image forming layer having a sensitivity in a visible region formed on one surface of the support, and a light-transmissive image-forming layer formed on one surface of the support. A photothermographic recording material having a peelable antihalation layer. 4. The photothermographic recording material according to claim 1, wherein
The image recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the following is satisfied. a. The average size of silver halide grains is 0.2 μm or less b. The thickness of the support is 50 μm or less c. The coated silver amount is 3 g / m ² or less d. The absorbance of the image forming layer is 0.5 or less in recording light. 5. An image recording apparatus using the photothermographic recording material according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the latent image is recorded by exposing the photothermographic recording material with visible light. Recording means for heating, a heat development means for heating and developing the photosensitive heat development recording material on which the latent image is recorded by the image recording unit, and a photosensitive heat development recording material on which the latent image is recorded by the recording means. An image recording apparatus, comprising: a peeling unit that peels a halation layer.