JPH11188921A - Exposing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an exposing device wherein production cost can be reduced by a simple structure because the line number of an exposing light source is not influenced by the total number of colors of an exposing body and an output position is not shifted even when an identical position on a recording medium is exposed to a light having a different color by using the line type exposing light source. SOLUTION: This exposing device 10 consists of an exposing light source 12 and an image forming optical system 14. The exposing light source 12 is so constituted that light emitting diodes 20 are arranged in a line as an exposing body. The exposing body is so constituted that red, green and blue light emitting diodes 20 are regularly arranged to form one line and two lines of the exposing bodies are provided. By using the exposing device 10 having the above structure, a line shaped image is formed by means of the exposing light source 12 and a photosensitive recording medium 16 is conveyed by means of conveying rollers 18a, 18b to be exposed, thereby forming a two-dimensional image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus for forming a two-dimensional image on a photosensitive recording medium by scanning and exposing a one-dimensional image with an exposure source. The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an exposure apparatus that forms a two-dimensional color image on a photosensitive recording medium by scanning and exposing a one-dimensional image with an exposure source, a linear light source is one-dimensionally provided for each of differently colored exposure elements. It was formed, and a plurality of lines were arranged to perform exposure. For example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 63-216770, three linear light emitting element arrays for performing three-color exposure are arranged on a color photosensitive material in accordance with the spectral sensitivity characteristics of the photosensitive material. ing. With such a configuration, continuous image recording can be performed at high speed.

[0003]

However, when the exposure source is constructed by the above-described method, when each color is exposed at the same position on the recording medium, each color is individually scanned by a line of each color. There has been a problem that the output position may be shifted depending on the color.

Further, in order to increase the resolution of an output image, it is necessary to increase the number of elements of an exposure source to increase the array density. However, if the number of lines serving as an exposure source for each color is increased, the configuration becomes complicated. In addition, when an expensive element such as a light emitting diode is used, there is a problem that the entire exposure source becomes expensive.

[0005] Further, there is a problem that when there is a variation in the output of the light emitting diode, the image is output as unevenness of the image.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the number of lines of the exposure source is
Because it does not depend on the total number of colors of the exposed body, the production cost can be kept low with a simple structure, and even if different colors are exposed at the same position on the recording medium using a linear exposure source, The purpose of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus whose output position does not shift.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an exposure apparatus which does not generate unintended output such as moire even if the light source such as a light emitting diode has an output unevenness.

[0008]

To achieve this object, an exposure apparatus according to the present invention forms a two-dimensional image on a photosensitive recording medium by scanning and exposing a one-dimensional image with an exposure source. The exposure source is formed in a line shape, and has a plurality of color exposure bodies on the same line. According to this structure, a plurality of colors are exposed at once by one scan, and the output position on the recording medium does not shift due to the colors, and the configuration is simplified.

An exposure apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises image forming particles containing a photosensitive material which cures in response to light in a specific wavelength band to form a latent image and a color image forming substance. A two-dimensional image is formed by scanning and exposing a one-dimensional image of a plurality of colors on a photosensitive recording medium having a photosensitive recording layer by an exposure source, and the exposure source is formed in a line shape, and the same line is formed. A plurality of color exposure bodies are provided above.
According to this structure, even if it is a latent image, a plurality of colors are exposed at one time by one scan, and the output position on the recording medium does not shift due to the colors, and the configuration is simplified.

Further, in the exposure apparatus according to the third aspect, the number of lines of the exposure source is configured to be smaller than the total number of colors of the exposure body. According to this configuration, the number of elements used as an exposure body is reduced, the configuration is simplified, and the production cost can be reduced.

In the exposure apparatus according to the present invention, when the image data is replaced with a drive signal of the exposure body in the exposure source to form a pixel by a plurality of exposure bodies, a combination of the exposure bodies constituting the pixel is changed. To change the output position of the pixel. According to this configuration,
A certain fluctuation occurs in the output position, and unintended output such as moire is prevented.

Further, in the exposure apparatus according to the present invention, the colors constituting the combination of the exposure bodies are the same before and after the change of the combination. According to this configuration, the image data is easily converted into an output signal.

The exposure apparatus according to the present invention uses a light emitting diode as an exposure source. Thus, a small-sized exposure apparatus is configured.

Further, an exposure apparatus according to a seventh aspect uses a liquid crystal shutter having a color filter and a light source as an exposure source. According to this configuration, a low-cost exposure apparatus is provided.

The exposure apparatus according to the present invention uses a fluorescent display tube as an exposure source. According to this configuration, a relatively stable output can be obtained.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The configuration of the exposure apparatus of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The exposure apparatus 10 includes an exposure source 12 and an imaging optical system 14. The exposure source 12 is configured by arranging light emitting diodes 20 as exposure bodies in a line. FIG.
As shown in (1), one line is formed by regularly arranging red, green, and blue light emitting diodes 20 (described as R, G, and B in the figure), and two lines are prepared. Here, in addition to the light emitting diode, a liquid crystal shutter or a phosphor can be used as the exposure body. The imaging optical system 14 includes the exposure source 1
Depending on the arrangement interval of the light emitting diodes 20 arranged in the second position, not only an equal magnification imaging system but also an enlargement or reduction optical system can be used. Using the exposure apparatus 10 having the above configuration, a linear image is generated by the exposure source 12 and
Is exposed while being transported by the transport rollers 18a and 18b to form a two-dimensional image. Photosensitive recording medium 16
Is a film-like base sheet 6 as shown in FIG.
7, a photosensitive layer 64 is formed, on which a cover sheet 62 is adhered. Base sheet 6
Examples of the material used for the paper 7 include papers such as paper, woodfree paper, and coated paper; films and resins such as polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, acetylcellulose, cellulose ester, polyvinyl acetal, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyimide; And synthetic paper made of paper and resin. Among them, a film such as polyethylene terephthalate is preferable because it is excellent in planar smoothness and strength, has a small thickness of 0.05 mm or less, and has a relatively small volume even in a roll state.

The cover sheet 62 is provided to protect an image formed on the photosensitive layer, prevent a user from directly touching the photosensitive layer, and give a glossy image. As the material, a film of polyethylene terephthalate or the like is desirable as in the case of the base sheet 67, and a material that is particularly transparent, that is, a material that transmits visible light is selected.

Further, for the purpose of preventing the developed image from fading or discoloring due to the ultraviolet component of sunlight, the cover sheet 62 may be made of a material which easily absorbs ultraviolet rays.

The photosensitive layer 64 contains a mixture of three types of image forming microcapsules, a yellow color microcapsule 63Y, a magenta color microcapsule 63M, and a cyan color microcapsule 63C, and a developer 66. ing. Microcapsules 63 for yellow coloring
In Y, a photosensitive material having a maximum sensitivity to blue light having a wavelength of about 450 nm and an inclusion made of a dye precursor for yellow coloring are contained in the outer wall portion of a resin or the like. Similarly, the microcapsules 63M for magenta coloring include a photosensitive material having the maximum sensitivity to green light having a wavelength of about 550 nm and an inclusion of a dye precursor for magenta coloring.
It is contained inside the outer wall part such as resin. Further, the microcapsules 63C for cyan coloring have a wavelength of 650 nm.
A photosensitive material having a maximum sensitivity to red light in the vicinity of m and an inclusion including a dye precursor for cyan color development are contained in an outer wall portion of a resin or the like.

The photosensitive material comprises at least a photopolymerization initiator and a polymerizable substance. The photopolymerization initiator absorbs light to generate free radicals. The polymerizable substance is a monomer per se, and is a substance that is polymerized by the action of free radicals generated by the initiator, in other words, is cured by increasing the viscosity.

Specifically, examples of the photopolymerization initiator include aromatic carbonyl compounds, acetophenones, organic peroxides,
Diphenylhalonium salts, organic halides, 2, 4,
6-substituted-S-triazines, 2,4,5-triarylimidazole dimers, azo compounds, dye borate complexes, metal arene complexes, titanocene compounds and the like are used.

Examples of the polymerizable substance include compounds having an ethylenically unsaturated group, specifically, acrylic acid and its salts, acrylic esters, acrylamides, methacrylic acid and its salts, methacrylic esters, methacrylamides, and anhydrides. Maleic acid, maleic esters, itaconic esters, styrenes, vinyl ethers, vinyl esters, N-vinyl heterocycles, allyl ethers,
Allyl esters and their derivatives are exemplified. Among them, among acrylates having a high polymerization rate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate, and hexapenta of a caprolactone adduct of dipentaerythritol having three or more acryloyl groups which are unsaturated groups in the molecule. It is desirable to include at least one of acrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, and triacrylate of a propylene oxide adduct of trimethylolpropane.

In each microcapsule, the color image forming substance and the photosensitive substance are mixed with each other. The color image forming substance is a dye precursor in the present embodiment.

Specific examples of such dye precursors include diphenylmethane compounds, triphenylmethane compounds, bisphenylmethane compounds, xanthene compounds, thiazine compounds, fluoran compounds, spiropyran compounds, acetanilide compounds. , Pyrazolone-based compounds and the like and mixtures thereof can be used.

As the color developer 66, a colorless compound having an electron accepting property is generally used, and the main ones include phenolic resins, zinc salts of salicylic acid derivatives, and acid clay.

The microcapsules can be prepared by a method which is already known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat.
No. 45458, a phase separation method from an aqueous solution, Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 38-19574 and 42-446.
No. 36-9168, JP-A-51-9907.
-Situ by polymerization of monomer shown in Japanese Patent Publication
u method, the melting dispersion cooling method disclosed in British Patent Nos. 952807 and 965074, and the like, but not limited thereto.

The material for forming the outer wall of the microcapsule may be an inorganic substance or an organic substance, as long as the outer wall can be formed by the above-described capsule manufacturing method, but is preferably a material capable of sufficiently transmitting light. Specific examples include gelatin, gum arabic, starch, sodium alginate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polyamide, polyester, polyurethane, polyurea, polyurethane,
Polystyrene, nitrocellulose, ethylcellulose,
Methyl cellulose, melamine-formaldehyde resin,
Examples include urea-formaldehyde resins and the like, and copolymers thereof.

The smaller the particle size (diameter) of the microcapsules is, the better the resolution of the image is. However, the production is difficult and the cost is high. Also, the larger the size, the lower the resolution of the image. Therefore, the particle size is 0.001 to 0.03.
mm, desirably 0.005 to 0.02 mm. Further, the smaller the variation of the particle diameter, the better the image can be obtained.

In order to form the photosensitive layer 64 on the base sheet 67, a developer in which microcapsules are dispersed in water is mixed with a developer 66, and a hydrophilic binder is further mixed. Can be Examples of the hydrophilic binder include natural substances such as gelatin, cellulose, starch, and gum arabic; and synthetic high molecular substances such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, polyacrylamide, polyvinylimidazole, and polystyrenesulfonic acid. Is used.

Next, a drive circuit system of the exposure source 12 will be described with reference to FIG. The exposure source 12 includes the light emitting diode 2
0, interface 2 for receiving external drive signals
2, control circuit 24 by CPU and the like, light emitting diode 20
Drive circuit 26, storage circuit 28 composed of RAM and ROM
Consists of An image signal is input from the outside via the interface 22, and the control circuit 24 and the storage circuit 28
The light-emitting diode 20 is converted into a drive signal for the light-emitting diode 20 and sent to the drive circuit 26 so that the light-emitting diode 20
6 is driven in synchronization with the conveyance.

Next, the light emitting diode 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The array of 0 will be described. In the drawing, R, G, and B indicate red, green, and blue light emitting diodes 20, respectively. In the case of a color image, for example, one pixel can be constituted by a total of three light emitting diodes 20, one for each color.
Pixels formed by this combination are displayed as triangles connecting the centers of gravity of the respective light emitting diodes 20. According to this method, there are three combinations of pixels for one line of image data, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, and a two-dimensional image can be output by exposing while sequentially switching these combinations.

A method of driving the light emitting diode 20 will be described with reference to FIG. First, in step 200, pixel assignment is set to the pattern shown in FIG. Then, step 202
Then, the color information of each pixel is converted into the values of R, G, and B to convert into the lighting time of the light emitting diode, and the light emitting diode 20 is driven in step 204. Here, R, G, B of each pixel
In the case where the color has a value from none (0) to the maximum density (8), when the density is n, the lighting time of the light emitting diode is n / 8 of the maximum density time. For example, R, G, B of a certain pixel
Is (3, 4, 4) and the full exposure time of one line is 2 ms, the lighting time of each light emitting diode is 2 × 3/8 (ms) for red and 2 × 4/8 (m) for green, respectively.
s) and blue is 2 × 4/8 (ms). Next, in step 206, pixel assignment is set to the pattern shown in FIG. Then, similarly to step 202, step 208
Then, the color information of each pixel is converted into the values of R, G, and B to convert it into the lighting time of the light emitting diode. Finally, in step 212, the pixel assignment is set to the pattern shown in FIG. 6, and in step 214, the color information of each pixel is converted into R, G, and B values to convert into the lighting time of the light emitting diode. 216
Drives the light emitting diode 20. When the light emitting diode is driven according to the above flow, the relationship between the input position on the recording medium and the output result is as shown in FIG. The center of gravity of the triangle connecting the light emitting diodes 20 causes a slight shift by switching the combination patterns of FIGS. 4 to 6, and even if the output amounts of the individual light emitting diodes 20 are structurally different, This output difference can be prevented from being directly reflected in the output result.

Further, as a modified example, as shown in FIG. 9, the output can be performed by using the average of the colors of the respective pixels.
9 represents image data, and each square represents a pixel.
The dots in the figure below are the centroids of the triangles shown in FIGS.
A circle centered on the dot indicates an area of each output pixel.
As an example, the colors of the pixels 100, 102, and 104 are averaged and output to the output pixel 120. Similarly, pixels 106 to 11
0 is the output pixel 122, and pixels 112 to 116 are the output pixel 1.
24, an image can be formed. For example, when one pixel is configured with eight gradations for each of R, G, and B, this gradation is set to 0 to 8 and (R
, G, B) can represent the color of one pixel. If pixel 100 is (2,5,6) and pixel 10
If 2 is (3,2,5) and pixel 104 is (4,5,1), the output pixel 122 is output in (3,4,4) when outputting R, G, and B in eight gradations each. .

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, any photosensitive recording medium other than the above examples can be used as long as it is a type sensitive to light. In addition, the present invention can be realized with a similar configuration using an exposing body that controls light with a color filter and a liquid crystal shutter using a halogen lamp as a light source in addition to a light emitting diode, and a phosphor.
Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which the exposure source 12 is configured by two lines is described, but the present invention is also effective in a configuration using another number of lines such as one line or four lines.

[0036]

As is apparent from the above description, in the exposure apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the exposure source is formed in a line shape, and has a plurality of color exposure bodies on the same line. Therefore, since a plurality of colors are exposed and scanned at one time, the output position on the recording medium does not shift depending on the colors, and the configuration can be simplified.

Further, the exposure apparatus according to the present invention comprises image forming particles containing a photosensitive material which cures in response to light in a specific wavelength band to form a latent image and a color image forming substance. When a two-dimensional image is formed by scanning and exposing a one-dimensional image of a plurality of colors on a photosensitive recording medium having a photosensitive recording layer with an exposure source, the exposure source is formed in a line shape, and a plurality of exposure sources are formed on the same line. Since a plurality of colors are exposed and scanned at one time because of the color exposure body, the output position on the recording medium does not shift depending on the color, and the configuration can be simplified.

Further, in the exposure apparatus according to the third aspect, since the number of lines of the exposure source is smaller than the total number of colors of the exposure source, the number of elements used as an exposure body can be reduced to simplify the configuration and reduce the cost. Can be achieved.

In the exposure apparatus according to the present invention, when the image data is replaced with a drive signal of the exposure body at the exposure source to form a pixel by a plurality of exposure bodies, a combination of the exposure bodies constituting the pixel is changed. Since the output position of the pixel is changed, the output position can be fluctuated, and unintended output such as moire can be prevented.

Further, in the exposure apparatus according to the fifth aspect, since the colors constituting the combination of the exposure bodies are the same before and after the change of the combination, the image data can be easily converted into the output signal.

In the exposure apparatus according to the present invention, since a light emitting diode is used as an exposure source, a small exposure apparatus can be constructed.

Further, the exposure apparatus according to the seventh aspect uses a liquid crystal shutter having a color filter and a light source as an exposure source, so that the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

In the exposure apparatus according to the present invention, a fluorescent display tube is used as an exposure source, so that a relatively stable output can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an exposure apparatus of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a photosensitive recording medium.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an exposure source.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an exposure body.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an exposure body.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an exposure body.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between image data and output according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between image data and output according to a modified example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Exposure apparatus 12 Exposure source 14 Imaging engineering system 16 Photosensitive recording medium 18a Transport roller 18b Transport roller 20 Light emitting diode

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An exposure apparatus for forming a two-dimensional image on a photosensitive recording medium by scanning and exposing a one-dimensional image with an exposure source, wherein the exposure source is formed in a line shape, and a plurality of colors are exposed on the same line. An exposure apparatus having a body. 2. A photosensitive recording medium comprising a photosensitive recording layer comprising image forming particles containing a photosensitive material which forms a latent image by curing in response to light in a specific wavelength band and a color image forming substance. An exposure apparatus that forms a two-dimensional image by scanning and exposing a one-dimensional image composed of a plurality of colors with an exposure source through a two-dimensional latent image, wherein the exposure source is formed in a line shape, and a plurality of colors are formed on the same line. An exposure apparatus, comprising: 3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of lines of the exposure source is smaller than the total number of colors of the exposure body. 4. When a plurality of exposure objects form a pixel by replacing image data with a driving signal of the exposure object in the exposure source, a combination of the exposure objects constituting the pixel is changed to change an output position of the pixel. 4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure is performed. 5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a combination of colors of the exposure bodies forming the pixels is the same before and after the change of the combination. 6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a light emitting diode is used as the exposure body. 7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a liquid crystal shutter having a color filter and a light source are used as the exposure body. 8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a fluorescent display tube is used as the exposure body.