JPS59181348A - Heat development transfer method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate a step of stripping a developed photosensitive material from an image receiving material by adding a water repellent to at least one part of the faces of both layers to be overlaid on each other in transferring a dye image using water as a diffusing adjuvant. CONSTITUTION:A water repellent, such as waxes, is added to one side end of a photosensitive material N and/or an image receiving material P. The surface of the material N and that of the material P are overlaid on each other fed with water as a diffusing agent between them except one side end are passed through heaters 35 to progress heat transfer, and ejected from an outlet 9. Then, the material P is manually stripped from the material N to obtain a hard copy. Since the water repellent has been added to one side end, a stripping step is made easy.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a heat developable transfer method, and more particularly, a heat developable photosensitive material containing a dye-providing substance that releases a hydrophilic dye that can be moved by heat development, and a dye fixing layer. The present invention relates to an improved thermal development transfer method for obtaining color images using an image-receiving material having the following properties.

The heat-developable photosensitive materials that can be used in the present invention include:
For example, as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 56-157798 [Heat-developable Color Photosensitive Material], at least a photosensitive silver halide, an organic silver salt oxidizing agent, a binder, and a photosensitive silver halide are coated on a support. and/or a photosensitive material having a dye-donating substance that is reducible to an organic silver salt oxidizing agent and that releases a hydrophilic dye by reacting with the photosensitive silver halide and/or the organic silver salt oxidizing agent upon heating. Materials can be listed. In such a heat-developable photosensitive material, a silver image in the exposed area and a movable hydrophilic dye in the area corresponding to the silver image can be simultaneously obtained by simply performing thermal development after image exposure. That is, when the above heat-developable photosensitive material is imagewise exposed and then heat-developed, an oxidation-reduction reaction occurs between the organic silver salt oxidizing agent and the reducing dye-donating substance using the exposed photosensitive silver halide as a catalyst. , a silver image appears in the exposed area. In this step, the dye-donating substance is oxidized (with an organic silver salt oxidizing agent) to form an oxidant. This oxidant is cleaved in the presence of a dye release aid, resulting in the release of a mobile hydrophilic dye. Therefore, in the exposed areas, a silver paint and a mobile hydrophilic dye are obtained, and a color image is obtained by transferring the silver dye to an image-receiving material. When an autopositive emulsion is used as the photosensitive layer, a silver image and the movable hydrophilic dye are obtained in the unexposed areas.

Further, as another heat-developable photosensitive material, for example, as described in the specification of "Image Forming Method" (Japanese Patent Application No. 58-26008) filed by the applicant on February 18, 1980, On the support, at least a photosensitive silver halide, a binder and a reducible, amorphous, generally hydrophilic dye which can be transferred by heating are released, but which do not react with the photosensitive silver halide to release said dye. This type of heat-developable photosensitive material includes a photothermographic material having a photosensitive layer containing an immobile dye-providing substance.Such heat-developable photosensitive materials are capable of forming a silver image in the exposed area by simply performing heat development after image exposure. Hydrophilic dyes that can migrate to areas other than those corresponding to the silver image can be obtained at the same time.

That is, when an immobile dye-providing substance that originally releases hydrophilic dyes but no longer releases hydrophilic dyes upon oxidation is exposed to light, and the tube is heated,
Using the exposed photosensitive silver halide as a catalyst, an oxidation-reduction reaction occurs between the organic silver salt oxidizing agent and/or the photosensitive silver halide and the dye-providing substance, and a silver image is generated in the exposed area. In this step, the dye-donating substance becomes an oxidant, so that no hydrophilic dye is released in the exposed areas, and a hydrophilic dye that can migrate only in the unexposed areas is obtained. When an autopositive emulsion is used as the photosensitive layer, a silver image is obtained in the unexposed areas, and a hydrophilic dye that can migrate to the exposed areas is obtained.

The image-receiving material that can be used in the present invention is one in which an image-receiving layer capable of receiving the dye released from the photothermographic material by heat development is formed on a support.

The image-receiving layer contains a dye fixing agent such as a dye mordant,
A useful dye fixing agent can be selected depending on the physical properties of the dye to be released, other components contained in the heat-developable photosensitive material, transfer conditions, etc.
No. 6-157798, 51 JfIl, a high molecular weight polymer mordant can be used.

In the above-mentioned thermal development transfer method, it is necessary that a diffusion aid be added to the image-receiving material before it is superimposed on the developed photothermographic material.

In the case of the meltable diffusion aid method, when producing the image-receiving material, urea, crystal water, microcapsules, or other substances that become sandy-water-like when heated or substances that release water are applied as a diffusion aid in advance. Therefore, it is not necessary to apply it in the layering process, but water and aqueous solutions of various substances (hereinafter referred to as
In the case of a method using water (simply referred to as "water"), a diffusion aid is provided to the image-receiving material in the superposition step.

In the case of the method using water as the above-mentioned diffusion aid, the present invention provides the following:
The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for better performing thermal development transfer.

The above-mentioned object of the present invention is to imagewise expose a heat-developable photosensitive material that releases a hydrophilic dye that can be moved from heated exposed areas or unexposed areas, and to release the hydrophilic dye that can be moved by heating into an image form. After forming the photosensitive material and an image receiving material having a dye fixing layer, the photosensitive material and an image receiving material having a dye fixing layer are overlapped with a predetermined amount of water interposed, and when the image-shaped dye is transferred to the dye fixing layer. This is achieved by a heat development transfer method characterized by applying a water-wettable material to at least a portion of the overlapping portion with the image-receiving material.

Examples of water-contactable materials that can be used in the method of the present invention include waxes, petroleum resins, silicone resins, fluorine-containing organic compounds, etc., materials that are applied to the coating, plastic adhesive tapes, and water-resistant paper adhesive tapes. Various materials can be mentioned, such as materials of the type applied by pasting.

Further, in order to apply the water-repellent material to at least four portions of the overlapping portion of the photosensitive material and the image-receiving material, the water-returning material may be applied to either a portion of the photosensitive material or a portion of the image-receiving material. Also, it may be applied to both.

The thermal development transfer equipment for carrying out the method of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, it is assumed that white wax is used as the water-repellent material and that it is applied manually to one side edge of the image-receiving material in advance.

Figure 1 shows a roll-shaped heat-developable photosensitive material (hereinafter referred to as "photosensitive material") sent to an image exposure section, and three types of LIB D provided on a rotating body are emitted and scanned. The image-receiving material is exposed to light, heated with a hot plate, and developed, while the sheet-like image-receiving material is coated with water as a diffusion aid, overlaid with the developed photosensitive material, and transferred to a heat source while being heated and transferred. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a thermal development transfer device in which the image receiving material is manually peeled off from the photothermographic material.

This apparatus consists of a photosensitive material supply section 1, an image exposure section 2, a cutter 3, a heat development section 4, an image receiving material insertion port 5, a diffusion aid application section 6, an overlapping section 7, a heat transfer section 8, and a discharge port 9. It has become. The photosensitive material supply section 1 includes a magazine 1o containing a roll of photosensitive material N, a magazine loading chamber 11 for loading the photosensitive material N in a light-shielded state, a guide roller 12 for sending and setting the photosensitive material N to the image exposure section 2, and a guide. Member 13, feed roller 14°; photosensitive material support surface 17 having suction holes 16 for sucking the optical material N from the back side; B (evening), G (green), R,
Main scanning is performed by attaching LED light emitting elements 18A, 18B, and 18C, each of which outputs light in a different wavelength range, with its light intensity and light emitting time adjusted based on the image signal of (red), at 120 degrees different angles. A rotary body 19, a movable body 20 provided with the rotary body 19 together with a motor for rotating the rotary body 19, and a rotary shaft 21.21 provided with a screw for suspending the movable body 20 and moving it in the sub-scanning direction. Become.

The heat developing section 4 includes flexible rollers 22, 22, a curved guide plate 23, and a pedestal 26 having a long hole 25 that engages with a cam 24.
It consists of a hot plate 27 which is provided in the guide plate 27 and can rise toward the guide plate 23 as the cam 24 rotates.

The diffusion aid applying section 6 includes feed rollers 28 and 28 for feeding the sheet-like image receiving material P manually inserted from the image receiving material insertion port 5 to the overlapping section 7, and a guide plate 23 of the thermal development section 4.
Water supply pipe 3 as a diffusion aid provided at the tip of the
Consists of 0. As shown in a perspective view in FIG. 2, the supply pipe 3° has a water discharge port 31 approximately at the center of the width of the photosensitive material N and the image receiving material P, and is connected by a hose 32 as will be described later. It is connected to a water supply device whose discharge rate can be adjusted.

The overlapping section 7 consists of close contact rollers 33, 33 that overlay the photosensitive material N that has been removed from the thermal development and the image receiving material P coated with some diffusion aid and send it to the thermal transfer section 8. The heating transfer section 8 includes feed rollers 34, 34, which feeds the photosensitive material N and image receiving material P superimposed by the contact rollers 33, 33 from the discharge port 9 at the same speed as the contact rollers 33, 33, and the superimposed photosensitive material. It consists of heaters 35 and 35 that heat N and the image receiving material P from above and below.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the water supply device. This device includes a check valve 41 exclusively for discharge, a cylinder 44A connected to the water supply pipe via a hose 32, and a cylinder 44 connected to a water storage tank 43 via a check pulp 42 exclusively for suction. It is configured to be reciprocated by an arm 47 that engages via a pin 46 a disk 45 that is locked to the shaft of a motor (not shown).

The point of engagement between the disc 45 and the arm 47 can be changed by replacing the pin 46, thereby making it possible to adjust the amount of water discharged per revolution of the motor.

The operation of the apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained below.

The photosensitive material N is pulled out from the magazine 1o and passed through the guide roller 12 and the guide member 13 to the feed roller 14.1.
4, and feed roller 14.
When i4 and 15, 15 are rotated, the photosensitive material N is fed through the photosensitive material support surface 17 until its leading edge is gripped by the feed rollers 15, 15, and then stopped. After that, air is sucked in from the suction hole 16 to bring the photosensitive material N into close contact with the photosensitive material support surface 17, and the rotating body 19 and rotating shafts 21 and 21 are rotated while transmitting B, G, and H image signals, and the LE
Scanning exposure is performed using the D light emitting elements 18A, 18B, and 18C. Once the exposure is complete, move the four-wheeler 14, 14.
．． 15, 15.22゜22 and close contact roller 33.33
When rotated, the photosensitive material N passes between the blades of the cutter 3, between the feed rollers 22 and 22, and between the guide plate 23 and the hot plate 27 until the tip is gripped by the contact rollers 33 and 33. Sent and stopped. In this state, cutter 3
is activated to cut the photosensitive material N between the feed rollers 15, 15 and the feed rollers 22, 22, and the cam 24 is rotated to raise the hot plate 27. Due to the tension, the back surface of the photosensitive material N is uniformly heated and developed. After the predetermined development time has elapsed, the cam 24
The development is completed by rotating the hot plate 27 and lowering the hot plate 27.

On the other hand, the feed roller 28 inserted from the image receiving material insertion port 5,
The image-receiving material (hereinafter simply referred to as "image-receiving material") P whose minus side edge portion is coated with wax and which has been stopped by the feed roller 2 , which has been stopped by the feed roller 2 , starts rotating at the timing of the development completion.
8 and 28 and sent toward the overlapping section 7. When the leading edge of the image-receiving material P reaches the contact rollers 33, 33, the feed rollers 22, 22, the contact rollers 33, 33, and the feed rollers 34, 34 rotate, and at the same time, the water supply device operates for a predetermined period of time. The amount of water is supplied from the water outlet 31 of the supply pipe 30 toward the overlapping portion of the photosensitive material N and the image receiving material P. This supplied water is
Due to capillary action, it immediately spreads along the overlapping line (edge of the overlapping surfaces) of the photosensitive material N and image receiving material P, forming a so-called bead (liquid reservoir) there, and spreading in the width direction of both materials. It becomes approximately evenly distributed.

In this way, the surface of the developed photosensitive material N, to which water has been applied as a diffusion aid, and the surface of the image-receiving material P are superimposed, except for one side edge, and the heater 35.
35 and is heated and transferred from the discharge port 9. Next, by manually peeling the image-receiving material P from the photosensitive material N, a hard copy is obtained on the image-receiving material P.

According to this embodiment, since an image receiving material having one side edge coated with a water-returning material is used, the above-mentioned peeling operation is facilitated, which is advantageous when automating this process.

In the above example, p is used as the water return material,
Although an example has been given in which this is manually applied to one side edge of the image receiving material, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the water-returning material may be applied to the photosensitive material or image-receiving material as long as it is before the photosensitive material and the image-receiving material are superimposed.
The selection can be made from before or after setting in the apparatus for heat development, or at a time that does not interfere with the processing in the apparatus for exposure and/or heat development.

In addition, when the water-returning material is applied to the sheet-shaped image receiving material supplied to the thermal development transfer device in the device, there is an advantage that the effect of the water-returning material can be maximized. There is. Furthermore, by connecting a water-absorbing member to the rear end of the image-receiving material P used in the above embodiments, it is possible to prevent the contact rollers 33, 33 and the feed rollers 34, 34 from becoming dirty.

The heating temperature in the heat development step shown in the above example was approximately 0.
℃ to about 250℃, but especially at about 10℃ to about 250℃.
A temperature of about 160°C is useful. The heating temperature in the transfer step can be in the range from the temperature in the heat development step to room temperature, and is particularly preferably in the range of about 40'C or more lower than the temperature in the heat development step to room temperature. For example, a heat development temperature of 120°C and a transfer temperature of 80°C to 20°C correspond to this. Heating in the thermal development process includes heating by passing between hot plates or contacting hot plates, heating by rotating a hot drum or roller while heating, heating by passing through hot air, and other heat sources such as rollers, belts, or guide members. It is possible to use heating such as by heating along the . Alternatively, a photosensitive material may be coated with a layer of a conductive material such as graphite, carbon black, or metal, and an electric current may be passed through the conductive layer to heat the material directly. The heating means in the transfer step can also be the same as in the heat development step described above.

As a light source for imagewise exposure to record a latent image on a photosensitive material, radiation including visible light can be used. , generally the light sources used for normal color printing, such as tungsten lamps, mercury lamps, halogen lamps such as iodine lamps, and xenon lamps.

A laser light source, a CRT light source, a fluorescent tube, a light emitting diode, etc. can be used as the light source.

The original image may not only be a line image such as a technical drawing, but also a photographic image with a floor 61'l, and it is also possible to photograph a person's image or, often, a landscape image using a camera. The printing from the original may be done by overlaying the original with dense M printing, reflection printing, or enlargement printing. In addition, images taken with a video camera, etc., or image signals sent from a television station can be directly transferred to a CRT.
It is also possible to output the image to a +FOT (file (-opdic cathode ray tube)) and print the image by contacting it or by forming the image on a photosensitive material using a lens.

When using an LED (light emitting diode) as an exposure means, it is currently difficult to obtain blue light. In this case, to reproduce a color image, for example, exposure is performed using three types of LEDs that emit green, red, and infrared light, and yellow, magenta, and cyan dyes are extracted from each photosensitive layer that is sensitive to these lights. It is sufficient to design the photosensitive material to emit . That is, the green-sensitive portion (layer) may contain a yellow dye-providing substance, and the red-sensitive portion (layer) may contain a magenta dye-providing substance.

In addition to the method of directly attaching or projecting the original image, there is also a so-called image processing method in which the original image illuminated by a light source is placed in the memory of a computer or other device that uses a light-receiving element such as a phototube or CCD, and this information is processed as necessary. After processing, this image information may be reproduced on a CRT and used as an image-like light source, or three types of LEDs may be emitted and scanned based on the processed image information for exposure.

The water used in the present invention is not limited to so-called pure water, but includes general drinking water, industrial water, and the like. It also includes water to which photographically useful substances such as cyclic surfactants are intentionally added. The amount of water supplied may be, for example, at least 10 times the dry weight of the entire coating film of the photosensitive material and image-receiving material, and less than or equal to the value obtained by subtracting the dry weight from the maximum swelling weight of the entire coating film. Good.

As described above, according to the present invention, a heat-developable photosensitive material that releases a hydrophilic dye that can migrate from a heated exposed area or a non-exposed area is imagewise exposed, and a hydrophilic dye that can migrate when heated is exposed to light. After forming the dye in the form of an image, the light-sensitive material and an image-receiving material having a dye-fixing layer are superimposed with a predetermined amount of water interposed, and the image-shaped dye is transferred to the dye-fixing layer. At this time, a water-repellent material is applied to at least a portion of the overlapping portion of the photosensitive material and image-receiving material, so that thermal development transfer can be performed better, and at the same time, the overlapped photosensitive material and image-receiving material are coated with a water-repellent material. This has the excellent effect of making the peeling process easier.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a device for carrying out the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view from f1 of a water supply pipe, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the water supply device. 1: Photosensitive material supply section, 2: Image exposure section, 3: Cutter,
4: Heat development section, 5: Image receiving material insertion port, 6: With diffusion aid -
6 parts, 7 double overlapping parts, 8: heat transfer part, 9: discharge port, 30: water supply pipe, N: photosensitive material, P: by reception material. Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 - Written amendment to the Sho procedure (spontaneous) June 9, 1980 Mr. Kazuo Wakasugi, Commissioner of the Patent Office l Case description 1982 Patent Application No. 55910 2,
Title of the invention Thermal development transfer method 3 Relationship to the case of the person making the amendment Name of the patent applicant Representative Minoru Ohnishi 4, Agent (1) The description in the "Claims" column is as follows: to correct. ``A photothermographic material that releases a hydrophilic dye that can be moved from a heated mist area or an unexposed area is imagewise exposed to light to form an image of a hydrophilic dye that can be moved by heating. When the photosensitive material and the image-receiving material having the dye-fixing layer are superimposed with a predetermined amount of water interposed therebetween and the dye in the form of one image is transferred to the dye-fixing layer (43), the photosensitive material and the image-receiving material are at least a portion of the superimposed upper portion of
■A heat development transfer method characterized by applying an aqueous material. ”
(2) The description in the "Detailed Description of the Invention" column is amended as follows. l) "Image-wise exposing the dye-providing substance" on page 4, line 2,
The amendment states, ``When a dye-providing substance is used, a heat-developable photosensitive material containing the dye-providing substance is imagewise exposed.'' 2) "Water-wetting material" on page 6, line 6, line 8, line 15, and line 17 of page 6 are corrected to "water-repellent material." 3) Replace “device” in line 20 of page 6 with “device” 4) Line 1 of page 7, line 17 of page 12, line 1 of page 13, line 4 of page 11, line 11 of page 13 "Water-wetted material" in rows 1 and 12 are respectively corrected to "water-repellent material." 5) Correct "40°C" in line 21 of page 13 to "10°C". 6) Correct "80°C" in the second line of page 14 to "110°C". 7) Correct "blue light" in line 13 of page 15 to "sufficient amount of blue light." 8) "Water-wetted material" in line 7 of page 17 is corrected to "water-repellent material."

Claims (1)

[Claims] Imagewise exposure is performed on a heat-developable photosensitive material that releases a hydrophilic dye that can migrate from heated exposed areas or non-exposed areas, and the hydrophilic dye that can be moved by heating is formed in the form of an image. material and an image receiving material having a dye fixing layer,
When the image-shaped dye is transferred to the dye fixing layer by overlapping the photosensitive material and the image-receiving material with a predetermined amount of water interposed therebetween, a water-repellent material is applied to at least a portion of the overlapping portion of the photosensitive material and the image-receiving material. Characteristic thermal development transfer method.