JPS60111575A - Color picture output device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To minimize the beam diameter which is made incident to an output drum and to eliminate the influence of output drum oscillation by adding a condenser lens to the laser modulation part of a color picture output device, and by connecting a flexible fiber between the modulation part and an exposured part. CONSTITUTION:Colored laser beams are oscillated from respective blue, green and red laser oscillation parts 46B, 46G and 46R of a laser modulation part 4 of a color picture output device, and for these three beams, picture information is modulated by respective modulators 45B, 45G and 45R. These respective modulated beams are converted in terms of light path by respective mirrors 47B- 47R, one laser beam is synthesized by a condenser lens 48, and the respective beams are made incident to an optical fiber 6 by minimizing the beam diameter. The beam advances while it reflects at the inside of the optical fiber totally, and reaches an exposured part 3A. The laser beam from the modulation part 4 is condensed on the exposured part 3A by an image-forming lens 32B of an output head 32 which shifts in the X direction, and is image-formed on a color paper 33 on an output drum 30. Then, the influence due to the oscillation of the drum 30 is eliminated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a color image output device that enables stable image output using optical fibers.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an image input/output device to which the present invention can be applied.
Layout images A', B', and C' are placed on a recording material such as color paper 31 pasted on an output drum 30 according to information input by a digitizer 20 as a graphic input device.

I am trying to output Do. Both the human-powered drum 10 and the output drum 30 have a cylindrical drum structure as shown in FIG. 1, and are rotated in one direction (main scanning direction) by a motor 12. , its rotational position (main scanning position) is detected by a rotary encoder 13 connected to the output shaft. In addition, the color original picture A- pasted on the input drum 10
D is color-separated by an image reading head 16 that is moved in the X direction (sub-scanning direction) via a pulse motor 4 and a lead screw 15, and its image information is read, and a color separation signal PS (three-color separation signal and unsharp signal) are input to the logarithm circuit 4o and converted into a density signal Ds, and then converted into a digital signal by an AD converter 41. Then, the density signal O5 converted into a digital signal by the AD converter 41 is input to the color processing circuit 42, where it undergoes color correction, sharpness emphasis two-tone conversion processing, etc., and the color-processed image information is stored in a buffer. The memo will be memorized manually on January 3rd. and,
The information stored in the backup memory length is stored in the DA converter 44
After the signal is converted into an analog signal, it is manually input to the modulator 45 in the laser beam printer, and the laser beam from the laser oscillator 46 (three-color laser beams of helmet, green, and red, or three-color laser beams with different wavelengths for false color) The color paper 31 pasted on the output drum 3o is exposed through the output head 32 by modulating the laser beam. Note that the output head 32 is moved in the X direction (sub-scanning direction) via a pulse motor 33 and a lead screw 34 connected thereto.

On the other hand, a console 5o equipped with a keyboard is used as a data and command manual device.
The data etc. inputted from The microprocessor 53 is connected to the color processing circuit 42 and the buffer memory 43 through a pass line 54. A computer system is constituted by a computer 51 and a microprocessor 53, and instructions for an operator etc. are displayed on a graphic display 52 according to a built-in program. Roughly speaking, the X position of the reading head 16 is detected by the linear encoder 17 engaged with the kite rail 18, and the position information is input to the timing control circuit 55.
The X position 1δ of the output head 32 is also detected by the linear encoder 35 engaged with the guide rail 36, and the position information is manually input to the timing lj control circuit 55. Thus, the Y-axis positions and Y-axis positions of the input drum IO and the output drum 30 are detected by the rotary encoder 13 connected to the rotary shaft thereof, and the position information is also input to the timing control circuit 55. A timing control circuit 55 controls the pulse smoke 33 via the computer 51 and the microprocessor 53 during image input/output.
It rotates at a constant speed, controls the driving speed of the pulse smoke 14, and also controls the timing of the operations of the AD converter 41, color processing circuit 42, and buffer memory 43.

In such an image input/output device, FIG.
and an exposure section 3. In the laser modulator 4, the blue laser beam RB generated by the blue laser oscillator 4EIB is modulated by the modulator 45B according to the blue image information AB, and the optical path is changed by the mirror 47B and sent to the exposure unit 3. Further, the green laser beam RG generated by the green laser oscillator 46G and the red laser beam RR generated by the red laser oscillator 4BH are similarly transmitted to the modulators 45G and 45R, respectively, to record image information AC and red image information AR.
The light is modulated according to the following, the optical path is changed by mirrors 47G and 47R, and the light is sent to the exposure section 3. However, the mirrors 47G and 47R are guichroic mirrors, and reflect only the green beam RG and the red beam RR, respectively.

Next, in the exposure section 3, the blue laser beam 1. which has been transmitted from the laser modulation section 4. RB, the green laser beam RG, and the red laser beam RR are changed their optical paths again by the mirror 32A in the output head 32 moving in the
7. The image is formed on the output drum 30J: (7) through the color paper 31 via the stage 32B. That is, in the laser modulation section 4, image information of three colors of blue, green, and red are optically combined, and the combined light is sent to the exposure section 3. The exposure section 3 is an output drum 3o loaded with color paper 31.
and an output head 32 which is adapted to move in parallel along the rotation axis 33 of this output drum 30,
The combined light reflected by the mirror 32A in the output head 32 is imaged on the color paper 31 via the imaging lens 32B, and the output drum 30 is rotated (main scanning) and the output head 32 is translated in parallel (sub scanning). ), an image is recorded on the color paper 31.

In the conventional optical system for image output as described above, when the distance between the laser modulator 4 and the output head 32, that is, the optical path length of the laser beam changes when the output head 32 moves, the quality of the output image deteriorates. Therefore, the spot diameter of the laser beam must be made constant on the color paper 31, which poses problems in terms of manufacturing and output accuracy. In addition, the laser beam may fluctuate due to the heat inside the device and the airflow caused by the rotation of the drum. It had to be connected with a tube 5 that expands and contracts accordingly. Furthermore, because the laser modulation section 4 and the exposure section 3 cannot be mechanically separated due to their structure, the positional relationship between them is fixed and the manufacturing space is limited.
This has the disadvantage that it is easily affected by the rotation of the output drum 30 when photographing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a color image output device that eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks by connecting a laser modulation section and an exposure section with an optical fiber.

This invention will be explained below.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of an embodiment of the present invention corresponding to FIG. 2, in which a condensing lens system 48 is added to the laser modulation section 4A, and the output end 32 of the exposure section 3A is The mirror is removed, and the light output section of the laser modulation section 4A and the light input section of the exposure section 3A are connected to a flexible optical fiber 6.

In such a configuration, the itf laser beam RB, the green laser beam RG and the red laser beam RR, whose optical paths are changed by mirrors 47B, 47B and 47H, respectively, in the same manner as described above, are combined into one laser beam. The beam is inputted into the condensing lens system 48, where the beam diameter is reduced, and the beam is inputted into the optical fiber 6. The beam travels through the optical fiber 6 while being totally reflected, and reaches the exposure section 3A. Then, in the exposure section 3A, the laser beam from the laser modulation section 4A is transmitted to the imaging lens 32 of the output head 32 moving in the X direction.
The image is formed on the color paper 31 on the output drum 30 via the image forming apparatus B. This makes it possible to achieve the same image output as described above.

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the output head 32 moves, the optical fiber/head 6 is only deformed and the optical path length of the laser beam does not change. It becomes easy to keep the spot diameter constant. Further, since the laser beam travels through the optical fiber, there is no fluctuation caused by air flow within the device, and the tube 5 is unnecessary. Furthermore, since the laser modulation section 4A and the exposure section 3A are simply connected by a flexible optical fiber, they can be arranged in any positional relationship, and are not subject to many space constraints due to the manufacturing process. At the same time, there is an advantage that it is not affected by vibrations caused by the rotation of the output drum 30.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing an example of an image input/output device to which the present invention can be applied, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a conventional optical system for outputting an image, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of an image input/output device to which the present invention can be applied. It is a figure showing a schematic structure. 3.3A...Exposure section, 30...Output drum, 32.
...Output head, 4,4A...Laser modulation section, 45
B, 45G, 45R...Modulator, 48B...Blue laser oscillator, 48G...Green laser oscillator, 4eR・
...Red laser oscillator, 48...Condensing lens, 5...
Tube, 6...optical fiber. Applicant's agent Yu Yasugata 3rd F Concave engraving of 1 (no change in content) 2nd drawing procedure amendment (method) March 7, 1980 1, Indication of case - 1988 Patent Application No. 2192 '98 No. 2, Name of the invention Color image output device 3, Relationship between the person making the correction and outside the city Patent applicant 210 Nakanuma (520), Minamiashigara City, Kanagawa Prefecture Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. 4, Agent 5, Request for correction order Figures 2 and 3 attached to the Japanese application dated February 8, 1980 are amended as shown in the attached sheet.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A) Laser modulation 81 (which consists of a laser oscillator that generates three color laser beams with different wavelengths for each color and a modulator that modulates these three color laser beams according to image information)
B) A rotary drum loaded with color 1 photosensitive material and rotating, and an output head that moves in the axial direction of this 11-rotation drum and forms an image on the color photosensitive material with a three-color laser beam modulated by the image information. an exposed part consisting of; C)
3 modulated by the image information of the laser modulation section
A color image output device comprising: a flexible optical fiber that guides a color laser beam to the output of the exposure section.