JPS63199645A - Color imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a high-quality full color image superior in resolving power and sharpness, by a method wherein beams having the wave ranges photosensitizing microcapsules of Cyan color-forming type, Magenta color-forming type, and Yellow color-forming type are separately extracted from among the beams emitted from a light source portion and the beams to be extracted are separately controlled in amount. CONSTITUTION:Color printing information is sent to a light source controller 9, and white light sources 6a, 6b, and 6c in a light source 5 are each turned ON to emit beams in appropri ate amounts. If the color imaging information directs, for example, microcapsules of Cyan color-forming type to rapidly photo-set, the light source controller 9 controls the amount of light so as to increase the amount of the light emitted from the corresponding white light source 6a. Only the beams having the wave ranges photosensitizing microcapsules of Cyan color-forming type, Magenta color-forming type, and Yellow color-forming type are extracted from among the beams emitted from the respective white light sources 6a, 6b, and 6c through Red, Green, and Blue filters 7a, 7b, and 7c, thereafter being directed onto the reverse of a photosensitive sheet 1 through a light fiber 8 to photo-set the respective microcapsules on the sheet surface. A full color image with high resolving power and sharpness is obtained by properly controlling the degree of photo-setting of the respective photosensitive microcapsules.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a color printing device for obtaining color images.

[Prior Art and Problems] Conventionally, color printing devices using thermal transfer ink ribbons are well known. This thermal transfer color printing device is
Equipped with color ink ribbons for thermal transfer that are divided into three colors: cyan, magenta, and yellow, and the cyan, magenta, and yellow color inks are appropriately overlaid on the surface of the printing paper based on the color printing output from a computer, etc. It is configured to be struck. As a result, 1q of color images consisting of seven colors, including cyan, magenta, and yellow, as well as red, green, blue, and black, are generated. However, with this thermal transfer type color printing device, it is difficult to obtain intermediate tone or full color images. Therefore, in order to achieve this intermediate tone or full color image, a dither method has been adopted as a conventional general method.

However, this dithering method selectively colors an appropriate number of dots from a dot matrix in a certain image area, so as to obtain an intermediate tone or full-color image using so-called area gradation. Therefore, this dithering method has the disadvantage that the resolution is significantly reduced.

By the way, microcapsule type photosensitive sheets are already known, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-88739. It is already known that there are two types: self-coloring type and transfer type. For example, in the case of a transfer-type photosensitive sheet, a mixture of various photosensitive microcapsules in which cyan, magenta, and yellow coloring substances are individually encapsulated together with a photocurable resin, a photopolymerization initiator, etc. is layered on the surface of the sheet. A color developer sheet is prepared, on which a color developer that can cause a color developer reaction with any of the cyan, magenta, and yellow chromogen substances in the various microcapsules is coated on the surface.

In this case, the composition of the photopolymerization initiator in each of the cyan coloring type, magenta coloring type, and yellow coloring type photosensitive microcapsules applied to the surface of the photosensitive sheet is made different. The photosensitive microcapsules are made to have different photosensitive wavelength ranges. Incidentally, FIG. 5 shows an example of the exposure sensitivity characteristics of each photosensitive microcapsule on the surface of the photosensitive sheet used in this example.

In this example, the cyan colored microcapsules are 650n.
m, 550 nm with magenta colored microcapsules,
These yellow colored microcapsules have a photosensitive wavelength range around 450 nm. The photosensitive sheet configured in this way is selectively exposed to light by irradiating each of the cyan coloring type, magenta coloring type, and yellow coloring type photosensitive microcapsules with light in a predetermined photosensitive wavelength range. Let it harden.

Next, a color developer sheet is superimposed on the surface of this photosensitive sheet and pressurized. By doing so, the uncured photosensitive microcapsules on the surface of the photosensitive sheet are crushed, and each color source substance such as cyan, magenta, yellow, etc. in the capsules causes a color development reaction with the color developer on the surface of the color developer sheet. By this, a predetermined color image can be obtained on the surface of the color developer sheet.

This photosensitive sheet has the advantage that clear images similar to electrophotography can be obtained.

However, this color printing device for photosensitive sheets has conventionally used binary output control to determine whether cyan coloring type, magenta coloring type, and yellow coloring type photosensitive microcapsules are photocured or not. The aim was to obtain color images by Therefore, in this case as well, half-tone or full-color images cannot be reproduced 1q, and if this is attempted to be achieved by the dithering method described above, there is still a problem in that the resolution is impaired.

Therefore, the present inventor paid attention to the following points. It is shown in Figure 6 (
As shown in a), (b), and (C), each of the cyan coloring type, magenta coloring type, and yellow coloring type photosensitive microcapsules has unique exposure sensitivity characteristics. If it is a color-forming microcapsule, it will not be photocured at all until the exposure energy applied to the paper surface exceeds El, and after the exposure energy amount exceeds El, it will gradually photocure until the exposure energy amount of E2 increases. If the microcapsules are completely photocured at a given stage and are colored magenta, the exposure energy f
Photocuring progresses between f1E3 and E4, and if it is a cyan colored microcapsule, the exposure energies IEs and E
This means that photocuring progresses between 6 and 6. Therefore, by changing the exposure energy group given to each microcapsule, the degree of exfoliation of each capsule can be changed to obtain images in intermediate tones or full color.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention utilizes the characteristics of such photosensitive sheets to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide high-quality images with excellent resolution and clarity. An object of the present invention is to provide a color printing device capable of producing full-color images.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the color printing apparatuses of the present invention have different sensitive wavelength ranges and gradually reduce the exposure density from the point when the applied exposure energy exceeds a certain amount. Cyan color type, magenta color type, with changing characteristics.
A color printing device for a photosensitive sheet in which yellow-colored photosensitive microcapsules are coated on the surface in a mixed state, the light source section being a source of light in the wavelength range to which the eight photosensitive microcapsules are sensitive; , from the light emitted from the light source section, light in the wavelength range to which the cyan colored microcapsules are sensitive, light in the wavelength range to which the magenta colored microcapsules are sensitive, and light in the sensitive wavelength range to the yellow colored microcapsules. The gist is to provide separate means for extracting the light, and further to provide means for separately controlling the quantity of the extracted light.

[Function] According to the color printing apparatus of the present invention, with such a configuration, the amount of light of the sensitive wavelength light is controlled for each of the cyan coloring type, magenta coloring type, and yellow coloring type photosensitive microcapsules. By doing so, you can change the degree of prioritization. For this purpose, when the uncured microcapsules are crushed under pressure and developed by causing a color-developing reaction between the color-generating substances such as cyan, magenta, yellow, etc. in the capsule and the color developer outside the capsule, each of the color-generating substances is Depending on the blending ratio of the substances, intermediate tone or full color images can be created. Moreover, in this case, since the color print output is performed dot by dot, a color image with excellent resolution and sharpness can be obtained, unlike the area gradation method using the conventional dither method.

[Example] An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a color printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this device, a transfer type photosensitive sheet 1 is fed in the direction of arrow A in the figure, and along the way, it is fed in the direction of arrow B in the figure from another line between a platen 2 and a print head 3 disposed opposite thereto. The color developer sheet 4 is configured to pass through the color developer sheet 4 in a superimposed state. On the other hand, the light source unit 5, which is a source of light for exposing one side of the photosensitive sheet, has a light source unit 5 that is provided with a light source corresponding to the number of types of each of the cyan coloring type, magenta coloring type, and yellow coloring type photosensitive microcapsules. Three white light sources 6a, 6b, and 6G are arranged, and a red filter 7a that transmits only light in the photosensitive wavelength range (650 nm>) of cyan color-producing microcapsules and a magenta color are arranged opposite to the respective color light sources. A green filter 7b that transmits only the light in the sensitive wavelength range (550 nm>) of the color-producing microcapsules, and a blue filter 7C that transmits only the light in the sensitive wavelength range (450 nm) of the yellow color-producing microcapsules are arranged, respectively. .

An optical fiber 8 is connected to each filter 7a, 7b, 7c.
The base ends of the optical fibers 8 are connected, and the tips of the optical fibers 8 are inserted through the print head 3 and arranged in a row so as to face the back surface of the photosensitive sheet 1. Further, the light source section 5 is connected to a light source controller 9 that individually controls the voltage of each of the white light sources 6a, 6b, and 6c, and the light source controller 9 controls the light emitted from each of the white light sources 6a, 6b, and 6G. The light beams Φ of the two light beams are configured to be individually controlled. Various types of light source controllers 9 are already known, for example, the one shown in FIG. 4(a).

(As shown in (b) above, there is a device that controls the amount of light for each of the white light sources 6a, 6b, and 6c by controlling the phase of the alternating current voltage.The print head 3 is used for printing and writing in a normal wire dot printer. Like a head, dot wires 10 are arranged in a row so as to face the back surface of the photosensitive sheet 1, and a predetermined exposure process is completed by the excitation operation of a solenoid actuator 11 connected to the base end of the dot wires 10. A shock blow is applied to one side of the photosensitive sheet.
q.

However, in the color printing apparatus configured in this way, when color printing information is sent from the computer (not shown) to the light source controller 9, the light source unit 5
each white light source 6a, 6b.

6C lights up and emits a moderate amount of light.

At this time, if the color printing information is to quickly photocure cyan colored microcapsules, the light source 6a is controlled by the light source controller so that the amount of light emitted from the corresponding white light source 6a is increased. 9 to adjust the increase or decrease as appropriate.

Of the light emitted from each of the white light sources 6a, 6b, and 6c, only the light in the sensitive wavelength range of the cyan coloring type, magenta coloring type, and yellow coloring type microcapsules is filtered through the red filter 7a and the green filter 7b. .

The extracted photosensitive wavelength light is irradiated onto the back surface of the photosensitive sheet 1 via the optical fiber 8, and photocures each microcapsule on the sheet surface from the back surface side. At this time, if the degree of photocuring of each of the cyan coloring type, magenta coloring type, and yellow coloring type microcapsules is changed by adjusting the light amount by the light source controller 9, then the uncured microcapsules on one side of the photosensitive sheet are When the capsule is crushed by the dot wire 10, images of various intermediate tones and full colors can be obtained depending on the blending ratio of cyan, magenta, and yellow chromogen substances.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the color printing apparatus of the present invention, photocuring of cyan coloring type, magenta coloring type, and yellow coloring type photosensitive microcapsules on the surface of the photosensitive sheet is possible. By appropriately adjusting the intensity, a full-color image with high resolution and high definition can be obtained, unlike the dither method, without reducing the dot density of the image. Furthermore, since the color tone can be easily controlled by adjusting the amount of light, the equipment and running costs are low.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a color printing apparatus according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the main part thereof, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the part, and Figs. 4(a) and (b) are Figure 5 is a diagram explaining the light amount control by the light source controller, Figure 5 is a diagram explaining the exposure sensitivity characteristics of the photosensitive sheet, and Figure 6 (a>, (b), and (c) is a diagram explaining the exposure sensitivity characteristics of the photosensitive sheet. It is a diagram explaining the exposure sensitivity characteristics of various microcapsules of cyan coloring type, magenta coloring type, and yellow coloring type. 1... Photosensitive sheet, 5... Light source part, 9... Light source controller .

Claims (1)

[Claims] A cyan coloring type, a magenta coloring type, and a yellow coloring type, which have different sensitivity wavelength ranges and have the characteristic that the exposure density gradually changes from the point at which the applied exposure energy exceeds a certain amount. A color printing device for a photosensitive sheet whose surface layer is coated with color-forming photosensitive microcapsules in a mixed state, comprising: a light source section serving as a source of light in the wavelength range to which each of the photosensitive microcapsules is sensitive; From the light emitted from the light source section, light in the wavelength range sensitive to cyan coloring type microcapsules, light in the wavelength range sensitive to magenta coloring type microcapsules, and light in the wavelength range sensitive to yellow coloring type microcapsules are extracted, respectively. 1. A color printing apparatus, comprising separate means for each, and means for separately controlling the amount of light extracted from each.