JPS63202747A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make an image receiving material correspond to a photosensitive material which is already exposed by inhibiting exposure from being carried out by more than the number of remaining image receiving materials set in a device. CONSTITUTION:The photosensitive material S is sent from a roll 12 to a roller 26. Here, the photosensitive material S is exposed to the image of an original 2. Then the photosensitive material S is heated by a heat developing device 40 and conveyed to a photosensitive image receiving paper matching device 70. An image receiving paper supply device 72 sends image receiving paper C to the matching device 70, and the photosensitive material S and image receiving paper C are pressed by superposing the photosensitive material S and the image receiving paper C and carried out to a tray 130. At this, the image receiving paper C is stored in a package unit 50 in an image receiving paper supply device 72, and a sheet counted from the lowermost part of the package unit 50 by a constant number to specify the remaining number of sheets of image receiving paper C. The mark is detected by a sensor SW4 and the exposure of the photosensitive material is stopped by the detection. The deficiency of image receiving material is eliminated for exposed photosensitive materials.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Application in the Nitrogen Industry] The present invention relates to coating a material on a support with which an image produced by imagewise exposure is fixed by pressure, The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that superimposes the photosensitive material and the image-receiving material and transfers a virtual image obtained on the photosensitive material to the image-receiving material under pressure.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems] An example of an image recording device using microcapsules containing a photosensitive composition is JP-A-57-179.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 836. Systems are known in which a synthetic polymer resin-walled capsule containing a vinyl compound, a photoinitiator, and a colorant precursor is supported on a support. The image recording method using this system is to imagewise harden the microcapsules by exposure to light, rupture the unhardened microcapsules by applying pressure, and obtain a color image from the released colorant precursor.
This method has the feature that high quality images can be obtained through simple dry processing.

However, this system has the drawback of significantly lower photosensitivity than systems using silver halide.

A new recording material that improves these drawbacks, has high photosensitivity, and is capable of obtaining high-quality images through simple dry processing has been proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 1986-2001 filed by the present applicant.
It is disclosed in the specification of No. 117089. This recording material includes at least a photosensitive silver halide, a reducing agent, and
Coated with a polymerizable compound and a color image-forming substance,
At least the polymerizable compound and the color image forming material are comprised of a photosensitive composition encapsulated in the same microcapsule.

Regarding the image recording method of recording images using this photosensitive material, Japanese Patent Application No. 60-1212 filed by the present applicant
It is disclosed in the specification of No. 84.

This image recording method first performs imagewise exposure to form a latent image, then develops it by heating, and polymerizes the polymerizable compound in the area where the latent image exists to form a macromolecular compound to form microcapsules. harden. Then, it is overlapped with an image-receiving material having an image-receiving layer to which the color image-forming substance can be transferred and pressurized to rupture some of the microcapsules in areas where no latent image exists, thereby transferring the color image-forming substance to the image-receiving material. This allows an image to be obtained on the injured material.

Then, using the above-mentioned photosensitive material, this photosensitive material is subjected to imagewise exposure, heat development, and then superimposed on an image-receiving material and pressurized to obtain an image on the image-receiving material through automatic image recording. The device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application No. 51896/1989 filed by the present applicant.

As is clear from the above-mentioned range, in this type of apparatus, the photosensitive material undergoes at least an exposure process and a heating process, while the image-receiving material does not undergo any processing process. For this reason, the length of the transport path from feeding the photosensitive material to the mount point where the two materials are superimposed must be longer than the length of the transport path from feeding the image-receiving material to the mount point. be done. For example, if the image-receiving material runs out during continuous copying of a document, even if exposure is stopped, there will be a shortage of image-receiving material for the photosensitive material that has already been exposed and is present in the conveyance path. occurs.

It seems that the above problem can be solved by stopping the conveyance of the exposed photosensitive material when the image receiving material runs out.
Such a method causes undesirable and serious defects particularly in the processing of photosensitive materials with ICs in the transport path. Furthermore, if the photosensitive material continues to be conveyed, not only will there be no corresponding image-receiving material and the photosensitive material will be wasted, but also the photosensitive material will stick to the pressure roller, causing jamming and various other troubles.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide a mental image recording apparatus that is constructed so that an image-receiving material can always correspond to an exposed photosensitive material.

[Structure of the Invention] An object of the present invention is to use a photosensitive material in which a substance on a support is coated with a substance on which an image produced by imagewise exposure is fixed by pressure, and to superimpose the photosensitive material and an image-receiving material. , an image recording device for pressure-transferring an image obtained on a photosensitive material to an image-receiving material, the image-receiving material having a processing section for specifying the number of remaining sheets in a packaging unit consisting of a large number of image-receiving materials; This can be achieved by an image recording apparatus characterized in that it is configured to automatically stop exposure in response to a signal from a detection means that detects the processed portion.

In other words, since the device is configured so that it is not possible to expose more than the remaining number of image-receiving materials set in the device, even if an exposure signal is issued, the exposure will automatically stop. Problems such as material waste and jamming can be eliminated, and reliable operation of the image recording device can be guaranteed.

In the present invention, the photosensitive material refers to a material for obtaining a visible image by applying pressure to a latent image generated by imagewise exposure.

Further, the present invention can be applied to both a system in which the exposed portion is polymerized and hardened, and a system in which the exposed portion is depolymerized and softened.

An example of such a material is a type of material in which a polymerizable compound is imagewise cured by imagewise exposure, and then a visible image is obtained by applying pressure, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57/1999 filed by the present applicant. Examples include the material disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 179836. This material carries on a support a synthetic polymeric resin-walled capsule containing a vinyl compound, a photoinitiator, and a colorant precursor.

Also, after containing silver halide and applying imagewise exposure, heat development is performed to develop the silver halide, and in response to this development, the polymerizable compound is simultaneously cured, and then pressure is applied to form a visible image. The material disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 121284/1984 filed by the present applicant is cited as a material of the type obtained by heat development. An image is obtained on the image-receiving material by transferring a color image-forming substance to an image-receiving material having an image-receiving layer, and at least photosensitive silver 10, a reducing agent, a polymerizable compound, and a color are formed on a support. An image forming substance is coated thereon, and at least the polymerizable compound and the color image forming substance are encapsulated in the same microcapsule.

[Embodiment]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The image recording device is attached to a document supporting glass plate 21 on the upper surface of the housing 1 so as to be slidable back and forth in the direction of arrow A.

That is, the glass plate 2 carries the document face down and moves back and forth in the direction of the arrow.

At the bottom of the glass plate 2, there is a reflecting mirror 6 for illuminating the original.
An additional illumination lamp 8 is provided, and a fiber lens array 10 for forming an original image on a photosensitive material S at a predetermined position is provided.

A photosensitive material cartridge 14 is detachably attached to the side of the housing 1 and contains nine photosensitive material rolls 12 wound with a photosensitive material 8. At the outlet 18 of the photosensitive material cartridge 14, nine pairs of photosensitive material feed rollers 21 and 22 are arranged, which are housed in a magazine connection dark box 20, so that the next photosensitive material is wound around the photosensitive material roll 12. It is extended by a certain length at a predetermined time, and is retracted as desired.

When the leading end of the photosensitive material B advances, the photosensitive material feeding rows 221 and 22 move away from each other as shown by imaginary lines to facilitate the advancement of the photosensitive material S. A cutter unit 23 for cutting the photosensitive material S and a guide plate 24 are arranged below the front C of the magazine connection dark box 20 (the front refers to the downstream side in the direction of travel of the photosensitive material, etc.).

In front of the guide plate 24, an exposed photosensitive material support roller 26 and two photosensitive material nip rollers 28, 30 pressed against the exposed photosensitive material support roller 26 are arranged. The photosensitive material guided by the guide plate 24 is brought into close contact with the exposed photosensitive material support roller 26 by the photosensitive material nip rollers 28.30, and the image of the document is captured by the fiber lens array 10 at a position 32 between the photosensitive material nip rollers 28.30. exposure is made.

In front of the exposed photosensitive material support roller 26, a heat developing device 40 is arranged which heats and develops the exposed photosensitive material SL. The heat developing device 40 includes a developing housing 41 having a heat insulating effect, a heating roll 42 disposed inside the developing housing 41 for carrying and conveying the photosensitive material St, and a belt stretched over a plurality of support rolls 15 and having an end/suction. 16 are provided. A heat source such as a halogen lamp 17 is provided in the heating roll 42, and the roll surface is treated with, for example, Teflon coating. The belt j6Fi is wrapped around the surface of the heating roll 420 at an angle of about 240°, and is made of, for example, silicone rubber, and there are, for example, four support rolls 15, at least one of which is a drive roll. is desirable.

The heat developing device 40 further includes a pair of transport rollers 44 and a guide member 4 that guide the photosensitive material to the heating roll 42.
5, and a peeling claw 47 that peels off the photosensitive material B from the heating roll 42 and guides it to the contact portion of the conveyance roller 46.

In front of the conveyance roller 46, a pair of pressure rollers 60,
A guide member 61 guides the photosensitive material S transported by the transport roller 46 to the contact portion of the pressure roller 60 , and a guide member 61 guides the image receiving paper C supplied from the image receiving paper supply device 72 and transported by the transport roller 62 to the contact portion of the pressure roller 60 . A photosensitive material receiver paper stacking device 7 comprising a guide member 63 that guides the paper to the contact portion.
0 is placed.

The receiving paper supply device 72 supplies the receiving paper cassette 73 which is attached to the side IC of the housing 1 and houses the packaging unit 50 for the receiving paper C, and the uppermost receiving paper C in the receiving paper cassette 75 to the conveying roller 62. It consists of a feeding roller 74 and a guide member 75.

In front of the photosensitive paper stacking device 70, a pair of pressure nip rollers 80, 82. ! -1 Pressure nip roller 80
．． A transfer device 88 is provided which includes a ninth backup roller 84, 86 that equalizes the pressure applied to the roller 82 in the axial direction. The pressure nip rollers 80, 82 are pressed together with a pressure of approximately 500 yu/crw''.

A photoreceptor paper peeling device 90 is provided in front of the transfer device 88 . Sensitive image paper peeling device 90Fi, guide member 92
and a guide roller 9 so as to press only the photosensitive material at both outer end portions on the feed roller 94.
8.100 and a tele-separation belt 102.

A sensitive material disposal section 104 is provided below one side of the peeling device 90, and a fixing device 106 is provided in front. The sensitive material disposal section 104 includes a guide member 108 and a pair of feed rollers 11.
0.112 and a waste box 114, and the photosensitive material S sent from the peeling device 90 and guided by the guide member 108 is put into the waste box 114 by a feed roller 110% 112.

The fixing device 106 includes a guide member 120 and a reflective member 12.
2 ultraviolet irradiation lamps 124 and a pair of feed rollers 1
26 and 128, which are sent from the peeling device [90 and guided by the guide member 120, and are irradiated with ultraviolet light for about 5 seconds to fix the image-receiving paper C. Note that a xenon flash lamp, for example, may be used instead of the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 1240.

In front of the fixing device 106, a take-out tray 130 for receiving the image-receiving paper Ct is attached to protrude from the housing 1, and the image-formed image-receiving paper CJ! eIt is constructed so that it can be easily taken out.

The image recording device is generally configured as described above.
The parts related to the present invention will be further explained.

The image receiving paper C is fed out one by one from the image receiving paper cassette 73 by the feeding roller 74, stops once on the guide member 75, and is intermittently fed by the conveying roller 62, but this timing is determined, for example, depending on the date of the photosensitive material after heat development. This is done in accordance with the detection signal of a sensor SW provided at an appropriate location for detecting the leading edge, so that, for example, the photosensitive material S is superimposed slightly ahead of the image receiving paper C. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, a large number of the image-receiving papers C are wrapped in wrapping paper 51 to form nine packaging units 50, and at least one of the image-receiving papers C is unique to the others. Different special processing sections 53 are provided.

For example, the processing section 53 applies a marking such as a bar code to the area (shaded area) on the edge of the image receiving paper C as shown in FIG. 3, or marks the image receiving paper C as shown in FIG. Various configurations can be adopted, such as one in which a hole is provided in a part of the image-receiving paper C, or the 00 corner of the image-receiving paper is cut out as shown in FIG. Well, there's no problem. Further, the image receiving paper 0 having the processed portion 53 is set so as to be positioned at a certain number of sheets counting from the image receiving paper C at the bottom of the packaging unit 50.

When loading the packaging unit 50 into the image-receiving paper cassette 73, the edge C! of the image-receiving paper C! The wrapping paper is set after removing the wrapping paper edge 52 which is configured in advance so that it is easy to remove so that it is exposed, and it is designed to prevent additional paper feeding and to set each wrapping paper unit 50. Furthermore, if the wrapping paper 51 is made so that it is possible to distinguish between the front and back sides of the image receiving paper C, it is possible to prevent the image receiving paper C from being set upside down.

On the other hand, the image recording apparatus is provided with a detection means for detecting the processed portion 53 of the image receiving paper C. This detection means is the processing part 5
3 is detected and the exposure of the photosensitive material is automatically stopped. This detection means is provided, for example, in the image receiving paper cassette 73 or near the guide member 75, and includes sensors sw5 and sw41 for sensing the processing section 53.

The image recording apparatus is configured such that, although exposure is temporarily stopped by the detection means, processing after exposure can be reliably performed on the already exposed photosensitive material S. In other words, during continuous copying, the mount point B (at the pressure roller 6)
The image-receiving paper C having the processed portion 55 is arranged so that the processed portion 53 is detected and at least the same number of image-receiving sheets C is left at the moment when the processed portion 53 is detected for the maximum number of exposed photosensitive materials S that has not yet been reached. , by detecting this and stopping new exposure, the conveyance distance of the exposed photosensitive material S to the interleaving paper point B is configured to be longer than the conveyance distance of the image receiving paper C at the interleaving paper point Bt, and continuous copying is performed. Even if there are sometimes a plurality of exposed photosensitive materials S that have not reached one mount point B, it is possible to ensure that the image receiving paper C is superimposed on the photosensitive material S.

Note that stopping the exposure includes, of course, stopping the supply of the photosensitive material before the exposure.

Senna SWn is appropriately provided on the conveyance path of the photosensitive material S and the image receiving paper O, and is configured to be able to monitor the conveyance status of the photosensitive material S and the image receiving paper C. Further, the next image recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied is naturally configured to display that the image receiving paper C is running out.
This display can be performed, for example, by detection by the sensor BWs provided in or near the receiving paper cassette 73.

Furthermore, the packaging unit 50 according to the present invention is not limited to the one shown in FIG. 2, but can be modified as appropriate depending on the need. It is only necessary that the image receiving paper C having the section 53 be disposed at a desired position corresponding to the apparatus.

[Effects of the Invention] As stated above, the image recording device according to the present invention specifies the remaining number of image-receiving materials (image-receiving paper) set in the device so that exposure is not performed for more than the remaining number of image-receiving materials. Since the image-receiving material having a processed portion is detected by the detection means and the exposure of the photosensitive material is stopped appropriately, troubles such as insufficient image-receiving material for the exposed photosensitive material can be avoided, and the image-receiving material is Problems such as jamming of exposed photosensitive materials caused by shortage of materials can be solved, and a highly reliable image recording device can be provided.

Furthermore, according to the image-receiving material packaging unit of the present invention, it is possible to easily distinguish between the front and back sides of the image-receiving material, so even when using an image-receiving material that is difficult to distinguish between front and back, it is possible to accurately load the image-receiving material. can be guaranteed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a packaging unit for image-receiving paper loaded into the image recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 and 5 are plan views showing aspects of the special processing section. Symbols in the figure: S...Photosensitive material, O...Receiving paper, SWl, sw!
, sw3゜SW4.8Ws, 8Ws, 8Wy
, 8W, -...sensato housing, 2...
・Glass plate, 6... Reflector, 8... Lighting lamp%
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Fiber nons array, 12... Sensitive material roll, 14... Sensitive material cartridge, 15... Support roll, 16... Bell), 17... Halogen lamp,
18...Exit, 20...Magazine connection dark box, 21.
22...Sensitive material feeding roller, 23...Cutter unit, 24...Guide plate, 26...Exposed sensitive material support roller, 28, 50...Sensitive material nip roller, 52...
- Exposure position, 40...Heat developing device, 41...Developing housing, 42...Heating roll, 44.46...
Conveyance roller, 45...Guide member, 47...Peeling claw, 50...Wrapping unit, 51...Wrapping paper, 52...
...wrapping paper end section, 53...processing section, 60...pressing roller, 61°63...guide member, 62...conveying roller, 70...sensitive material image receiving paper stacking device, 72
... Receiving paper supply device, 73... Receiving paper cassette, 7
4... Feeding roller, 75... Guide member, 80.8
2...Pressure nip roller. 84.86...Backup roller, 88...Transfer device, 90...Sensitivity image receiving paper peeling device, 92...Guide member, 94...Feed roller, 98,100...Guide roller, 102... Peeling belt, 104... Sensitive material disposal section, 106... Fixing device, 108... Guide member, 110° 112... Feed roller, 114... Waste box, 120... Guide member, 122... Reflective member, 124... Lamp, 126, 128... Feed roller, 130... Take-out tray Fig. 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] Using a photosensitive material whose support is coated with a substance that fixes an image produced by imagewise exposure under pressure, the photosensitive material and an image-receiving material are superimposed, and the image obtained on the photosensitive material is applied to the image-receiving material. An image recording device that performs pressure transfer, in which an image receiving material having a processed portion for determining the number of remaining sheets is provided in a packaging unit consisting of a large number of image receiving materials, and exposure is performed based on a signal from a detection means that detects the processed portion. An image recording device characterized in that it is configured to automatically stop.