JPS63256954A - Image recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily adjust image density without increasing the size of an image recording device by controlling heating conditions and adjusting the density. CONSTITUTION:A heat development device 40 detects the surface temperature of a drum 43 by a temperature detector 42 and a development controller controls the operation of a halogen lamp 48 so that the drum temperature is constant. The temperature detector 42 is, for example, a thermistor and the development controller is, for example, a CPU. Further, the development controller controls the operation of the halogen lamp 48 and the operation of a drum driving device independently or simultaneously according to a density correcting signal by inputting the density correcting signal. Namely, microcapsules of a photosensitive material S set more and more as given heating value is larger and larger, so the heating value is controlled to control coloration. Consequently, the density of an obtained image is adjustable.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a method for transferring image information generated on a photosensitive material having on a support a substance capable of fixing an image generated by imagewise exposure by pressure. This invention relates to a method of recording images by heating.

[Conventional technology]

As an example of an image recording material using microcapsules encapsulating a photosensitive composition, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-1798
A system is known in which a synthetic polymer resin wall capsule containing a vinyl compound, a photopolymerization initiator, and a colorant precursor is supported on a support, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 36. 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 is characterized in 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 which improves these drawbacks, has high photosensitivity, and can obtain high quality images through simple dry processing is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1983-1991 filed by the present applicant. −
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 275742. This recording material is a photosensitive and pressure-sensitive thermal development material, in which at least a photosensitive silver halide, a reducing agent, a polymerizable compound, and a color image forming substance are coated on a support, and at least the polymerizable compound is coated on a support. and the color imaging material comprises a photosensitive composition encapsulated in the same microcapsules.

Regarding the image recording method of recording an image using Jin's photosensitive pressure-sensitive thermal development material, there is a Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 1-278849. 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, the image-receiving material is stacked with an image-receiving material having an image-receiving layer to which the color image-forming substance can be transferred, and pressure is applied to rupture at least a portion of the microcapsules in areas where no latent image exists, thereby transferring the color image-forming substance to the image-receiving material. to obtain an image on an image-receiving material.

Using the above-mentioned photosensitive material, this photosensitive material is subjected to imagewise exposure, heat development is performed, and then it is overlaid with an image-receiving material and pressure is applied, and the process is automatically performed until an image is obtained on the image-receiving material through transfer. An example of an image recording apparatus that performs this is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 1983-51896 filed by the present applicant.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In an electrophotographic image recording device, the lighting voltage of the image exposure light source is controlled in order to adjust the image density.
If the image density is adjusted by controlling the lighting voltage of the image exposure light source, there is a problem in that the gray scale Z2 intensity is destroyed and a high quality image cannot be obtained. Therefore, image density adjustment in an image recording method using this color photosensitive material is achieved by placing an aperture reduction device having a slit on the optical path and changing the slit width without controlling the lighting voltage of the light source. The amount is controlled.

However, in order to compensate for discrepancies in exposure amount for each image recording device, discrepancies in coloring characteristics for each loft during the manufacturing of photosensitive materials, and discrepancies in sensitivity due to changes in the coloring characteristics of photosensitive materials over time, image exposure under standard conditions is performed using a slit. In addition to making the width as small as possible, a light source with a large rating is required so that appropriate exposure can be performed even with this slit width. Therefore, there are problems in that the structure of the diaphragm device is complicated, and the exposure device is large and consumes a very large amount of power.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an image recording method that can easily adjust image density without increasing the size of an image recording apparatus.

[Means and effects for solving the problems] The above-mentioned object of the present invention is to provide a method for recording an image by heating image information generated on a photosensitive material, the method of recording an image by controlling the heating conditions. This is achieved by an image recording method characterized by adjustment.

In other words, even if exposure is performed with a fixed amount of light, color development can be controlled by controlling the heating conditions.
Image density can be easily adjusted without increasing the size of the image recording device.

Heating conditions include, for example, heating temperature and heating time, and color development can be easily controlled by controlling both individually or simultaneously.

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

Alternatively, after containing silver halide and giving imagewise exposure, heat development is performed to develop the silver halide, the polymerizable compound is simultaneously cured in correspondence with this development, and then pressure is applied to form a visible image. An example of the material that can be obtained is the material disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61-275742 filed by the present applicant.

The material disclosed in JP-A No. 61-275742 is
After thermal development, a color image-forming substance is transferred to an image-receiving material having an image-receiving layer to obtain an image on the image-receiving material, and at least a photosensitive silver halide, a reducing agent, a polymerizable compound, and A color image-forming substance is coated thereon, and at least the polymerizable compound and the color image-forming substance are encapsulated in the same microcapsule.

Further, as a thermal diffusion transferable photosensitive material, the photosensitive material disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 89376/1989 filed by the present applicant may be used.

Further, the photosensitive material used in the present invention includes a full color photosensitive material,
It may be any monocolor photosensitive material.

[Embodiment]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below, taking as an example the case where a type of photosensitive material that undergoes heat development before pressure transfer is used.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image recording apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention.

The image recording apparatus includes a document supporting glass plate 2 mounted on the upper surface of a housing 1 so as to be slidable back and forth in the direction of arrow A.

That is, the glass plate 2 is moved back and forth in the direction of the arrow with the document placed face down. An illumination lamp 8 with a reflector 6 for illuminating the original is provided at the bottom of the glass plate 2.
On the other hand, a SELFOC lens array 10 is provided for forming an original image on the photosensitive material S at a predetermined position.

A photosensitive material magazine 14 containing a photosensitive material RO/I/12 wound with a photosensitive material S is removably attached to the side of the housing 1. At the outlet 16 of the photosensitive material S of the photosensitive material magazine 14, a pair of photosensitive material edge rollers 21 and 22 housed in the magazine connection dark box 20 are disposed, and this allows the photosensitive material S wound on the photosensitive material roll 12 to be removed. The material S is paid out a certain length at a predetermined time and is also retracted as desired.

When the leading edge of the photosensitive material S advances, the photosensitive material edge pushing rollers 21 and 22 move away from each other as shown by imaginary lines to facilitate the advance of the photosensitive material S. A cutter unit 23 for cutting the photosensitive material S and a guide 9 are provided in front of the magazine connection dark box 20 (hereinafter, "front" refers to the downstream side in the direction of travel of the photosensitive material, etc.).
A plate 24 is arranged.

In front of the guy P plate 24, an exposed photosensitive material support row 226 and two photosensitive material nip rollers 28, 30 pressed against the exposed photosensitive material support row 226 are arranged. The photosensitive material S guided by the guy P plate 24 is brought into close contact with the exposed photosensitive material support row 226 by the photosensitive material nip rollers 28 and 30, and the selfoc lens array 10 is brought into contact with the exposed photosensitive material support row 226 at a position 32 between the photosensitive material nip rollers 28 and 30. imagewise exposure is performed.

In front of the exposed photosensitive material support row 226, a heat developing device 40 that heats and develops the exposed photosensitive material S is arranged.

The heat developing device 40 includes a hollow cylindrical heating drum 43 in a heat insulating housing 41, four belt support rollers 47, and is stretched around the support rollers 47 so that the outer periphery of the heating drum 43 is approximately 270 degrees. The photosensitive material S is conveyed while being sandwiched between the belt 45 and the heating drum 43, and the photosensitive material S is conveyed while being sandwiched between the belt 45 and the heating drum 43.
It is heated to about 140° C. by a halogen lamp 48 provided inside. Then, the temperature detector 42 detects the temperature of the heating drum 4.
3 is detected, and the operation of the halogen lamp 48 is controlled to stabilize the temperature.

The heat developing device 40 further includes a conveyance roller 44 for carrying in the photosensitive material S, a peeling claw 50 for peeling off the photosensitive material S from the heating r ram 43, and a conveyance roller 46 for carrying out the photosensitive material S.

In front of the conveyance roller 46, a pair of pressure rollers 60,
A guide member 61 guides the photosensitive material S conveyed by the conveyance 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 conveyed by the conveyance roller 62 to the pressure roller 60 . A photosensitive material image-receiving paper stacking device 7 consisting of a guide member 63 that guides the photosensitive material to the contact portion.
0 is placed.

The receiving paper supply device 72 includes a receiving paper cassette 73 that is attached to the side of the housing 1 and stores the receiving paper C, and a receiving paper Ct-conveying roller 62 located at the top of the receiving paper cassette 73.
It consists of a feeding roller 74 and a guide 9 member 75.

A pair of pressure nip rollers 80.82 and a pressure nip roller 80.8 are provided in front of the photosensitive image receiving paper stacking device 70.
A transfer device 88 is provided which includes backup rollers 84 and 86 for uniformizing the pressure applied to the rollers 2 in the axial direction. Pressure nip low 280.82 is approximately 500Ky/
They are pressed together by the pressure of an2.

A photoreceptor paper peeling device 90 is provided in front of the transfer device 88 . The photosensitive material receiving paper peeling device 90 includes a guide P member 92, a feed roller 94, and a guide roller 298 so as to press only the photosensitive material S at both outer end portions on the feed roller 94.
．． 100 and a peeling belt 102 wrapped around it.

A sensitive material disposal section 104 is provided in front of one side of the peeling device 90 . The sensitive material disposal section 104 includes a guide member 108, a pair of feed rollers 110 and 112, and a disposal box 114.
The guide member 108 sent from the peeling device 90
The photosensitive material S guided by the rollers 110 and 1
12 into the waste box 114.

A fixing device 106 is provided in front of the other peeling device 90 .

The fixing device 106 includes a guide 9 member 120 and a reflective member 1.
22 and a pair of feed rollers 126 and 128, the image receiving paper C sent from the peeling device 90 and guided by the guide member 120 is irradiated with ultraviolet light for about 5 seconds. and fix it.

A take-out tray 130 for receiving the image receiving paper C is attached to the front of the fixing device 106 so as to protrude from the housing 1 .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a configuration for controlling the operation of the heat developing device 40. In the heat developing device 40, the surface temperature of the top 9 ram 43 is detected by the temperature detector 42, and the development control device controls the operation of the halogen lamp 48 based on this detection signal so that the top 9 ram temperature is constant. . The temperature detector 42 is, for example, a thermistor, and the development control device is, for example, a CPU. Further, the development control device inputs the density correction signal and controls the operation of the halogen lamp 48 and the tram drive device individually or simultaneously based on the density correction signal.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are graphs showing the color development characteristics of the photosensitive material S used in the present invention. Figure 3 shows the relationship between the exposure amount and density at three heating temperatures when the heating time is constant, and Figure 4 shows the relationship between the exposure amount and density at three heating times when the heating temperature is constant. represent As is clear from FIGS. 3 and 4, the more heat applied to the photosensitive material S, the more the microcapsules harden. Therefore, color development can be controlled by controlling the amount of heat, and the density of the resulting image can be adjusted. That is, by controlling the heating temperature and/or the heating time, the sensitivity can be changed without changing the slope γ (gamma) of the color development characteristics, and the minimum density and intermediate level density of the photosensitive material S can be changed. . For example, if the standard density is 0.5 when the photosensitive material S is heated at 140°C for 10 seconds, in order to increase the density by 0.3, it must be heated at 130°C for 10 seconds or 140°C.
Heat for 7 seconds at 150℃ to reduce the concentration by 0.3.
Heat for 0 seconds or heat at 140° C. for 15 seconds.

In order to control the heating temperature of the photosensitive material S, the heating of the heating trim 43 by the 10-gen lamp 48 may be controlled.

Further, in order to control the heating time of the photosensitive material S, the speed at which the photosensitive material is conveyed by the heating drum 43 and the rotor 45 may be controlled.

When the coloring characteristics of each lot of the photosensitive material S and the changes in the coloring characteristics over time are known in advance, the image density is adjusted by controlling the heating conditions according to the coloring characteristics. If the color development characteristics of the photosensitive material S are unknown, image recording is performed once under standard conditions, and the image density is adjusted based on the density of the resulting recorded material. These concentration adjustments can be made manually or automatically.

Note that the heating temperature and heating time for density adjustment are not limited to the above set values, and may be changed as appropriate depending on the sensitivity and coloring characteristics of the photosensitive material S.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the density is adjusted by controlling the heating conditions of the photosensitive material having image information, so the sensitivity can be changed without changing the slope of the coloring characteristics of the photosensitive material, resulting in good color balance. You can get a good image.

Also, the light source for image exposure does not need to have a large rating;
Moreover, the density can be adjusted without the need for a diaphragm device.
The structure of the exposure device is simplified and the image recording device is made smaller.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image recording apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the operation control of the heat developing device, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are graphs showing the coloring characteristics of the photosensitive material. . Symbols in the figure; 1...Housing, 2...Original support glass plate, 6...Reflector, 8...Illumination lamp, 1
0... SELFOC lens array, 12... Sensitive material roll, 14... Sensitive material magazine, 16... Exit,
20...Magazine connection dark box, 21.22...
Sensitive material edge shedding roller, 23...Cutter unit, 2
4... Guy R plate, 26... Exposure sensitive material support roller, 28.30... Sensitive material nip roller, 32... Exposure position, 40... Heat developing device, 41... Housing, 42 ... Temperature detector, 43 ... Heating column, 44.46 ... Conveyance roller, 45 ... End 9
Res belt, 47... Ilt support roller, 48...
Ha4ken lamp, 50...Peeling claw, 51...
- Drive control section, 52... Heating control section, 53...
Developing device control unit, 60... Pressure roller, 61...
- Guide member, 62... Conveyance row 2, 63... Guide 9 member, 70... Sensitive material image receiving paper overlapping device, 7
2... Receiving paper supply device, 73... Receiving paper cassette,
74... Feeding roller, 75... Guide member, 8
0.82...Pressure nip roller, 84.86...Backup roller, 88...Transfer device, 90...Sensitivity image receiving paper peeling device, 92...Guide member, 94...Feeding roller , 98.100・
...Guide roller, 102...Peeling (root, 104...
・Sensitive material disposal department, 106... Fixing device, 108...
・Guide member, 110, 112... feed roller,
114... Disposal box, 120... Guide 9 member, 122... Reflective member, 124... Lamp,
126.128...Feeding roller, 130...Take-out tray system \Representative Patent attorney (8,.7) Kiyoshi Takashi Sa. -')
(3 others)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) An image recording method for recording an image by heating image information generated on a photosensitive material, the method comprising controlling the heating conditions to adjust the density. 2) The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the density is adjusted by controlling at least one of heating temperature and heating time.