JPS63309478A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable clear images to be obtained even when a plurality of light- emitting elements are used to increase the quantity of light, by arranging a plurality of light emitting elements for the same color in a straight line in a scanning direction. CONSTITUTION:A rotary drum 20 is rotated at a high speed, and a three-color exposure is conducted by light-emitting element assemblies 64, 66, 68 of an exposure head 22, whereby a heat-developable photosensitive material 16 is exposed to light for a color image. To accurately conform an optical axis extending from each light-emitting element 88 of the light emitting element assemblies 64, 66, 68 to a set image-forming point, the quantities of engagement of a plurality of adjusting screws 98 with a cylindrical casing 70 are adjusted, whereby the assemblies 64, 66, 68 can be moved in radial directions to arbitrary positions, thereby obtaining an accurate image-forming point. In this fine adjustment, it is preferable to untighten small screws 74 to reduce the pressure with which each of the light-emitting element assemblies is pressed against the casing 70 by a leaf spring 76.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus for recording an image on a photosensitive material by exposure using a light emitting element.

[Prior Art] As an image recording device for obtaining a color image using a photosensitive material such as a heat-developable photosensitive material, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-7524
As shown in No. 7, a heat-developable photosensitive material is known in which an image is exposed in an exposure section and then developed in a development section, and the image after heat development is transferred to an image-receiving material.

This image recording device often uses a semiconductor light source such as a light emitting diode for exposure, but these semiconductor light sources tend to have a tendency for the amount of light to decrease as the wavelength becomes shorter. For example, as a three-color light source to produce magenta and yellow, infrared (I
Red (R), red (R), and yellow (Y) light sources are used, but the light intensity of red and yellow is particularly weak, and it is often impossible to obtain the desired density.

For this reason, it is conceivable to use a plurality of light emitting elements collectively, but if a plurality of light sources are used, the width of the light beam expands and a clear image cannot be obtained.

This is particularly noticeable when characters are exposed.

The present invention takes the above-mentioned facts into consideration, and aims to apply an image recording device that can obtain clear images even when a plurality of light emitting elements are used to increase the amount of light.

[Summary of the Invention and Effects of the Invention] The present invention is an image recording device that scans and exposes images to a photosensitive material using light emitting elements, in which a plurality of light emitting elements of the same color are arranged linearly in the scanning direction. It is characterized by

Therefore, although the present invention has a plurality of light emitting elements, these light emitting elements are arranged linearly in the scanning direction, so that they are exposed to the same scanning position and the width of the light beam is expanded. You can get clear images without any problems.

If a plurality of light emitting elements are rotatably attached to the exposure head, the plurality of light emitting elements can be arranged linearly in the scanning direction at a predetermined rotational position. In this case, a mark may be provided between the frame to which the light emitting elements are attached and the exposure head, or the plurality of light emitting elements themselves may be used as marks for positioning.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 2, an image recording apparatus 10 to which the present invention is applied has a magazine 14 housed in a machine base 12 and a roll-shaped photothermographic material 16 housed therein. This photosensitive material 1
6 is pulled out from its outer periphery, cut into a predetermined length in one day by a cutter, and then wound around the outer periphery of the rotating drum 20. An exposure head 22 is disposed corresponding to the outer periphery of the rotating drum 20, and rotates the rotating drum 20 in the direction of arrow A to expose an image onto the wound photosensitive material 16.

The exposed photosensitive material 16 is peeled off from the rotary drum 20 by a scraper 24 by rotating the rotary drum 20 in reverse rotation, and water is applied as an image forming solvent in a water coating section 26, followed by a developing transfer means whose interior is used as a heating section. Sent to 28.

On the other hand, the plurality of image receiving materials 32 accommodated in the tray 30 are
The top layer is sent to development transfer means 28.

In the developing and transferring means 28, conveyance rollers 34 are brought into close contact with each other.
36 is provided at the inlet portion, and the photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32 are connected to each other.
After the sheets are brought into close contact with each other, they are sent to the conveyance rollers 38 and 40 at the exit section.

Conveyance rollers 42, 44 are provided in the intermediate portion, and the adhered photosensitive material 16 is sent out from the conveyance rollers 34, 36.
and the image-receiving material 32 to the transport rollers 38, 40. Each conveyance roller is configured to receive rotational force by transmitting the driving force of a motor (not shown).

Each conveyance roller has a heater 46 arranged on the opposite side of the conveyance path for the photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32, and is heated to a predetermined temperature by a heating element constituted by an energized heating element.

A peeling means 4 is disposed downstream of the developing and transferring means 28, and the photosensitive material 16 sent out from the developing and transferring means 28 is
The photographic material 16 is separated and sent to a waste box 50 and the photosensitive material 16 to a drying device 52. Image receiving material 32
After being dried in a drying device 52, the paper is sent onto a take-out tray 54 formed at the top of the machine stand 12.

Next, the exposure head 22 and its related parts will be explained in detail.

As shown in FIG. 4, the exposure head 22 is rotatable around a support shaft 60, and its tip portion abuts against the support shaft 62, so that rotation in the clockwise direction in FIG. 4 is restricted. Further, the exposure head 22 is subjected to a rotational force in the clockwise direction in FIG. 4 by a biasing means (not shown) or the exposure head's own weight.

This exposure head 22 has three light emitting element aggregates 64, 66, corresponding to the three primary colors (cyan, yellow, magenta).
6 is mounted, and its front shaft is directed toward the center of rotation of the rotating drum 20.

Further, this exposure head 22 is capable of sub-scanning movement by receiving a driving force in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. It looks like this.

Taking the light emitting element assembly 66 as an example to explain in detail, the light emitting element assembly 66 is attached to a cylindrical case 70 as shown in FIG. That is, this cylindrical case 70 has an imaging lens 72 attached to one end in the axial direction,
This light emitting element assembly 66 is attached to the other end in the axial direction.

A cylindrical case cover 0 to which this light emitting element assembly 66 is attached
A recess 70A is formed at the end of the recess 70A, and an outer frame 66A of the light emitting element assembly 66 is housed in the recess 70A. I'm under pressure.

The outer frame 66A has a cylindrical shape, and the inside thereof is filled with an insulating ceramic 80. A metal base 82 is embedded in the center of the ceramic 80. This metal base 82
A heat dissipation shaft 84 protrudes from the radiating shaft 84, and a plurality of heat dissipation fins 86 are fixed to the tip of the heat dissipation shaft 84.

On the other hand, a plurality of light emitting elements 88, also shown in FIG. 5, are fixed to the metal base 82 on the opposite side of the heat dissipation shaft 84. These light emitting elements 88 are fixed to the metal base 82 using an adhesive that is conductive and has low thermal resistance. As this adhesive, an epoxy adhesive containing particles of gold, silver, etc. can be applied inside, and these gold, silver, etc. impart electrical conductivity.

These light emitting elements 88 are each connected to an electrode 90 buried in the middle part of the ceramic 80 by a conductive wire 92.

One end of the electrode 90 protrudes from the ceramic 80 along the heat dissipation shaft 84, and its tip is fixed to an insulating substrate 94 attached to the heat dissipation shaft 84.

Therefore, the plurality of light emitting elements 88 can use the heat radiation axis 84 as a common ground axis. ! A plurality of light emitting elements 88 can be connected by supplying electricity to several electrodes 90 from a control device separately or by connecting them in series or parallel to one control device.
can emit light at the same time. As this light emitting element 88, an LED (light emitting diode), an LD (laser diode), etc. can be used.

As shown in FIG. 6, the four light emitting elements 88 are arranged in the outer frame 66A.
are equidistant from the axis of and equally spaced from each other. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 6(A), if the vertical direction is the main scanning direction, the horizontal direction is the sub-scanning direction, and the two light emitting elements 88 are exposed in the same trajectory in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. Can be done.

FIG. 6(B) shows a state in which the light emitting element assembly 66 of FIG. 6(A) is rotated by 45 degrees around the axis, and in this state, the vertical direction is the main scanning direction, and the horizontal direction is the sub-scanning direction. The pair of light emitting elements 88 arranged above and below draw the same locus during main scanning exposure, but the pair of light emitting elements 88 disposed on the left and right have different movement trajectories, so the width dimension of the light beam is expanded. Unable to obtain clear exposure.

FIG. 7 shows an example of alignment means for this purpose. A mark 70B is provided on the outer periphery of the cylindrical case 70, and a mark 22A is provided on the exposure head 22 to match this mark 70B.

Therefore, after inserting the holder 66 into the exposure head 22, by rotating it around the axis to align the mark 70B with the mark 22A, the light emitting element 88 will draw the same trajectory during scanning exposure as shown in FIG. 6(A). Can be placed.

On the other hand, as shown in detail in FIG. 3, the cylindrical case 70 has a plurality of guide holes 96 (four equally spaced in this embodiment) drilled radially, into which adjusting screws 98 are screwed. has been done. These adjustment screws 98 can finely adjust the light emitting element assembly 64 in the radial direction by changing the amount of screwing into the guide hole 96.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

By operating a control button (not shown), the photothermographic material 1 is
6 is cut to a predetermined length by a cutter 18, and then wound around the outer periphery of the rotating drum 20. Here, the rotary drum 20 rotates at high speed, and three-color exposure is performed by the light emitting element assembly 64, 66, 6 of the exposure head 22, and a color image is exposed onto the photothermographic material 16.

Here, the light emitting element assembly 64. F6.68 light emitting element 88
In order to accurately align the optical axis from the light emitting element assembly 64, 66, 68 to the set imaging point, adjust the amount of screw engagement of the plurality of adjustment screws 98 into the cylindrical case 70.
can be moved to any desired position in the radial direction, making it possible to obtain an accurate imaging point. During this V & adjustment work, it is preferable to loosen the biscuit 4 to reduce the pressing force of each light emitting element assembly against the cylindrical case 70 by the leaf spring 76.

Each light emitting element 88 generates heat when energized, but this heat is transferred to the metal base 82 and the heat radiation shaft 84 through an adhesive with low thermal resistance.
, is radiated into the air by the heat radiation fins 86. Therefore, there is no change in coloring wavelength due to temperature rise, and a stable amount of light can be ensured.

As shown in FIG. 7, the light emitting element assembly 64, 66, and 6 rotates while attached to the exposure head 22, so that the marks 70B and 22A align with each other, so that the plurality of light emitting elements 8 are the same during scanning exposure. Adjust to draw a trajectory. As a result, even when a plurality of light emitting elements 88 are attached, a clear image can be formed without expanding the width of the light beam.

After exposure, the photothermographic material $116 is peeled off by a scraper 24, coated with water by a water coating section 26, and sent to a developing transfer means 28.

On the other hand, the image receiving material 32 in the tray 30 is sent from its uppermost layer to the development transfer means 28 and brought into close contact with the photothermographic material 16.

The heat-developable photosensitive material 16 and image-receiving material 32 after being brought into close contact with each other are conveyed to conveyance rollers 42.44 through conveyance rollers 34.36. Furthermore, it is sent out from between the transport rollers 42, 40 and through the transport rollers 38, 40. When the material is transported by multiple pairs of transport rollers in this way, since these transport rollers are heated by the heater 46, the photothermographic material 16 and the image-receiving material 32 are immediately brought to a predetermined temperature.
The image exposed on the heat-developable photosensitive material 16 is thermally developed and thermally transferred to the image-receiving material 32.

After the transfer, the heat-developable photosensitive material 16 and the image-receiving material 32 are separated by the peeling means 48, and the heat-developable photo-sensitive material 16 is taken out to the waste box 50, and the image-receiving material 32 is taken out via the drying device 52 onto the take-out tray 54. .

FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the invention.

This embodiment has a configuration in which a pair of light emitting elements 88 are provided, and in this case as well, if these light emitting elements 8B are similarly arranged in the main scanning direction (vertical direction in FIG. Since the light emitting elements 88 are exposed to light without following the same trajectory, a clear image can be formed.

Although the above embodiment uses a combination of the mark 70B and the mark 22A to position the light emitting element at a specific position, it is possible to use the light emitting element 88, electrode 90, conductive wire 92, etc. as landmarks without providing any special marks. In this case, the cylindrical case 70
may be fixed, and the light emitting element assembly may be rotated and aligned.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention is an image recording apparatus that exposes an image to a photosensitive material in the main scanning direction using light emitting elements, and is characterized in that a plurality of light emitting elements of the same color are arranged linearly in the scanning direction. Therefore, even when a plurality of light emitting elements are used, a clear image can be obtained, which is an excellent effect.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a light emitting element assembly to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an image recording device to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the exposure head in FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the light emitting element assembly in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 6 (A) and (B) are the light emitting element assembly. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the state in which the light emitting element assembly of the exposure head is mounted, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a corresponding front view. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Image recording device, 16... Heat-developable photosensitive material, 22... Exposure head, 28... Development transfer means, 32... Image receiving material, 64.66.68... Light emitting element assembly Body, 88... Light emitting element.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) An image recording apparatus that scans and exposes images onto a photosensitive material using light emitting elements, and is characterized in that a plurality of light emitting elements of the same color are arranged linearly in the scanning direction.