JPS6371848A - Piled up material carrier device for heat developing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To lengthen a conveyance distance per space and to continuously process elements by conveying a photosensitive element overlapped with an image receiving element with positive and negative bendings between flat belts stretched by guide roller groups. CONSTITUTION:Upper rollers R1, R3-R9, and lower rollers R2, R4, R6 and R8 are arranged in a zigzag. The flat belt 1 is wound along the rollers R1-R9 and pressure rollers r1 and r2, while the flat belt 2 along the rollers R1-R9 and pull rollers r3 and r4. Thus the belts 1 and 23 are stretched so that they bend positively in the upper rollers R1... and eatively in the lower rollers R2.... The photosensitive element and the image receiving element, all of which have been overlapped, are supplied between the belts 1 and 2 between and rollers r1 and R1, conveyed together with the move of the rollers, and discharged between the belts 1 and 2 between the rollers r2 and R9. If among the rollers R1..., one or more are replaced with heat rollers, or if all of them are under heated environments, heat development is conducted, and transfer is made in a conveyance step.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention provides heat development c11. The present invention relates to a device for conveying eight optical elements and an image receiving element in a superimposed state in a machine.

[Conventional technique + jr] Diffusion transfer type heat development, in which a color image is obtained by separating a silver image and a dye by releasing a diffusible dye by heat development and transferring this dye to an image-receiving element, is a photosensitive method. There have already been many technical disclosures regarding the subject matter, image-receiving elements, thermal development methods, and their devices, and a typical example is the development of a dye-fixing layer surface and a photosensitive layer between a pair of rollers that can uniformly heat and apply pressure. This is carried out by passing an image receiving element and a heat-developable photosensitive element overlapping each other so that their layer surfaces are aligned.

Next, both overlapping elements are uniformly heated and thermally developed, and the dye released from the heat-developable photosensitive element is transferred to the dye-fixing layer by the heat development, and then the two sheets are peeled off to form an image-receiving layer. An image can be formed on the element.

In this method, when thermal development transfer is carried out between a superposed photosensitive element and an image-receiving element, it is necessary to maintain the superposed state for a required period of time. It is thought that it will pass.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, when both elements are passed linearly between a pair of flat belts, and the 1'g feed rate is set to a certain constant speed, the length of one feed must be increased in order to obtain the required heating time. However, the size of the device increases and the installation space becomes larger. Moreover, if the conveyance path is taken in the vertical direction, the number of equipment items will increase. On the other hand, when considering continuous processing, the exposed areas of the photosensitive element enter the thermal development transfer area one after another, and Mr. B, who is simultaneously performing thermal development transfer on approximately 6 to 1 exposed areas, Since it is necessary to increase the processing speed, it is desirable that the thermal development transfer section be long. However, increasing the length of the thermal development transfer section increases the size of the apparatus, and there is a limit in this respect.

In addition, when conveying both elements linearly, each flat belt i is wound around belt wheels (rollers) at both the front and rear ends, and these are arranged oppositely, but the belt between the front and rear rollers is not sufficiently tensioned. Therefore, the adhesion between both elements is poor, and uneven transfer tends to occur. Therefore, in order to improve adhesion, we installed a tension roller in the non-overlapping area.
Increasing the tension of the belt is an effective means, but since the belt is free and unrestricted in the overlapping region of both elements, the belt may be undulated in the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction or There were times when the image was smeared in a misaligned direction, and uneven transfer was unavoidable.

In any case, in this type of thermal development system, the thermal development transfer section is the most sensitive part of the device, and therefore there has been an urgent need to develop an apparatus with an excellent thermal development transfer section.

Therefore, the main purpose of the present invention is to be able to ensure a long feeding distance per space, to be suitable for continuous processing, to make the device more compact, to be able to overlap with a high pressure force, to have excellent adhesion, and to An object of the present invention is to provide a device that can prevent the occurrence of unevenness.

[Means to resolve the gap]

The object is to provide a device for conveying a heat-developable photosensitive element and an image-receiving element in an overlapping state between flat belts, in which both belts have positive and negative curvature in a group of guide rollers in the overlapping area of each element. This is achieved by being stretched by

[For production]

In the present invention, the two-handed belt is stretched by a group of guide rollers with positive and negative bends.

Therefore, when considering the conveyance length per space, the conveyance length becomes longer, and when the required conveyance length is reduced by 17, the apparatus can be made more compact.

Conversely, since the transport length per certain space can be increased, the next exposed area can be sent to the thermal development transfer area while thermal development transfer is being performed on the previous exposure area, and the thermal development transfer area Continuous processing is possible.

On the other hand, at the positive and negative bends, both belts are pressed against the guide rollers with a strong pressing force. Therefore, when the elements pass through this portion, they are strongly adhered to each other and uneven transfer is prevented. Further, since the bending is repeated in positive and negative directions, positive and negative stresses are applied to the photosensitive layer and image receiving layer of each element, and from this point as well, the occurrence of uneven transfer is further prevented. Furthermore, since multiple guide rollers are interposed in the overlapping area, the free portion of both belts is shortened, resulting in belt conveyance that is highly tensioned and stable in terms of speed, and as a result, uneven transfer is prevented. can.

[Specific structure of the invention]

The present invention will be described in further detail below.

The flat belt that can be used in the present invention is a heat-resistant belt that can withstand the maximum temperature of thermal development, and a belt that has tension resistance that can withstand the required pressing force (writing force). Preferably, a metal belt made of stainless steel or a belt made of carbon-containing silicone rubber or fluororubber with a thermoplastic fiber core is used, and the contact surface with each element is preferably a smooth surface to improve adhesion. .

These flat belts are each guided by a group of guide rollers, but if necessary, they may have movable tension rollers for tension adjustment in the overlapping region or other regions.

In order to give the flat belt positive and negative curvature, the guide roller groups are arranged, for example, in a staggered manner, at least in the overlapping region.There are various ways of this arrangement. !A will be explained as an example.

For thermal development, at least one of the guide rollers is a hot roller, or hot air is supplied to part or all of the overlapping area, or the entire thermal development transfer section is placed under a heated atmosphere, and By combining these methods, heat can be applied to the photosensitive element and the image receiving element.

The heating temperature required for the heating step for thermal development and thermal transfer is preferably 80°C to 250°C, more preferably 1
In the range of 00° C. to 200° C., the time is preferably 0.1 seconds to 300 seconds, more preferably 5 seconds to 180 seconds, and the optimum time is determined at each temperature.

The overlapping pressure in the thermal development transfer section is 0.01 to 1
00kg/cm”, especially 0.1-50 kg/ca
rz is preferred. If the photosensitive element and the image receiving element are to be completely brought into close contact with each other in the above pressure range, for example by passing between a pair of opposing rolls, as a pre-process of the heat development transfer section according to the present invention, it is necessary to apply too high a pressure to the heat development process. There is no need to apply it at the transfer section, and it is less than 1kf/cL112, preferably 5
00 g/c+a” or less, particularly preferably 100 g/c+a” or less
cm" or less may be sufficient.

Next, an example of the device in the thermal development transfer section of the present invention will be shown.
In the first illustrated example, upper rollers R+, R*, RS+R
t, Rq and lower rollers Rz, Ra, Rh, R8 are arranged in a staggered manner, and the 10th roller R1 and the 90th roller R are each oppositely provided with a pressure roller rl+.
rg and tension rollers r3+rt are provided for the second (flat) belt.

A first (flat) belt 1 is wound around each roller R1 to R9 and a pressure roller rltrg, and a second belt 2 is wound around each roller R3 to R7 and a tension roller r3+rt. 1°2 is substantially bent positively at the upper rollers R1, R3, Rs, Rt, Rq and negatively at the lower rollers R2, R, R, Pa. Each belt 1.2 is moved by having at least ten rollers adjoining them as drive rollers.

In such an apparatus, a photosensitive element and an image receiving element, which have been superposed in advance by passing between a pair of rollers, are placed on a belt 1.2 between rollers R and R.
As the belt 1.2 moves, it is guided there and is finally discharged from the belt 1.2 between the rollers r2 and R. Each roller Rl=
By using at least one of R9 as a heating roller or by placing the thermal development transfer section in a heated atmosphere, heat is applied to each element, thermal development is performed, and transfer is performed during the conveyance process.

FIG. 2 shows a structure similar to the example shown in FIG. 1, but the supply section and the discharge section of each element are provided on the same side. In this example, 19 guide rollers Rl''R+q and 4 tension rollers r1 to r4 are provided.

In the example in FIG. 3, large-diameter drum-shaped guide rollers R1 to R7 are used, and any one of the guide rollers R1 to R? is always used in the entire range from supply to discharge. It is designed so that it is in contact with the . rl+rl is a pressure roller, and r3*ra is a tension roller. The supply and discharge positions are on the same side.

The example in FIG. 4 is similar to the example in FIG. 3, but the supply and discharge positions are on opposite sides. rl+r2 is a pressure roller,
rs+ ri+ rs is a tension roller.

In Figure 5, two large-diameter guide rollers R+ and Rt are used.
o r with only one positive and one negative bend
l+rt is a pressure roller, and r, to r are tension rollers.

In FIG. 6, the paper is reciprocated in the horizontal direction by indoor rollers R1 to R1, rl+r2 are tension rollers, and the supply and discharge positions are on the same side.

The entire thermal development apparatus having the above-mentioned thermal development transfer section can have the structure shown in FIG. 7, for example.

In this example, the thermal development transfer section of the example in FIG. 1 is applied.

To explain this, the roll-shaped heat-developable photosensitive element 10 is
Guided by the guide roller 11, it reaches the exposure position and C
Image exposure is performed by l1712. On the other hand, the image receiving element 13
The image-receiving element 13 is preheated by a flat heater 14A before being superimposed on the exposed photosensitive element 10 from the surface opposite to the surface on which the image-receiving element 13 is superimposed. Preferably, the photosensitive element 10 is also preheated by the flat heater 14B before it is overlapped with the image receiving element 13.

The photosensitive element 10 and image receiving element 13 that have been preheated are
The sheets are overlapped by a pair of heating rollers 15 and 16 and brought into close contact with each other by heating and pressure, and as the heating rollers 15 and 16 rotate, they are guided by temporary guides 17 and 17 and supplied to the thermal development transfer section.

The photosensitive element 10 of the thermal development transfer section is wound up by a winding roll 18 disposed at the lower part of the exit side, and due to the downward force acting along with this winding, the image receiving current 13 is separated from the photosensitive element 10. Minute F,! The paper is then sent to a cutting position by feed rolls 19 and 20, where it is cut into a predetermined length by a cutter 21 and accumulated in a sheet shape in a storage section 22.

As shown in FIG. 8, one method is to combine a drum 30 and a flat belt 31 for thermal development transfer. Although this method is preferable in that it applies pressure uniformly, it is difficult to increase the diameter of the drum 30. Unless this is done, a long conveyance length cannot be achieved, and it is difficult to make the apparatus compact, and thus cannot be adopted in the present invention.

The photosensitive element of the present invention can be obtained by coating and drying a material containing a dye-donating polymer, silver halide, and MI Sm salt on a support using a hydrophilic binder as a binder.

In addition, the image-receiving element is coated with an image-receiving layer containing a mordan or tonic polymer on a support such as paper or other synthetic polymer sheet for fixing the heat-transferable dye that diffuses and moves from the heat-developable photosensitive element. You can get it.

The image-receiving layer of the image-receiving element that can be effectively used may be a polymer containing a tertiary amine or a quaternary amminirum salt, as long as it has the function of receiving the dye of the heat-developable photosensitive element released or formed by heat development. U.S. Patent No. 3.709.
．． Those described in No. 690 are preferably used. Examples include polymers containing ammonium salts and polymers containing tertiary amines. A typical image-receiving layer for diffusion transfer is obtained by mixing a polymer containing ammonium salt, tertiary amine, etc. with gelatin, polyvinyl alcohol, etc., and coating the mixture on a support. Another useful dye-receiving material is 6, which has a glass transition temperature of 40°C or higher and 250°C or lower, as described in JP-A-57-207250.
(Some examples include those formed from thermal organic polymeric substances.

These polymers may be supported on a support as a charge receiving layer, or may themselves be used as a support.

Any support such as a transparent support or an opaque support may be used as the support for the photosensitive element and the image-receiving element. Supports such as baryta, RC paper laminated with thermoplastic resin containing material 61, cloth, glass, metals such as aluminum, etc., and electron beams containing pigments on these supports. Examples include a support coated with a curable resin composition and cured, and a support coated with a pigment-containing coating layer on these supports.

Incidentally, it is thought that a considerable amount of moisture and gas are present in the image-receiving layer, and especially in the paper support in the case of a paper support.

In the process of overlapping the heat-developable photosensitive element and the image-receiving element, heat development, and diffusion transfer, the moisture and gas contained in this image-receiving element become water vapor and gas that inhibit the adhesion between the two elements, causing serious transfer unevenness. It is thought to cause

Therefore, as shown in the example of FIG. 7, it is desirable to perform preheating prior to the thermal development transfer step.

The preheating temperature of the image receiving element and the heat-developable photosensitive element suitable for combination may be a temperature and time sufficient to substantially remove moisture, and the preheating process of the image receiving element and preferably the photothermographic element to be combined may be sufficient. The heating temperature in the preheating step of the element is preferably in the range of 80°C to 250°C, more preferably in the range of 100°C to 200°C, and the time and force u necessary for each moisture to be sufficiently removed.
get a fever Therefore, if the preheating temperature is low, the tearing time is short, and if the preheating temperature is low, the tearing time is required. The time also varies depending on the design and material of the image receiving element, photosensitive element, etc. For example, if the support of the image receiving element is a paper support or the like, sufficient preheating is required, whereas if it is a PET base or the like, the preheating time may be short. Also, for example, the image-receiving layer and the binder may be gelatin or PVA 5.
In the case of a wood-philic binder such as PVP, sufficient preheating is required, while in the case of a hydrophobic binder, a relatively short time may be required.

The general heating time is preferably 0.1 seconds to 60 seconds, more preferably 1 second to 20 seconds.

As an imagewise exposure method for recording a latent image on the thermal development window optical element, exposure may be performed by a full-surface exposure method such as in a normal color printer or by scanning exposure by optically converting computer data or video signals. .

Therefore, as a light source, -m-wise, a tungsten lamp,
Mercury lamps, halogen lamps such as iodine lamps, and other CR
Examples include T, OFT, LED, laser, etc.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to lengthen the polymerization conveyance distance per space, thereby enabling continuous processing, making the device more compact, and further improving adhesion. Excellent, even transfer can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 6 are schematic diagrams of specific examples of the polymerization/conveyance device for thermal development and transfer according to the present invention, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the entire thermal development machine, and Figure 8 is the polymerization/transfer device. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram given as a comparative example. 1.2...Flat belt R8-R1,...Guide roller r, ~'',...Crimp or tension roller Patent Applicant
Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd. Representative Patent Attorney Nagai
Righteous Quiver Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A device for conveying a heat-developable photosensitive element and an image-receiving element in an overlapping state between flat belts, wherein in the overlapping area of each element, both belts are moved by a group of guide rollers with positive and negative curvature. A polymerization/conveying device for a heat developing machine characterized by being stretched.