JPS6381347A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To keep a solvent in a main tank at uniform purity by supplying a replenishing solvent to the main tank according to the frequency of use of an applying roller, and simultaneously, discharging the solvent in the main tank to a waste solution tank. CONSTITUTION:Since sensitized material 16 is carried in successively at a specified interval, water 70 repeats rising up by an applying roller 52 and returning to a main tank 72. A sensor 88 sends a signal to the arithmetic circuit of a microcomputer 86 at every time the photosensitive material 16 is carried. When the value goes to a specified value, a solenoid valve 80 opens and water 70 in the main tank 72 goes to a waste solution tank 84. A pump 81 is operated a little later, and replenishing water is supplied from a replenishing tank 82 to the main tank 72. The applying roller 52 is rotated, and gelatin, etc., separated from the sensitized material 16 stuck to the applying roller is washed off. The solenoid valve 80 is opened again and replenishing water is supplied. Thus, the contamination of the solvent responding to the application of solvent by the applying roller can be prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an image recording method for obtaining an image on an image-receiving material by transferring an image recorded on a heat-developable photosensitive material to the image-receiving material in the presence of an image-forming solvent. It relates to a recording device.

[Prior Art and Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As an image recording device for obtaining a color image using a heat-developable photosensitive material, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 75247/1987, an image recording device that exposes an image to a photothermographic material is disclosed. There is a known method in which the photosensitive material is then sent to a heat development section, an image receiving paper is brought into close contact with the photosensitive material after heat development, and the image is transferred to the image receiving paper through a transfer process.

This photosensitive material or image-receiving paper is coated with a transfer aid (image-forming solvent) such as water in order to improve transfer efficiency before being sent to the transfer section.

For this reason, in the apparatus shown in JP-A No. 59-75247, water is applied using a roller impregnated with water, but this water is recycled from water accumulated in a tank. Depending on the frequency of use, gelatin or the like that is peeled off from the photosensitive material or image-receiving paper may accumulate in the tank, causing water stains.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above facts, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus that can prevent solvent stains caused by solvent application by a coating roller.

[Means and effects for solving the problems] The image recording apparatus according to the present invention transfers an image recorded on a heat-developable photosensitive material to the image-receiving material in the presence of an image-forming solvent. An image recording apparatus for obtaining an image forming apparatus comprising: a main tank for accumulating the solvent; a coating roller disposed in the main tank for applying the image forming solvent to a photothermographic material or an image receiving material; and discharging the solvent from the main tank. TIJ amount
and a control means for supplying replenishing solvent to the main tank and operating the regulating means to discharge the solvent in the main tank to a waste liquid tank as needed.

The solvent in the main tank is lifted by the rotation of the coating roller and applied to the photothermographic material or image-receiving material.

The excess solvent that was lifted reaches the main tank again.
Reused. The control means is operated in accordance with the usage frequency to replenish the main tank with replenishment solvent and to discharge the used solvent in the main tank.

By doing this regularly, the solvent in the main tank can be maintained at a uniform purity.

Note that the image recording apparatus of the present invention includes a heat development section that heat-develops the exposed heat-developable photosensitive material, and a transfer section that heats the heat-developed photosensitive material and the image-receiving material by overlapping them and transferring the image to the image-receiving material. The department may be provided separately,
In addition, there is a heat development/transfer section in which the heat development section and the transfer section are provided at the same location, that is, the heat development/transfer section that overlaps and heats the exposed photothermographic material and the image receiving material to perform heat development and thermal transfer at the same time. It may be provided.

Further, in the image recording apparatus of the present invention, for example, US Pat. No. 4,430,415, US Pat.
No. 0626, No. 4503137, JP-A-59-15
No. 4445, JP-A-59-165054, JP-A-59
-180548, .

JP-A-59-218443, JP-A-60-12035
No. 6, Patent Application No. 1982-209563, Patent Application No. 1982-79
No. 709, Patent Application No. 169585, Patent Application No. 1982-
The heat-developable photosensitive materials (thermally developable photosensitive elements) and image-receiving materials (dye-fixing elements) described in No. 244873 and the like can be used.

In the present invention, the image-forming solvent is a solvent required for image formation, such as water, a low-boiling organic solvent (
(alcohols, ketones, amides, etc.) or those obtained by adding various additives such as surfactants, development accelerators, and development stoppers to these solvents.

[Example] The image recording apparatus of the present invention will be described below, taking as an example a case where thermal development and thermal transfer are performed simultaneously.

FIG. 2 shows an image recording apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. In this image recording apparatus 10, a magazine 14 is mounted on a machine stand 12 and stores a photothermographic material 16. The photosensitive material 16 inside the Yagazine 14 is pulled out from its outer periphery, cut into a predetermined length by the cutter 18, and then wound around the outer periphery of the exposure drum 20 (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2). The exposure drum 20 is rotated in reverse after exposure, and the photosensitive material 16 is peeled off by a scraper 24 and sent to a development transfer section 28 via a water application section 34.

On the other hand, the image receiving paper 32 accommodated in the tray 30 is transferred to the development transfer section 2.
After being sent to the photosensitive material 8 and superimposed on the photosensitive material 16, it is heated by a heater in the development and transfer section 28. As a result, the photosensitive material 16 is developed, and the developed image is transferred to the receiver paper 3.
Transferred to 2.

After the transfer is completed, the photosensitive material 16 is stored in a waste tray 3B through a peeling section 36, and the image receiving paper 32 is sent out through a drying section 40 to a take-out tray 42.

As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of conveyance rollers 44 and 4B that sandwich the photosensitive material 16 being conveyed are arranged in the water application section 34, and a pair of conveyance rollers 44 and 4B are arranged downstream of these conveyance rollers 44 and 46. 48.degree. 50 are arranged to sandwich and convey the photosensitive material 16.

These rollers are configured to send out the photosensitive material 16 in the direction of arrow B to the thermal development/transfer section 28 by receiving the driving force of a motor (not shown). Additionally, guide plates are provided between these conveying rollers corresponding to both ends of the photosensitive material 16 being conveyed.
51A and 51B are provided to guide the photosensitive material 16 from between the transport rollers 44, 46 to between the transport rollers 48, 50.

The photosensitive material 1 is placed between the conveyance roller 46 and the conveyance roller 50.
A coating roller 52 as a coating member corresponds to the center portion of the back surface (emulsion side) of 6. This application roller 52
The rotary shaft 54 is pivotally supported on the machine base 12. Also,
A motor (both not shown) is connected to this rotating shaft 54 via a shaft coupling, and the application roller 52 is rotated in the direction of arrow C by the driving force of this motor.

A portion of the coating roller 52 is immersed in a main tank 72 filled with water 70, which is an image forming solvent, so that when the coating roller 52 rotates, the water 70 is brought out on its circumferential surface.

The water 70 taken out by the application roller 52 is applied to the photosensitive material 16.
A bead 70A is formed between the
In this state, the photosensitive material 16 is
A coating film is formed on the back side of the paper.

A supply pipe 74 for supplying the water 70 and a discharge pipe 76 for discharging the water 70 in the main tank 72 are attached to the main tank 72 filled with water 70, and a pump 81 is installed in the middle of the supply pipe 74. installed. Further, a replenishment tank 82 is installed at one end of this supply pipe 74,
Therefore, by driving this pump 81, water can be supplied from the replenishment tank into the main tank 72 as needed.

A solenoid valve 80 is attached to the middle part of the discharge pipe 76, and normally this solenoid valve 80 is closed, and the main tank 7
The amount of water in 2 is maintained constant. Here, the solenoid valve 80
When opened, the water 70 in the main tank 72 is guided to a waste liquid tank 84 installed at one end of the discharge pipe 76.

These pump 81 and electromagnetic valve 80 are each operated by a microcomputer 86 which is a control means.

The microcomputer 86 includes a counting circuit and an arithmetic circuit that flows a minute current to the counting circuit (both not shown).
is installed. A signal line 90 of a sensor 88 that sends a signal to the counter each time the photosensitive material 16 is conveyed is connected to a part of the microcomputer 86.

Further, a power line 92 from a drive circuit for operating the pump 81 and the electromagnetic valve 80 is connected to another part of the microcomputer 86 .

As a result, when a minute current flows to the counting circuit in response to a signal from the sensor 88, the internal switch becomes conductive, allowing power to be supplied to the pump 81 and the solenoid valve 80, and the pump 81 responds accordingly. Operates, solenoid valve 80
is now open.

The operation timing of the pump 81 and the solenoid valve 80 is such that the pump 81 is activated after the solenoid valve 80 is opened for a predetermined time and then closed again. Further, after replacing the water 70 as necessary, the application roller 52 is rotated in a state where the photosensitive material 16 is not present in the water application section 34, and after cleaning the application roller 52, the electromagnetic valve 80 and It is also possible to operate the pump 81 to replace the water 70.

The main tank 72 contains water 7 that is filled into the main tank 72.
An overflow pipe 78 is attached to discharge the surplus amount. Opening 7 of this overflow pipe 78
8A is arranged at a predetermined height from the bottom surface 72A of the main tank 72, and when the water 70 supplied from the supply pipe 74 reaches above this opening 78A, the water 7o is directed out of the main tank 72. By discharging the main tank 72, the amount of water (water surface height) in the main tank 72 can be kept constant.

The opening 78B on the opposite side of the overflow pipe 78 is connected to a solenoid valve 80 in the discharge pipe 76 and a waste liquid tank 8.
It is piped between 4 and 4.

Note that the water surface in the main tank 72 is approximately 1/1/2 of the coating roller 52.
It is preferable that the height of the immersion is about 3.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the applicator roller 52 has a gap size (first dimension) between the outer periphery of the applicator roller 52 and the right side wall 72B of the main tank 72 that It is arranged so as to be smaller than the gap dimension with the left side wall 72C (dimension M in FIG. 1).

This prevents a step from occurring in the water surface height on either side of the coating roller 52 due to lifting of the water 70 when the coating roller 52 rotates. Note that the M dimension needs to be 2 mm or more, and is particularly preferably 3 mm.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained below.

The photosensitive material 16 housed in the cassette 14 is cut into a predetermined length, wound around the exposure drum 20, exposed by the exposure head 22, and then sent to the water coating section 34.

The application roller 52 rotates in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 1, and brings out the water 70 in the main tank 72 by adhering it to its surface, forming a bead 70A between it and the back surface (emulsion surface) of the photosensitive material 16. This is applied to the back side of the photosensitive material 16.

When the rear end of the photosensitive material 16 passes the application roller 16,
The bead 70A is returned to the main tank 72 by its own weight.

The photosensitive material 16 coated with water in the water coating section 34 is sent to the thermal transfer/developing section 28 . The image-receiving paper 32 taken out from the tray 30 is sent to the thermal transfer/developing section 28 and is overlapped with the photosensitive material 16. Here, heat development is carried out in the presence of water, and the dye image formed at the same time is transferred to the image receiving paper 32.

The image is heated and transferred to the emulsion surface. In this transfer state, the necessary amount of water has already been appropriately applied to the photosensitive material 16, so that an extremely good transfer operation can be performed.

Photosensitive material 16 and image receiving paper 3 remain in close contact after transfer
2 is sent from the thermal development/transfer section 28 to a peeling section 36, the photosensitive material 16 is stored in a stacking device 38, and the image receiving paper 32 is sent to a take-out section 40 and taken out.

By the way, since the photosensitive material 16 is conveyed sequentially at predetermined intervals, the water 70 is repeatedly lifted up by the coating roller 52 and returned to the main tank 72. The number of repetitions is equal to the number of sheets of the photosensitive material 16 conveyed. It is proportional;
The sensor 88 sends a signal to the arithmetic circuit of the microcomputer 86 each time the photosensitive material 16 is conveyed, and when this value reaches a predetermined value, a minute current flows to the counting circuit.

In response to this current, power is first supplied to the solenoid valve 80, which is opened and the water 70 in the main tank 72 reaches the waste liquid tank 84 via the discharge pipe 76. When the drainage is completed, the solenoid valve 80 is closed. Then, a little later, the pump 81 is activated, and the replenishment tank 82 is pumped into the main tank 72.
Supply water for replenishment. After the replenishment of water is completed, the application roller 52 is rotated. As a result, the application roller 5
Gelatin and the like peeled off from the photosensitive material 16 adhering to the photosensitive material 2 are washed off, and the coating roller 52 is cleaned.

Here, the solenoid valve 80 is opened again, and after the water 70 in the main tank 72 is discharged, the pump 81 is operated to supply supplementary water.

In this case, it is preferable that the amount of replenishment and the amount of water drained are the same, but since an overflow pipe 78 is attached to the main tank 72, if the amount of replenishment water is slightly larger than the amount of water drained, this difference amount will be drained by the overflow pipe 78. A constant amount of water can be maintained in the main tank 72.

In the embodiment described above, the application roller 52 is cleaned according to a plurality of predetermined numbers of photosensitive materials 16 to be processed, and the main tank 7 is also cleaned.
Although the water 70 in the image recording apparatus 2 is replaced, this cleaning and replacement may be performed every time the photosensitive material 16 is processed, or when the image recording apparatus 10 starts or ends its work.

Furthermore, if the coating roller 52 is rotated in both forward and reverse directions for cleaning, dirt and the like adhering to the surface of the coating roller 52 can be easily removed.

Further, in the above embodiments, the present invention has been described with reference to the case where the photosensitive material 16 is coated with water, but the present invention is similarly applicable to the case where the image receiving paper 32 is coated with water.

[Effect of the Invention J As explained above, the image recording apparatus according to the present invention obtains an image on the image receiving material by transferring the image recorded on the photothermographic material to the image receiving material in the presence of an image forming solvent. In the recording device, a main tank for accumulating the solvent;
An application roller disposed within the main tank applies the image forming solvent to the photothermographic material or image receiving material, an mWi means for adjusting the amount of solvent discharged from the main tank, and a replenishing solvent as necessary. By having a control means for supplying the solvent to the main tank and discharging the solvent in the main tank to the waste liquid tank by activating the adjustment means, it is possible to prevent the solvent from becoming contaminated as the solvent is applied by the application roller. It has a good effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a water application part according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an image recording apparatus to which this water application section is applied, and FIG. 3 is a side view of a main tank according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10・Φ・Image recording device, ! 6.Conflict/Photosensitive materials. 32, Φ, image receiving paper. 34.Working/Water application section, 52... Application roller. 70.--Water, 72.--Main tank, 74. Tatami/supply pipe, 76@War/drainage pipe. 80---Solenoid valve, 81Φ working pump. 82... Replenishment tank, 84... Waste liquid tank, 86... Drive device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an image recording apparatus that obtains an image on an image-receiving material by transferring an image recorded on a heat-developable photosensitive material to the image-receiving material in the presence of an image-forming solvent, there is provided a main tank for accumulating the solvent; A coating roller disposed in the tank and applying the image forming solvent to the heat-developable photosensitive material or the image receiving material, an adjusting means to adjust the amount of solvent discharged from the main tank, and a replenishing solvent to the main tank as needed. an image recording apparatus, comprising: control means for discharging the solvent in the main tank to the waste liquid tank by activating the regulating means and discharging the solvent in the main tank to the waste liquid tank.