JPS6394246A - Control method for temperature of picture recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To maintain the temperature of a heating part at a required value by stopping heating based upon a heater when the temperature of the heating part reaches the 1st prescribed value to ventilate and drop the temperature of the heating part, and when the temperature of the heating part reaches the 2nd prescribed value slightly lower than the 1st prescribed value, restarting the heating based upon the heater. CONSTITUTION:When the temperature of the heating part reaches the 1st prescribed value, heating based upon the heater 50 is stopped, and when a heat developing photosensitive material or an image receiving material is not passed through the heating part, the heated air of the heating part is forcedly ventilated by a fan 60 to drop the temperature of the heating part. The temperature of the heating part is detected by a temperature sensor 52, and when the temperature reaches the 2nd prescribed value slightly lower than the last value, heating based upon the heater 40 is restarted. Thereby, the heating part is always maintained at a temperature between the 1st and 2nd prescribed temperatures, and at the time of delivering the heat developing photosensitive material or the image receiving material, the material is immedately set up to the prescribed temperature, so that heat development or heat transfer can be efficiently executed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image recording device that exposes an image to a photosensitive material and transfers the image to an image receiving material after development, or an image recording device that simultaneously performs thermal development transfer and transfers the image to an image receiving material. The present invention relates to a method for controlling the heating temperature of a heat-developable photosensitive material, an image-receiving material, etc., which is used in an image recording apparatus that transfers images.

[Prior Art] As shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 75247/1983, an image recording device for obtaining a color image using a heat-developable photosensitive material is one that exposes an image to the heat-developable photosensitive material in an exposure section and then processes it in a developing section. It is known that the image is developed and the thermally developed image is transferred to an image-receiving material.

In this apparatus, the heating section that heats the photothermographic material or the image-receiving material for thermal development or thermal transfer needs to be maintained at a predetermined temperature in order to improve development and transfer efficiency. This heating section heats the plurality of pairs of rollers that sandwich and convey the photothermographic material or image-receiving material, and these rollers are rotatably supported by a frame, thereby heating the photothermographic material or image-receiving material. It can be heated efficiently.

This heater maintains the temperature of the heating part at a predetermined value.
The device is energized to generate heat until it reaches a predetermined temperature, and when the temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, the device is turned off to keep it warm and stands by for processing the photothermographic material or image-receiving material.

In this heat retention state, the heater will not generate heat until the predetermined temperature or a lower predetermined temperature is reached. During this time, the heat held at the end of the roller is dissipated by thermal conduction from the frame that supports the roller, and the roller The temperature at the ends is lower than that at the center in the axial direction.

For this reason, even when a heat-developable photosensitive material or an image-receiving material is fed, temperature unevenness occurs along the axial direction of the roller, and heat development or transfer may not be performed efficiently, or the heater may be energized and returned to the specified position. This also causes the temperature to not rise quickly when the temperature is raised.

Correspondingly, temperature unevenness can be eliminated by dividing the heater along the axial direction of the roller and controlling the temperature of these separately. However, in this case, a large number of sensors and heaters are required, and control becomes complicated.

In consideration of the above-mentioned facts, the present invention aims to provide a temperature control method for an image recording apparatus that can uniformly heat a heat-developable photosensitive material or an image-receiving material with simple control.

[Summary and operation of the invention]

It is used in an image recording device that transfers an image exposed on a heat-developable photosensitive material to an image-receiving material, and is used during heating for thermal development of a photothermographic material, or during heating for thermal transfer from a heat-developable photosensitive material to an image-receiving material, or during development. This is a temperature control method during heating for overlapping a photosensitive material and an image-receiving material and performing thermal development transfer at the same time. If the heat-developable photosensitive material or image-receiving material is not passing through, the heated air in the heating section is forcedly ventilated to lower the temperature of the heating section, and the temperature of the heating section is lower than the first predetermined value. It is characterized in that heating by the heater is restarted when the second predetermined value, which is slightly lower, is reached.

Therefore, in the present invention, while the heat-developable photosensitive material or image-receiving material is not being fed into the heating section, the heated air in the heating section is forcedly ventilated, so the temperature of the heating section decreases by a small amount. As a result, the heater in the heating section generates heat again and the first
The predetermined temperature is .

As a result, a temperature between the first and second predetermined temperatures is always maintained in the heating section, and as soon as the heat-developable photosensitive material or image-receiving material is fed, they are brought to the predetermined temperature, allowing efficient thermal development or thermal transfer. It will be done.

When using an energized heating element as a heater and using a plurality of pairs of rollers for conveying a photothermographic material or an image-receiving material, it is preferable to use a configuration in which both ends of the roller in the axial direction are heated to a particularly high temperature by the heater; The heating temperature may be gradually increased from the center in the axial direction to both ends.

For example, the temperature of the heating section is detected by a temperature sensor, and when this detected temperature reaches a first predetermined value, power to the heater is cut off, and when this detected temperature reaches a second predetermined value, it is energized to generate heat again. It is preferable to

The present invention is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,430°415.
No. 4.483,914, No. 4.500.62
No. 6, No. 4.503.137, JP-A-59-154
．． No. 445, JP-A-59-165.054, JP-A-Sho 5
9-180.548, JP 59-218.443, JP 60-120.356, JP 59-209
．． No. 563, Patent Application No. 1983-79.709, Patent Application No. 1983
The heat-developable photosensitive materials (thermally developable photosensitive elements) and image-receiving materials (dye-fixing elements) described in Japanese Patent Application No. 169.585, Japanese Patent Application No. 60-244,873, etc. can be used.

[Embodiments of the invention]

A configuration in which the present invention is applied to an image recording apparatus having an exposure head 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 photosensitive material 16 housed therein.

This photosensitive material 16 is pulled out from its outer periphery and cut into a cutter 18.
After being cut to a predetermined length, it is 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.

The plurality of image receiving materials 32 partially accommodated in the tray 30 are
The uppermost layer is sent to the development transfer means 28.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the development and transfer means 28, conveyance rollers 34, 36 that are in close contact with each other are provided at the entrance section, and after bringing the photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32 into close contact with each other, they are sent to the conveyance rollers 38, 40 at the exit section. It looks like this. Conveyance rollers 42 and 44 are provided in the intermediate portion, and the conveyance roller 34
．． It has the role of sending out the photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32 that are brought into close contact with each other from the rollers 38 and 36 to the conveying rollers 38 and 40. Each conveyance roller is configured to receive rotational force by transmitting the driving force of a motor (not shown).

A guide plate (not shown) is provided between these conveyance rollers, and the photosensitive material 16 and image receiving material 3 are kept in close contact with each other.
2 and sent out horizontally.

Small diameter portions 46 formed at both ends of these conveyance rollers are pivotally supported by a frame 48 . This frame 48 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape and has the role of making the internal temperature uniform.

Each conveyance roller has a heater 50 disposed on the opposite side of the conveyance path for the photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32.
The temperature is raised to a predetermined temperature by a heating element 4, which is an electric heating element.

A temperature sensor 52 is provided in a part of the frame 48 to detect the temperature of the axially intermediate portion of the roller 44 and to control 1ffi electricity to each heater 50.

As an example, when the set temperature (second predetermined value) of the developing and transferring means 28 is 90°C, the temperature sensor 52 detects a temperature (first predetermined value) of 90.3'c, which is slightly higher than the set temperature (second predetermined value).
It can be configured to cut off the energization to the heater 50 when it is detected, and restart the energization to the heater 50 when it detects less than 90°C. Further, since the heater 50 easily radiates heat from both ends of each conveyance roller in the axial direction through heat conduction to the frame 48, each 1. It is preferable to increase the amount of heat generated toward both ends of the feeding roller in the axial direction.

A circular hole 54 is formed in the frame 48 between the conveying roller 34.36 and the conveying roller 42.44 and between the conveying roller 38.40 and the conveying roller 42.44. A motor 5 with a brake is mounted on the arm 56
8 is attached and placed in the center of the circular hole 54.

A fan 60 as a ventilation means is disposed on the motor 58 so that air within the frame 48 can be exhausted when electricity is applied. This motor 58 is operated by a control device (not shown) only while the photosensitive material 1416 and image receiving material 32 are not being fed into the developer transfer means 28, and the air inside the developer transfer means 28 is forcibly discharged. It is designed to lower the temperature by a little bit.

The exhaust amount by the fan 60 is such that it does not cool the ambient temperature inside the developing and transferring means 28 .

In order to detect the state in which the photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32 are fed into the development transfer means 28, sensors are provided at the entrance and exit portions of the frame 48.
The motor 58 may be stopped by a brake while the image receiving material 6 and the image receiving material 32 are being detected.

A peeling means 62 is disposed downstream of the developing and transferring means 28, and the peeling means 62 removes the photosensitive material 16 sent out from the developing and transferring means 28.
The photosensitive material 16 is separated and sent to a disposal box 64 and the photosensitive material 16 to a drying device 66. After the image-receiving material 32 is dried in a drying device 66, it is delivered onto a take-out tray 68 formed at the top of the machine stand 12.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

The photosensitive material 16 pulled out from the magazine 14 is cutter 1
8 and then wrapped around the outer periphery of the rotating drum 20, the rotating drum 20 rotates at high speed and the rad 22 to the exposure
The image is exposed.

After exposure, the photosensitive material 16 is peeled off by a scraper 24, coated with water by a water coating section 26, and sent to a developing and transferring means 28.

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

The photosensitive material 16 and the image-receiving material 32 after being brought into close contact with each other are sent to the transport rollers 42.44 through the transport rollers 34.36. Furthermore, it is sent out from between the transport rollers 42, 40 and through the transport roller 38.4o. When conveyed by multiple pairs of conveyance rollers in this way, since these conveyance rollers are heated by the heater 5o, the photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32 are immediately brought to a predetermined temperature, and the photosensitive material 16 is exposed to light. The image is thermally developed and thermally transferred to image receiving material 32.

After the transfer, the photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32 are separated by the release means 62, and the photosensitive material 16 is placed in the disposal box 64.
Then, the image-receiving material 32 passes through a drying device 66 and is transferred to a take-out tray 68.
taken out to the top.

In this case, each conveying roller in the development transfer means 28 has already been heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 50 before the photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32 are fed, so that at the same time as the photosensitive material 16 or the image receiving material 32 is fed. These are considered to be predetermined temperatures.

Furthermore, while the photosensitive material 16 and the image-receiving material 32 are not being fed, the fan 60 is operated to forcefully ventilate the air inside the developing and transferring means 28, and the air inside the developing and transferring means 28 is slightly reduced to the maximum level. When this temperature drop reaches a predetermined value, the temperature sensor 52 detects this and energizes the heater 50 again, so that the heater 50 is repeatedly turned on and off, and the temperature inside the developing transfer means 28 is always maintained at the predetermined value. be done. Therefore, even if the amount of heat dissipated from both axial ends of each conveyance roller through the frame 48 is large, each conveyance roller is always maintained at a predetermined value.

When forced ventilation is not performed by the fan 60 as in the above configuration, since the heating section surrounded by the frame 48 is box-shaped, there is little heat dissipation even when the heater 50 is turned off, and the temperature at both ends of the roller is lower than the heat to the frame 48. Due to conduction, the temperature is particularly low compared to the middle part. Therefore, even if heated by a heater during development transfer, the desired temperature will not be reached suddenly, which may cause development transfer failure.

In the above embodiment, the present invention was applied to an image recording apparatus of a type in which a heat development section for photosensitive material $4 and a heat transfer section from the photosensitive material to an image receiving material are provided at the same location, that is, heat development transfer is performed simultaneously. Although embodiments have been shown, the present invention is also applicable to an image recording apparatus in which a thermal development section and a thermal transfer section are provided separately.

〔Effect of the invention〕

It is used in an image recording device that transfers an image that has been exposed to a heat-developable photosensitive material to an image-receiving material. This is a temperature control method during heating for simultaneously carrying out thermal development transfer by overlapping a developing photosensitive material and an image receiving material, in which heating by the heater is stopped when the temperature of the heating section reaches a first predetermined value, and the heating section is stopped. If the heat-developable photosensitive material or image-receiving material is not passing through, the heated air in the heating section is forcedly ventilated to lower the temperature of the heating section, and the temperature of the heating section is lower than the first predetermined value. Since heating by the heater is restarted when the temperature reaches a second predetermined value, which is slightly lower, the temperature of the heating section can be maintained at a desired value (there is an effect of Z).

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a heating section to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an image recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. 10... Image recording device, 16... Photosensitive material, 28... Development transfer means, 32... Image receiving material, 34.36.38... Conveyance roller, 40.42.44... Conveyance Roller, 48... Frame, 50... Heater, 52... Temperature sensor, 58... Motor, 60... Fan.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Used in an image recording device that transfers an image exposed to a heat-developable photosensitive material to an image-receiving material, when heating the photothermally-developable material for thermal development or when heating for thermal transfer from the photothermally-developable material to the image-receiving material; Alternatively, there is a temperature control method during heating for simultaneously performing thermal development transfer by overlapping a photothermographic material and an image-receiving material, in which heating by the heater is stopped when the temperature of the heating section reaches a first predetermined value, and the heating is continued. part of the heat-developable photosensitive material or
And if the image receiving material is not passing through, the heated air in the heating section is forcedly ventilated to lower the temperature of the heating section, and the temperature of the heating section is set at a second predetermined value that is slightly lower than the first predetermined value. A temperature control method for an image recording device characterized by restarting heating by a heater when the temperature reaches a certain value.