JPH0273353A - Heat developing and transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an excellent image without causing nonuniformity in developing and transfer by providing a non-sandwiching part corresponding to both end parts of a width direction which is out of the image areas of a heat developing photosensitive material and an image receiving material on a superposition part. CONSTITUTION:The non-sandwiching part 35 corresponding to both end parts of the width direction which is out of the image areas of the heat developing photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32 is provided on the superposition part. Therefore, since both end parts of the width directions of the respective materials 16 and 32 are not sandwiched and made to closely adhere at the non-sandwiching part 35, they can be freely swollen. Due to that, even in the case that the respective materials 16 and 32 are swollen with heat at the time when they are heated by a heating drum 34 and separated from a superposing roller, this swelling is released as the non-sandwiching part and defective superposition such as wrinkles or peeling is prevented from occurring. Thus, the excellent image can be obtained without producing the nonuniformity in the developing and the transfer.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a heat development transfer device, in particular, a heat development transfer device in which a heat development photosensitive material on which an image has been exposed is superimposed on an image receiving material and heated while being wrapped around the outer circumference of a drum. The present invention relates to a thermal development transfer device that thermally develops a photothermographic material and transfers an image to an image-receiving material.

[Prior Art] An image is exposed onto a heat-developable photosensitive material, and the heat-developable photosensitive material is superimposed on an image-receiving material and heated, whereby the heat-developable photosensitive material is thermally developed and the image is transferred to the image-receiving material. 2. Description of the Related Art Heat development transfer devices for obtaining images are known.

This type of thermal development transfer device is equipped with a heating drum and an endless pressure belt that is in pressure contact with the outer periphery of the heating drum.Furthermore, an overlapping roller that is in contact with the outer periphery of the heating drum is arranged near the endless pressure belt. It is located. The image-exposed photothermographic material is superimposed on the image-receiving material by the superimposing roller, and then fed between the heating drum and the endless pressure belt and wound around the outer periphery of the heating drum.

Each material is sandwiched and conveyed for a predetermined period of time in an overlapping state between a heating drum heated to about 90°C and an endless pressure belt, whereby the photothermographic material is completely thermally developed, and The exposed image is transferred to an image-receiving material.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] By the way, the outer periphery of the heating drum (between the endless pressure belt)
When winding the heat-developable photosensitive material and the image-receiving material, the two materials are superimposed and fed by the superimposing rollers as described above. As a result, each material thermally expands when separated from the overlapping rollers, which may result in overlapping defects such as "wrinkling" and "peeling".

For this reason, when an image recorded on a heat-developable photosensitive material is transferred to an image-receiving material, uneven development and transfer occurs, and a good image may not be obtained.

The present invention takes the above-mentioned facts into account, and when the heat-developable photosensitive material on which the image has been exposed is superimposed on the image-receiving material and wound around the outer periphery of the drum, the two materials can be overlapped uniformly, thereby eliminating development transfer unevenness. It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal development transfer device that can obtain good images without causing problems.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The heat development transfer device according to the present invention is arranged on the outer periphery of the drum, and forms an overlapping portion with the drum, so that an image is formed on the heat development photosensitive material exposed to light at the center of the zebra. and an image-receiving material are sandwiched between the overlapping portions, and the photothermographic material is heated to thermally develop the photothermographic material. The heat development transfer device also transfers an image to an image-receiving material, and the overlapping portion is provided with non-nipping portions corresponding to both ends in the width direction of the photothermographic material and the image-receiving material, which are out of the image area.

In addition, the heat development transfer device according to the present invention is arranged on the outer periphery of the drum and forms an overlapping portion with the drum, and the photothermographic material and the image receiving material having an image exposed approximately at the center are transferred to the overlapping portion. It has an overlapping roller that is wrapped around the outer circumference of the drum by being held between the rollers, and is heated while being wrapped around the outer circumference of the drum to thermally develop the photothermographic material and transfer the image to the image-receiving material. The development and transfer device is characterized in that the axial dimension of at least one of the drum and the overlapping roller is approximately the same as the width direction dimension of the image area of the photothermographic material and the image receiving material.

[Function] In the thermal development transfer device configured as described above, the photothermographic material on which the image has been exposed is superimposed on the image-receiving material by being sandwiched between the superimposing portions constituted by the superimposing roller and the drum.

Furthermore, the photothermographic material and the image receiving material that have been superimposed are wound around the outer periphery of the drum while remaining in the superimposed state. Thereafter, the photothermographic material is thermally developed by being heated by the drum, and the image is transferred to the image-receiving material.

Here, when the heat-developable photosensitive material and the image-receiving material are superimposed, if a non-sandwiching part is provided in the superimposed part that is outside the image area of the heat-developable photosensitive material and the image-receiving material, Both end portions in the width direction are not held in close contact with each other in the non-pinched portion, and can freely expand. For this reason, even if each material thermally expands when it is heated by the heating drum and separated from the stacking roller, this expansion is released in the non-nipped portion, causing wrinkles and peeling.
This eliminates the occurrence of overlay defects such as.

In addition, when the photothermographic material and the image-receiving material are superimposed, the drum and the superimposing roller (one of which has an axial dimension that is approximately the same as the widthwise dimension of the image area of the photothermographic material and the image-receiving material) are used. In the case where the dimensions of each material are
In other words, both end portions in the width direction that are outside the image area are not held in close contact with each other and can freely expand. For this reason, even if each material thermally expands when it is heated by the heating drum and separated from the stacking roller, this expansion is released in the non-nipped portion, causing stacking defects such as "wrinkles" and "peeling". There's nothing left to do.

Therefore, in any case, when the materials are superimposed and supplied to the outer periphery of the heating drum and then heated, thermally developed, and an image is transferred, a good image can be obtained without uneven development and transfer. It will be done.

In addition, in the thermal development transfer device according to the present invention, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,415, U.S. Pat.
-154445, JP 59-165054, JP 59-180548, JP 59-218443, JP 60-120356, JP 61-8825
No. 6, JP 61-238056, Patent Application 1986-16
9585, Japanese Patent Application No. 60-244873, and the like can be used.

[Example code] The present invention will be explained in detail below.

FIG. 2 shows an image recording apparatus 10 to which a thermal development transfer device according to the present invention is applied.

The image recording device 10 has a magazine 14 housed in the machine base 12.
A heat-developable photosensitive material l#J16 in the form of a herol is accommodated. In this example, the width direction dimension of the photothermographic material 160 is 254 mm.

The photothermographic material 16 is pulled out from its outer periphery, cut into a predetermined length by a cutter 18, and then wound around the outer periphery of a rotating drum 20 in the direction of arrow A.

An exposure head 22 is disposed corresponding to the outer periphery of the rotating drum 20, and rotates the rotating drum 20 at high speed to expose an image to the widthwise center of the wound photothermographic material 16. There is. In this example, the widthwise dimension of the exposed image area on the photothermographic material 16 is 229 mm.

After exposure, the photothermographic material 16 is transferred by rotating the rotating drum 20 in reverse (
direction of arrow B), the scraper 24 rotates the rotating drum 20.
After being peeled off from the film and being coated with water as an image forming solvent in a water application section 26, it is sent to a heat development transfer section 28, which is a heat development transfer device.

A heating drum 34 and an endless pressure belt 36 as pressure contact means are arranged in the thermal development transfer section 28 .

The endless pressure belt 36 is wrapped around rollers 37, 39, 41.
．． 43 , and its endless outer side is pressed against the outer periphery of the heating drum 34 .

A rubber overlapping roller 60 is placed in contact with the outer periphery of the heating drum 34 near the part where the endless pressure belt 36 wraps around the outer periphery of the heating drum 34 and the roller 37. Overlapping roller 60 and heating drum 3
4 is an overlapping portion. The overlapping roller 60 moves the photothermographic material 16 fed from the water application section 26 along the outer periphery of the heating drum 34 and supplies it between the heating drum 34 and the endless pressure belt 36.

As shown in FIG. 1, on the outer peripheral surface of the heating drum 34, a pair (two) grooves 35 serving as non-nipping portions are formed in a ring shape over the entire circumference of the heating drum 34. In this embodiment, the grooves 35 have a widthwise dimension of 14 mm, a mutual gap of 234 mm, and are formed outside the area of the exposed image on the photothermographic material 16. Therefore, between the heating drum 34 and the overlapping roller 60, and between the heating drum 34 and the endless pressure belt 3,
The heat-developable photosensitive material 16 sandwiched between
It is arranged to be located within this groove 35 by about m.

Further, a halogen lamp 38 is arranged inside the heating drum 34, and the outer periphery of the heating drum 34 is heated to about 90° C. by the halogen lamp 38. Therefore, the photothermographic material 16 supplied between the heating drum and the endless pressure belt 36 by the overlapping roller 60 is nipped and conveyed over approximately 2/3 of the circumference of the heating drum 34 and is thermally developed. It has become.

On the other hand, a tray 30 disposed below the thermal development transfer section 28
Inside are a plurality of image receiving materials 3 cut to a predetermined length.
2 is accommodated. The widthwise dimension of the image receiving material 32 is sufficiently longer than the widthwise dimension of the photothermographic material 16.

The image-receiving material 32 is sequentially taken out sheet by sheet by a supply roller 44 disposed on the side of the tray 30. The taken out image receiving material 32 is transferred to the thermal development transfer section 2
It is supplied between the heating drum 34 of No. 8 and the overlapping roller 60 (ie, the nipping section).

The image receiving material 32 supplied to the overlapping roller 60 is placed between the heating drum 34 and the overlapping roller 60 (nipping section).
The heat-developable photosensitive material 16 is overlapped with the heat-developable photosensitive material 16 by being sandwiched therebetween, and then the heating drum 3
4 and an endless pressure belt 36.

When the heat-developable photosensitive material 16 is heated in an overlapping state with the image-receiving material 32 in the heat-developable transfer section 28, it is thermally developed and the image is transferred to the image-receiving material 32, thereby obtaining an image on the image-receiving material 32. It looks like this.

A peeling means 48 is arranged on the side of the heat development transfer section 28, and separates the heat development photosensitive material 16 and the image receiving material 32 sent out from the heat development transfer section 28 and sends them out. The separated heat-developable photosensitive material 16 is sent to a waste photosensitive material storage box 59, while the image-receiving material 32 is dried in a drying device 52 and then placed on a take-out tray 54 formed at the top of the machine stand 12. It is designed to be sent to

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

When the photothermographic material 16 drawn out from the magazine 14 is cut by the cutter 18 and wound around the outer periphery of the rotating drum 20, the rotating drum 20 rotates at high speed and an image is exposed by the exposure head 22.

After exposure, the photothermographic material 16 is peeled off by a scraper 24, coated with water at a water coating section 26, and guided to an overlapping roller 60 disposed in a thermal development transfer section 28.

On the other hand, the image receiving material 32 in the tray 30 is taken out one by one by the supply roller 44, and further, the image receiving material 32 is taken out one by one by the supply roller 44, and
It is sent to the overlapping roller 60 of.

The image receiving material 32 sent to the overlapping roller 60 is placed between the heating drum 34 and the overlapping roller 60 (nipping section).
By sandwiching the photothermographic material 16 with the heat-developable photosensitive material 16, the photothermographic material 16 is overlapped and brought into close contact with the photothermographic material 16. Further, the photothermographic material 16 and the image receiving material 32 which have been superimposed are placed between a heating drum 34 and an endless pressure belt 36 (the winding is carried out by a roller 37) while keeping the superimposed state.
The wrapping around the heating drum 34 is supplied between the heating drum 34 and the heating drum 34 .

The heat-developable photosensitive material 16 and image-receiving material 32 sent to the heat-develop transfer unit 28 remain in close contact with each other between a heating drum 34 heated to approximately 90° C. by a halogen lamp 38 and an endless pressure belt 36. approximately 2/3 of the heating drum 34
The photothermographic material 16 is pinched and conveyed around the circumference and thermally developed, and the image recorded on the photothermographic material 16 is transferred to the image receiving material 32.

In this way, when the heat-developable photosensitive material 16 and the image-receiving material 32 are overlapped by the overlapping roller 60, the heat-developable photo-sensitive material 16 and the image-receiving material 32 are placed on the outer peripheral surface of the heating drum 34 at a position away from the image area. Since the groove 35 (non-clamping portion) is provided, both end portions of each material in the width direction are not tightly clamped in the groove 35 and can freely expand. Therefore, even if each material thermally expands when it is heated by the heating drum 34 and separated from the overlapping roller 60, this expansion is released in the groove 35, and overlay defects such as "wrinkles" and "peeling" occur. It will no longer occur.

Therefore, when the materials are superimposed and supplied to the outer periphery of the heating drum 34 and then heated, thermally developed and an image is transferred, a good image can be obtained without uneven development and transfer.

After the transfer, the heat-developable photosensitive material 16 and the image-receiving material 32 are separated by the peeling means 48, the heat-developable photo-sensitive material 16 is sent to the waste photo-sensitive material storage box 59, and the image-receiving material 32 is transferred to the take-out tray 54 via the drying device 52. is taken out.

In this embodiment, the groove 35 as a non-nipping portion is formed only on the outer circumferential surface of the heating drum 34, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be formed at a position outside the image area of the material 32, or it may be formed on both the heating drum 34 and the overlapping roller 60.

Further, the axial dimensions of the heating drum 34 and/or the overlapping roller 60 are set to be approximately the same as the image areas of the photothermographic material 16 and the image-receiving material 32. A configuration may be adopted in which both ends in the width direction that are outside the image area are not pinched.

Furthermore, it will be even more effective if the widthwise dimension of the endless pressure belt 36 is also approximately the same as the image area of the photothermographic material 16 and the image receiving material 32.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the heat development transfer device according to the present invention ensures that when the image-exposed photothermographic material is superimposed on the image-receiving material and wound around the outer periphery of the drum, both materials are overlapped uniformly. This has an excellent effect in that good images can be obtained without uneven development and transfer.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a heating drum and overlapping roller of a heat development transfer section according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image recording apparatus to which a heat development transfer device according to the present invention is applied. It is. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Image recording device, 16... Photosensitive material, 28... Thermal development transfer part, 32... Image receiving material, 34... Heating drum, 35... Groove, 36... Endless pressure bonding Belt, 60...overlapping roller.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A heat-developable photosensitive material and an image-receiving material arranged on the outer periphery of the drum and forming an overlapping part with the drum, with an image exposed approximately in the center, are sandwiched in this overlapping part and overlapped with the drum. The thermal development transfer device has a superposing roller wound around the outer periphery of the drum, and heats the heat-developable photosensitive material while being wound around the outer periphery of the drum to thermally develop the photothermographic material and transfer an image to the image-receiving material. 1. A heat development transfer device, characterized in that a non-nipping part is provided in a mating part, corresponding to both ends in the width direction of the heat-developable photosensitive material and the image-receiving material, which are out of the image area. (2) The photothermographic material and the image receiving material, which are arranged on the outer periphery of the drum and constitute an overlapping part with the drum, and the image is exposed at approximately the center, are sandwiched in this overlapping part and are overlapped with each other on the drum. A thermal development transfer device that has an overlapping roller wound around the outer periphery of the drum, heats it while being wound around the outer periphery of the drum, and thermally develops the photothermographic material and transfers an image to the image receiving material. and a heat development transfer device, characterized in that the axial dimension of at least one of the overlapping rollers is approximately the same as the width direction dimension of the image area of the photothermographic material and the image receiving material.