JPH0342455B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a heat development transfer device, and more particularly, a heat developable photosensitive material containing a dye-donating substance that releases a hydrophilic dye that can be transferred by heat development;
The present invention relates to a thermal development transfer device for obtaining color images using an image receiving material having a dye fixing layer.

The heat-developable photosensitive materials targeted by the present invention include:
For example, as described in the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. 56-157798 entitled "Heat-developable Color Photosensitive Material", at least photosensitive silver halide, an organic silver salt oxidizing agent, a binder, and photosensitive silver halide and A photosensitive material containing a dye-donating substance that is reducible to an organic silver salt oxidizing agent and that reacts with the photosensitive silver halide and/or the organic silver salt oxidizing agent upon heating to release a hydrophilic dye. can be mentioned. In such a heat-developable photosensitive material, a silver image in the exposed area and a movable hydrophilic dye in the area corresponding to the silver image can be simultaneously obtained by simply performing thermal development after image exposure.

That is, the above-mentioned heat-developable photosensitive material is imagewise exposed,
When this is heated and developed, an oxidation-reduction reaction occurs between the organic silver salt oxidizing agent and the reducing dye-donating substance using the exposed photosensitive silver halide as a catalyst, and a silver image is formed in the exposed area. In this step, the dye-donating substance is oxidized to an oxidant by an organic silver salt oxidizing agent. This oxidant is cleaved in the presence of a dye release aid, resulting in the release of a mobile hydrophilic dye. Therefore, a silver image and a mobile hydrophilic dye are obtained in the exposed areas, and a color image is obtained by transferring this dye to an image-receiving material.

When an autopositive emulsion is used as the photosensitive layer, a silver image and the movable hydrophilic dye are obtained in the unexposed areas.

Further, as another heat-developable photosensitive material, for example, as described in the specification of "Image Forming Method" (Patent Application No. 1982-26008) filed by the present applicant as a patent on February 18, 1982, , at least a photosensitive silver halide, a binder and a reducing agent on a support,
In general, mention heat-developable photosensitive materials having a photosensitive layer containing an immobile dye-donating substance that releases a hydrophilic dye that can migrate when heated, but does not release the dye when it reacts with photosensitive silver halide. I can do it. In such a heat-developable photosensitive material, by simply performing heat development after image exposure, it is possible to simultaneously obtain a silver image in the exposed area and a hydrophilic dye that can migrate to areas other than the area corresponding to the silver image.

In other words, although it originally releases hydrophilic dyes,
When using an immobile dye-donor substance that does not release hydrophilic dyes upon oxidation,
When an image of a heat-developable photosensitive material containing this is exposed and heated, the exposed photosensitive silver halide acts as a catalyst to create a bond between the organic silver salt oxidizing agent and/or the photosensitive silver halide and the dye-donating substance. An oxidation-reduction reaction occurs in the exposed area, producing a silver image in the exposed area. In this step, the dye-donating substance becomes an oxidant, so that the hydrophilic dye is no longer released in the exposed areas, and a hydrophilic dye that can migrate only in the unexposed areas is obtained. When an autopositive emulsion is used as the photosensitive layer, a silver image is obtained in the unexposed areas, and a hydrophilic dye that can migrate to the exposed areas is obtained.

The image-receiving material that can be used in the present invention is one in which an image-receiving layer capable of receiving the dye released from the photothermographic material by heat development is formed on a support. The image-receiving layer contains a dye fixing agent such as a dye mordant, and a useful dye fixing agent is selected and used depending on the physical properties of the dye to be released, other components contained in the heat-developable photosensitive material, transfer conditions, etc. For example, the above-mentioned patent application
High molecular weight polymeric mordants can be used, as described in US Pat.

In the above thermal development transfer method, the image receiving material includes:
It is necessary that a diffusion aid be added to the photothermographic material before it is superimposed on the developed photothermographic material. In the case of the meltable diffusion aid method, substances that become water-like or release water when heated, such as urea, water of crystallization, or microcapsules, are added as diffusion aids in advance during the production of the image-receiving material, so it is difficult to stack the image receiving material in layers. Although it is not necessary to apply the diffusion aid during the overlapping process, in the case of a method that uses water or an aqueous solution of various substances (hereinafter simply referred to as "water") as a diffusion aid, the diffusion aid may be added to the image receiving material during the overlay process. will be given.

The present invention provides an apparatus for better performing thermal development by moving a guide member that guides a photothermographic material to a heat developing section using a simple mechanism to bring the photothermographic material into uniform contact with a hot plate. The purpose is to

The above-mentioned object of the present invention is to provide a heat-developable photosensitive material that releases a hydrophilic dye that can migrate from heated exposed areas or non-exposed areas, and a heat developing section that heat-develops the photosensitive material that has been imagewise exposed. A thermal development transfer device comprising means for supplying a predetermined amount of water to an image receiving material having a dye fixing layer, and an overlapping section for overlapping the surfaces of both materials after the water has been supplied, wherein the heat development section is configured to This is achieved by a thermal development transfer device characterized by comprising a fixed hot plate and a photosensitive material guide member movable relative to the hot plate.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which a roll-shaped heat-developable photosensitive material (hereinafter simply referred to as "photosensitive material") is used.
After exposing the image to light, it is heated and developed using a hot plate, while the sheet-like image-receiving material is coated with water as a diffusion aid, overlapped with the developed photosensitive material, and sent along a heat source. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a thermal development transfer device in which the image receiving material is manually peeled off from the photosensitive material by heating the photosensitive material during transfer.

This apparatus consists of a photosensitive material supply section 1, an image exposure section 2, a cutter 3, a thermal development section 4, an image receiving material insertion port 5, a diffusion aid application section 6, an overlapping section 7, a heat transfer section 8, and a discharge port 9. It's summery. The photosensitive material supply unit 1 includes a magazine loading chamber 1 in which a magazine 10 containing a roll of photosensitive material N is loaded in a light-shielded state.
1. Consists of a guide roller 12 for feeding and setting the photosensitive material N to the image exposure section 2, a guide member 13, and feed rollers 14, 14 and 15, 15.

The image exposure section 2 includes a photosensitive material support surface 17, B, which has a suction hole 16 that sucks the photosensitive material N from the back side.
LED light emitting elements 18A, 18B that output light in different wavelength ranges by adjusting light intensity and light emission time based on (blue), G (green), and R (red) image signals,
A rotating body 19 that performs main scanning by attaching 18C at 120 degrees different positions, a moving body 20 that includes the rotating body 19 together with a motor that rotates the rotating body 19, and a moving body 20 that suspends the rotating body 20 in the sub-scanning direction. It consists of rotating shafts 21, 21 which are threaded to move them.

The thermal development section 4 includes feed rollers 22, 22, a curved guide plate 23, and a hot plate 27 having a heat source inside. The guide plate 23 is connected to the pin 25 through the pin 25.
It is movable in the direction of the hot plate 27 against the spring 24, and normally, as shown in the figure, the spring 2
A gap is formed between the heat plate 27 and the heat plate 27 by the biasing force 4. Further, the guide plate 23 has a frame 23 forming a groove for guiding the photosensitive material N, as shown in a top view in FIG. 4A and a side view in FIG. 4B.
A and a presser 23B, and the heat plate 27 (indicated by a dashed line) is configured to be able to enter into the notch of the frame 23A.

The diffusion aid applying section 6 includes feed rollers 28, 28 for feeding the sheet-shaped image receiving material P manually inserted from the image receiving material insertion port 5 to the overlapping section 7, and a guide forming a conveyance path for the image receiving material P. It consists of a water supply pipe 30 as a diffusion aid provided at the tip of the member (near the overlapping part 7). Above supply pipe 3
As shown in the perspective view in FIG.
It is connected to a water supply device whose discharge amount can be adjusted as described later.

The overlapping section 7 includes close contact rollers 33, 33 that overlay the photosensitive material N that has been thermally developed and the image receiving material P that has been given a diffusion aid and send it to the heat transfer section 8.
Consisting of The heating transfer section 8 includes contact rollers 33, 3
3, the photosensitive material N and image-receiving material P overlapped by the rollers 33, 33 are discharged from the discharge port 9 at the same speed as the contact rollers 33, 33.
It consists of feed rollers 34, 34 that feed the photosensitive material N and image receiving material P from above and heaters 35, 35 that heat the superimposed photosensitive material N and image receiving material P from above and below.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the water supply device. This device includes a discharge-only check valve 41, a hose 3
The inner tube 4 of the cylinder 44 is connected to the water supply pipe via the water supply pipe 2 and to the water storage tank 43 via the check valve 42 for suction only.
4A is configured to reciprocate by an arm 47 that engages via a pin 46 with a disc 45 that is locked to the shaft of a motor (not shown).

The engagement point between the disc 45 and the arm 47 is the pin 4.
This can be changed by replacing 6, thereby making it possible to adjust the amount of water discharged per rotation of the motor.

The operation of the apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained below.

The photosensitive material N is pulled out from the magazine 10 and held in the feed rollers 14, 14 via the guide roller 12 and the guide member 13, and when the feed rollers 14, 14 and 15, 15 are rotated, the photosensitive material N passes through the photosensitive material support surface 17 and is fed until the leading end is gripped by the feeding rollers 15, 15, and then stopped. After that,
Air is sucked in through the suction hole 16 to bring the photosensitive material N into close contact with the photosensitive material support surface 17, and the rotating body 19 and rotating shafts 21, 21 are rotated while sending B, G, and R image signals, and the LED light emitting elements 18A, 18B are rotated. ,18C
Perform scanning exposure using When the exposure is completed, the feed rollers 14, 14, 15, 15, 22, 22 and contact rollers 33, 33 are rotated, and the photosensitive material N is transferred between the blades of the cutter 3 and the feed rollers 22, 22.
During this time, it passes between the guide plate 23 and the hot plate 27, and is fed until the tip is gripped by the contact rollers 33, 33, and then stopped.

In this state, the contact rollers 33, 33 of the feed rollers 22, 22 are rotated in a direction that attracts the photosensitive material N between them. As a result, the photosensitive material N presses down the frame 23B of the guide plate 23, and the back surface of the photosensitive material N uniformly comes into close contact with the hot plate to perform thermal development. After a predetermined development time has elapsed, the cutter 3 is operated to cut the photosensitive material N between the feed rollers 15, 15 and the feed rollers 22, 22.

On the other hand, the image-receiving material P that has been inserted from the image-receiving material insertion port 5 and stopped by the feed rollers 28, 28 is sent toward the overlapping section 7 by the feed rollers 28, 28, which start rotating at the timing when the development ends. It will be done. The tip of the image receiving material P is brought into close contact with the roller 33,
33, the feed rollers 22, 22, contact rollers 33, 33, and feed rollers 34, 34 rotate, and at the same time, the water supply device operates for a predetermined period of time to supply a predetermined amount of water to the water supply. tube 3
The water is supplied from the water outlet 31 of No. 0 toward the overlapping portion of the photosensitive material N and the image-receiving material P. Due to capillary action, this supplied water immediately spreads along the overlapping line (edge of the overlapping surfaces) of the photosensitive material N and image receiving material P, forming a so-called bead (liquid pool) there. However, it is distributed substantially uniformly in the width direction of both materials.

The surface of the developed photosensitive material N, to which water as a diffusion aid has been applied in this way, and the surface of the image receiving material P are superimposed, and then the heaters 35, 35
The paper is transferred from the discharge port 9 while being heated and transferred. Next, when the image-receiving material P is manually peeled off from the photothermographic material N, a hard copy is obtained on the image-receiving material P.

The heating temperature in the heat development step is approximately 80°C.
It can be developed at ~250°C, but especially at around 110°C ~ approx.
160°C is useful. The heating temperature in the transfer process is
Transfer is possible at a temperature in the range from the temperature in the heat development step to room temperature, but it is particularly preferable to range from a temperature about 10° C. or more lower than the temperature in the heat development step to room temperature. For example, heat development temperature 120℃, transfer temperature 110℃~
This corresponds to temperatures such as 20℃.

Heating in the thermal development process includes heating by passing between hot plates or contacting the hot plate, heating by rotating a hot drum or roller while heating, heating by passing through hot air, and other methods such as heating by passing through hot air or using rollers, belts, or guide members. Heating by placing the device along a heat source can be used. Also, for photosensitive materials,
Layers of electrically conductive material such as graphite, carbon black or metal may be applied, and electrical current may be passed through the electrically conductive layers to provide direct heating.

The heating means in the transfer step can also be the same as in the heat development step described above.

As a light source for image exposure for recording a latent image on a heat-developable photosensitive material, a beam including visible light can be used. Generally, light sources used for normal color printing, such as tungsten lamps, mercury lamps,
Halogen lamps such as iodine lamps, xenon lamps, laser beams, CRT light sources, fluorescent tubes, light emitting diodes, etc. can be used as light sources.

The original image may be a line image such as a drawing, or a photographic image with gradation. It is also possible to photograph images of people and landscapes using a camera. When printing from the original image, you can overlap it with the original image and perform contact printing, or you can use reflection printing.
It is also possible to enlarge and print. In addition, images taken with a video camera, etc., and image signals sent from television stations can be directly transmitted to CRT or FOT.
(Fiber optics cathode ray tube)
It is also possible to print the image on a photosensitive material either by contacting it or by focusing it on a photosensitive material using a lens.

When using an LED (light emitting diode) as an exposure means, it is currently difficult to obtain a sufficient amount of blue light. In this case, to reproduce a color image, for example, exposure is performed using three types of LEDs that emit green, red, and infrared light, and yellow, magenta, and cyan dyes are extracted from each photosensitive layer that is sensitive to these lights. The photosensitive material may be designed to emit . That is, the green sensitive part (layer)
contains a yellow dye-providing substance, the red-sensitive portion (layer) contains a magenta dye-providing substance, and the infrared-sensitive portion (layer) contains a cyan dye-providing substance.

In addition to the method of directly attaching or projecting the original picture,
The original image illuminated by a light source is read by a light-receiving element such as a phototube or CCD, is stored in a memory such as a computer, and after performing so-called image processing to process this information as necessary, this image information is processed.
You can reproduce it on a CRT and use it as an image-like light source,
Based on the processed image information, three types of LEDs may be emitted and scanned for exposure.

The water used in the present invention is not limited to so-called pure water, but includes general drinking water, industrial water, and the like. It also includes water to which photographically useful substances such as bases and surfactants are intentionally added. Further, the amount of water supplied may be, for example, at least 10% of the dry weight of the total coating film of the photosensitive material and image-receiving material, but not more than the value obtained by subtracting the dry weight from the weight of the total coating film at maximum swelling. Good.

Although the heat development transfer device of the present invention is extremely effective for developing the above-mentioned heat-developable photosensitive materials, it is not limited thereto, and can be widely applied to the development of general heat-developable photosensitive materials. Needless to say.

As described above, according to the present invention, a heat-developable photosensitive material that releases a hydrophilic dye that can be moved from an exposed area or a non-exposed area heated by a thermal development transfer device is imagewise exposed to the photosensitive material. A thermal development transfer device comprising: a heat developing section for heat developing; a means for supplying a predetermined amount of water to an image receiving material having a dye fixing layer; and an overlapping section for overlapping the surfaces of both materials after the water has been supplied. Since the heat developing section is composed of a fixed hot plate having a heat source and a photosensitive material guide member that is movable relative to the hot plate, the photosensitive material can be uniformly spread on the hot plate with a simple mechanism. This has the excellent effect of making it possible to carry out thermal development better by contacting with.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a water supply pipe, Fig. 3 is a configuration diagram of a water supply device, and Figs. 4A and B are top views of a guide plate. and a side view. 1: Photosensitive material supply section, 2: Image exposure section, 3: Cutter, 4: Heat development section, 5: Image receiving material insertion slot,
6: Diffusion aid application section, 7: Overlapping section, 8: Heat transfer section, 9: Discharge port, 23: Guide plate, 24:
Spring, 25: Pin, 27: Hot plate, N: Photosensitive material, P: Image receiving material.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A heat-developable photosensitive material that releases a hydrophilic dye that can move from heated exposed areas or unexposed areas, and a heat-developing section that heat-develops the photosensitive material that has been imagewise exposed, and an image receiving layer that has a dye-fixing layer. A thermal development transfer device comprising a means for supplying a predetermined amount of water to a material and an overlapping section for overlapping the surfaces of both materials after the water has been supplied, the heat development section comprising a fixed hot plate having a heat source. and a photosensitive material guide member movable relative to the hot plate.