JPH04282995A - Color printer camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate a thin hard copy immediately after image pickup without waste by means of color thermosensing recording. CONSTITUTION:When a release button is operated, three color signals outputted from an image sensor 16 are stored in a frame memory 18. A signal of each picture element is read from the frame memory 18 and a thermal head 22 implements thermo recording in three-color face sequencing. In order to apply thermo recording to a picture for each color, the heat energy of the thermal head 22 is controlled and a specific thermosensing coloring layer is fixed optically by a fixing device 30. After the thermo recording, the copy is cut off by a cutter 42 and the result is discharged as a hard copy 43.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color printer camera, and more particularly to a color printer camera that has a built-in thermal recording section and outputs a thermally recorded color hard copy immediately after photographing.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Instant cameras using silver halide photographic materials are known as devices that can produce hard copies immediately after photographing. There are two types of instant silver salt photosensitive materials: a peel-apart type and a monosheet type. In the peel-apart type, an image-receiving sheet is placed on a photosensitive sheet after photographing, a developing solution is spread therebetween, and after a predetermined period of time, the image-receiving sheet to which the positive image has been transferred is peeled off. The mono-sheet type is one in which the photosensitive sheet and the image-receiving sheet are integrated so that they cannot be separated.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The peel-apart type described above has the problem of generating waste, and the mono-sheet type has the problem of being difficult to handle because it is thick. For this reason, it is desired to develop a new camera to replace instant cameras.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides an image sensor that images a subject and generates three primary color signals, an image memory that stores the three primary color signals for one image, and a color signal that is read out from the image memory. Thermal recording section heats the color thermosensitive recording material and sequentially thermally records three types of thermosensitive coloring layers with different colored colors and coloring heat energy, and a specific wavelength is attached to the part where the thermal recording of one color is completed. This device is equipped with a fixing device that irradiates electromagnetic waves in the area to fix the image. Since the present invention is characterized in that hard copies are created using heat-sensitive recording, no waste is generated and thin hard copies that are easy to handle can be obtained.

[0005]

[Embodiment] In FIG. 2, the color printer camera of the present invention has a photographic lens 11 on the front of the camera housing 10.
, a finder window 12, and a hard copy outlet 13, and a release button 14 is provided on the top surface.

In FIG. 1 showing the internal structure of a color printer camera, an image sensor 16 is arranged on the imaging plane of a photographing lens 11, and an image of a subject is taken. When the release button 14 is operated, the image sensor 16 outputs a blue signal, a green signal, and a red signal for one image, and sends these to the A/D converter 17. This A/
The D converter 17 digitally converts the color signal of each pixel, and the obtained blue image data, green image data, and red image data of each pixel are written into the image memory 18. After writing this image data, the controller 20 reads out the image data of the color to be recorded from the image memory 18 and sends it to the image processing circuit 21 . This image processing circuit 21 performs color correction, gradation correction, etc. in addition to converting complementary color image data. The obtained complementary color image data is sent to the thermal head 22.
sent to. This thermal head 22 has a large number of heating elements arranged two-dimensionally, and each heating element generates thermal energy according to image data.

The color thermosensitive recording material 23 is wound into a roll around a core 24, and is pulled out by the rotation of a pair of pull-out rollers 26 connected to a motor 25, and then transferred to a pair of transport rollers 28 connected to a motor 27. Sent. A loop portion is formed between the pair of rollers 26 and 28 for storing the color thermosensitive recording material 23 returned for optical fixing.

The conveying roller pair 28 and the thermal head 2
A fixing device 30 is disposed between the color thermosensitive recording material 23 and the heat-recorded portion of the color thermosensitive recording material 23, and irradiates electromagnetic waves to perform optical fixation. This fixing device 30 includes a xenon lamp 31,
It consists of a reflective shade 32 and a filter plate 33 that reflect the light from the xenon lamp 31 forward. The filter plate 33 has two
Two openings 33a are formed, and a sharp cut filter 34 is attached to one of the openings. A rack 33b of the filter plate 33 is engaged with a pinion 36 driven by a motor 35 in order to selectively set these openings 33a and the sharp cut filter 34 to the fixing position.

A roller 38 is disposed facing the thermal head 22, and is rotated by a motor 41 via a gear 39 and a worm 40, and the recorded color thermosensitive recording material 23 is conveyed toward the discharge port 13. or fuser 30
returned towards. Note that the reference numeral 42 is a cutter for cutting into sheets.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a color thermosensitive recording material. A cyan thermosensitive coloring layer 51 is formed on the support 50.
, magenta thermosensitive coloring layer 52, yellow thermosensitive coloring layer 53,
Transparent protective layers 54 are successively layered. The thickness of this color thermosensitive recording material 23 varies depending on the thickness of the support 50, but is approximately 100 to 250 μm. These heat-sensitive coloring layers 51 to 53 are layered from the surface in the order in which they are thermally printed. For example, when thermally recording magenta, yellow, and cyan in this order, the yellow heat-sensitive coloring layer 53 and the magenta heat-sensitive coloring layer 53 are layered. The position with the coloring layer 52 is exchanged.

As the support 50, an opaque coated paper or a plastic film is used, and when an OHP sheet is prepared, a transparent plastic film is used. The cyan thermosensitive coloring layer 51 contains an electron-donating dye precursor and an electron-accepting compound as main components, and develops a cyan color when heated. Magenta thermosensitive coloring layer 5
No. 2 contains a diazonium salt compound having a maximum absorption wavelength of about 365 nm and a coupler that thermally reacts with the diazonium salt compound to develop a magenta color. When this magenta thermosensitive coloring layer 52 is irradiated with ultraviolet light around 365 nm after a magenta image is thermally recorded with the thermal head 22, the diazonium salt compound is photodecomposed and the coloring ability is lost. The yellow thermosensitive coloring layer 53 contains a diazonium salt compound having a maximum absorption wavelength of about 420 nm and a coupler that thermally reacts with the diazonium salt compound to develop a yellow color. When this yellow thermosensitive color forming layer 53 is irradiated with near ultraviolet light of around 420 nm, it is photofixed and loses its color forming ability. The structure of this color thermosensitive recording material 23 is explained in detail in Japanese Patent Application No. 2-89384 filed by the present applicant on April 4, 1990.

FIG. 4 shows the characteristics of each of the heat-sensitive coloring layers 51 to 53. The thermal energy on the horizontal axis represents the thermal energy generated by the heating element of the thermal head 22, and the thermal energy of the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer 53 is the lowest.
The thermal energy of the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer 51 is the highest. The main reason for this difference in thermal energy is that the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer 51 must be heated via the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer 53 and the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer 52.

FIG. 5 shows a spectral brightness curve 60 of the xenon lamp 31. In addition, the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer 5
The curve 61 representing the absorption wavelength of 2 and the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer 5
The absorption wavelength curve 62 of No. 3 is also shown for reference.

FIG. 6 shows the spectral transmittance of the sharp cut filter 34. As for this sharp cut filter 34, the wavelength at which the transmittance is 50% is approximately 410.
SC-41 (trade name, manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) is used. Note that SC-42 (trade name, manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.), which has a transmittance of 50% at a wavelength of about 420 nm, may be used.

Next, the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 will be explained. When the camera is pointed at a subject and the release button 14 is pressed, three color signals are output from the image sensor 16, converted into digital signals, and then written into the image memory 18. After this writing, the blue image data is read out from the image memory 18, subjected to image processing, and sent to the thermal head 22 as yellow image data. In this thermal head 22, the corresponding heating element is energized according to the yellow image data of each pixel, and approximately 25 to 35 mJ is applied.
/mm2. Since only the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer 53 develops color with respect to thermal energy in this range, a yellow image is thermally recorded thereon.

After recording the yellow image, the controller 2
0 reverses the motors 27 and 41 and returns the portion of the color thermosensitive recording material 23 on which the yellow image has been recorded to the position of the fixing device 30. Immediately after this, the xenon lamp 31 emits light,
The light emitted from these is passed through the sharp cut filter 34.
The color heat-sensitive recording material 23 is irradiated through the light. Since this sharp-cut filter 34 transmits wavelengths of approximately 410 nm or more, the diazonium salt of the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer 53 is photodecomposed, and the coloring ability of the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer 53 is lost.

After the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer 53 is fixed, the controller 20 rotates the motors 27 and 41 in the normal direction to set the portion of the color thermosensitive recording material 23 on which the yellow image has been recorded at the position of the thermal head 22 again. After this setting, the green image data is read out from the image memory 18, converted to magenta image data, and then transferred to the thermal head 22.
supply to. The thermal head 22 causes each heating element to generate heat according to the magenta image data of each pixel, and records a magenta image on the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer 52. After recording this magenta image, the color thermosensitive recording material 23 is returned to the fixing device 30, and the filter plate 33 is moved by the motor 35, so that the opening 33a is set at the fixing position. When the xenon lamp 31 is turned on, light emitted from it passes through the aperture 33a and enters the color thermosensitive recording material 23 to optically fix the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer 52.

After fixing the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer 52, the thermally recorded portion of the color thermosensitive recording material 23 is set at the position of the thermal head 22 again. After this setting, the red image data is read out from the image memory 18, converted to cyan image data, and then supplied to the thermal head 22. The thermal head 22 causes each heating element to generate heat according to the cyan image data of each pixel, and records a cyan image on the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer 51.

When the sequential recording of the three color planes is completed, the motor 25
, 27, and 41 rotate to feed out the color thermosensitive recording material 23, which is cut into sheets by a cutter 42. The obtained hard copy 43 is discharged from the discharge port 13.

In the embodiment described above, a thermal head in which a large number of heating elements are arranged two-dimensionally is used, but a thermal head in which a large number of heating elements are arranged in a line may be used instead. In this case, it is preferable to arrange a fixing device in line with the thermal head and sequentially perform thermal recording and optical fixing while moving the color thermosensitive recording material in the sub-scanning direction.

[0021]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, unlike an instant camera, no waste is generated, and thin, easy-to-handle hard copies can be obtained immediately after photographing. Further, by using a xenon lamp as a fixing light source, a compact and inexpensive color printer camera can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a color printer camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the color printer camera of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the layer structure of a color thermosensitive recording material.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing color development characteristics of color thermosensitive recording materials.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the light emission characteristics of a xenon lamp.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the spectral transmittance of sharp cut filter SC-41.

[Explanation of symbols]

16 Image sensor 22 Thermal head 23 Color thermosensitive recording material 30 Fuser 31 xenon lamp 34 Sharp cut filter

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image sensor that images a subject and generates three primary color signals, an image memory that stores the three primary color signals for one image, and a color thermosensitive recording material that heats a color thermosensitive recording material according to the color signal read from the image memory. There is a thermal recording section for sequentially thermally recording three types of heat-sensitive coloring layers with different colors and coloring heat energy, and a part where one color has been thermally recorded is fixed by irradiating electromagnetic waves in a specific wavelength range. A color printer camera comprising a fixing device.