JPH0533390B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Field of Application] This invention uses a light-sensitive material having a diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive layer, and after exposure of the light-sensitive material, a transfer sheet having an image-receiving layer is closely attached, and heat development and The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that is capable of forming a color image on a transfer sheet by peeling off the two after diffusion transfer.

[Conventional technology]

BACKGROUND ART In recent years, a dry processing technique using heating or the like has been developed as a means for forming a color image by developing a color photosensitive material using silver halide, and various heat-developable photosensitive materials compatible with this technique have been proposed. For example, there are Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 179840-1984, 198458-1982, and Japanese Patent Application No. 104900-1980 filed by the present applicant.

However, by using a photosensitive material with a diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive layer, and after exposing the photosensitive material, a transfer sheet with an image-receiving layer is brought into close contact with the photosensitive material to efficiently carry out heat development and diffusion transfer, and even to the point where both are peeled off. At present, there is no completed image recording device that can perform this fully automatically.

[Purpose of the invention]

In view of the above-mentioned points, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dry color image forming apparatus that can fully automatically obtain a color image by thermal development diffusion transfer. Another purpose is to keep the conveyance speed of the sensitive material constant at least from the exposure section until it passes through the heat treatment section for development and transfer, so that exposure and development transfer can proceed simultaneously; When the transfer sheet is brought into close contact with the transfer sheet, the tip of the latter is delayed relative to the former, and the delay is utilized to enable efficient peeling.

[Structure of the invention]

This invention provides means for unwinding a light-sensitive material having a diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive layer from a source magazine and transporting it to an exposure section, and a contact section for bringing the exposed light-sensitive material into close contact with a transfer sheet having an image-receiving layer. A means for transporting the transfer sheet so that its leading edge reaches the leading edge of the sensitive material by a specific amount, a means for bringing the sensitive material and the transfer sheet into close contact with each other, a passing speed of the heat treatment section for developing and transferring the adhered body, and the sensitive material. means for synchronizing the speed at which the photosensitive material passes through the exposure section, and means for grasping the leading edge of the preceding sensitive material and bending it in a direction away from the transfer sheet to peel it off from the transfer sheet after passing through the heat treatment section. The above objective has been achieved.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a photosensitive material having a diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive layer, and the photosensitive material 1 is housed in a roll-shaped magazine 2 in a rolled manner. The source magazine 2 is shielded from light from the outside and is surrounded by a heat insulating material 3 to protect the photosensitive material 1 from external heat.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a sub-drive roller that sends out the photosensitive material 1 in the source magazine 2 through the light-shielding roller 4 from its exit portion 2a.A detector (not shown) such as an encoder is connected to the sub-drive roller 5, Material 1
The amount of feed is now measured.

7 is a photosensitive material conveying means for conveying the photosensitive material 1 sent out by the sub-drive roller 5 via an accumulation mechanism 6 to an exposure means using OFT (an exposure means other than OFT may be used in some cases); The photosensitive material conveyance means 7 is composed of a main feed roller 7a and a pinch roller 7b in pressure contact with the main feed roller 7a, and is arranged before and after the exposure means 8. The conveyance speed of the photosensitive material 1 by the photosensitive material conveyance means 7 is controlled in advance so as to be synchronized with the exposure speed by the OFT of the exposure means 8. Further, the speed of the light-sensitive material transport means 7 is adjusted to be slightly slower than the speed at which the sub-drive roller 5 feeds the light-sensitive material.

The accumulation mechanism 6 is composed of guide rollers 6a and 6b that are pivotally supported at a constant interval, and an autoload guide 6c. The autoload guide 6c is in the first position in the initial feeding state of the photosensitive material 1.
As shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure, it has rotated to a position that almost coincides with the travel line of the photosensitive material 1, but at the same time the photosensitive material 1 is sensed by the sensor 9 installed in front of the exposure means 8. The photosensitive material 1 is rotated to the position shown by the solid line in the figure, and the photosensitive material 1 is looped 1 between the guide rollers 6a and 6b.
I'm trying to create 0. When the loop 10 of the photosensitive material 1 reaches a certain size, when the sub-drive roller 5 stops due to the action of the accumulation sensor 11, the loop 10 is pulled from the photosensitive material conveying means 7 side and is reduced in size. It's summery. Since the speed difference between the sub-drive roller 5 and the photosensitive material conveying means 7 is absorbed by the accumulation mechanism 6, the photosensitive material conveying speed determined by the photosensitive material conveying means 7 is not affected by back tension, etc., and is properly exposed. This makes it possible to synchronize with the exposure speed of the means 8. Exposure by the exposure means 8 is started with a certain time difference after the sensor 9 senses the photosensitive material 1.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a guide plate that presses the photosensitive material 1 against the exposure means 8 to the extent that it does not interfere with conveyance when the photosensitive material 1 is exposed by the exposure means 8, 13 a static illuminator for eliminating static electricity from the photosensitive material 1 after exposure, and 14 a static illuminator. This is an air cleaner for removing minute dust etc. from the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive material. The static illuminator 13 and air cleaner 14 are provided because if foreign matter is contained between the photosensitive material 1 and the transfer sheet that is in close contact with it, so-called white spot-like image omissions may occur in the foreign matter during heat development and diffusion transfer. This is because it occurs.

15 is a transfer sheet wound into a roll; the transfer sheet 15 itself is not photosensitive;
It has an image-receiving layer that has been specially treated to receive the dye formed by developing the image. Since this transfer sheet 15 is not photosensitive, no special device for blocking light is required.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a contact roller that brings the exposed photosensitive material 1 and transfer sheet 15 into close contact with each other, and 17 designates a transfer sheet conveying means that unwinds the transfer sheet 15 from the original reel and automatically supplies it to the contact roller 16. A detector (not shown) such as an encoder is connected to the transfer sheet conveyance means 17, and the amount of conveyance thereof is measured. In addition, the transfer sheet conveying means 1
7 is an overrunning clutch (not shown)
is built in, and when the contact roller 16 brings the photosensitive material 1 into close contact with the photosensitive material 1, the speed is increased in accordance with the photosensitive material conveyance speed.

In the initial state, the leading edge of the transfer sheet 15 is stopped at the position cut by the cutter 18, and after the leading edge of the photosensitive material 1 is detected by the sensor 9, the transfer sheet is transported with a certain time difference. Means 17 is actuated to start supplying. The timing at which the transfer sheet 15 reaches the contact roller 16 is controlled to be slightly later than when the leading edge of the photosensitive material 1 reaches the contact roller 16. After the transfer sheet 15 has been subjected to charge and dust removal by the static illuminator 13 and the air cleaner 14,
Closely adheres to photosensitive material 1.

In order to increase the degree of adhesion between the photosensitive material 1 and the transfer sheet 15, when it is necessary to preheat the transfer sheet 15, a heating element (not shown) that generates heat when energized is provided in the adhesion roller 16 to preheat it. Alternatively, a separate preheating means may be provided before the close contact roller 16.

19 is a heat treatment section that develops the photosensitive material 1 and diffusely transfers the obtained image to the image receiving surface of the transfer sheet 15;
The heat treatment section 19 includes a rotating drum 20 and a heater 21 having a heating surface curved along one side of the rotating drum 20. The rotating drum 20 is driven by an endless belt 24 stretched between a main feed roller 7a, an auxiliary roller 22, and a tension roller 23, which constitute the photosensitive material conveying means 7.
the speed at which the photosensitive material 1 is conveyed to the exposure means 8;
A close contact body of the photosensitive material 1 and the transfer sheet 15 is the heat treatment section 1
9 is synchronized with the speed at which it passes. This is because by keeping the transport speed of the sensitive material constant from exposure to passing through the heat treatment section, exposure and development transfer can proceed simultaneously.

Further, in the heat treatment section 19, an outer endless belt 25 that overlaps the endless belt 24 at the heating surface of the heater 21 is stretched around a plurality of rollers 26 so as to surround the heater 21, and is stretched by a tension roller 27. A certain tension is given.

Therefore, the closely-adhered body of the photosensitive material 1 and the transfer sheet 15 passes through the heating surface of the heater 21 while being held in a conveying path formed by the endless belts 24 and 25 with an appropriate adhesion force. During this time, the temperature of the photosensitive material 1 and transfer sheet 15 is about 80 to 250°C, preferably about
Heat of 110-200℃ is given. Further, the passage time of the heater 21 is determined within a range of 0.3 to 120 seconds. As a result, the latent image formed on the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive material 1 by the exposure means 8 is thermally developed, a silver image appears in the exposed area, and a diffusible dye is formed accordingly. This diffusible dye diffuses through the binder,
The color image is formed by diffusing into the image receiving layer of the transfer sheet 15 that is in close contact with the image receiving layer.

Reference numeral 28 denotes the photosensitive material 1 and the transfer sheet 1 that have been conveyed to the position where the endless belts 24 and 25 diverge.
A guide plate 29 guides the photosensitive material 1 and the transfer sheet 15 that have descended along the guide plate 28 and the peeling section 3.
A feed roller 31 that feeds the paper toward the feed roller 29 is a guide plate that communicates the feed roller 29 with the peeling section 30 .

The peeling section 30 is provided with a means for peeling off the photosensitive material 1 and the transfer sheet 15 by utilizing the displacement of the tips of the transfer sheet 15 when they are in close contact with each other. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the peeling means includes a conveyance roller 32 and a tension roller 33 pressed against it. direction). A rotary ring 3 having the same diameter as the outer diameter of the conveying roller 32 is provided in an undercut portion near both ends of the conveying roller 32.
5 is rotatably fitted. A friction roller 37 fixed to a shaft 36 is in sliding contact with the rear surface of the rotating ring 35. The shaft 36 of the friction roller 37 is connected to a drive source (not shown) via gears 38, 38' and a friction mechanism 39, and rotates in the same direction as the conveyance roller 32. Therefore, the rotary wheel 35 is always given a rotational force in the direction of arrow B (in the opposite direction to the conveyance roller 32) due to friction with the friction roller 37. Further, a locking piece 40 for mooring the tip of the photosensitive material 1 is attached to the outer periphery of the rotating ring 35 in an open state so as to face the feeding direction of the photosensitive material 1, and near the top of the rotating ring 35. A position regulating block 41 is provided with which the tip of the locking piece 40 comes into contact. Therefore, the rotating wheel 35 remains stationary at the position where the locking piece 40 abuts against the position regulating block 41.
Note that the rotational force of the rotating wheel 35 is the same as that of the conveying roller 32.
The conveyance force is adjusted to be weaker than the conveyance force of the photosensitive material 1 and the transfer sheet 15 which are sandwiched and conveyed between the tension roller 33 and the tension roller 33.

Now, when the leading edge of the photosensitive material 1 bites between the conveyance roller 32 and the tension roller 33 in a state where the leading edge of the transfer sheet 15 has been advanced, the leading edge of the photosensitive material 1 is caught by the locking piece 40 attached to the rotary wheel 35. opening 42 of
Insert inside. In this case, as shown in FIG. Since it is adjusted to be smaller, no conveying force is generated when the leading edge of the photosensitive material 1 is wedged between the conveying roller 32 and the tension roller 33. The leading edge of the photosensitive material 1 is completely inserted into the opening 42 of the locking piece 40 of the rotary wheel as described above, and the leading edge of the transfer sheet 15 is wedged between the conveying roller 32 and the tension roller 33. Only then do conveying forces occur. Then, this conveyance force exceeds the rotational force of the friction roller 37, and the rotary wheel 35 starts rotating in the direction of arrow A together with the conveyance roller 32 while the leading end of the photosensitive material 1 is anchored at the locking portion 40. Become. Since the photosensitive material 1 is bent along its outer diameter by the rotation of the rotary wheel 35, the transfer sheet 15, which is in close contact with the photosensitive material 1 with its tip shifted as shown in FIG. 4b, bends the photosensitive material 1. It is peeled off by the peeling force generated by the diameter, and is taken out of the machine as shown by symbol a in FIG. On the other hand, rotating wheel 3
The tip of the photosensitive material 1, which is anchored to the locking piece 40 of 5, is prevented from returning by passing through the pinch roller 44, and as the rotation progresses further, the tip ends as shown in FIG. 4c.
It abuts against the photosensitive material stopper 45 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the photosensitive material 1 stops when it hits the photosensitive material stopper 45, but since the rotating wheel 35 continues to rotate, the photosensitive material 1 stops at the point indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4c. As shown, it accumulates in a loop, and finally due to the elasticity of the material, the
As shown by the broken line, the material slides over the stretch-sensitive material stopper 45 and is guided to a passage 48 leading to a winding section 47 constituted by guide plates 46, 46'. A sensor 49 is provided in the passage 48, and when the sensor 49 detects the photosensitive material 1, a winding core 50 of the winding section 47 and a feed roller 51 provided in the passage 48 are activated to automatically wind the photosensitive material. Collection will be made. On the other hand, the rotating wheel 35 has a base portion of the locking piece 40 that is connected to the rotating wheel stopper 5.
It stops only when it hits 3.

Although not shown, the winding core 50 and the feed roller 51 are driven by a drive source via a friction mechanism, so that the conveyance speed of the photosensitive material 1 is not disturbed.

When the necessary amounts of the photosensitive material 1 and the transfer sheet 15 have been supplied, the photosensitive material 1 is removed by the cutter 52 provided near the sub-drive roller 5, and the transfer sheet 15 is provided near the transfer sheet conveying means 17. are cut by cutter 18,
Wait for next action.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the image recording apparatus according to the present invention has a means for feeding out a light-sensitive material having a diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive layer from a source magazine and transporting it at a constant speed to an exposure section, and a means for transporting the light-sensitive material after exposure and an image receiving section. A means for conveying the transfer sheet to a close contact section that brings the layered transfer sheet into close contact so that the leading edge of the transfer sheet reaches the leading edge of the sensitive material with a delay, and passage through a heat treatment section that develops and transfers the close contact between the sensitive material and the transfer sheet. It is characterized by comprising a means for synchronizing the speed with the speed at which the sensitive material passes through the exposure section, and a means for separating the transfer sheet from the sensitive material after passing through the heat treatment section by utilizing the misalignment of both ends. Therefore, color images by heat development diffusion transfer can be produced fully automatically and efficiently.

In addition, since the speed at which the sensitive material fed out from the original magazine is conveyed to the exposure section is synchronized with the speed at which the sensitive material and transfer sheet pass through the heat treatment section where development and transfer are carried out, exposure and development transfer are possible. can proceed at the same time, and when bringing the photosensitive material and transfer sheet into close contact, the tip of the latter is delayed relative to the former, and this delay is used to peel off.
It has various excellent effects such as being able to perform the peeling operation efficiently.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figures show an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the entire device, FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the peeling section, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the peeling section. ，
FIG. 3c is an explanatory diagram showing a peeling process between the photosensitive material and the transfer sheet. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Sensitive material, 2...Main volume magazine, 5...Sub drive roller, 7...Sensitive material conveyance means, 8...Exposure means, 15...Transfer sheet, 17...Transfer sheet conveyance means, 16... . . . Close contact roller, 19 . . . Heat treatment section, 30 . . . Peeling section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A means for unwinding a photosensitive material having a diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive layer from a source magazine and transporting it to an exposure section;
means for conveying the transfer sheet to a contact portion where the exposed photosensitive material and the transfer sheet having an image-receiving layer are brought into close contact with each other so that the leading edge of the transfer sheet reaches a specific amount later than the leading edge of the sensitive material; a means for bringing the
means for synchronizing the speed at which the sensitive material passes through the heat treatment section that develops and transfers the adhered body and the speed at which the sensitive material passes through the exposure section; and after passing through the heat treatment section, the tip of the preceding light sensitive material is grasped and separated from the transfer sheet. 1. An image recording apparatus comprising: means for bending in a direction to peel the transfer sheet from the transfer sheet.