JPH057699B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a thermal development transfer device, and more particularly to a thermal development transfer device with improved thermal development efficiency and transportability of a photothermographic material.

(Prior Art) Black and white heat-developable photosensitive materials characterized in that the developing process is carried out by heat treatment have been known for a long time. A photosensitive material comprising an acid silver salt, a silver halide, and a developer is disclosed. Furthermore, many color heat-developable photosensitive materials are also known, to which this black-and-white photothermographic material is applied.

For example, US Patent No. 3531286, US Patent No. 3761270, US Patent No.
No. 3764328, Research Disclosure (hereinafter referred to as RD) No.
No. 15108, No. 15127, No. 12044, No. 16479, etc. are U.S. patents for heat-developable photosensitive materials containing photographic couplers and color developing agents.
No. 3180731, RD No. 13443 and RD No. 14347, etc.
U.S. Patent No. 1 for products using leuco dyes
No. 4235957, RD No. 14433, RD No. 14448, RD No.
15227, No. 15776, No. 18137, and No. 19419, etc., which apply the silver dye bleaching method, are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4124398, 4124387, and
No. 4123273 describes a method for thermally bleaching photothermographic materials.

However, with these proposals regarding color heat-developable photosensitive materials, it is difficult or impossible to bleach or fix the black and white silver images formed at the same time, or even if it is possible, wet processing etc. are required. It is what you need.

In contrast, there are heat-developable color photosensitive materials such as RD No. 16966, in which a color image is obtained by separating the silver image and the dye by releasing a diffusible dye through heat development and transferring this dye to an image-receiving layer. JP-A-56-50328, JP-A-57-179840 and the same
No. 57-186744, JP-A No. 59-12431, No. 59-
No. 124339, No. 59-181345, Patent application No. 1982-109273
No. 59-181604, No. 59-182507, No. 59-
It is described in No. 179657, No. 59-182506, etc.

On the other hand, as a developing device and a developing method for heat-developable photosensitive materials, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 54-158230 and 54-
No. 158231, No. 55-2281, No. 56-1939, No. 56-
No. 4904, Research Disclosure No.
16810 and 17623, the method of pressing the material against a heat block for a certain period of time, the method of moving it on the heat block, the method of using a heated drum, the method of blowing hot air, etc., as well as the method of developing using infrared rays, electric current, or microwaves. Methods are known. In addition to the above, for example, in the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. 59-247991,
A thermal development transfer device is described which is comprised of a heater block with built-in heat and a conveyor belt facing the heater block. Also, in RDNo.17635,
A thermal development transfer device is described which consists of two adjoining belts, each heated by a built-in heater.

However, in the conventional heat development or heat development transfer apparatus as described above, when carrying out heat development transfer while conveying the photosensitive material and image receiving paper while superimposing them on each other, such as in the case of heat development diffusion transfer photosensitive materials, the photosensitive material Adhesion to the image-receiving paper is not necessarily sufficient, and therefore the photosensitive material and the image-receiving paper are often misaligned with each other when heated and conveyed. If thermal development transfer is performed while the photosensitive material and the image receiving paper are misaligned with each other in this manner, the transferred image on the image receiving paper will not be formed at an accurate position, resulting in a quality problem.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Accordingly, the present invention provides a thermal development transfer device that ensures the superposition of the photosensitive material and the image receiving paper that are heated and transported so that they do not shift from each other during the heating and transport. It is.

(Means for Solving the Problems) According to the present invention, the object of the present invention is to provide a heat-developable photosensitive material containing a dye-donating substance that releases a diffusible dye upon heat development; In a thermal development transfer device that polymerizes and conveys an image-receiving material that captures a sexual substance, a heating conveyance path in which a heating member containing a plurality of heating elements is disposed, and a plurality of heating members that move in close contact with the heating member. A heat-resistant conveyor belt stretched around a rotating shaft, and a preliminary consisting of a heating roller and a movable pressure roller as a pre-process inserted into the heating conveyance path formed by the heat-resistant conveyor belt and a heating member. Equipped with a heating section,
The heat-developable photosensitive material and the image-receiving material, which have been preheated by the heating roller, are conveyed into the heating conveyance path in close contact to transfer the dye-providing substance of the photothermally-developable material to the image-receiving material. This was achieved using a unique thermal development transfer device. That is, in the thermal development transfer device of the present invention, the photosensitive material on which the latent image has been formed as described above is brought into close contact with the image receiving paper prior to development, and the image information of the photosensitive material is transferred to the image receiving paper by passing it through a heated conveyance path. This is a device that forms a visible image on image-receiving paper by transferring it to the side simultaneously with development, and prevents the deterioration of fixing properties between the photosensitive material and image-receiving paper, which tends to occur especially when a pressure roller is used in the heated conveyance path. However, it is possible to transport both of them without causing any misalignment in the transport path during thermal development transfer.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below.

The color light-sensitive material used in the present invention is a heat-developable color light-sensitive material containing a dye-donating substance that releases a diffusible dye upon heat development, and the diffusion transfer type heat-developable color light-sensitive material is a heat-developable color light-sensitive material that contains a dye-donating substance that releases a diffusible dye upon heat development. After exposing a color image to a photosensitive material, the heat-developable photosensitive material placed in a stacked relationship with the image-receiving layer is heated uniformly, and the diffusible dye released or formed thereby is heated after or simultaneously with heat development. It is particularly useful in a color image forming method in which a color image is obtained by thermal transfer to an image-receiving layer.

Examples of heat-developable photosensitive materials that can be used in the present invention include JP-A-59-52440 and JP-A-59-52440;
154445, No. 59-124327, No. 59-164903, and Japanese Patent Application No. 58-42779, and the positive photothermographic materials described in the specifications of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 179840-1984, No. 57-198458, No. 59-159159
No. 58-149046, No. 58-149047, No. 59-
No. 12431, No. 59-48705, No. 59-181345 and Japanese Patent Application No. 109293-1983, No. 59-79887, No. 59-
No. 181604, No. 59-182507, No. 59-179657, No. 181604, No. 59-182507, No. 59-179657, No.
59-182506, and other publications and specifications are useful.

Such heat-developable photosensitive materials are known, for example, from Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
−152440, No. 59-154445, No. 59-124320,
What is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 58-42779, etc.
photosensitive silver halide (which may contain organic silver salts),
A photosensitive material containing an electron donor and/or its precursor, and/or an electron transfer agent, a dye-donating substance that releases a heat-transferable dye when reduced at high temperatures, or a photosensitive silver halide (including an organic silver salt). photosensitive materials containing a dye-providing substance that is oxidized by silver halide, organic silver salt, or both of them in exposed areas at high temperatures and no longer releases thermally transferable dyes.

Such a photosensitive material provides a thermally transferable dye that has a positive-positive relationship with a silver image that has a negative-positive relationship with the original simply by performing image exposure using ordinary negative silver halide and then thermal development.

Another type is a photosensitive material containing a dye-providing substance that releases or forms a heat transferable dye upon heating. Such dye-donating substances include dyes that cause a coupling reaction when heated with an oxidized form of a reducing agent oxidized by silver halide, an organic silver salt, or both, and as a result, are released from the coupling site of the dye-donating substance. Those whose residues become heat transferable dyes (for example, JP-A-57-186744,
No. 57-207250, No. 59-48765, No. 59-116642,
(Described in Publications No. 59-116643 and No. 59-159159)
and those that utilize a heat transferable dye formed by coupling the oxidized form of the reducing agent and the dye-donating substance (e.g., JP-A-58-149046, JP-A-58-149046;
No. 149047, No. 59-124339, No. 59-181345, Patent Application No. 109293-1983, No. 59-79887, No. 59-
No. 181604, No. 59-182507, No. 59-179657, No. 181604, No. 59-182507, No. 59-179657, No.
59-182506 etc.).

Another dye-providing substance is one in which a reducing dye-providing substance is oxidized by silver halide, an organic silver salt, or both upon heating to release a heat transferable dye in the presence of a dye release aid (for example, a special Kaisho 57-179840, Kaisho 57-198458, Kaisho 58-
No. 58543, No. 59-168439, etc.).

These heat-developable photosensitive materials can be image-wise exposed and then heat-developed to form a heat-transferable dye image in an imagewise manner depending on the type thereof.

The image-receiving material that can be used in the present invention is one in which an image-receiving layer capable of receiving a dye released from a heat-developable photosensitive material by heat development is formed on a support. This image-receiving layer contains a dye mordant, and the mordant can be selected depending on the properties of the dye to be released, other components contained in the heat-developable light-sensitive material, transfer conditions, etc. For example, Tokukai Akira
High molecular weight polymer mordants such as those described in No. 57-186744 and No. 59-181345 can be used.

After image exposure is performed on the photosensitive material using the color diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive material as described above, an image-receiving sheet is placed on top of the photosensitive material so that the image-receiving layer is in close contact with the exposed surface, and then the combined photosensitive material is thermally developed. death,
A color image can be obtained by heating the imagewise formed color image onto an image-receiving sheet by thermal diffusion transfer.

In these heat development transfer methods, visible light is used as a light source for image exposure to record a latent image on a heat development photosensitive material, such as a tungsten lamp, a mercury lamp, a halogen lamp such as an iodine lamp, a xenon lamp, or even a xenon lamp. A laser light source, CRD light source, fluorescent tube, LED, etc. can be used.

The exposure method may be a normal full-surface exposure method, or a video image or an image signal sent from a TV station may be scanned and exposed using a lens or in close contact with a CRT or FOT.

Furthermore, any method including slit exposure used in ordinary electrophotography may be used.

The peeling step following the exposure, overlaying, and heat development transfer steps may be performed manually or automatically using known methods.

In the step of overlapping the image receiving sheet and the diffusion transfer type heat-developable photosensitive material, in order to increase the degree of adhesion between the image receiving sheet and the photosensitive material, if necessary, the photosensitive material is It is also preferable to preheat the image receiving sheet and the like.

The preferred temperature range for preheating is 80° to 250°C, particularly 100° to 180°C, preferably within a range that does not exceed the development temperature.

Further, the heating temperature in the heating step for thermal development transfer is in the range of about 80° to 250°C, particularly preferably 120° to 200°C.

Furthermore, the transfer of the thermal transfer dye to the image-receiving layer is usually performed using a diffusion aid built into the heat-developable photosensitive material or the image-receiving sheet, but the peeling process can be carried out in the transfer device by combining a known peeling device. However, it is also possible to carry out the heating process within the apparatus and peel it off by hand. The present invention relates to a heat development method and an apparatus thereof among these steps.

(Example) In the present invention, development is performed by heat development. EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the thermal development transfer apparatus of this invention will be specifically explained according to the Example of drawing.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a thermal development transfer device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a thermal development transfer device as another embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a drum that rotates in the direction of the arrow.
Reference numeral 2 denotes a conveyor belt stretched by drive rollers 3a, 3b, and 3c, which is in pressure contact with the rotating drum 1 and rotates together with the drum 1 at the same speed as the drum 1 in the direction of the arrow. The above-mentioned conveyor belt 2 according to the present invention has a photosensitive material 6 that overlaps the image receiving paper.
Since the purpose is to convey the material under pressure with the drum 1 and to perform thermal development transfer, the conveyance path is formed in a semicircular shape along the drum 1 in order to increase the pressure contact force with the drum 1. It is stretched so as to cover 1/2 of the circumference of 1.

The thermal development transfer device of the present invention is characterized in that a preheating section is provided prior to the transport path formed as described above.

In the figure, 4a is a pressure roller of a pair of rollers constituting a preheating section, and 4b is a heating roller, which has a built-in heater or the like as a heat source, for example. The preheating temperature according to the present invention is lower than the heat development temperature, for example, about 100°C to 180°C.

Further, in the figure, reference numeral 5 denotes a guide plate located between the conveyance path and the preheating section for guiding the exposed photosensitive material 6 overlapping the preheated image receiving paper to the conveyance path.

In the thermal development transfer device of the present invention, it is preferable that a heating member is disposed on at least one of the members constituting the transport path.

In the figure, 7 is a heater constituting the above-mentioned heating member. Further, 8 is a heat insulating material for cutting off heat from the heater 7, and in this embodiment, the heater 7 is
According to the shape of the conveyor belt 2 which is semicircular and forms a conveyance path together with the drum 1, it is arranged in a semicircle on the back side of the belt 2, and therefore the heat insulating material 8 is also shaped in the same shape as the heater 7, that is, in a semicircle. It is arranged on the back side of the heater 7.

The thermal development transfer temperature according to the present invention ranges from 80°C to 200°C. According to the present invention, the preheating section 4a,
The photosensitive material 6 overlapped with the image receiving paper whose adhesion was improved by passing through the guide plate 5
The paper is guided by the drum 1 and transferred to a heating conveyance path formed by the conveyor belt 2, and after thermal development and transfer is performed, it is discharged from the discharge port 9, but during this time,
The image-receiving paper and the photosensitive material 6 were conveyed without being misaligned with respect to each other, and sufficient thermal development was possible.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing another embodiment of the invention. In the figure, 4a, 4b, 5 and 6 are the same as in FIG. Reference numeral 10 designates the upper conveyor belt of the two conveyor belts strung up and down, stretched by drive rollers 11a and 11b, and rotated in the direction of the arrow. Further, reference numeral 12 denotes a conveyor belt stretched downward, which is stretched around drive rollers 13a and 13b, and rotates in the direction of the arrow at the same speed as the conveyor belt 10.

The conveyor belt 12 stretched downward is in pressure contact with the upper conveyor belt 10 to form a conveyance path, and the shape of the conveyor belt 2 on the side that forms a conveyance path is a gentle circle, and the space between this and the conveyor belt 10 in pressure contact is The pressure contact force is increased to prevent the image receiving paper and the photosensitive material 6 from shifting from each other.

Also in the case of the thermal development transfer device according to this embodiment, it is preferable to arrange a heating member on at least one of the members forming the transport path.

In the figure, 14 is a heat plate, which is heated by heaters 15a and 15b. In this embodiment, a plurality of heaters are provided in order to facilitate the control of heat distribution and temperature. The heat plate 14 heated by the heaters 15a and 15b is arranged in a semicircle on the back side of the conveyor belt 12 according to the shape of the conveyor belt 12, which forms a gentle semicircle and forms a conveyance path together with the upper conveyor belt 10. has been done.

The thermal development transfer temperature in this example is 80°C as described above.
~200℃.

Even in a thermal development transfer device in which the heating conveyance path is formed by two upper and lower conveyance belts as described above, by providing a preheating section, misalignment between the image receiving paper and the photosensitive material that occurs during the thermal development transfer process can be more effectively reduced. can be prevented. That is, the image-receiving paper and the photosensitive material 6, which have passed through the preheating sections 4a and 4b and whose adhesion has been improved, are guided between the two conveyor belts 10 and 12 by the guide plate 5, and are heated by the heat plate 14 on the conveyance path. The sheet is heated and developed and then discharged from the paper discharge port 16. The obtained photosensitive material had no misalignment with the image-receiving paper, and a transferred image could be obtained at the correct position on the image-receiving paper.

In the present invention, as shown in the figure, the preheating section is formed by a pair of pressure rollers and heating rollers, but it does not necessarily have to be a combination of rollers; other members can be used as long as they can be heated and conveyed. You can also use In addition, the configuration of the heating conveyance path may be a combination of drums and belts as shown in the figure, or two
In addition to the use of two belts, for example, a combination of a roller and a drum may be used, and other conveying members may be used as long as they can be heated and have a conveying function.

(Effects of the Invention) In the thermal development transfer device of the present invention, since a preheating section is provided prior to the heating conveyance path formed using a drum, the image receiving paper and the photosensitive material are heated by passing through the preheating section. This improves the adhesion of the photosensitive material and prevents misalignment between the image receiving paper and the photosensitive material, which tends to occur during thermal development in the conveyance path. I was able to get it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the general structure of a thermal development transfer device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the general structure of a heat development transfer device as another embodiment of the present invention. 1... Drum, 2... Conveyance belt, 4a and 4b... Preheating section (consisting of a pressure roller and heating roller), 6... Combination of image receiving paper and photosensitive material, 10... (Upper) conveyance belt, 12...
(lower) conveyor belt, 14... heat plate,
15a and 15b...heaters.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Heat that polymerizes and transports a heat-developable photosensitive material containing a dye-donating substance that releases a diffusible dye upon heat development and an image-receiving material that captures the released dye-donating substance. The development transfer device includes: a heating conveyance path in which a heating member containing a plurality of heating elements is disposed; a heat-resistant conveyance belt stretched around a plurality of rotating shafts so as to move while closely contacting the heating member; As a pre-process to be inserted into the heated conveyance path formed by a heat-resistant conveyor belt and a heating member, a preheating section consisting of a heating roller and a movable pressure roller is provided, and the heat roller is preheated by the heating roller. A thermal development transfer device, characterized in that the photothermographic material and the image receiving material are conveyed into the heating conveyance path in close contact with each other to transfer the dye-providing substance of the photothermographic material to the image receiving material.