JPH0622832Y2 - Print mask device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a print mask device for use in a photographic printing apparatus for determining the size of an exposure aperture.

[Prior Art] For example, the so-called service size of color printing includes various sizes such as E size (about 82.5 mm x about 115 mm) and B size (about 82 mm x about 85 mm).
In the case of sizes, there are slightly different sizes such as 114 mm, 117 mm, and 120 mm in length for the same photographic paper width (about 82.5 mm).

Therefore, in the color lab, there has been a demand for a printing apparatus capable of freely printing various types of sizes as described above. The printing paper used in the printing apparatus is usually in a roll shape, but when used, it is unwound to continuously print an image.

The problem here is that the print mask must be replaced when switching between sizes having the same width and different lengths, even if the widths of the printing papers are different.

Therefore, in order to eliminate the need for this replacement work, a print mask device has been considered in which the print mask is variable in the length direction of the printing paper.

In this type of print mask device, a mask plate is slidably provided on a base plate having an opening. By changing the opening length of the base plate by sliding the mask plate, the width of the printing paper is the same. It is designed to switch between sizes that differ only in length.

By the way, when a cloth-like or paper-like member is used as the mask member, it is necessary to prevent twisting or bending when the mask member is moved. A predetermined tension must be applied to the mask member when the part is covered. On the other hand, by using a plate-shaped member for the mask member,
It is possible to obtain a print mask device having a simple structure and good light shielding properties.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when a mask plate is provided in the print mask device having the above structure, it is necessary to secure a slide length of the mask plate, which requires a relatively large mounting space. This has been a cause of the enlargement of the entire print mask device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above facts, the present invention has an object to obtain a print mask device which has a good light-shielding property and can be made compact.

[Means for Solving Problems] In a print mask device according to the present invention, a base plate having an opening for exposure and a predetermined part of the opening facing each other with the opening of the base plate interposed therebetween. And a pair of elastically deformable mask members provided so as to be able to close, and an end portion of each mask member on the opening side is held, and the pair of mask members are driven along the opening surface of the base plate by a driving force. A driving member that is movable in the contacting / separating direction, and a mask member that is provided so that an intermediate portion in the contacting / separating direction of each mask member slidably contacts the peripheral edge of the opening of the base plate and is held by the driving unit. A guide member that bends an intermediate portion in the contact and separation direction by elastic deformation and guides the portion opposite to the opening portion in a direction substantially orthogonal to the opening surface of the base plate.

[Operation] In the print mask device having the above-described configuration, the pair of elastically deformable mask members are moved along the opening surface by the driving means that holds the end portions on the opening side facing each other, thereby opening the opening portion of the base plate. It is possible to change the substantial opening area of the image, and to print images with different print sizes.

When the driving means moves the mask members in a direction in which they are separated from each other, the guide means bends an intermediate portion of the mask members in the contacting / separating direction. Therefore, the non-opening portion of the mask member is moved in the direction orthogonal to the plane of the base plate, and it is not necessary to secure the movement length of the mask member in the bonding direction in the direction along the plane of the base plate. .

Further, when the mask members are moved in the direction of approaching each other, the intermediate portion along the contacting / separating direction of the mask member, which is bent by the guide member, is restored by the elastic force to cover a predetermined part of the opening. .

As described above, when the substantial opening area of the opening of the base plate changes, the elastically deformable mask member has a simple structure in which the guide member elastically deforms and restores the shape by the elastic force. Can be made compact.

[Embodiment] FIGS. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of a print mask apparatus according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the print mask device 10 of this embodiment, a mask plate 12 which is a mask member having elasticity and flexibility and a driving device 14 which is a driving means are attached to a base plate 16. Has been.

A rectangular opening 18 is formed in the center of the base plate 16, and is bent substantially at right angles to the plane of the base plate 18 at both ends of the opening 18 in the longitudinal direction (Y direction in FIG. 3). A guide plate 20 which is a guide member is integrally formed. A guide plate 22 is attached to the base plate 16 at one end side in the width direction of the opening 18.

The guide plate 22 has a U-shaped cross section at right angles to the longitudinal direction, and forms a guide groove 22A along the longitudinal direction.
The guide plate 22 is fixed to the base plate 16 along the longitudinal edge of the opening 18.

The drive device 14 is attached to the base plate 16 so as to face the guide plate 22 on the widthwise end side of the opening 18. The drive device 24 includes a feed screw 24 and a pair of blocks 26, 2
8 and.

The axis of the feed screw 24 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the opening 18, one of which is a right-hand threaded portion and the other of which is a left-handed threaded portion with a central portion as a boundary, and both ends of which are a bearing plate 25 and a gear fixed to the base plate 16. The gear boxes 27 are pivotally supported by the box 27, respectively.
It is designed to be driven and rotated by the motor inside. Blocks 26 and 28 are respectively screwed into the intermediate portions of the left-hand screw portion and the right-hand screw portion of the feed screw 24 so that they are brought into contact with and separated from each other by the rotation of the feed screw 24.

One end of a bracket 30 is fixed to the blocks 26 and 28 with a screw 34 via a bracket 32.
The bracket 30 crosses the opening 18 of the base plate 16 in the width direction, and the end opposite to the bracket 32 is fitted in the guide groove 22A of the guide plate 22 so as to be slidable in the guide groove longitudinal direction. This causes block 2
The rotations of the feed screws 24, 6 and 28 are prevented.
One end of each of the pair of mask plates 12 is attached to each of the brackets 30 with a screw 36, and the brackets 30 are arranged on both sides of the opening 18 in the longitudinal direction with the opening 18 interposed therebetween.

The mask plate 12 is made of a flexible material that can be restored by an elastic force, and the opposite side of the opening 18 is elastically deformable and bendable. In this embodiment, the mask plate 1
No. 2 is a lithographic film developed and blackened.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mask plate 12 has a free end side opposite to the bracket 30 abutted against the guide plate 20 of the base plate 16 and a curved middle portion. Therefore, these mask plates 12 can be moved in both directions in which the free ends are moved toward and away from each other by operating the motor to rotate the feed screw 24 in a desired direction, so that the free end side is moved along the guide plate 20. There is. Also, these mask plates 1
The movement 2 blocks both ends of the opening 18 of the base plate 16 in the longitudinal direction by the movement of the base plate 16 to make the opening length of the opening 18 substantially in the longitudinal direction variable.

The print mask device 10 is arranged between a light source section of a printing device (not shown) and the printing paper, and determines the exposure area of the printing paper.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

1 to 3 show a state in which the print mask device 10 can print on a predetermined print size. In this state, the mask plate 12 has the opening 1
8 are arranged on both sides in the longitudinal direction (Y direction in FIG. 3) to cover a part of the opening 18, and the length of the opening 18 substantially in the longitudinal direction (Y direction in FIG. 3) is predetermined. The length is set, that is, the exposure area on the photographic paper is the opening 1
It is possible to print on a predetermined print size as determined by a substantial size of 8.

When printing is performed on print sizes having the same width and different lengths, the motor is operated to move the mask plate 12 so that the opening 18 is substantially lengthwise (Y direction in FIG. 3). The length should be a length suitable for the print size. When the mask plates 12 are moved away from each other and the opening 18 is expanded, the guide plate 20 elastically deforms and bends the portion of the mask plate 12 opposite to the opening.
When the mask plates 12 are moved toward each other and the opening 18 is narrowed, the mask plate 12 restores its shape due to the elastic force at the portion opposite to the opening, which is bent by the guide plate 20.

In this way, by moving the mask plate 12, the substantial size of the opening 18 is changed, whereby the exposure area on the photographic paper becomes a size suitable for the print size and printing is performed in any print size. It will be possible.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the print mask device 10 can print on the print size having the same width but different length only by operating the motor even with the print mask device 10 set in the printing device. it can.

Further, in the present embodiment, the mask plate 12 that determines the substantial size of the opening 18 of the base plate 16 is formed of a flexible member that restores its shape by elastic force, and the free end side of the mask plate 12 ( Since the side opposite to the opening 18 is moved along the guide plate 20 which is substantially perpendicular to the base plate 16, the movement space of the mask plate 12 is set in the longitudinal direction of the opening 18 (direction Y in FIG. 3). ) Need not be secured along. As a result, the print mask device 10 is generally compact in the longitudinal direction of the opening 18 of the base plate 16 and the installation space is reduced.

Although the above embodiment has shown the configuration in which only the length of the opening 18 is changed, when it is desired to change the width dimension of the opening 18, a print mask device having the same structure as that of the above embodiment is used. It may be rotated by 90 ° to form a double structure.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, the print mask device according to the present invention elastically deforms the elastically deformable mask member and the non-opening side portion of the mask member when the mask members move in the direction in which they are separated from each other. It has a simple structure including a guide member that bends and guides, and has an excellent effect that the movement space of the mask member along the base plate can be reduced and the device can be made compact.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a print mask device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II--II of FIG. 3, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 1 seen from above. is there. 10 ... Print mask device, 12 ... Mask plate, 14 ... Driving device, 16 ... Base plate, 18 ... Opening part, 20 ... Guide plate.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Takashi Matsumoto 1-324 Uetakecho, Omiya City, Saitama Prefecture Fuji Photo Co., Ltd. (56) References 47-11236 (JP, U)

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A base plate having an opening for exposure, and a pair of elastically deformable masks provided so as to oppose each other with the opening of the base plate sandwiched therebetween so that a predetermined part of the opening can be closed. Members, driving means for holding the end portions of the respective mask members on the opening side, and allowing the pair of mask members to move in the contacting and separating directions along the opening surface of the base plate by a driving force; The peripheral portions of the opening and closing portions of the mask members are slidably contacted with the intermediate portions in the contacting and separating direction, and the intermediate portions in the contacting and separating direction of the mask member held by the driving means are bent by elastic deformation. A print mask device comprising: a guide member that guides a portion opposite to the opening portion in a direction substantially orthogonal to the opening surface of the base plate.