JPH0915817A - Image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an image recording device in which a good image free from density unevenness can be recorded with being hardly influenced by the convection heat in a heating drum, even when the nipping carrying by the heating drum is once stopped to perform a heating in the stopped state. CONSTITUTION: An endless pressure contact belt 112 between wrapping rollers 120 and 126 which are pressed onto a heating drum 110 to thermally develop a photosensitive material 22 and an image receiving material 95 is pressed within a range of ±45 deg. to the horizontal line passing the circle center of the heating drum 110, and provided in the state substantially bisymmetircal to the vertical axial line passing the circle center of the heating drum 110. When the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 are thus heated in the pressure contact stopped state, they are hardly influenced by the convection heat within the heating drum 110, and can be heated in the uniform state. Thus, a good image free from density unevenness can be formed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat development transfer process in which one image recording material and the other image recording material are laminated and wound around the outer periphery of a heating drum under pressure and stopped for a predetermined time. The present invention relates to an image recording device that transfers an image onto another image recording material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an image recording material, there is known an image recording apparatus which performs an image recording process using, for example, a photosensitive material and an image receiving material.

In this type of image recording apparatus, the photosensitive material and the image receiving material are respectively wound and accommodated in roll-shaped magazines in a light-shielding magazine. Each time an image recording process is performed, a pull-out roller is used. It is sandwiched and used by sequentially pulling it out. Further, the image recording apparatus is provided with a water coating section for coating the image forming solvent on the photosensitive material, and further, from a heating drum and an endless pressure welding belt which is in pressure contact with the outer circumference of the heating drum and rotates together with the heating drum. The thermal development transfer section is arranged.

The photosensitive material, which is pulled out from the magazine by a predetermined size by a drawing roller and cut, is exposed to an image while being conveyed while being nipped and conveyed by a conveying roller, and further, water is applied as a solvent for image formation in a water application section, and then heat is applied. It is sent to the development transfer section. On the other hand, like the photosensitive material, the image receiving material is pulled out from the magazine by a predetermined size by a drawing roller and cut, and is fed to the heat development transfer section in synchronization with the photosensitive material by the conveying roller. In the heat development transfer section, the photosensitive material after water application is superposed on the image receiving material by the laminating roller, and in this state, the photosensitive material is closely wound around the outer periphery of the heating drum. Further, both materials are sandwiched and conveyed between the heating drum and the endless pressure contact belt so that the photosensitive material is thermally developed and an image is transferred to the image receiving material, and a predetermined image is formed (recorded) on the image receiving material. is there.

Further, in such an image recording apparatus, in order to secure a necessary heating and developing time for the photosensitive material and the image receiving material, the photosensitive material and the image receiving material sandwiched and conveyed between the heating drum and the endless pressure contact belt are used. The pressure contact state is temporarily stopped for a predetermined time (for example, about 20 seconds), and heating is performed in this stop state. As described above, by temporarily stopping and heating in the pressure contact state, not only the necessary heat development time can be secured, but also the entire processing time (such as loading to the heating drum, nip transfer, heating, and discharging). The time required for a series of heat development transfer processing can be shortened.

[0006]

By the way, in such a conventional image recording apparatus, convective heat is generated inside the heating drum because the photosensitive material and the image receiving material are heated by the heating drum. This convection heat does not cause much problem in the state where the heating drum is rotated and the photosensitive material and the image receiving material are nipped and conveyed, but on the other hand, as described above, the nipping and conveying of the photosensitive material and the image receiving material by the heating drum is temporarily stopped. When heating in a stopped state due to convection heat in the heating drum, the surface temperature of the heating drum becomes uneven. In particular, at the upper position and the lower position of the heating drum, there is a problem that the temperature gradient in the stopped state becomes remarkable.

If such uneven heating temperature occurs,
Since density unevenness occurs in the image formed on the image receiving material,
Measures for this were necessary.

In consideration of the above facts, the present invention is not likely to be affected by convective heat in the heating drum even when the sandwiching conveyance by the heating drum is temporarily stopped and heating is performed in a stopped state. The object is to obtain an image recording apparatus capable of recording various images.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image recording apparatus, wherein an image-exposed one image recording material and an image-transferred other image recording material are bonded together while the outer periphery of a heating drum is being bonded. In an image recording apparatus that conveys an image onto the other image recording material by transporting it while being pressed against the outer periphery of the heating drum by a winding pressure belt and stopping the heat development transfer process for a predetermined time in the pressed state. , The one and the other image recording material pressed against the outer circumference of the heating drum is positioned at an upper position of the heating drum and in a position substantially symmetrical with respect to a vertical axis passing through the center of the heating drum. The pressure contact stop position is set.

[0010]

In the image recording apparatus according to the present invention, one image recording material after imagewise exposure is wound around the outer periphery of the heating drum while being bonded to the other image recording material for image transfer, and the pressure contact belt is used. Is conveyed while being pressed against the outer periphery of the heating drum. Further, both materials are stopped in a pressure contact state for a predetermined time, and a heat development transfer process is performed to transfer an image to the other image recording material.

Here, the press contact stop position of both materials heated by the heating drum is the upper position of the heating drum, and is a position which is substantially symmetrical with respect to the vertical axis passing through the center of the circle of the heating drum. It is set. That is, even if the surface temperature becomes uneven between the upper position and the lower position of the heating drum due to convective heat in the heating drum, the two materials are heated at the position where the temperature difference is small. In other words, both materials are uniformly heated in a state where they are hardly affected by convective heat in the heating drum.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of density unevenness of the image due to the nonuniform heating temperature, and it is possible to record a good image.

[0013]

1 shows a schematic overall configuration diagram of an image recording apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows an external perspective view of the image recording apparatus 10. The image recording apparatus 10 is an apparatus that forms an image by exposing an image on a photothermographic material and thermally developing and transferring the image on an image receiving material.

The image recording apparatus 10 is formed in a box shape as a whole, and the machine base 12 is provided with a front door 13, a side door 15 and the like. By opening each door, the inside of the machine base 12 can be exposed. Note that each door is provided with a safety device by a so-called interlock mechanism (not shown) so that the power of a predetermined portion can be turned off at the same time when the door is opened.

Further, on the upper surface of the machine base 12 of the image recording apparatus 10, a mounting table 14 for mounting the original G is provided. A rectangular hole is provided in the mounting table 14 and a transparent glass plate 16 is attached thereto.
Presser cover 1 that can be opened and closed on the side of 6 on the back side of the device
8 are attached.

On the other hand, the photosensitive material magazine 20 is arranged in the machine base 12 of the image recording apparatus 10, and the photosensitive material 22 is wound and stored in a roll shape. This photosensitive material 22
The widthwise dimension of is, for example, 135 mm. The photosensitive material 22 has a photosensitive silver halide, a binder, a dye-donor substance, and a reducing agent on a support, and its photosensitive (exposure) surface is wound obliquely downward to the right of the apparatus. There is.

The light-sensitive material magazine 20 is formed in a length corresponding to the widthwise dimension of the light-sensitive material 22, and has a body portion (not shown) and a pair of side frame portions fixed to both ends of the body portion. It is configured in a box shape and is housed in a housing portion provided on the machine base 12. Here, the photosensitive material magazine 20 is arranged in a state in which the taking-out port 20A of the photosensitive material 22 provided at the corner portion of the square is located at the uppermost position,
The photosensitive material 22 is constructed so as to be drawn obliquely upward to the right.

In the accommodating portion of the sensitive material magazine 20, an inner door (not shown) is arranged at the drawn-out portion of the sensitive material magazine 20, and in the state where the sensitive material magazine 20 is accommodated in the accommodating portion, the machine is operated. Even when the front door 13 of the table 12 is opened, external light does not enter the accommodation portion, and the accommodated photosensitive material 22 is prevented from being inadvertently exposed to light.

Photosensitive material outlet 20 of photosensitive material magazine 20
A nip roller 24 as a pull-out roller is arranged near A. By rotating the nip roller 24, the photosensitive material 22 can be pulled out from the photosensitive material magazine 20 and conveyed. The speed at which the photosensitive material 22 is drawn out and conveyed by the nip roller 24 is, for example, 50 mm / sec.
It has become.

A cutter 26 is provided above the nip roller 24.
Are arranged, and the photosensitive material 22 pulled out from the photosensitive material magazine 20 by a predetermined length can be cut by the nip roller 24. The cutter 26 is, for example, a cutter composed of a fixed blade and a rotary blade, and the rotary blade can be moved vertically by a wire or the like in the conveying direction to mesh with the fixed blade to cut the photosensitive material 22. It should be noted that after the cutter 26 is actuated, the nip roller 24 rotates in the reverse direction, and is rewound to the extent that the tip of the photosensitive material 22 is slightly nipped by the nip roller 24. The operation of the cutter 26 and the rewinding operation are independently performed by a drive system different from the operation of pulling out the photosensitive material 22 of the nip roller 24.

Above the cutter 26, a conveying roller 28,
A transport roller 30 and a guide plate 32 are arranged,
The photosensitive material 22 cut into a predetermined length can be conveyed to the exposure unit 34. These transport rollers 28 and 30 also rotate in the same manner as the nip roller 24, so that the transport speed is, for example, 50 mm / sec or 30 mm / sec.
The photosensitive material 22 can be conveyed by switching to and.

The exposing section 34 is located between the conveying rollers 36 and 38, and the photosensitive material 22 passes through between the conveying rollers as an exposing section (exposure point). The transport speed of the photosensitive material 22 by the transport rollers 36 and 38 (passing speed of the exposure unit) is
For example, it is 50 mm / sec.

Above the exposing portion 34 and the transparent glass plate 1
An exposure device 40 is provided in the space below 6. The exposure device 40 includes a lamp unit 42, a mirror unit 44, a filter unit 46, and a mirror unit 4.
8 and a sixth reflection mirror 50.

The lamp unit 42 is composed of a rod-shaped halogen lamp 52 as a light source and a first mirror 54, and the mirror unit 44 is composed of a second mirror 56 and a third mirror 58. The mirror unit 48 is composed of a fourth mirror 60 and a fifth mirror 62.

The filter unit 46 includes three types (C, M, Y) of color adjustment filters 64, a lens 66,
And a diaphragm mechanism 68. The filter unit 46 is arranged between the third mirror 58 of the mirror unit 44 and the fourth mirror 60 of the mirror unit 48, and is located on the optical path of the reflected light from the document G. As a result, the document G (the third mirror 5 of the mirror unit 44)
Image formation and color correction of the reflected light from 8) can be performed.

The exposure apparatus 40 irradiates the original G mounted on the mounting table 14 in a slit shape with the light from the halogen lamp 52 in a slit-like manner during normal (actual magnification) exposure. The mirror unit 44 moves along the document G (mounting table 14), and the reflected light from the document G is exposed to the exposure unit 3
The photosensitive material 22 located at No. 4 can be scanned and exposed. Further, when the exposure is performed with the magnification changed, the filter unit 46 and the mirror unit 48 are moved according to the magnification, and the lamp unit 42 and the mirror unit 44 are moved along the document G as described above. Exposure unit 3
The photosensitive material 22 located at No. 4 is exposed by scanning.

A switchback unit 7 is provided on the side of the exposure unit 34.
0 is provided, and a water application section 72 is provided below the exposure section 34. The photosensitive material 22 that has risen from the photosensitive material magazine 20 and has been exposed in the exposure section 34 is once sent to the switchback section 70, and then the conveyance roller 3
6, the reverse rotation of the transport roller 38 and the transport roller 30 causes the water to pass through the exposure unit 34 again, and is fed to the water coating unit 72 via the branching unit 74 provided immediately below the transport roller 30.

A coating tank 76 is arranged in the water coating section 72. The coating tank 76 is formed in a dish shape, and is filled with water as an image forming solvent. Also,
The bottom wall of the coating tank 76 is slidably supported by a rail provided on the machine base 12, and is detachable by sliding it to the front side of the machine base 12 with the front door 13 open. There is.

A supply roller 78 is arranged at the upstream end of the coating tank 76 in the conveying direction of the photosensitive material 22, and a pair of squeeze rollers 80 are arranged at the downstream end of the photosensitive material 22 in the conveying direction. It is arranged.

Supply roller 78 and squeeze roller 80
Are, for example, both silicon rubber rollers having an outer diameter of 18 mm, and the rubber hardness is, for example, 60 ± 5 for the supply roller 78 and 40 ± 5 for the squeeze roller 80.
5 is set. Further, a predetermined pressing force (for example, 1 kg) is applied to both ends of each roller in the longitudinal direction.

A guide plate 82 is attached above the coating tank 76 so as to face the coating tank 76. The guide plate 82 is made of a metal material such as aluminum, and the space between the guide plate 82 and the coating tank 76 is a passage for the photosensitive material 22. Therefore, when the coating tank 76 is filled with water, the photosensitive material 22
Is sent between the guide plate 82 and the application tank 76 to apply water, and is squeezed by the squeeze roller 80 so that excess water is removed.

In this case, the water coating length of the photosensitive material 22 between the guide plate 82 and the coating tank 76 (the length of passage of the photosensitive material 22 in water) is, for example, 100 mm. The immersion time is 2.5 seconds, for example. Further, the photosensitive material 22 after the water coating process (that is, after passing through the squeeze roller 80) has 11 ± 1 gr / m 2.
² water is applied. Further, a ceramic heater is attached to the upper part of the guide plate 82, and water can be heated (for example, 40 ± 3 ° C.) and filled in the coating tank 76.

An auxiliary overflow tank 84 is arranged on the machine base 12 below the coating tank 76, and a replenishing tank 86 is arranged immediately below the auxiliary overflow tank 84. The replenishment tank 86 is filled with water as an image forming solvent, and a pipe, a pump,
Also, it is connected to the coating tank 76 via a water filter 88 and the like. As a result, the water in the replenishment tank 86 can be fed to and filled in the coating tank 76, and the coating tank 7
The water in 6 can be discharged (returned) to the refill tank 86.

A heat development transfer section 90 is provided on the side of the water application section 72.
Is placed and is coated with water (squeeze roller 80
The photosensitive material 22 (after having passed through) is fed in.

On the other hand, the machine base 12 on the side of the photosensitive material magazine 20
An image receiving material 92 is arranged in the image receiving material 94.
Is rolled up and stored. Image receiving material 94
Is smaller than the photosensitive material 22 (for example, 1
27 mm) is formed. A dye fixing material having a mordant is applied to the image forming surface of the image receiving material 94, and the image forming surface is wound obliquely downward to the right of the apparatus.

Like the photosensitive material magazine 20, the receiving material magazine 92 is formed in a rectangular box shape from a body and a pair of side frame portions fixed to both ends of the body, and has a machine base 12
Can be pulled out to the front side (the front side in FIG. 1, that is, the width direction of the rolled image receiving material 94). Here, this receiving material magazine 92 is arranged in a state in which the take-out port 92A of the image receiving material 94 provided at the corner portion of the square is located at the uppermost position, similarly to the above-mentioned photosensitive material magazine 20. The reference numeral 94 is a structure that is pulled out obliquely to the upper right.

Image receiving material outlet 92 of receiving material magazine 92
A nip roller 96 is disposed in the vicinity of A, and the image receiving material 94 can be pulled out from the material receiving magazine 92 and conveyed, and the nip can be released.

A cutter 98 is arranged above the nip roller 96. Like the cutter 26 for the photosensitive material, the cutter 98 is, for example, a cutter of a type including a fixed blade and a rotary blade, and the rotary blade is moved vertically by a wire or the like in the conveying direction to engage with the fixed blade. As a result, the image receiving material 94 drawn from the receiving material magazine 92 is cut into a shorter length than the photosensitive material 22.

Above the cutter 98, the photosensitive material magazine 20 is provided.
Located on the side of the conveyance roller 100, the conveyance roller 10
2 and the guide plates 104A and 104B are arranged, and the image receiving material 94 cut into a predetermined length can be conveyed to the heat development transfer section 90.

Further, one roller portion 100A of the conveying roller 100 is supported by a guide plate 104A located on the opposite side of the photosensitive material magazine 20, and the lower end portion of this guide plate 104A is rotated by a support shaft 106. It is movably supported. Therefore, the guide plate 10 is provided around the support shaft 106.
By rotating 4A, the guide plate 104A can be separated from the corresponding guide plate 104B together with one roller portion 100A of the conveying roller 100 to open the conveying path of the image receiving material 94.

Further, at the upper end of the guide plate 104A,
A pressing spring portion 108 is provided so as to be bent in the opposite direction to the other guide plate 104B. This pressure spring part 1
Reference numeral 08 corresponds to a second peeling / conveying unit 150, which will be described later, and normally contacts the second peeling / conveying unit 150 to press the guide plate 104A toward the guide plate 104B.

On the other hand, the carrying roller 102 is the carrying roller 1.
The image receiving material 94 conveyed from 00 can be sent to the heat development transfer section 90.

The heat development transfer section 90 is composed of a heating drum 110 and an endless pressure contact belt 112, and a laminating roller 114 is arranged on the outer circumference of the heating drum 110 on the water application section 72 side.

The laminating roller 114 is a roller having an outer diameter of, for example, 18 mm at the central portion in the axial direction, the outer peripheral surface of which is coated with silicon rubber (for example, a thickness of 4.0 mm), and the rubber hardness thereof is almost the same. It is set to 60 degrees. Further, the laminating roller 114 is applied with a predetermined pressing force (for example, 4 kg) at both ends in the longitudinal direction, so that the heating drum 11 is heated.
It is pressed against the outer circumference. This laminating roller 114 is
It is connected to a drive motor (not shown), and the drive force of the drive motor is transmitted to rotate the drive motor.

The conveying speed of the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 by the squeeze roller 80 and the conveying roller 102 is slightly (for example, about 2%) with respect to the conveying speed of the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 by the laminating roller 114. It is set to be slow, which allows the photosensitive material 22
The back tension acts on the image receiving material 94 when it is sent to the laminating roller 114.

The heating drum 110 is made of a thin aluminum pipe, and has a thickness of 3 in this embodiment.
mm, outer diameter 130 mm, and axial effective width 158 mm. Teflon treatment (fluorine coating treatment) is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the heating drum 110, and black heat resistant coating is applied to the inner peripheral surface thereof.

Photosensitive material 2 conveyed to heat development transfer section 90
2 is fed between the laminating roller 114 and the heating drum 110, the image receiving material 94 is synchronized with the conveyance of the photosensitive material 22, and the photosensitive material 22 precedes by a predetermined length (20 mm in this embodiment). In this state, it is fed between the laminating roller 114 and the heating drum 110 to be superposed. In this case, the image receiving material 94 is the photosensitive material 22.
Since the widthwise dimension and the lengthwise dimension are both smaller than that of the image receiving material 94, the four sides of the photosensitive material 22 are overlapped with each other so as to project from the peripheral portion of the image receiving material 94.

Further, the cam 1 is provided on the side wall of the heating drum 110.
16 is fixed. The cam 116 is engageable with a peeling claw 134 and a peeling claw 154 described later,
The peeling claw 134 and the peeling claw 154 are adapted to rotate as the heating drum 110 rotates. Further, a halogen lamp 118 is arranged inside the heating drum 110. The halogen lamp 118 has an output of 450 W, for example, and can raise the temperature of the surface of the heating drum 110 (for example, about 80 ° C.).

The endless pressure contact belt 112, which is in pressure contact with the outer periphery of the heating drum 110, has a structure in which a woven cloth material is covered with rubber, and in this embodiment, the widthwise dimension is 145 mm. The woven material is made of an aromatic polyamide fiber (for example, Kevlar or Nomex;
ont's registered trademark) or the like. The coating rubber is silicon rubber containing carbon and has conductivity.

The endless pressure contact belt 112 is wound around four winding rollers 120, 122, 124 and 126, and the endless outer side between the winding rollers 120 and 126 is the heating drum 110. Is pressed against the outer circumference of.

The winding rollers 120, 122 and 124 are made of steel and electroless nickel plated. Further, the winding roller 124 is formed in a taper shape in which both ends in the axial direction expand outward, and 0.5 kg at both ends in the longitudinal direction (practical range: 0.
A pressing force of 3 to 1.0 kg) is applied in a direction away from the heating drum 110. As a result, the endless pressure welding belt 1
12 is kept at a predetermined tension and the deviation is prevented.

On the other hand, the winding roller 126 is a rubber roller, and is further connected to a drive motor via a drive system (not shown). The driving force of the drive motor is transmitted to rotate the winding roller 126. It has become so. When the winding roller 126 is rotated, the endless pressure welding belt 112 wound around the winding roller 126 is rotated, and accordingly, the rotational force of the endless pressure welding belt 112 causes friction with the heating drum 110. The force is transmitted to the heating drum 110, and the heating drum 110 is driven to rotate. In this case, the rotating peripheral speed of the heating drum 110 is 35 mm / sec.

Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the winding roller 1
20 and the winding roller 126 are located on a substantially horizontal line passing through the center of the circle of the heating drum 110, and the endless pressure contact belt 112 between these winding roller 120 and the winding roller 126 is almost the same as the heating drum 110. It is pressure welded for half a lap. Specifically, the pressure contact position of the endless pressure contact belt 112 between the winding roller 120 and the winding roller 126 with respect to the heating drum 110 is set within a range of ± 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal line passing through the center of the circle of the heating drum 110. There is.

That is, in other words, the winding roller 120
The endless pressure welding belt 112 between the winding roller 126 and the winding roller 126 is
At the upper position of the heating drum 110 and the heating drum 110
It is provided in a state of being substantially symmetrical with respect to the vertical axis passing through the center of the circle.

As a result, the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94, which are superposed by the laminating roller 114, remain between the heating drum 110 and the endless pressure contact belt 112 in a state of being superposed, and are approximately 1 / th of the heating drum 110. The sheet is sandwiched and conveyed over two rounds (between the winding roller 120 and the winding roller 126). Further, at the time when the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 which are superposed are completely settled between the heating drum 110 and the endless pressure contact belt 112,
The heating drum 110 temporarily stops its rotation (for example, 5 to 1).
The sandwiched photosensitive material 22 and image receiving material 94 are heated for 5 seconds. When the photosensitive material 22 is heated during the nip and conveyance and when stopped, it releases a movable dye, and at the same time, the dye is transferred to the dye fixing layer of the image receiving material 94 to obtain an image.

Below the winding roller 126, a first peeling / conveying section 130 is arranged corresponding to the heating drum 110. In the first peeling and conveying section 130, the heating drum 11 on the downstream side in the material supply direction of the endless pressure welding belt 112.
A bending guide roller 132 is arranged on the side of 0.
The bending guide roller 132 is a rubber roller made of silicon rubber, and rotates by receiving the driving force of the driving motor. Further, the bending guide roller 132 is pressed against the outer periphery of the heating drum 110 with a predetermined pressure (for example, 600 g). Therefore, the heating drum 110 and the endless pressing belt 11 are pressed.
The photosensitive material 22 or the image receiving material 9 conveyed by
4 can be further pinched and conveyed.

A peeling claw 134 is rotatably supported axially below the heating drum 110 on the downstream side of the bending guide roller 132 in the material supply direction, and a pinch roller 136 is further provided.
Is arranged.

The peeling claw 134 corresponds to the outer periphery of the heating drum 110 and can be brought into contact with or separated from the heating drum 110 by the operation of the cam 116 described above. When the peeling claw 134 is in contact with the heating drum 110, the endless pressure welding belt 1
Of the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 that are nipped and conveyed between the recording material 12 and the heating drum 110, only the leading ends of the photosensitive materials 22 that are superposed in a state of being preceded by a predetermined length are engaged, and this leading end is heated. It can be peeled off from the outer periphery of the drum 110. On the other hand, the pinch roller 136 has the peeling claw 134.
The peeling claw 134 is operated in conjunction with the heating drum 110.
In the state of being separated from, the bending guide roller 132 is pressed against the bending guide roller 132 with a predetermined pressure (for example, 600 g). Therefore, the photosensitive material 22 peeled by the peeling claw 134 is
While being pressed by the pinch roller 136, it is wound around the bending guide roller 132 and moved laterally.

A guide plate 138 is disposed on the side of the bending guide roller 132 and the peeling claw 134. Further, at the tip of the guide plate 138, a sensitive material discharge roller 140, a backup roller 142, and a guide roller 144 are provided. Are arranged. The sensitive material discharge rollers 140 are a pair of so-called corrugation rollers that mesh with each other, and the backup roller 142 is in contact with one of the sensitive material discharge rollers 140. Thereby, the bending guide roller 1
Photosensitive material 2 that is moved sideways while being wound around 32
2 can be further conveyed and accumulated in the waste photosensitive material storage box 146. The rotation speed of the photosensitive material discharge roller 140 is set to be 1 to 3% faster than the rotation peripheral speed of the heating drum 110, and the photosensitive material 22 is loosened and the guide plate 13 is loosened.
8 is prevented from sticking.

A second peeling / conveying section 150 corresponding to the heating drum 110 is arranged just below the heating drum 110 on the side of the peeling claw 134. This second peeling and conveying section 150
In the above, the peeling roller 15 is provided directly below the heating drum 110.
2 and the peeling claw 154 are arranged. Peeling roller 15
2 is a rubber roller made of silicon rubber and has a surface roughness of 12.
It is set to 5 S or less, and the drive force of the drive motor is transmitted to rotate. Also, the peeling roller 152
Is a predetermined pressure (for example, 40
0 g). Therefore, the peeling roller 152
Is an image receiving material 94 that moves together with the heating drum 110,
By acting together with the peeling claw 154, it can be peeled from the outer periphery of the heating drum 110 to guide the bending.

A guide plate 156 and a receiving material discharging roller 158 are arranged below the peeling roller 152 and the peeling claw 154, and guide and convey the image receiving material 94 peeled from the heating drum 110 by the peeling roller 152 and the peeling claw 154. can do. Further, the receiving material discharge roller 158
The material receiving guide 160, the material receiving roller 16
2, a material receiving discharge roller 164 and a guide roller 166 are arranged, and the image receiving material 94 carried by the material receiving discharge roller 158 can be further carried and discharged to the tray 168. Further, one roller portion 162A of the material receiving and discharging roller 162 is supported by the material receiving guide 160, and further, the end of the material receiving guide 160 on the material receiving and discharging roller 164 side is rotatable by the support shaft 170. Supported by. Therefore, the receiving guide 1 is provided around the support shaft 170.
By rotating 60, the material receiving guide 160 can be separated from the other roller portion 162B of the material receiving discharge roller 162 and the guide roller 166 to open the conveyance path of the image receiving material 94.

In the image recording apparatus 10 having the above-described structure, the heat developing and transferring section 90 is constructed as a single developing unit as a whole, and the first peeling and conveying section 1 is provided.
30 and the second peeling / conveying unit 150 are configured as a single peeling unit as a whole, and are in a direction opposite to the position where the water coating unit 72 is arranged with respect to the machine base 12 (opposite to the photosensitive material magazine 20 and the receiving material magazine 92). Side). Therefore, even when the photosensitive material 22 or the image receiving material 94 is jammed during transport (so-called jam), the heat development transfer section 90 or the first peeling transport section is opened after the side door 15 of the machine base 12 is opened. This can be easily eliminated by moving the 130 and the second peeling / conveying unit 150 and the like open.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. In the image recording apparatus 10 having the above-described configuration, in a normal image recording process using the photosensitive material 22 stored in the photosensitive material magazine 20, the document G is placed on the mounting table 14 (transparent glass plate 16) and the pressing cover 18 is provided. After closing, the magnification of the image to be recorded, the number of processed images, etc. are designated, and when a start instruction is given, image processing is started.

That is, with the photosensitive material magazine 20 set, the nip roller 24 is actuated to move the photosensitive material 22.
Are drawn out by the nip roller 24 at a speed of, for example, 50 mm / sec. When the photosensitive material 22 is pulled out by a predetermined length, the cutter 26 is actuated to cut the photosensitive material 22 into a predetermined length, and is further conveyed by the conveying roller 28 and the conveying roller 30 at a speed of 50 mm / sec, for example. After that, the photosensitive material 22 transported by the transport rollers 28 and 30
Further passes through the exposure section 34 at a predetermined speed (for example, 50 mm / sec) by the transport rollers 36 and 38. At the same time when the photosensitive material 22 is conveyed (passes through the exposure unit 34), the exposure device 40 operates.

In the exposure device 40, at the time of normal (equal magnification) exposure, the light from the halogen lamp 52 is applied to the original G mounted on the mounting table 14 in a slit shape while the lamp unit 42 and the mirror are being lit. The unit 44 is moved along the document G (mounting table 14). As a result, the reflected light from the document G reaches the filter unit 46 via the first mirror 54 of the lamp unit 42, the second mirror 56 and the third mirror 58 of the mirror unit 44. In the filter unit 46, image formation and density (light amount) adjustment are performed by the lens 66 and the diaphragm mechanism 68, and color correction is performed by the color adjustment filter 64. The light passing through the filter unit 46 passes through the fourth mirror 60 and the fifth mirror 62 of the mirror unit 48, and then the sixth reflecting mirror 5
It is reflected by 0 and is scanned and exposed to the photosensitive material 22 located in the exposure section 34.

On the other hand, when changing the magnification and performing exposure, the filter unit 46 and the mirror unit 48 are moved to predetermined positions on the optical path according to the designated magnification, and the lamp unit 42 is also used as described above. Also, the mirror unit 44 moves along the document G to scan and expose the photosensitive material 22 located in the exposure section 34.

The photosensitive material 22 that has been exposed by the exposure device 40 is once fed to the switchback section 70, and then passes through the exposure section 34 again by the reverse rotation of the transport rollers 36, 38, 30 and the branch section 74. After passing through, it is sent to the water application section 72.

In the water coating section 72, the conveyed photosensitive material 2
2 is sent between the guide plate 82 and the coating tank 76 by the drive of the supply roller 78, and is nipped and conveyed by the squeeze roller 80. Here, the photosensitive material 22
Water is applied to the squeeze roller 80, and the squeeze roller 80 removes excess water to pass through the water application section 72. The photosensitive material 22 coated with water as the image forming solvent in the water coating section 72 is sent to the thermal development transfer section 90 by the squeeze roller 80.

On the other hand, as the scanning exposure of the photosensitive material 22 is started, the image receiving material 94 is also pulled out of the receiving material magazine 92 by the nip roller 96 and conveyed. When the image receiving material 94 is pulled out by a predetermined length, the cutter 98 operates and the image receiving material 94 is cut into a predetermined length. Cutter 98
After the operation of, the image receiving material 94 after cutting is guided by the guide plate 104.
Conveyor roller 10 while being guided by A and 104B
0, it is conveyed by the conveyance roller 102, and is in a standby state immediately before the thermal development transfer section 90.

In the heat development transfer section 90, when it is detected that the photosensitive material 22 has been fed between the outer periphery of the heating drum 110 and the laminating roller 114 by the squeeze roller 80, the feeding of the image receiving material 94 is restarted. Laminating roller 11
4 and the heating drum 110 is operated.

The photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94, which are laminated by the laminating roller 114, are sandwiched between the heating drum 110 and the endless pressure contact belt 112 in the superposed state, and are approximately 1 / th of the heating drum 110. It is conveyed over two rounds (between the winding roller 120 and the winding roller 126). Further, when the superposed photosensitive material 22 and image receiving material 94 are completely set between the heating drum 110 and the endless pressure contact belt 112, the heating drum 110 temporarily stops its rotation (for example, 5 to 15 seconds), As a result, the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 are heated. Photosensitive material 22
When heated during the nip and conveyance and when stopped, it releases a movable dye, and at the same time, the dye is transferred to the dye fixing layer of the image receiving material 94 to obtain an image.

In this case, the image recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment
At 0, the photosensitive material 2 heated by the heating drum 110
2 and the image receiving material 94 are stopped at the heating drum 110.
Of the heating drum 110 and is set to a position that is substantially symmetrical with respect to the vertical axis passing through the center of the circle of the heating drum 110. Therefore, even if the surface temperature becomes uneven between the upper position and the lower position of the heating drum 110 due to the convective heat in the heating drum 110, the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 are heated at the position where the temperature difference is small. become. In other words, the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 are uniformly heated in a state where they are hardly affected by convective heat in the heating drum 110.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of density unevenness of the image due to the uneven heating temperature, and it is possible to record a good image.

After that, when the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 are nipped and conveyed and reach the bending guide roller 132 on the side of the heating drum 110, the peeling claw 134 is moved by the cam 116, and the peeling claw 134 is moved by a predetermined length from the image receiving material 94. The peeling claw 134 engages with the leading end of the photosensitive material 22 that is conveyed in advance to peel the leading end of the photosensitive material 22 from the outer periphery of the heating drum 110. Further, the return movement of the peeling claw 134 causes the pinch roller 136 to press the photosensitive material 22.
The photosensitive material 22 is wound around the bending guide roller 132 while being pressed by the pinch roller 136, and is moved laterally. The photosensitive material 22 wound around the bending guide roller 132 further includes a guide plate 138 and a guide roller 144.
Is conveyed by the photosensitive material discharge roller 140 while being guided to the sheet, and accumulated in the waste photosensitive material storage box 146.

On the other hand, the heating drum 1 is separated from the photosensitive material 22.
An image receiving material 94 that moves while being in close contact with 10.
Are sent to the peeling roller 152. When the tip of the image receiving material 94 is nipped by the peeling roller 152 (between the heating drum 110), the peeling claw 15 is again moved by the cam 116.
4 is moved, the peeling claw 154 engages with the tip of the image receiving material 94, and the image receiving material 94 is peeled from the outer periphery of the heating drum 110.

The image receiving material 94 peeled from the outer circumference of the heating drum 110 by the peeling claw 154 is further wound around the peeling roller 152 and moved downward, and is conveyed by the material receiving roller 158 while being guided by the guide plate 156. Further, while being guided by the material receiving guide 160, the material is conveyed by the material receiving discharge roller 162 and the material receiving discharge roller 164, and is discharged to the tray 168.

When carrying out the image recording process for a plurality of sheets, the above steps are successively carried out.

As described above, the image recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment
At 0, the photosensitive material 2 heated by the heating drum 110
2 and the position where the image receiving material 94 is pressed against each other is the heating drum 110.
Since the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 are set in a position that is substantially symmetrical with respect to the vertical axis passing through the center of the circle of the heating drum 110, the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 are located above the heating drum 1.
It is uniformly heated in a state in which it is hardly affected by the convective heat in 10, and uneven density of the image due to uneven heating temperature is prevented, and a good image can be recorded.

Although the photosensitive material 22 and the image receiving material 94 are used as the image recording material in the above-described embodiments, the invention is not limited to this, and other sheet-shaped image recording materials can be applied. Is.

[0080]

As described above, the image recording apparatus according to the present invention is unlikely to be affected by convective heat in the heating drum even when the sandwiching conveyance by the heating drum is temporarily stopped and heating is performed in a stopped state. It has an excellent effect that it is possible to record a good image without density unevenness.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of an image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the image recording apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a correspondence relationship between the heating drum and the endless pressure welding belt of the image recording apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Image Recording Device 22 Photosensitive Material 94 Image Receiving Material 110 Heating Drum 112 Endless Pressure Contact Belt 114 Laminating Roller 118 Halogen Lamp 120 Winding Roller 126 Winding Roller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image-exposed image recording material and another image-recording material for image transfer are attached to each other while being wrapped around the outer periphery of a heating drum and conveyed while being in pressure contact with the outer periphery of the heating drum by a pressure contact belt. In the image recording apparatus that transfers the image to the other image recording material by performing a heat development transfer process by stopping for a predetermined time in the pressed state, the one and the other images pressed against the outer periphery of the heating drum. An image recording method characterized in that the press contact stop position is set at a position where the recording material is in a state of being substantially symmetrical to the left and right with respect to a vertical axis passing through the circular center of the heating drum and above the heating drum. apparatus.