JPH11147326A5 - - Google Patents

Description

[0006]
The present invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned background, and has as its object to provide an image recording apparatus of a multiple exposure type that is capable of changing the pixel size.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus capable of performing multiple exposure using an exposure head that has been available at a relatively low cost.

[0011]
In this configuration, the size of a single pixel can also be changed by adjusting the inclination of the arrangement direction of the multiple light-emitting elements with respect to the sub-scanning direction. That is, by adjusting the inclination of the arrangement direction of the light-emitting elements with respect to the sub-scanning direction to increase the overlapping portion of the beam spots formed on the photosensitive material, the size of a pixel can be reduced. Also, by adjusting the inclination of the arrangement direction of the light-emitting elements with respect to the sub-scanning direction to decrease the overlapping portion of the beam spots formed on the photosensitive material, the size of a pixel can be increased.
The invention of claim 4 is an image recording device that exposes a photosensitive material by irradiating it with a plurality of beam spots to record an image on the photosensitive material, and includes an exposure head that can form a plurality of beam spots arranged in a matrix in mutually perpendicular row and column directions so that the beam spots do not overlap each other, a head holder for fixing and mounting the exposure head, and moving means for relatively moving the head holder to which the exposure head is mounted and the photosensitive material to expose and scan the photosensitive material with the plurality of beam spots, wherein the exposure head is mounted in an inclined state with respect to the head holder so that the column direction of the beam spots formed in a matrix on the photosensitive material is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the relative movement direction of the head holder and the photosensitive material by the moving means, and when the head holder and the photosensitive material are moved relatively by the moving means, the image recording device is characterized in that the plurality of beam spots are formed on the photosensitive material in a state where they partially overlap with each other.
According to this configuration, image recording using a multiple exposure method and a multi-beam exposure method can be achieved using an exposure head that has been available for a long time and is capable of forming multiple beam spots arranged in a matrix, and which has been available at a relatively low cost.

Claims (4)

An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a sensitive material by a multiple exposure method in which one pixel is recorded using at least two light beams, comprising:
an exposure head having a plurality of light emitting elements for generating a light beam;
a moving means for moving the photosensitive material relative to the irradiation position of the light beam from the exposure head;
and timing control means for controlling the light emission timing of each light-emitting element so that a plurality of beam spots formed on the photosensitive material by the light beam from the exposure head are aligned in a line in a direction substantially perpendicular to the relative movement direction of the photosensitive material, and adjacent beam spots partially overlap each other. 2. The image recording device according to claim 1, further comprising a light emission time adjusting means for adjusting the lighting times of the plurality of light emitting elements in accordance with the number of beam spots for recording one pixel so that the pixel has an approximately square shape. The plurality of light-emitting elements provided in the exposure head are linearly arranged with a predetermined interval between adjacent light-emitting elements,
3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure head is arranged so that the arrangement direction of the plurality of light emitting elements is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the sub-scanning direction. An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a photosensitive material by exposing the photosensitive material with a plurality of beam spots,
an exposure head capable of forming a plurality of beam spots arranged in a matrix in mutually orthogonal row and column directions without overlapping each other;
a head holder for fixing and mounting the exposure head;
a moving means for relatively moving a head holder to which the exposure head is attached and the photosensitive material, thereby exposing and scanning the photosensitive material with a plurality of beam spots;
Including,
an exposure head mounted in a tilted state relative to the head holder so that the column direction of beam spots formed in a matrix on the photosensitive material is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the direction of relative movement of the head holder and the photosensitive material by the moving means; and when the head holder and the photosensitive material are moved relatively by the moving means, a plurality of beam spots are formed on the photosensitive material with each beam spot partially overlapping adjacent beam spots.