Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – With developing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-16
2001-04-24
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2858)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
With developing
C355S031000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06222608
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device for forming an image on a roll of photosensitive/pressure-sensitive recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been known an image forming device for forming an image on a roll of photosensitive/pressure-sensitive recording medium that includes microcapsules with dye precursor. In this kind of image forming device, the roll of recording medium is cut down to a predetermined output size by a cutter, which is located at a cutting position. Then, an exposure unit exposes the cut recording medium to a light of a certain wavelength. The microcapsules selectively harden by reacting to the light, and a latent image is formed in the recording medium accordingly. Then, a pair of pressing rollers of a developing unit apply pressure to the recording medium sandwiched therebetween. As a result, unhardened microcapsules are ruptured, and dye precursor exudes from the ruptured microcapsules, thereby developing an image corresponding to the latent image. Afterwards, the image is thermally fixed by a fixing unit.
However, when the recording medium is cut down to the output size, adhesive materials included in the recording medium exude from the cut surface and adhere onto the cutter. The adhesive materials will gradually accumulate on the cutter until eventually the cutter becomes unable to cut the recording medium.
Also, mechanical stress is applied to the recording medium during the cutting operation. This ruptures the microcapsules around the portion of the recording medium, so that the cutting portion of the cut recording medium may be developed in an undesirable color, thereby degrading quality of the developed image.
In order to overcome this problem, there has been proposed an image forming device including the cutting unit shown in FIG.
1
. In this image forming device, an exposure unit
850
exposes a cut portion of a recording medium
810
with white light from the above. Then the recording medium
810
is cut along the exposed cut portion by the cutter
840
. More specifically, as shown in
FIG. 1
, a linear light source
820
emits white light. The light source
820
extends to a greater length than the width of the recording medium
810
. The light emitted from the light source
820
reaches the recording medium
810
through a slit
830
having a predetermined width. Because the cutter
840
cannot be positioned directly below the light source
820
, the cutter
840
is located at a position remote from the exposure unit
840
. Therefore, the recording medium
810
is transported to a cutting position after the exposure operation. The recording medium
810
is placed between a pair of blades
840
a
,
840
b
, and cut along the exposed cutting portion. Because the microcapsules at the exposed cutting portion of the recording medium
810
are all hardened, the microcapsules will not be undesirably ruptured at the cutting operation. Therefore, a high quality image can be provided.
However, the recording medium
810
may be inaccurately transported from the through hole to the cutting position because the feeding mechanism slips or for some other reason. If the cutting portion is exposed to only a narrow width, then when the recording medium
810
is inaccurately transported, it may be cut in front or behind the exposed cutting portion. Therefore, the exposed cutting portion must be formed to have a certain wide width. However, the an image cannot be formed on the exposed cutting portion, so the recording medium
810
is wasted when the cutting portion is formed wide.
Also, because the recording medium
810
is first exposed with a light, transported to the cutting position, and then cut by the cutter
840
, the overall operation takes a relatively long time. Also, because the exposure unit
850
and the cutter
840
are positioned separated from each other, the image forming device has a relatively large size.
Moreover, because a recording medium has a certain thickness, a large shock is applied to the developing unit when the recording medium is first inserted in between the pressing rollers and later discharged from between the pressing rollers. This large shock can produce a loud noise, and can also affect the developing unit, thereby reducing the life of the developing unit.
In order to overcome this problem, Japanese Patent-Application Publication No. HEI-1-300256 discloses a mechanism for cutting down a recording medium at a predetermined angle with respect to a feed direction of the recording medium. That is to say, the recording medium is cut perpendicular to a surface of the recording medium, but at a slant with respect to a widthwise direction of the recording medium. When the recording medium cut in this manner is inserted in between the pressing rollers, a leading edge of the recording medium is gradually inserted in between the pressing rollers, so that the shock is less than in the situation described above. The same is the case when the rear edge of the recording medium is discharged from between the pressing rollers.
However, in this case, when the recording medium is cut at a slant in this manner, the surface area of the portion sandwiched between the pressing rollers will change gradually when the edge portions enter or leave the pressing rollers. Therefore, the pressure per unit surface area on the leading and rear edge portions of the recording medium changes in association with distance that the recording medium is transported. Microcapsules are ruptured in varying amounts depending on pressure applied, so that the color of the developed image will be uneven.
Also, the amount of compression energy that accumulates on the rear edge of the recording medium is much greater than at positions where the width is wider. As a result, the recording medium can fly out of the developing unit with a popping or other an unusual sound. Therefore, pressing development can be sometimes insufficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the present invention to overcome the above-described problems and to provide a photosensitive/pressure-sensitive image forming device including a cleaning unit for cleaning that cutting unit.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a photosensitive/pressure-sensitive image forming device capable of forming a high quality image without undesirable color developed therein or unevenness in color.
It is also another objective of the present invention to provide an economical and small-sized photosensitive/pressure-sensitive image forming device capable of quickly performing an image forming operation without wasting recording medium.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a photosensitive/pressure-sensitive image forming device wherein shock generated when a recording medium enters and leaves a developing unit is reduced, and wherein energy does not accumulate at rear edges of the recording medium, so the recording medium does not fly out of the developing unit.
In order to achieve the above and other objectives, there is provided an image forming device including a cutting unit that cuts a recording medium and a cleaning member that cleans the cutting unit when the cutting unit comes into contact with the cleaning member.
There is also provided an image forming device including a cutting unit that cuts a recording medium and a supply unit that supplies the cutting unit with one of an agent that prevents a foreign material from clinging to the cutting unit and an agent that dissolves an adhesive material contained in the recording medium.
Also, there is provided an image forming device including a transport unit that transports a photosensitive/pressure-sensitive recording medium in a first direction, a frame extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a cutting unit that is slidably supported on the frame and cuts down the photosensitive/pressure-sensitive recording medium by sliding along the frame, and an exposure unit that radiates w
Arakawa Masayuki
Shindo Tatsuya
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Leroux E P
Metjahic Safet
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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