Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-06
2004-11-09
Mathews, Alan (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
C355S040000, C355S072000, C271S008100, C271S314000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06816229
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording device that exposes a photosensitive material with light so as to form an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a printing device utilizing digital exposure has been practically used. Namely, a digital photoprinter in which an image recorded in a photographic film is photoelectrically read, the read image is converted into a digital signal, then various image processings are performed for the digital signal so that the digital signal is converted into image data for recording, a photographic printing paper is scanned and exposed by recording light modulated in accordance with the resultant image data so that an image (latent image) is recorded on the photographic printing paper, and the photographic printing paper is subjected to development processing so as to be outputted as a print (photograph) has been practically used.
Such digital photoprinter is basically structured by an input device which has a scanner (image reading device) and an image processing device and an output device which has a printing device (image recording device) and a development device. The scanner photoelectrically reads projection light of image photographed in a photographic film by an image sensor such as a CCD sensor or the like and sends image data of the photographic film (image data signal) to an image processing device. The image processing device performs predetermined image processings for the image data and sends the resultant data as output image data for image recording (exposure condition). The printing device utilizing, for example, light beam scanning and exposure deflects light beam modulated in accordance with the supplied image data in a main scanning direction, and scans and conveys a photographic printing paper in a sub-scanning direction which is perpendicular to the main scanning direction, so that the photographic printing paper is scanned and exposed by the light beam, a latent image is formed and a back print is recorded. The development device performs predetermined development processings for the exposed photographic printing paper so as to produce a print that the image photographed in the photographic film is reproduced.
At this time, the image recording device cuts an elongated photographic printing paper wound in a roll by a predetermined length to produce a sheet of photographic printing paper and then main-scans the sheet by light beam while conveying the same in the sub-scanning direction. In this way, image recording is successively performed.
Further, the image recording device is provided with two pairs of conveyance rollers at conveyance direction upstream side and downstream side, respectively with an exposure position being interposed therebetween. By the roller pairs nipping the photographic printing paper, flatness of the photographic printing paper at the exposure position is ensured and the photographic printing paper is conveyed with high precision. As a result, excellent image recording is accomplished.
In order to ensure the flatness of photographic printing paper at the exposure position, the conveyance roller pairs disposed immediately before and after the exposure position are desirably disposed so as to be as close as possible to the exposure position. Nevertheless, there is a limit to dispose the conveyance roller pairs so as to be close to the exposure position depending on an arrangement of driving system for the conveyance roller pairs and a diameter of the rollers. Consequently, a leading edge of the photographic printing paper becomes free until the leading edge thereof passes through the conveyance roller pair disposed immediately before the exposure position and reaches the conveyance roller pair immediately after the exposure position, and thus exposure unevenness may occur because of curl of the photographic printing paper.
Then, a pressing roller with smaller diameter than the conveyance roller is disposed between the exposure position and the conveyance roller pair at the conveyance direction upstream side. By the pressing roller pressing the photographic printing paper against a guide plate, floating of the photographic printing paper at the exposure position can be suppressed and thus excellent image recording can be performed.
Specifically, as shown in
FIG. 10
(referred to as conventional example 1 hereinafter), a sheet of photographic printing paper A is nipped by a conveyance roller pair
100
disposed at the conveyance direction upstream side and a conveyance roller pair
102
disposed at the conveyance direction downstream side with an exposure position P being interposed therebetween, and thus conveyed with high precision. Further, a back surface of the photographic printing paper is supported by a flutter guide
104
in a vicinity of the exposure position P and a pressing roller
106
disposed between the conveyance roller pair
100
and the exposure position P abuts against an emulsion surface of the photographic printing paper A. In this way, floating of the photographic printing paper A is prevented.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 11-338060 (referred to as conventional example 2 hereinafter) discloses a structure that in order to ensure flatness of photographic printing paper, a fixing guide and a pressing roller are respectively disposed at the conveyance direction upstream side and the conveyance direction downstream side with an exposure position being interposed therebetween so as to be further toward the exposure position side than the conveyance roller pairs.
In accordance with the structure of conventional example 1, however, a distance from the exposure position P to a nip position of the conveyance roller pair
102
at the conveyance direction downstream side is long and thus a trailing edge of the photographic printing paper A may be curled subsequent to passing through the pressing roller
106
and image unevenness may occur.
Especially when the photographic printing paper is curled toward the side of emulsion surface (curled above), an amount of curl becomes large, which becomes a problem because unlike the back surface side, the emulsion surface side is not supported by the flutter guide.
In accordance with the structure of conventional example 2, since the fixing guide and the pressing roller are not moved from their pressing positions with respect to the photographic printing paper, the photographic printing paper may be vibrated when its leading edge enters under the fixing guide and the pressing roller or by impact caused by the trailing edge of the photographic printing paper passing through the fixing guide and the pressing roller. As a result, exposure unevenness may be generated at photographic printing paper being exposed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was developed in light of the above-described facts, and an object of the invention is to provide an image recording device that is capable of recording an image with success by suppressing vibration of photosensitive material at an exposure position.
According to a first aspect of image recording device of the invention, an image recording device that exposes a sheet of photosensitive material with light so as to record an image, comprises a plurality of conveyance roller pairs that are disposed before and after an exposure position, nip and convey the photosensitive material so as to ensure flatness of the photosensitive material at the exposure position; a support member that supports a back surface of the photosensitive material before and after the exposure position; a plurality of pressing members that are respectively disposed, at least, between the conveyance roller pair disposed immediately before the exposure position and the exposure position and between the conveyance roller pair disposed immediately after the exposure position and the exposure position, and press the photosensitive material against the support member; and a release mechanism that performs nipping
ip-releasing of the conve
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