Electric heating – Heating devices – Combined with diverse-type art device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2001-04-10
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
Combined with diverse-type art device
C219S388000, C399S335000, C118S060000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215103
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat developing apparatus in which a latent image of a heat developing photosensitive material is made visible by being heated thereby developing processing the heat developing photosensitive material.
2. Description of the Related Art
In addition to the photosensitive material that makes visible a latent image formed on the photosensitive material by a wet developing process using a processing solution such as developer, fixer or the like, a photosensitive material that makes visible a latent image by a dry developing process that does not use a processing solution has been used.
As one example of the dry developing process, the following heat- developing is generally carried out: the photosensitive material on which the image is formed by exposure and the image receiving material are superimposed, heated and pressed, thereby transferring the image according to the latent image formed on the photosensitive material by exposure to the image receiving material.
On the other hand, the photosensitive material that is developed by the dry developing process forms a photosensitive layer by using an emulsion that scatters silver halide acting as a photocatalyst, a silver salt acting as an image forming material, a reducing agent for silver ions, and the like within the binder. By heating such a photosensitive material to a predetermined temperature, the latent image formed on the photosensitive layer by exposure can be made visible (hereinafter, referred to a heat developing photosensitive material).
Generally, the heat developing apparatus, which carries out the heat-developing, is provided with a multiplicity of rollers disposed at a heating drum and at a peripheral portion thereof. In such a heat developing apparatus, the heat developing photosensitive material is entrained about the heating drum, while being pressed by the rollers. Then, the heating drum is rotated while the heat developing photosensitive material is nipped between the heating drum and the rollers, thereby transporting the heat developing photosensitive material while heating the heat developing material by the heat of the heating drum.
Examples of the heat developing apparatuses that simultaneously transport and heat the heat developing photosensitive material include a heat developing apparatus in which the heat developing photosensitive material is nipped and transported by multiple roller pairs and heated by heating means such as a heater or the like when the heat developing photosensitive material is passed between the rollers.
However, in some heat developing photosensitive materials, a photosensitive layer may swell and then harden due to heating. With such heat developing photosensitive materials, during heating, wrinkles may be generated because of the photosensitive layer being pressed by the rollers, and irregularities in density due to uneven heating may also be generated.
Especially, in the heat developing apparatus in which the heat developing photosensitive material is nipped and transported by the multiple roller pairs, the surface temperature of the heat developing photosensitive material in the state of being nipped by the rollers and the surface temperature thereof in the state of passing between the roller pairs are different from each other. Further, unless the heat developing photosensitive material is in a state of uniformly contacting a guide or the like, a difference in the surface temperature of the heat developing photosensitive material is caused between a portion which contacts the guide, and other portion which doses not contact the guide.
The deviation in the temperature causes irregularities in density of an image recorded on the heat developing photosensitive material, and when the heat developing photosensitive material is nipped by the rollers, wrinkles are generated in the heat developing photosensitive material due to elongation thereof caused by linear expansion. As a result, the finished quality of the image is deteriorated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described drawbacks and to provide a heat developing apparatus in which a heat developing photosensitive material is developed uniformly, generation of wrinkles or irregularities in density can be prevented, and an image of high finished quality can be formed.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat developing apparatus in which a heat developing photosensitive material is heated while being transported, comprising: insertion means which is disposed at an upstream side of a heating section for heating the heat developing photosensitive material and which nips and conveys the heat developing photosensitive material to the heating section; discharging means which is disposed at a downstream side of the heating section and discharges the heat developing photosensitive material from the heating section; heating means for heating the heat developing photosensitive material in a state of being conveyed in the heating section; and guide means for guiding the heat developing photosensitive material, which is conveyed between the insertion means and the discharging means, while constantly forming an air layer on a surface of the heat developing photosensitive material, which surface has an image recorded thereon.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the heat developing photosensitive material is conveyed between the insertion means and the discharging means, the guide means guides the heat developing photosensitive material in a state of forming an air layer between the guide means and the surface of the heat developing photosensitive material with an image region provided thereon. The air in the air layer is heated by the heating means and the heat developing photosensitive material is heated by heat received from the guide means and by heat of the air in the air layer.
Due to the air layer being formed, the heat developing photosensitive material is conveyed in such a manner that a photosensitive layer thereof does not contact conveying means such as rollers. For this reason, generation of wrinkles caused by application of pressure onto the photosensitive layer during the heating is prevented.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, in the heat developing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the guide means includes a guide plate which faces a transporting passage of the heat developing photosensitive material and a heat insulating member is provided in at least one portion of a surface of the guide plate, which surface contacts the heat developing photosensitive material.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the heat developing photosensitive material inserted by the insertion means is conveyed on the guide plate with the heat insulating member provided thereon. The heat insulating member has a low thermal conductivity, and when the heat insulating member contacts the heat developing photosensitive material, changes in the temperature of the heat developing photosensitive material are slow.
Accordingly, when the heat developing photosensitive material contacts the guide plate, extreme changes in the temperature of portions of the heat developing photosensitive material can be prevented, and generation of wrinkles in the heat developing photosensitive material caused by extreme temperature changes can be prevented.
As the heat insulating member, various resin materials, such as aramid fiber, fluorocarbon resin, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyimide (PI), polyamide-imide (PAI), polyacetal (POM), polyethersulphone (PES), polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and glass fibers can be used singly or in combination. Further, as the heat insulating member, ceramic materials containing the above-mentioned resin materials or glass fibers ca
Arai Eichi
Hashiguchi Akihiro
Matsuda Shin-ichi
Nakahashi Hiroshi
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Fuqua Shawntina T.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Walberg Teresa
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