Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – With developing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2001-11-20
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
With developing
C399S119000, C399S252000, C399S335000, C399S357000, C399S338000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06320642
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat development apparatus for recording an image on a dry recording material, and more particularly to a structure of a cooling section for cooling a recording material heated by a heat development section for subjecting to a heat treatment, the recording material on which a latent image has been formed.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image recording apparatus or recording a medical image for use in a digital radiography system, a CT, an MR or the like which uses a heat accumulating fluorescent sheet is known. The foregoing apparatus employs a wet system for obtaining a reproduced image by performing a wet process after an image has been photographed or recorded on a silver-salt photographic photosensitive material.
In recent years, a recording apparatus has attracted attention which employs a dry system in which the wet process is not performed. The foregoing recording apparatus is arranged to use a photosensitive and/or thermo-sensitive recording material or a film made of a heat development photosensitive material (hereinafter called “recording materials”). In the recording apparatus using the dry system, the recording material is irradiated (scanned) with a laser beam in an exposing section so that a latent image is formed. Then, the recording material is, in a heat development section, brought into contact with a heating means so that heat development is performed. Then, the recording material on which an image has been formed is discharged to the outside of the apparatus.
The dry system of the foregoing type is able to form an image in a shorter time as compared with the wet process. Moreover, the problem of a necessity of disposal of waste liquid produced in the wet process can be overcome. Therefore, increase in the demand of the dry system is expected.
FIG. 1
shows a conventional heat development apparatus. A cooling section
400
indicated with a dashed line in a heat development apparatus
10
is a portion added according to the present invention.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, the image forming apparatus
10
is an apparatus arranged to use a heat development photosensitive material (hereinafter called a “recording material A”) which does not require the wet development process. Moreover, scanning exposure using laser beam L is performed to expose the recording material A to correspond to a required image so that a latent image is formed. Then, heat development is performed so that a visible image is obtained. The image forming apparatus
10
comprises a recording-material supply section
12
, a width aligning section
14
, an image exposing section
16
and a heat development section
18
disposed in this order in a direction in which the recording material A is conveyed.
The recording-material supply section
12
has two sections
80
having inside portions
22
and
24
to permit selective use of the recording materials A (for example, B4-size recording materials or half-cut recording materials) set in the foregoing sections through magazines
100
. The recording material A is a recording material on which an image is recorded (exposed) by the laser beam L and which is developed with heat to develop color. In accordance with a print command, an uppermost recording material A in the magazine
100
selected by suction cups
26
and
28
structured to suck each sheet in a state in which the cover of the magazine is opened is taken out. Then, the recording material A is guided by paired supply rollers
30
and
32
, paired conveying rollers
34
and
36
and conveying guides
38
,
40
and
42
disposed downstream in the conveying direction so as to be conveyed to the width aligning section
14
.
The width aligning section
14
aligns the position of the recording material A with a direction (hereinafter called a “widthwise direction”) perpendicular to the conveying direction. In the downstream image exposing section
16
, the width aligning section
14
performs alignment of the recording material A in the main scanning direction, that is, so-called side regist. Then, a conveying roller pair
44
conveys the recording material A to the downstream image exposing section
16
.
The downstream image exposing section
16
uses a laser beam to expose the recording material A to correspond to the image the image exposing section
16
incorporating an exposing unit
46
and a sub-scan conveying means
48
.
FIG. 2
shows an example of the image exposing section
16
.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, the image exposing section
16
incorporates:
(1) a first laser-beam source
50
having a semiconductor laser
50
a
for emitting laser beam L
0
having a wavelength serving as a reference for a recording operation, a collimater lens
50
b
for converting the laser beams into a parallel luminous flux and a cylindrical lens
50
c;
and
(2) a second laser-beam source
200
having a second semiconductor laser unit
200
a
for emitting laser beam L
1
in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the optical axis of the first laser-beam source
50
and having a different wavelength from that of the first laser beam, a collimater leans
200
b
and a cylindrical lens
200
c.
Light emitted from each of the laser-beam sources
50
and
200
is allowed to pass through a polarizing beam splitter
202
so as to be formed into superimposed beams having the same phase. Then, the beams are allowed to pass through a reflecting mirror
204
so as to be made incident on a polygonal mirror
54
. When the polygonal mirror
54
is rotated, the laser beam is applied in a main scanning direction b through a f&thgr; lens
56
and a cylindrical mirror
58
while the laser beam is being polarized.
In response to an input image signal, a control unit (not shown) operates a driver
52
so as to rotate a conveying motor
206
provided for a polygonal mirror (a rotative polygonal mirror)
54
and a roller pair
60
,
62
. Thus, while the recording material A is being scanned in the main scanning direction b with the laser beam, the recording material A is conveyed in a sub-scanning direction a.
As a result, while the recording material A is being sequentially conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by the conveying motor
206
provided for the roller pair
60
,
62
, a latent image having a predetermined outline is formed on the surface of the recording material A in the main scanning direction.
As described above, the first laser beam and the second laser beam, which is emitted in a direction perpendicular to the optical direction of the first laser beam and having a different wavelength are used. Thus, generation of interference fringes caused from reflection of the laser beam in the layer occurring owning to a thin thickness of an Em (emulsion) can be prevented. As a result, a latent image having a clear outline can be formed on the surface of the recording material A.
Referring again to
FIG. 1
, then, the recording material A caused to have the latent image formed by the image exposing section
16
shown in
FIG. 2
is conveyed to the heat development section
18
by conveying roller pairs
64
,
66
and
132
. The heat development section
18
is a section for heating the recording material A to perform the heat development to convert the latent image into a visible image. A plate heater
320
accommodated in the heat development section
18
includes a heating member which is a plate-like heating member including a heating member, such as a nichrome wire, which is laid flatly. Thus, the development temperature for the recording material A is maintained. As shown in the drawing, the plate heater
320
projects upwards. Moreover, there are provided a supply roller
326
serving as a conveying means for relatively moving the recording material A with respect to the plate heater
320
while making, contact the recording material A with the surface of the plate heater
320
; and a pressing roller
322
which transmits heat from the plate heater
320
to the recording material A and disposed adjacent to the lower surface oft t
Ogawa Masaharu
Torisawa Nobuyuki
Adams Russell
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Fuller Rodney
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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