Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – With developing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-08
2001-03-13
Mahoney, Christopher E. (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
With developing
C355S030000, C355S100000, C396S042000, C396S575000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06201594
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus which exposes an image on a photosensitive material and superposes the photosensitive material and an image-receiving material and effects heat development transfer so as to obtain an image on the image-receiving material, and to an application device used in the image recording apparatus and applying a solvent for image formation onto the photosensitive material to obtain an image on the photosensitive material.
2. Description of the Related Art
There exist image recording apparatuses which expose a photosensitive material, apply a solvent for image formation to the exposed photosensitive material, superpose an image-receiving material on the photosensitive material to which the solvent has been applied so that heat development transfer is carried out, so as to obtain an image on the image-receiving material. In this type of conventional image recording apparatus, exposure, application and heat development transfer have conventionally been carried out on respectively different stages. More specifically, the photosensitive material is exposed at an exposure stage. Thereafter, the photosensitive material is conveyed and application is carried out at an application stage which is separate from the exposure stage. Thereafter, the photosensitive material is again conveyed, an image-receiving material is superposed thereon, and heat development transfer is carried out at a transfer stage which is separate from the exposure stage and the application stage.
Effecting exposure, application and heat development transfer at respectively separate stages leads to the apparatus becoming larger on the whole. Further, although there are conventional apparatuses in which an image of a document on a document stand is directly exposed onto the photosensitive material, the implementation of an image recording apparatus in which the image is once read by a memory or the like and digitally exposed is desirable.
Further, in conventional image recording apparatuses such as those described above, the photosensitive material image-exposed in the exposure section is exposed with the ambient temperature at an ordinary temperature. However, the characteristics, color density and color balance of a photosensitive material change easily due to variations in the temperature at the time of exposure. As a result, variations in the ambient temperature at the time of exposure are an obstacle to obtaining stable images of high image quality. In particular, in order to make the image recording apparatus more compact on the whole, the heat development transfer section must be disposed in a vicinity of the exposure section. The variations in temperature of the heat development transfer section affect the exposure section, and countermeasures are needed to overcome this drawback.
There exist image recording apparatuses which expose the image of a document onto a photosensitive material, superpose an image-receiving material onto the photosensitive material after exposure, and effect heat development transfer so as to obtain an image on the image-receiving material. Here, when heat development transfer is carried out with the photosensitive material and the image-receiving material affixed together and entrained about a drum, while the drum rotates, the photosensitive material is peeled from the drum by utilizing a pawl, and the image-receiving material is peeled from the photosensitive material by utilizing a pawl different from the aforementioned pawl. Pawls are thereby needed, and need for two types of pawls results in a lack of stability in peeling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus which enables digital exposure while aiming for compactness.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus in which, even if the photosensitive characteristics of a photosensitive material vary easily due to variations in temperature, fluctuations in color density and color balance can be reduced so that stable images of high image quality can be obtained.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus in which pawls are not needed for peeling so that peeling of a photosensitive material and an image-receiving material is effected stably.
Still other objects of the present invention are to provide recording of images of high image quality by uniformly and stably applying a solvent to a photosensitive material, and to aim for conservation of electric power and a decrease in the start-up time of the image recording apparatus.
The present invention is an image recording apparatus in which an image is exposed on a photosensitive material, the photosensitive material and an image-receiving material are superposed and heat development transfer is effected so that an image is obtained on the image-receiving material, comprising: exposure means for exposing the image onto the photosensitive material; a stage which holds the photosensitive material; an application unit which applies a solvent for image formation onto the photosensitive material held on the stage; a superposing unit which superposes the image-receiving material on the photosensitive material held on the stage; and heating means for heating the photosensitive material and the image-receiving material which are superposed together and held on the stage.
The exposure means exposes an image onto the photosensitive material. With the photosensitive material entrained about and held at the stage, the application unit applies a solvent for image formation to the photosensitive material, the superposing unit superposes the image-receiving material on the photosensitive material, and the superposed photosensitive material and image-receiving material are heated by the heating means. Namely, an image can be exposed onto the photosensitive material by the exposure means moving or by the photosensitive means moving.
Further, after the photosensitive material is exposed by the exposure means, on the common stage, the solvent for image formation is applied, the image-receiving material is superposed on the photosensitive material, and heat development transfer onto the image-receiving material is carried out, so that an image is obtained on the image-receiving material. Accordingly, because the stage is used in common, there is no need to provide separate stages as in the conventional art, and the apparatus can be made more compact. More specifically, conveying means between stages, e.g., rollers or the like, are not needed, and fewer parts can be used and manufacturing costs decrease. Further, the conveying distance is shortened, and the processing speed is made faster.
The heat for the solvent for image formation when the solvent is applied and the heat needed for heat development transfer are obtained by, for example, heating the stage. Because a common heating means can be used, energy can be conserved and the apparatus can be made even more compact.
The image of the document may be scan-exposed onto the photosensitive material by moving the exposure means in one direction relatively to the photosensitive material. At the time of exposure, the exposure means is fixed and successively scan-exposes the moving photosensitive material. Therefore, focusing of the exposure means is easy. For example, if the exposure means is positioned above the stage, the exposure means exposes the image of the document from above the stage, and therefore, the apparatus can be made even more compact. On the other hand, by effecting scan-exposure by moving the exposure means, application of the solvent for image formation, superposing of the image-receiving material on the photosensitive material, heat development transfer onto the image-receiving material, as well as exposure can be effected at a common stage, and the apparatus can be made more compact.
Further, if the exposure means effects sub-scanning by moving in one
Doi Astuhiro
Kohda Hiroyuki
Uchida Kohji
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Mahoney Christopher E.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
LandOfFree
Image recording apparatus and application device thereof does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Image recording apparatus and application device thereof, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Image recording apparatus and application device thereof will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2537444