Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Picture signal generator
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-11
2004-10-12
Grant, II, Jerome (Department: 2626)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Picture signal generator
C358S488000, C271S003140, C271S003190
Reexamination Certificate
active
06804032
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording device which exposes a photosensitive material with light to form an image thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photoprinters (photographic printing/developing devices) and printers that record images on various types of photosensitive materials, such as silver photographic photosensitive materials, heat-developing photosensitive materials and light- and heat-sensitive recording materials, are included among conventional image recording devices.
As shown in
FIG. 7
, some image recording devices use a long sheet-like recording paper as a photosensitive material
200
. When a long recording paper is used as the photosensitive material
200
, the photosensitive material
200
is wound around an axial member and stored as a photosensitive material roll
202
in a light-blocking magazine
204
.
The magazine
204
is mounted to a photosensitive material supplying section
206
. A leading edge of the photosensitive material
200
is pulled out from an opening in the magazine
204
by a conveying device disposed in the image recording device. Then, the leading edge of the photosensitive material
200
which was pulled out from the opening is conveyed on a serpentine conveyance path, and is stopped before a printing/conveyance section
210
and made to stand by so that the photosensitive material
200
can readily be printed and exposed.
Next, when a print order is inputted to the image recording device, the conveying device conveys by a short distance to the printing/conveyance device
210
the photosensitive material
200
that is standing by, whereby a predetermined portion of the photosensitive material
200
is positioned at an exposure position
212
on the conveyance path and then stopped.
In this state, an exposure section
214
irradiates light transmitted through a negative film set by a film carrier
216
upon the predetermined portion of the photosensitive material
200
to print and expose the same.
At the time printing/exposure processing is performed, frame information is created by an unillustrated puncher on each print. Sort information indicating film boundaries (e.g., boundary between a first photographic film and a second photographic film) is also formed by the puncher.
A back print is recorded on a back surface of the printed and exposed portion of the photosensitive material
200
, and then the photosensitive material is conveyed on the conveyance path by the conveying device to a development section
218
.
While the photosensitive material
200
is conveyed in the development section
218
at a predetermined speed by the conveying device, the printed and exposed portion is successively immersed in a development solution within a color development tank
220
, a bleaching/fixing solution within a bleaching/fixing tank
222
and water within washing tanks
224
. In this way, the printed and exposed portion is successively color-developed, bleached/fixed and washed, whereby the printed and exposed portion is developed.
The developed portion of the photosensitive material
200
is then passed through a drying section
225
by the conveying device to be dried, and then conveyed to a discharge section
226
. At the discharge section
226
, the frame information formed at the time of printing/exposure is detected and the photosensitive material
200
is cut into prints in accordance with the frame information to make finished prints.
The finished prints are accommodated in a sorter
228
based on the sort information creates at the time of printing/exposure.
In the above-described conventional image recording device, in order to reduce processing time, the leading edge of the photosensitive material
200
is pulled out from the magazine
204
by the conveying device and is made to stand by before the printing/conveyance section
210
on the conveyance path so that the photosensitive material
200
can readily be printed and exposed.
Such image recording devices are not limited to the kind in which an operator always inputs print orders and each process is successively and continuously carried out while the photosensitive material
200
is conveyed by the conveying device.
For example, processing within the recording device is also frequently performed intermittently. In this case, a print order is inputted to the image recording device and print processing for the order is carried out. After an uncertain period of time, another print order is inputted and print processing for the order is carried out.
When processing is performed intermittently, the leading edge of the photosensitive material
200
is made to stand by at a curved region of the conveyance path until a print order for a next print is inputted. When the period of time in which the photosensitive material
200
is made to stand by becomes long, the curved leading edge of the photosensitive material
200
becomes plastically deformed and can retain the shape (i.e., a curl having a small diameter) of the curved region of the conveyance path at which it was made to stand by.
When the leading edge of the photosensitive material
200
retains the shape of the curved region of the conveyance path at which it was made to stand by and becomes curled as a result, there is the potential for conveyance of the photosensitive material
200
to be hindered or for the photosensitive material
200
to become jammed in the image recording device when the curled leading edge is advanced by the conveying device on the serpentine conveyance path. Moreover, when the curled photosensitive material
200
is processed and an image is recorded thereon, the finished print may be curled as well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-described facts, an object of the present invention is to provide an image recording device that can prevent a photosensitive material from retaining the shape of a path along which the photosensitive material is conveyed, even when the photosensitive material is made to stand by on the conveyance path.
An image recording device relating to a first aspect of the present invention, comprising: a standby device for conveying, before processing for recording an image on a photosensitive material is implemented, a leading edge of the photosensitive material to a standby position at a curved region on a conveyance path, with the curved region having a relatively small radius of curvature, to thereby make the leading edge of the photosensitive material stand by; and a retracting device for moving, before the leading edge of the photosensitive material retains a curved shape of the conveyance path enough to cause the photosensitive material to become jammed in the image recording device, the leading edge of the photosensitive material to a retraction position, the retraction position being one of a position at which the leading edge can be held linearly on the conveyance path and a position at which the leading edge can be held along a curve, on the conveyance path, having a relatively large radius of curvature.
In the image recording device of the first aspect, if the period of time in which the photosensitive material is made to stand by becomes long, the retracting device moves the leading edge of the photosensitive material from the standby state, in which the leading edge is curved, to the retracted state, in which the leading edge is curved more largely or linearly extended. The retracting device moves the leading edge to the retracted state before the curved leading edge is able to retain the shape of the curved region of the conveyance path at which it was made to stand by and cause the photosensitive material to become jammed in the image recording device. Therefore, even if the period of time in which the photosensitive material is made to stand by becomes long, it is possible to prevent the leading edge of the photosensitive material from retaining the curved shape of the conveyance path. Hence, it is possible to prevent the photosensitive material from becoming jammed in the image
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Grant II Jerome
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