JPH045647A - image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that forms a color image using a color mask original plate of a color-separated moon.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in this type of image recording device, a set of three mask original plates, in which a color image is separated according to the three primary colors of light, that is, an image from which red, green, and blue components are extracted, is printed in black using a laser printer. The mask original plate expressed in is sequentially overlapped with a photosensitive recording medium, and the photosensitive recording medium is exposed to light corresponding to the mask image of the mask original plate by exposing it from above with a light source, thereby hardening the microcapsules on the surface of the photosensitive recording medium. Image recording devices that record color images are known.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-mentioned image recording device, when exposing the mask original plate and the photosensitive recording medium in a different order, the output color image may be slightly different. There was a problem in that a color difference occurred.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an image recording device in which the quality of the output image is the same even if the mask originals are inserted in the wrong order. There is.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the image recording device of the present invention separates image information into the three primary colors of light and forms monochromatic light-shielding images corresponding to each color. a plurality of mask originals, a positioning means for positioning the mask originals at specific positions on a photosensitive recording medium, and an exposure means for performing color separation exposure through the mask originals; a reading means provided above and reading information indicating which color the mask original is formed to correspond to; and a reading means for reading information indicating which color the mask original is formed to correspond to; and a control means for performing exposure in close contact with the recording medium.

[Operation] According to the present invention having the above configuration, the reading means reads information provided on the mask original plate indicating which color the mask original plate is formed to correspond to. Then, the control means brings the mask originals into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium in the same order and performs exposure based on the information read by the reading means. This ensures that an output image of constant quality is always obtained.

[Example 1] Hereinafter, an example embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram in which a monochrome laser printer (hereinafter referred to as a laser printer) 1 and an image recording device 20 are combined and arranged.

First, the laser printer 1 is mounted on top of the image recording device 20. In the laser printer 1, a polygon scanner 2 irradiates a charged photoreceptor 3 with laser light, thereby drawing an electrostatic latent image. The photoreceptor 3 on which the electrostatic latent image has been formed is developed by a developing device 4, and the toner image is transferred onto plain paper or OHP sheet 2 supplied from a paper feed cassette 5, and fixed by a fixing device 6. Laser printer 1 typically records data transmitted from a host computer.

The output from the laser printer 1 is sent to the paper path switching unit 10.
If a black and white image is required, the document is sent to the monochrome output tray 11 or to the automatic document feeder (hereinafter referred to as ADF) tray 12; if a color image is required,
After being delivered to the ADF tray 12, it is taken into the image recording device 20.

The sheets sent to the ADF tray 12 are taken into the image recording device 20 one by one by the ADF paper feed roller 13, and the three sheets of monochrome printed paper output from the laser printer 1 form a set to form an image. Mask original plate 15 (15R) of recording device 20.

15G, 15B). This mask original version 1
As shown in FIG. 2, in the non-image area above 5, there is a barcode 10 that is information indicating whether the mask original 15 is produced in accordance with one of the three primary colors of light.
4 is provided.

Next, the configuration of the image recording device 20 will be explained.

A positioning device 31 is provided at the bottom of the main body of the image recording device 20.
is located, and the positioning device 31 is
The space between them is connected by a mask original transport path 21. On both the left and right sides of the alignment device 31 are roller pairs 22.23, 24.25, 26.27 whose rotational direction can be controlled, a gate 28.29, and mask original storage units 102, 106, 10.
7 are arranged. In the middle of the mask original conveying path 21, there is a bar serving as a reading means for reading a bar code 104 indicating which color of the three primary colors of light the mask original 15 discharged from the laser printer 1 was manufactured to correspond to. A code reading sensor 105 and a pair of recurler rollers 101 for removing curls from the mask original 15 that has been conveyed are arranged. Roller pair 26.2
On the outside of 7, there is a mask original plate 01 paper tray 3o for discharging the used mask original plate 15.

Roller pair 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 2732.3
3 and gates 28 and 29, as shown in FIG.
26a, 27a, 32a, 33a and the solenoids 28a, 29a, and the drive unit 2
2 a, 23 a, 24 a, 25 a,
26a, 27a, 32a, 33a and solenoid 28
a, 29a are connected to the control section 110. Control part 1
10, each roller pair 22 . 2324.25, 26, 27,
It controls the operations of gates 32 and 33 and gates 28 and 29.

The positioning device 31 includes a sensor (not shown), a pair of rollers 32 and 33 placed near both left and right ends, and a glass plate 34 placed between them.

An exposure device 41 is arranged below the alignment device 31, and the exposure device 41 is movable in the left-right direction along the alignment device 31.

The exposure device 41 is a linear white light source (hereinafter referred to as a lamp).
42, a reflecting plate 43 that reflects light from the lamp 42, and a filter unit 44 including a red filter 44R, a green filter 44G, and a blue filter 44B.

The photosensitive recording medium 50 is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-14304.
The main material is a photocurable resin using a photopolymerization initiator known in Publication No. 4, and includes a photocurable resin that cures with light of each wavelength of red, green, and blue, and cyan, magenta, Microcapsules containing yellow dye precursors are coated on a base sheet.

The photosensitive recording medium 50 is housed in a cartridge 51 so as not to be exposed to light. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is routed from inside the cartridge 51, passing between the glass plate 34 and the exposure table 52, passing through a buffer 55, a separating roller 64, a pressure developing device 70, and a driving roller 57, to the take-up roller 54. . The exposure table 52 is lowered by a cam 53 and is configured to bring the mask original 15 conveyed onto the glass plate 34 and the photosensitive recording medium 50 into close contact.

Furthermore, the fixed roller 56 is pushed by the left end of the exposure table 52 when the exposure table 52 is lowered to a predetermined position.
The photosensitive recording medium 50 is placed on the exposure table 5 during exposure of the mask original 15.
It is arranged to be fixed at 2.

The color developer sheet 60 is made by, for example, JP-A-Sho! 58-88739
It is constructed by applying the developer disclosed in the above publication onto a base paper, and is set in the cassette 61 so that the developer-coated surface faces downward.

At the top of the cassette 61, a suction cup 62 for feeding the developer sheets 60 one by one is arranged.

The pressure developing device 70 is composed of a pair of pressure rollers 71 and the like that superpose the photosensitive recording medium 50 on which a latent image has been formed by exposure and the color developer sheet 60 and develop the image under pressure.

The heat fixing device 80 is constructed between a casing 83 containing a heater 81 and an impeller 82 in the upper part, rubber rollers 84, 85, 86 for conveying the color developer sheet 60 in the lower part, and rollers 87 and 88. A paper ejection tray 63 is attached to the side of the heat fixing device 80.

In the apparatus configured as described above, the operation when obtaining a plurality of color images from one set of mask originals will be described next.

First, a mask original plate 1 for red is printed using a laser printer 1.
5R will be created. This mask original plate 15R is a mask original plate in which toner, which is a light-shielding image, is placed on other parts of the microcapsules coated on the photosensitive recording medium 50 in order to harden the microcapsules containing a cyan dye precursor. be.

At this time, the mask original plate 1 outputted from the laser printer 1
5R is delivered to the ADF tray 12 and fed into the image recording device 20 by the ADF paper feed roller 13. The mask original 15R fed into the image recording device 20 passes through the mask original transport path 21 and is sent to the positioning device 31 by the roller pair 24, 22. On the way, the curl of the mask master plate 15R is corrected by the curler roller 101. At this time, the gate 28 is at the position indicated by the solid line.

Next, the alignment device 31 transports the mask original 15R to an appropriate exposure position by the roller pair 32, and then uses a drive source (not shown) to read the alignment mark printed on the mask original 15R with a sensor. move it into place.

Immediately before positioning, the exposure table 52 is lowered to a predetermined position by the cam 53, and the fixed roller 56 is pressed against the left end of the exposure table 52 to fix the photosensitive recording medium 50 to the exposure table 52. After the alignment is completed, the exposure table 52 is further lowered by the cam 53 and comes into contact with the glass plate 34 of the alignment device 31, and the mask original 15R and the photosensitive recording medium 50 are exposed.
and bring them into close contact.

When the exposure table 52 comes into close contact with the alignment device 31, the lamp 4
2 lights up, and the exposure device 41 performs scanning exposure in the direction of arrow A in order to expose the photosensitive recording medium 50 with red light through the red filter 44R. When the exposure is completed, the lamp 42 is turned off and the exposure device 41 moves back in the direction of arrow B. At this time, the filter unit 44 of the exposure device 41 is moved by a drive source (not shown), and the green filter 44G is positioned above the lamp 42.

While the exposure device 41 moves backward, the exposure table 52 is raised by the rotation of the cam 53, and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is separated from the alignment device 31 and the mask original 15R. At this time, back tension is applied to the photosensitive recording medium 50 at the center of roll rotation of the photosensitive recording medium 50 in the cartridge 51, and when the exposure table 52 descends,
A length corresponding to the descending amount of the exposure table 52 is pulled out from the storage cart 1 and the slider 51, and when the exposure is finished and the exposure table 52 is raised, the photosensitive recording medium 50 is rewound in a direction to take up the slack. It has become.

Even after the exposure of the red mask master plate 15R is completed, the exposure table 52 only rises to a predetermined position, and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is moved to the exposure table by a fixed roller 56 pressed against the left end of the exposure table 52. It remains fixed at 52.

Next, the green mask original 15G created by the laser printer 1 is transferred to the ADF) lay 12, ADF paper feed roller 13, recurler roller 101, mask original transport path 2,
1 and just before the roller pair 24, the roller pairs 22, 24, 25, 27 and the roller pair 32, 33 of the positioning device 31 are rotated in the direction of conveying the mask original 15R to the right, and the mask At the same time as the original 15R is sent out from the alignment device 31, the mask original 15G is transported to the exposure position and stopped. At this time, the gates 28 and 29 are located at the positions indicated by solid lines, and the exposed mask original 15R is sandwiched between the pair of rollers 27, and with its rear end passing through the gate 29, the rotation of the pair of rollers 27 is stopped. As a result, it is held in the mask original storage section 106. The mask original plate 15R is necessarily held in the mask original storage unit 106.

The mask original 15G guided by the alignment device 31 is aligned with the photosensitive recording medium 50 in the same manner as the mask original 15R, and then the exposure table 52 is lowered to align the mask original 15G with the photosensitive recording medium 50. Being brought into close contact. Thereafter, the lamp 42 is turned on and exposure to green light is performed via the green filter 44G. After exposure,
The exposure table 52 is raised to a predetermined position. Exposure device 4
1 is moved back to the original position and moves the filter unit 44 so that the blue filter 44B is located above the lamp 42.

Next, the blue mask original 15B created by the laser printer 1 is similarly fed to the image recording device 20, and is conveyed just before the roller pair 24.
4, 22, 25, 26 and the pair of rollers 32, 33 of the alignment device 31 are rotated in the direction of conveying the mask original 15G to the right, sending out the mask original 15G from the alignment device 31 and transporting the mask original 15B. It is transported to the exposure position and stopped. At this time, the gate 28 is located at the position shown by the solid line, and the gate 29 is located at the position shown by the broken line. By stopping the rotation of the pair 26, it is held in the mask original storage section 107. Mask original plate 15G is a must-have mask original storage part 1
07.

The mask original 15B guided to the alignment device 31 is
It is brought into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium 50 by a similar operation. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is exposed to blue light through the mask original 15B.

Through the above operations, a latent image of a desired color image is recorded on the photosensitive recording medium 50.

Next, the exposure table 52 is raised to the initial position, the fixed roller 56 and the left end of the exposure table 52 are separated from each other, and the buffer 55 is moved in the direction of the arrow E to remove the unexposed portions of the photosensitive recording medium 50. is pulled out from inside the cartridge 51 below the exposure table 52. Drive roller 57
The photosensitive recording medium 50 is conveyed and stopped when the leading edge of the latent image reaches the pressure roller 71 of the pressure developing device 70.

In synchronization with the movement of the photosensitive recording medium 50, the developer sheet 60
is sent out from the cassette 61 by a suction cup 62, and is conveyed to a position where the leading edge of the developer sheet 60 corresponds to the leading edge of the latent image on the photosensitive recording medium 50, and then stopped.

Next, by a drive device (not shown), the pressure roller 71 of the pressure developing device 70 is rotated in the direction of the arrow and pressed against the roller 71 . At this time, by lowering the exposure table 52 to a predetermined position again, the fixed roller 5 is placed on the left end of the exposure table 52.
6 is pressed, and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is fixed to the exposure table 52. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is conveyed while being pressed while being overlapped with the color developer sheet 60, and the photosensitive recording medium 50
The upper uncured microcapsules are destroyed by pressure, and a color image corresponding to the latent image on the photosensitive recording medium 50 is developed on the color developer sheet 60.

By rotating the pressure roller 71 of the pressure developing device 70 in the direction of the arrow, the buffer 55 is moved in the direction of the arrow F. The color developer sheet 60 is peeled off from the photosensitive recording medium 50 by a separation roller 64 and guided toward a heat fixing device 80 .

In the heat fixing device 80, the color developer sheet 60 is heated by a heater 81 and by air circulating in a casing 83 by an impeller 82, thereby promoting color development of a color image. Along with this, a binder polymer (binder resin) for fixing the color developing medium to the base paper of the color developer sheet 60
is thermally melted, the surface becomes smooth, and the surface of the color developer sheet 60 has an appropriate gloss. The color developer sheet 60 that has been subjected to color development and gloss treatment is discharged to a paper discharge tray 63.

During the above-described series of development and coloring/glossy processing, the photosensitive recording medium 50 is held and fixed between the exposure table 52 and the fixed roller 56. Therefore, while the development processing for one screen is being performed, the next exposure point is It is possible to perform exposure processing on the latent image of a color image.

When exposing the second color image, first, the mask original 15B at the exposure position is sent to the left, and the mask original 15R held at the position of the roller pair 27 is sent to the alignment device 31 by the rollers. vs. 24, 22, 2
5.27 and the roller pair 32.33 of the alignment device 31 are rotated so as to convey the mask original 15R to the left. At this time, the gate 28 is located at the position shown by the broken line, and the gate 29 is located at the position shown by the solid line. The mask original plate 15B is sandwiched between the roller pair 23, and the rotation of the roller pair 23 is stopped at the position where the rear end passes the gate 28, and the mask original plate storage section 10
2. The mask original 15B is always held in the mask original storage section 102.

The mask original 15R sent to the alignment device 31 is aligned and brought into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium 50. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is exposed to red light through the mask original 15R.

Next, after sending the mask original 15R at the exposure position to the mask original storage unit 106, the mask original 15G held in the mask original storage unit 107 is transferred to the alignment device 31.
The roller pairs 22, 23, 25, 26 and the roller pair 32, 33 of the positioning device 31 are used to feed the mask original 1
It is rotated to convey 5G to the left. At this time, the gates 28 and 29 are located at the positions indicated by broken lines. The mask original 15G sent to the alignment device 31 is aligned and brought into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium 50. The photosensitive recording medium 50 is exposed to green light through the mask original 15G.

Next, after sending the mask original 15G at the exposure position to the mask original storage section 107, a similar operation is performed to send the mask original 15B held at the position of the roller pair 23 to the alignment device 31, and photosensitive recording is performed. A latent color image is formed on the medium 50, and a color image is formed on the developer sheet 60.

By repeating the same operation, one set of mask originals 1
5, a predetermined number of color images can be output.

After obtaining the required number of color images from the same mask original 15, each mask original 15 is discharged from the roller pair 27 or the roller pair 26 to the paper discharge tray 30.

In addition, if the next mask original 15 is output from the laser printer 1 while a series of color images are being exposed, it is stored in the ADF tray 12 and waits until the exposure of the previous set is completed. The ADF paper feed roller 13 feeds the paper sheets one by one into the color image recording apparatus 20 .

In addition, mask original 1 output from another laser printer
5 or a previously used mask original 15, the mask original 15 can be input by setting them on the ADF tray 12. Figure 2 is mask original 1
5, provided in a place other than the image area 103,
A barcode 104 indicating that it is a red, green, and blue mask original plate 15 is shown.

When using the previously used mask master plate 15 again,
Input can be performed by setting a set of three sheets on the ADF tray 12, but even if the order of red, green, and blue is incorrect, the color information of the mask original 15 can be recognized by reading the barcode 104 with the barcode reading sensor 105. , red, green.

The mask original plates 15 can be brought into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium 50 and exposed in the order of blue. The operation will be explained with reference to FIG.

First, when the previously used mask originals 15 are to be used again, a set of three originals is set on the ADF tray 12 and transported one by one (step 1, hereinafter referred to as S1. The same applies to other steps). A barcode reading sensor 105 reads the barcode 104 which is the color information of the mask original plate 15 that has been conveyed.
reads it (S2). Barcode reading sensor 105
Based on the barcode 104 read by the control unit 11
0 is each roller pair 22, 23, 24, 25, 2627.3
2.33 and each gate 28.29, each mask original plate 15R, 15G, 15B is stored in a predetermined mask original storage part 10.
6,107,102. When the first mask original 15 transported is the mask original 15B (S
3:B) The mask original 15B is transported to the alignment device 31, and then transported to the mask original storage unit 102 and stored therein (S4), similar to the operation described above. At this time, not all mask originals 15 have been stored in the respective mask original storage units 102, 106, and 107 (S7: No), so the process returns to Sl. Then, the next mask original 15 is transported from the ADF tray 12 (sl). The barcode reading sensor 10 reads the barcode 104 which is the color information of the mask original plate 15 that has been conveyed.
5 reads (S2). Mask original plate 15 transported
If the mask original 15R is the mask original 15R (S3:R), the mask original 15R is transported to the alignment device 31, and then transported to the mask original storage unit 106 and stored therein (S5). ).

At this time, not all mask originals 15 have been stored in the respective mask original storage units 102, 106, 107 (S7: No), and the process returns to Sl. Then, the next mask original plate 15 is ADF) Ray 12
(sl).

The barcode reading sensor 105 reads the barcode 104 which is the color information of the mask original 15 that has been transported (
S2). The transported mask original plate 15 is mask original plate 1
If it is 5G (S3:G), this mask original version 15G
Similar to the operation described above, after being conveyed to the alignment device 31, it is conveyed to the mask original storage section 107 and stored therein (S6).

At this time, since all the mask originals 15 have been stored in the mask original storage units 102, 106, and 107 to be stored (S7: Yes), the mask original 15R is stored in the photosensitive recording medium 50 in the same manner as the above-mentioned operation. , 15G, 15B,
They are brought into close contact with each other in that order and exposed (S8). If the image still needs to be output (89: No), the process returns to S8, and when the image output is finished (S9: Yes), the exposure operation is ended.

After completing the exposure of a predetermined number of sheets, mask original plates 15R, 15
G and 15B are conveyed rightward and discharged onto the mask original discharge tray 3o.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments detailed above, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

For example, the transported mask original plate 15 is the mask original plate 1
In the case of 5R, the photosensitive recording medium 50 may be exposed to light before being transported to and stored in the mask original storage section 106.

Further, by storing the order of the barcodes 104 read by the barcode reading sensor 105, the control unit 110 allows each mask original plate 15B, 15R, 15G and each mask original storage unit 102, 106° 107 to be placed one to one. You can store it in any mask original storage section without having to match it,
The photosensitive recording medium 50 may be exposed in the order of red, green, and blue.

In addition, a barcode reading sensor 105 is provided in each mask original storage unit 102, 106, 107 to read which color the mask original plate 15 stored in each mask original storage unit 102, 106, 107 corresponds to. It may also be controlled by

Furthermore, information on how many color images to output from one set of mask originals 15 may be displayed as number information in a bar code together with the color information of this embodiment.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the detailed description above, according to the present invention, the reading means reads the color information data provided on the mask original, so that red, green, and blue mask originals are always read. By exposing the photosensitive recording medium in the order shown in FIG. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 show embodiments embodying the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the structure of an image recording device;
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a mask original with a barcode provided in the non-image area, Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the control system of the image recording device, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a mask original plate with a barcode provided in a non-image area. It is a flowchart. In the figure, 15 is a mask original, 20 is an image recording device, 31 is a positioning device, 41 is an exposure device, 50 is a photosensitive recording medium, 102, 106, 107 are mask original storage parts, 103
104 is an image area, 104 is a barcode, 105 is a barcode reading sensor, and 110 is a control unit. 2nd picture

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plurality of mask originals formed by color-separating image information into the three primary colors of light and forming monochromatic light-shielding images corresponding to each color, and identifying the mask originals as photosensitive recording media. In an image recording apparatus, the image recording apparatus includes a positioning means for positioning at a position, and an exposure means for performing color separation exposure via the mask master, provided on the mask master and to which color the mask master corresponds. a reading means for reading information indicating whether the mask original has been formed by the reading means; and a control means for exposing the mask original by bringing the mask original into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium in the same order based on the information read by the reading means. An image recording device characterized by: