JPH045648A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily carry out an adjusting working by supporting aligning and exposing devices by means of a supporting member to form an exposing unit and attaching/detaching this exposing unit to/from a main body. CONSTITUTION:The aligning device 31 and the exposing device 41 are supported by frame plates 101 from their both sides to form the exposing unit 100. On the other hand, latches 102 are provided on the sides of one frame plate 101, and by hooking parts 103 provided on the main body, the unit 100 is fixed on the main device and supported by it. When the devices 31 and 41 are adjusted, the latches 102 are released from the hooking parts 103, the unit 100 is pulled out from the main body in this state, and the devices 31 and 41 are adjusted. Thereafter, the unit 100 is housed in the main body, again. Thus, the unit 100 is easily attached/detached to/from the main body, so that adjustment can be easily carried out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly to an image recording apparatus equipped with an exposure unit having an alignment device and an exposure device.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 4 shows a conventional image recording device 30 commonly used.
0 is a schematic diagram of the inside of 0. This image recording apparatus 300 includes a laser printer 310 that produces a mask original, and a main body 311. Reference numeral 301 in the figure is a recycling path, through which the mask original is transported.
It is placed on the alignment device 302 which is the exposure position.

Then, by moving the exposure device 303 over the mask original placed on the alignment device 302 and aligned, the mask original can be exposed onto the capsule paper 312. The exposed capsule paper is superimposed on a color developer paper 315 and developed by a pressure developing device 313, and the developed color developer paper is discharged to the outside via a heat fixing device 314.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, since the recycle path, alignment device, exposure device, etc. are integrated into the image recording device, it is difficult to adjust the alignment device or the exposure device. There are certain points where it is very inconvenient to do so.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image recording apparatus that allows easy adjustment of a positioning device or an exposure device.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention provides an image recording apparatus in which a document is conveyed and placed on a positioning device, and the document is exposed to light by an exposure device, in which the positioning device and the exposure device are supported by a support member to form an exposure unit; A feature of the present invention is that the exposure unit is detachable from the main body of the image recording apparatus.

[Effect]

When adjusting the alignment device or exposure device, the exposure unit supporting the alignment device and exposure device is removed from the main body of the image recording apparatus, and the alignment device or exposure device is adjusted. Then, by attaching this exposure unit to the main body after the adjustment is completed, adjustment can be easily performed.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention, and this image recording apparatus is constructed by combining a monochrome laser printer 1 and a color image recording apparatus 20.

First, the monochrome laser printer 1 is mounted on top of the color 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 an OHP sheet fed from a paper feed cassette/sorter 5, and fixed by a fixing device 6. Typically, the monochrome laser printer 1 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, it is fed to the monochrome output tray 11 or automatic document feeder (hereinafter referred to as ADF) tray 12; if a color image is required, it is fed to the ADF.
After being delivered to the tray 12, it is taken into the color image recording device 20.

The sheets sent to the ADF tray 12 are taken into the color image recording device 20 one by one by the ADF paper feed roller 13, and a set of three sheets of monochrome printed paper output from the laser printer 1 is formed. The original mask 15 (15R, 15G, 15B) of the color image recording device 20
) is used as.

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

A positioning device 31 is located at the bottom of the main body of the color image recording device 20, and the ADF tray 12 and the positioning device 31 are connected by a mask original transport path 21.

On both the left and right sides of the positioning device 31, there are pairs of rollers 22, 23, 24 whose rotational direction can be controlled. 25.
26. 27, gate 28
.

29 and a mask original storage section 92 are arranged.

In the middle of the mask original transport path 21, a pair of recurler rollers 91 is arranged to remove curls from the mask original 15 discharged from the laser printer 1. roller pair 26
．． On the outside of 27, there is a mask original discharge tray 30 for discharging the used mask original 15.

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

An exposure device 41 is arranged below the alignment device 31, and this exposure device 41
It is movable in the left and right direction along 1. The exposure device 4
1 includes a linear white light source (hereinafter referred to as a lamp) 42, a reflecting plate 43 that reflects light from the lamp 42, a red filter 44R, a green filter 44G, and a blue filter 44.
It is composed of a filter unit 44 consisting of B.

The alignment device 31 and exposure device 41 are as follows:
As shown in Figure 2, from both sides, the frame plate Lot,
101 to form an exposure unit 100. The frame plate 101 has a convex front shape, and the positioning device 31 is supported at its upper end in the figure in a sandwiched manner. Further, the exposure device 41 is supported on the lower surface of the alignment device 31 so as to be able to reciprocate. Furthermore, latches 102 are provided at both ends of one frame plate 101. Then, by hooking this latch 102 onto a hook 103° 103 provided at an appropriate position on the main body of the image recording apparatus,
The exposure unit 100 can be fixedly supported on the main body of the image recording apparatus. Note that the reference numeral 104 in the figure is a guide member, which guides the reciprocating movement of the exposure device 41.

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 passes from inside the cartridge 51 between the glass plate 34 and the exposure table 52, and passes through the buffer 55, separation roller 64, and pressure developing device 70.
It is routed through the drive roller 57 to the take-up roller 54. The exposure table 52 is lowered by a cam 53, and the mask original 1 conveyed onto the glass plate 34 is placed on the exposure table 52.
5 and the photosensitive recording medium 50 are brought into close contact with each other. The fixed roller 56 is pressed against the left end of the exposure table 52 when the exposure table 52 is lowered to a predetermined position, and is arranged so as to fix the photosensitive recording medium 50 to the exposure table 52 during exposure of the mask original 15. has been done.

The color developer sheet 60 is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-88739.
It is constructed by applying the color developer shown in the above publication onto a base paper, and is set in a cassette 61 with the developer coated side facing downward. At the top of the cassette 61,
Suction cup 6 for feeding the color developer sheet 60 one by one
2 is placed.

The pressure developing device 70 is composed of a photosensitive recording medium 50 on which a latent image has been formed by exposure, and a pair of pressure rollers 71 for overlapping a color developer sheet 60 and developing it 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 and 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 outside of the heat fixing device 80.

In the image recording apparatus configured as described above, the operation when viewing a plurality of color images from one set of mask originals will be described below.

First, the monochrome laser printer 1 creates a red mask original 15R. This mask original version 15R is
In order to harden the microcapsules containing a cyan dye precursor among the microcapsules coated on the photosensitive recording medium 50, this mask original plate has toner as a light-shielding image placed on other parts. At this time, the mask original 15R output from the monochrome laser printer 1 is fed into the color image recording apparatus 1F20 by the ADF paper feed roller 13 sent to the ADF tray 12. The mask original 15R fed into the color 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 original 15R is corrected by the curler roller 91. 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 a pair of rollers 32, and then uses a drive source (not shown) to move the mask original 15R to an appropriate exposure position while reading the alignment mark printed on the mask original 15R with a sensor.
Move 5R to the specified position.

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 exposed 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 via the mask original 15R via 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 exposure device 41
The filter unit 44 is moved by a drive source (not shown), and a green filter 44G is located 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, a back tension is applied to the photosensitive recording medium 50 at the center of rotation of the photosensitive recording medium 500 in the cartridge 51, and when the exposure table 52 is lowered, the exposure table 52 is lowered. A length corresponding to the length of the photosensitive recording medium 50 is pulled out from the storage cartridge 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.

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 52 by a fixed roller 56 pressed against the left end of the exposure table 52. remains fixed.

Next, the green mask original 15G created by the monochrome laser printer 1 is placed in the ADF tray 12,
When it passes through the F paper feed roller 13, recurler roller 91, and mask original transport path 21 and reaches just before the roller pair 24, the roller pair 22, 24°25.27 and the roller pair 32°33 of the positioning device 31 are aligned with the mask original 15R. The mask original 15R is sent out from the alignment device 31, and at the same time, the mask original 15G is transported to the exposure position and stopped. At this time, gate 28.2
9 is located at the position of the solid line and is the exposed mask original plate 15R.
is sandwiched between the roller pair 27, and its rear end is connected to the gate 29.
The rotation of the pair of rollers 27 is stopped in the state in which the roller pair 27 has passed.

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 brought into close contact with the photosensitive recording medium 50 by lowering the exposure table 52. I am made to do so. Thereafter, the lamp 42 is turned on and exposure to green light is performed via the green filter 44G. After the exposure is completed, the exposure table 52 is raised to a predetermined position. Exposure device 41
is moved back to the original position, and the filter unit 44 is moved so that the blue filter 44B is located above the lamp 42.

Next, the blue mask original 15B created by the monochrome laser printer 1 is similarly fed to the color image recording device 20, and while being conveyed just before the roller pair 24, the blue mask original 15B is moved to the roller pair 24, 22.degree. 25. 26 and roller pairs 32 and 33 of the alignment device 31 are rotated in the direction of conveying the mask original 15G to the right, and the mask original 15G is sent out from the alignment device 31 and the mask original 1
5B is conveyed to the exposure position and stopped. At this time, the gate 28 is located at the solid line position, the gate 29 is located at the broken line position,
The exposed mask original 15G is sandwiched between a pair of rollers 26,
Further, the rotation of the pair of rollers 26 is stopped with the rear end passing through the gate 29 to be held.

The mask original 15B guided by the alignment device 31 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 fed out from the cassette 61 by a suction cup 62 until the tip of the developer sheet 60 corresponds to the tip of the latent image on the photosensitive recording medium 50. After being transported, it stops.

Next, the pressure developing device 70 is driven by a drive device (not shown).
The pressure roller 71 is pressed while being rotated in the direction of the arrow. At this time, by lowering the exposure table 52 to a predetermined position again, the fixed roller 56 is pressed against the left end of the exposure table 52, and the photosensitive recording medium 50 is moved onto the exposure table 52.
Fixed.

The photosensitive recording medium 50 is overlapped with the color developer sheet 60 and fed under pressure, and the uncured microcapsules on the photosensitive recording medium 50 are destroyed by the pressure, and the latent image on the photosensitive recording medium 50 is The corresponding color image is on the developer sheet 60.
developed on top.

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 heated by air circulating in a casing 83 by an impeller 82, thereby promoting color development of a color image. At the same time, the binder polymer (binder resin) for fixing the color developing medium to the base paper of the color developer sheet 60 is thermally melted, and the surface becomes smooth and the surface of the color developer sheet 60 has a moderate gloss. can get. 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 gates 28 and 29 are located at the positions indicated by solid lines. The mask original 15B is held between the pair of rollers 24, and the rotation of the pair of rollers 24 is stopped at the position where the rear end passes through the gate 28. 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, the mask original 15R at the exposure position is sent out to the left, and the mask original 15G held at the position of the roller pair 26 is sent to the alignment device 31 using pairs a to u 22, 23, 25, and 26. The pair of rollers 32 and 33 of the positioning device 31 are rotated so as to convey the mask original 15G to the left. At this time, the gates 28 and 29 are located at the positions indicated by broken lines. Mask original plate 15R has roller pair 23
It is held by stopping the rotation of the pair of rollers 23 at a position where the rear end passes through the gate 28.

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 5° is exposed to green light through a mask original 15G.

Next, the mask original 15G at the exposure position is sent out to the right, and the same operation is performed to send the mask original 15B held at the position of the roller pair 24 to the alignment device 31, so that it is positioned 5° above the photosensitive recording medium. A latent color image is formed to form a color image 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 to the paper discharge tray 3o using the roller pair 27 or the roller pair 26.

In addition, if the next mask original 15 is output from the monochrome laser printer 1 while a series of color images are being exposed, it is temporarily stored in the ADF h-ray 12.
While the exposure of the previous set is completed, the sheets are fed into the color image recording apparatus 20 one by one by the ADF paper feed roller 13.

Further, when a mask original output from another monochrome laser printer or a previously used mask original is to be used again, the mask original can be input by setting it on the ADF tray 12.

Further, when adjusting the positioning device 31 or the exposure device 41, the latch 102 is released from the hook portion 103 provided on the main body, and in this state, the exposure unit 100 is pulled out from the main body. Then, the alignment device 31 or the exposure device 41 is adjusted. after that,
Restore the exposure unit 100 into the main body and close the latch 10.
2 is fixed to the hook part 103.

In this way, the exposure unit 100 including the alignment device 31 and the exposure device 41 can be easily attached and detached from the main body of the image recording apparatus.
1 or the exposure device 41 can be easily adjusted.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment uses a casing 201 instead of the frame plate 101 of the first embodiment, and the casing 201
1, an alignment device 31 and an exposure device 41 are housed inside the device.

This casing 201 has a positioning device 31.
An opening 201a through which the exposure table 52 moves forward and backward is provided at the top of the opening 201a. In addition, the photosensitive recording medium 5
An opening 201b through which 0 passes is also provided. Note that the same members as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed explanations will be omitted.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In the present invention, as described above, the exposure unit, which is an integral structure of the alignment device and the exposure device, is removable from the main body of the image recording apparatus, so that when adjusting the alignment device or the exposure device, the exposure unit Since the adjustment can be carried out by taking it out from the main body, the adjustment work can be easily performed.

41... Exposure device, 100... Exposure unit, 101... Frame plate (supporting member), 201... Casing (supporting member).

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an image recording apparatus that transports and places a document on a positioning device and exposes the document with an exposure device, the positioning device and the exposure device are supported by a support member to form an exposure unit, and the exposure unit An image recording device characterized in that the image recording device is detachable from the main body of the image recording device.