JPH04317040A - image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

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

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image recording device for printing out video signals, images and text data from a personal computer, and more particularly to an image recording device that improves the quality of output images. .

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an exposure apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 188070/1983.

When a liquid crystal display panel (hereinafter referred to as LCD) is used as the light valve panel of the image recording device, electrodes are provided inside the LCD for display pixels 57 with two sides a and b, as shown in FIG. It is known that there is a region 56 that does not transmit light due to a pattern or the like. For example, STN type L
In CD, the gap between transparent electrodes corresponds to that region, and T
In FT-type LCDs, this area includes thin film transistors and signal wiring.

[0004] Therefore, when an LCD is used as a light shutter in an exposure device as described above, the light-blocking area 56 has a grid shape with widths a' and b', and this area becomes a non-exposed area and degrades image quality. let Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, 1
A light-shielding mask 59 with a 25% aperture ratio in which a rectangular opening window 58 with sides (a+a')/2 and (b+b')/2 is formed is L.
Attached to the surface of the CD. Then, a method was devised in which, using a minute movement device as shown in FIG. 2, the LCD is exposed four times at different locations while being minutely moved in the X and Y directions as shown in FIG. In this way, a 100% exposure result with no unexposed areas remaining on the photosensitive recording medium can be obtained.

[0005] Furthermore, in order to achieve a soft output image quality, an exposure method has been devised in which the grating is slightly shifted diagonally to create a delta shape as shown in FIG.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned image recording device, since the rectangular aperture window 58 is used as the basic shape and moves minutely, the boundaries between a plurality of pixels are in a straight line.
Image quality had deteriorated.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to eliminate the boundaries between a plurality of pixels from being straight lines and provide soft image quality.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the image recording device of the present invention includes a light source that exposes a photosensitive recording medium, and a light source that is placed between the photosensitive recording medium and the light source, and that is arranged around a pixel. An image recording apparatus comprising a light valve panel equipped with a light-shielding mask, and means for exposing the photosensitive recording medium to light from the light source through the light valve panel,
The light-shielding mask having a hexagonal opening window is provided, and means for relatively small movement of the light valve panel and the photosensitive recording medium is provided.

[0009]

[Operation] The image recording device of the present invention having the above configuration has the following features:
By minutely moving a hexagonal aperture window, the boundaries between a plurality of pixels are not straight lines, but are made step-by-step.

0010

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the present invention will be explained with reference to an embodiment embodied in an image recording apparatus using a liquid crystal display panel as a light valve panel.

In the image recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a halogen lamp 3 is used as an exposure light source, and a reflector 2 is arranged below the halogen lamp 3. Further, a condensing lens 4 is arranged below the halogen lamp 3, and an infrared cut filter 5 is arranged further below so as to block the light from the halogen lamp 3.

Below the infrared cut filter 5,
A filter unit 6 is installed, which consists of color filters 6R, 6G, and 6B that allow the light from the infrared cut filter 5 to pass through the entire surface, and each filter is switched by a motor 27. Below the filter unit 6, a light valve panel is installed a little apart. A liquid crystal display panel 7 (hereinafter referred to as LCD) is arranged. As shown in FIG. 3, a light shielding mask 53 having a hexagonal opening window shown in FIG. 5 is attached to the protective glass 51b on the lower side of the LCD. The opening window 54 is an LCD
The pixel 57 is arranged so as to fit within the aperture of each pixel 57. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, an LCD drive motor 52 for moving the LCD 7 in the X direction is arranged on the side of the LCD, and a winding motor 55 for phasing the microcapsule paper 10 in the Y direction is arranged on the winding shaft 16.

Microcapsule paper 10 is placed below the LCD 7 and close to it. The surface of the support of the microcapsule paper 10 used in this example is coated with microcapsules, and the microcapsules contain dye precursors and the like that react with the color developer described later. ing.

Further, a color developer is coated on the surface of the support of the color developer paper 18 and develops color by reacting with a dye precursor, but the details are described in US Pat.

The microcapsule paper 10 is wound around the winding shaft 1.
It is also possible to move in minute steps using the winding motor 55 that drives the winding motor 6. Inside the light-shielding cartridge 17, unexposed microcapsule paper 10 is wound around the cartridge shaft 15. Cartridge 17
A feed roller 29 is disposed on the right side of. After exposure, the microcapsule paper 10 is transferred to pressure rollers 11a and 11.
b, and is wound up on the winding shaft 16.

A half-moon roller 19 is provided above the developer paper 18, and a paper feed roller 20 is provided to the left. Further, a heat fixing device 12 is provided below the color developer paper 18, a heater 13 is provided inside the heat fixing device 12, and a conveyor belt 14 is provided below.

Next, the electrical configuration of this embodiment will be explained.

[0019] Image data from the outside is sent to video I/F2.
5, the data is input to A/D conversion 22
Each of R, G, and B becomes digital data and is stored separately in the video RAM 23. When a start command is input from the outside, a signal from the start SW 25 is transferred to the CPU 29, and the CPU 29 controls the lamp control circuit 26, filter replacement control circuit 28, LCD controller 24, and video RAM 23 to start exposure.

Next, the operation of the liquid crystal exposure apparatus 1 will be explained.

When the data import switch (not shown here) is pressed, external image data is imported from the video I/F 21, and the image data is converted into R, G, and B separately by the A/D conversion 22. Convert to digital signal,
The R, G, and B data are stored in respective blocks in the video RAM 23.

When the print start SW 25 is pressed, the microcapsule paper 10 is not exposed to excess light.
All pixels of the LCD 7 are closed, the motor 27 is driven, the red filter 6R is set, and the lamp control circuit 2 is closed.
8 and lights up the halogen lamp 3. The light from the halogen lamp 3 is efficiently condensed by the reflector 2 and the condensing lens 4 to form a linear beam 50, which is uniformly irradiated over the entire surface of the LCD 7 and exposed onto the microcapsule paper 10. In addition, the light shielding mask 53 is used to prevent the LCD 7 from going around due to light diffraction, as shown in FIG.
It is attached to the lower surface protective glass 51b side which is closer to the microcapsule paper 10 than the upper surface protective glass 51a with respect to the liquid crystal layer 60.

After a while, an image corresponding to the red image data is displayed on the LCD 7, red exposure is started, and the red image to be recorded on the microcapsule paper 10 is exposed.

When the red exposure is completed, the green filter 6G is set by the motor 27, red data is switched to green data, and green exposure is started in the same manner as above. When the green exposure is completed, the blue filter 6B is set by the motor 27, the green data is switched to blue data, and the blue exposure is started in the same manner as above. When the exposure of the three colors is completed, all pixels of the LCD 7 are closed and shielded from light so that the microcapsule paper 10 is not exposed to excess light.

In the above, as shown in FIG.
The three-color exposure of the exposure unit 61 is completed, but then the LCD drive motor 52 moves the LCD 7 in the X direction by (a+a')/4,
The microcapsule paper 10 is rolled up by the winding motor 55.
A slight movement is made by (b+b')/2 in the direction. Then, a second three-color exposure is performed in the same manner as above. When the second three-color exposure is completed, the LCD drive motor 52
7 in the X direction by (a+a')/4, and the third
Perform the third three-color exposure. When the third three-color exposure is completed, the LCD drive motor 52 moves the LCD 7 in the X direction -(a+a')/4, and the take-up motor 55 moves the microcapsule paper 10 in the Y direction -(b+b')/4. The light is moved slightly by 2, and the fourth three-color exposure is performed.

In the above, as shown in FIG. 6, the first exposure section 61,
When all the exposures in the second exposure section 62, third exposure section 63, and fourth exposure section 64 are completed, a signal is finally sent to the lamp control circuit to turn off the halogen lamp 3. Next, the microcapsule paper 10 is fed to a developing device, and the microcapsule paper 10 on which the latent image has been formed is fed in the direction of the pressure rollers 11a and 11b by the driving force of the take-up roller 28. On the other hand, the developer paper 18 is fed one by one by a half-moon roller 19, and then sent to pressure rollers 11a and 11b by a paper feed roller 20.

Pressure roller 11a is pressed while the exposed surface of microcapsule paper 10 and the color developer coated surface of color developer paper 18 face each other.
, b, and the image is transferred to the developer paper 18. After the color developer paper 18 is separated from the microcapsule paper 10, color development is promoted by a heat fixing device 12 having a heater 13 while being further conveyed by a conveyor belt 14, and output as an image.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments detailed above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, in this embodiment, the microcapsule paper 10 is moved slightly in the Y direction, but the microcapsule paper 10 may be fixed and the LCD moved slightly in the Y direction. Further, in this embodiment, the aperture ratio of the hexagonal aperture window of the light-shielding mask was set to 25%, but it may be larger or smaller than that.

[0029]

As is clear from the above explanation, in the image recording apparatus of the present invention, by forming the exposure pixels in a hexagonal shape, the image quality becomes softer and the image quality can be improved.

Furthermore, by minutely moving the light-shielding mask having the hexagonal opening window, the non-exposed area of the light valve panel is exposed, thereby improving the image quality.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a liquid crystal exposure apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a layout diagram of an example of an LCD micro-movement method and microcapsule paper.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a light shielding mask attached to an LCD.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a pixel of an LCD.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an LCD with a light-shielding mask of the present invention attached.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating four micro-movements and exposure states of the light-shielding mask of FIG. 5 using the aperture window;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which a conventional light-shielding mask is attached to an LCD and a first exposure state.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing four minute movements of the light-shielding mask in FIG. 7 by the opening window and a grid-like exposure state.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing four minute movements and delta-like exposure by the opening window of the light-shielding mask in FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Image recording device 3. Halogen lamp 7 LCD 10 Microcapsule paper 50 Straight light 52 LCD drive motor 53. Light-shielding mask with hexagonal opening window 54 Opening window 55 Winding motor 57 pixels

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A light source for exposing a photosensitive recording medium, a light valve panel disposed between the photosensitive recording medium and the light source and having a light-shielding mask around the pixel, and a light valve panel for transmitting light from the light source to the light valve. an image recording apparatus comprising means for exposing the photosensitive recording medium through a panel, the light-shielding mask having a hexagonal opening window formed therein; An image recording device characterized by comprising a means for micro-movement.