Image recording apparatus

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 7,123,341
App. No.: 10/852,152
Granted: Oct 17, 2006
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Operating speed of an image recording apparatus is optimized within the range in which throughput capacity is not decreased, and exposure processing can be performed so that uneven exposure is not generated in a photosensitive material. When operation causing the photosensitive material to be in a nip state or a nip released state is performed during scanning exposure of the photosensitive material with a light beam, assuming that a maximum value of ascent/descent speed is set to W when each roller comes into contact with the photosensitive material or separates from the photosensitive material, an exposure angle is set to θ, and exposure feeding linear speed is set to V, a drive controlling section sets the ascent/descent speed W to a value determined from an equation of W=V×0.004/tan θ and performs moving action.

Claims (43)

1. An image recording apparatus in which scanning exposure is performed to a sheet-like photosensitive material at an exposure position with light to record an image, the image recording apparatus comprising:

a first feeding nip roller which is arranged on an upstream side of the exposure position in a feeding direction and attached while the first feeding nip roller is movable between a nip state and a nip released state, the first feeding nip roller feeding the photosensitive material;

a first guide nip roller which is arranged between the exposure position and the first feeding nip roller and attached while the first guide nip roller is movable between the nip state and the nip released state, the first guide nip roller suppressing a rise of the photosensitive material;

a second feeding nip roller which is arranged on a downstream side of the exposure position in the feeding direction and attached while the second feeding nip roller is movable between the nip state and the nip released state, the second feeding nip roller feeding the photosensitive material;

a second guide nip roller which is arranged between the exposure position and the second feeding nip roller and attached while the second guide nip roller is movable between the nip state and the nip released state, the second guide nip roller suppressing the rise of the photosensitive material; and

a drive controlling section which moves the first feeding nip roller, the first guide nip roller, the second feeding nip roller, or the second guide nip roller to the nip state and the nip released state, the drive controlling section setting ascent/descent speed W to a value determined from an equation of W=V×0.004/tan θ, where W is a maximum value of ascent/descent speed when the first feeding nip roller, the first guide nip roller, the second feeding nip roller, or the second guide nip roller comes into contact with the photosensitive material or separates from the photosensitive material, θ is an exposure angle, and V is exposure feeding linear speed.

2. An image recording apparatus in which scanning exposure is performed to a sheet-like photosensitive material at an exposure position with light to record an image, the image recording apparatus comprising:

a drive controlling section which moves the first feeding nip roller, the first guide nip roller, the second feeding nip roller, or the second guide nip roller to the nip state and the nip released state, the drive controlling section performing control operation moving the second guide nip roller and the second feeding nip roller to a state in which a gap is provided when a front end of the photosensitive material in exposure passes through positions of the second guide nip roller and the second feeding nip roller which are located on the downstream side of the exposure position in the feeding direction, the gap being capable of passing the front end of the photosensitive material without contacting the second guide nip roller and the second feeding nip roller and being more than an amount of curl of the photosensitive material.

3. An image recording apparatus in which scanning exposure is performed to a sheet-like photosensitive material at an exposure position with light to record an image, the image recording apparatus comprising:

a drive controlling section which moves the first feeding nip roller, the first guide nip roller, the second feeding nip roller, or the second guide nip roller to the nip state and the nip released state, the drive controlling section performing control operation moving the first feeding nip roller and the first guide nip roller to a state in which a gap is provided when a back end of the photosensitive material in exposure passes through positions of the first feeding nip roller and the first guide nip roller which are located on the upstream side of the exposure position in the feeding direction, the gap being capable of passing the back end of the photosensitive material without contacting the first feeding nip roller and the first guide nip roller and being more than an amount of curl of the photosensitive material.

4. An image recording apparatus in which scanning exposure is performed to a sheet-like photosensitive material at an exposure position with light to record an image, the image recording apparatus comprising:

a second guide nip roller which is arranged between the exposure position and the second feeding nip roller and attached while the second guide nip roller is movable between the nip state and the nip released state the second guide nip roller suppressing the rise of the photosensitive material; and

5. An image recording apparatus in which scanning exposure is performed to a sheet-like photosensitive material at an exposure position with light to record an image, the image recording apparatus comprising:

6. An image recording apparatus in which scanning exposure is performed to a sheet-like photosensitive material at an exposure position with light to record an image, the image recording apparatus comprising:

a drive controlling section which moves the first feeding nip roller, the first guide nip roller, the second feeding nip roller, or the second guide nip roller to the nip state and the nip released state, the drive controlling section performing control operation moving the first feeding nip roller, the first guide nip roller, the second feeding nip roller, and the second guide nip roller so as to be in the nip released when the first feeding nip roller, the first guide nip roller, the second feeding nip roller, or the second guide nip roller are returned to an initial position respectively.

7. An image recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the drive controlling section performs control operation moving the second guide nip roller to the nip state until a back end of the photosensitive material passes through a position of the second guide nip roller which is located on the downstream side of the exposure position in the feeding direction.

8. An image recording apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a first sensor, which is provided on an upstream side of the first feeding nip roller in the feeding direction, for detecting the photosensitive material, wherein

on the basis of detection result of the front end of the photosensitive material by the first sensor, the drive controlling section performs nip operation of the first feeding nip roller and the first guide nip roller.

9. An image recording apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein, on the basis of detection result of the back end of the photosensitive material by the first sensor, the drive controlling section performs nip release operation of the first feeding nip roller and the first guide nip roller.

10. An image recording apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising a second sensor, which is provided between the first feeding nip roller and the first guide nip roller, for detecting the photosensitive material, wherein

on the basis of detection result of the front end of the photosensitive material by the second sensor, the drive controlling section performs nip operation of the second feeding nip roller and the second guide nip roller.

11. An image recording apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein, on the basis of detection result of the back end of the photosensitive material by the second sensor, the drive controlling section performs nip release operation of the second feeding nip roller and the second guide nip roller.

Assignments (1)

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2007

From: FUJIFILM HOLDINGS CORPORATION (FORMERLY FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.)

To: FUJIFILM CORPORATION

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