JP2736178B2 - Hard copy making device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hard copy producing apparatus for driving each pixel of a liquid crystal panel in accordance with a video signal and forming a hard copy of an image on a photosensitive material by light transmitted through the liquid crystal panel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a photosensitive material used in this type of hard copy making apparatus, a latent image is formed on a photocurable composition by exposure to light transmitted through a liquid crystal panel, and components related to color development or decoloration by heating. A heat-developable photosensitive recording medium that forms a color image by diffusing in a photosensitive material according to the latent image is used.

FIG. 8 shows a positive photosensitive recording medium as an example of this kind of photosensitive material. The photosensitive layer of this recording medium is composed of a binder 210, an electron-donating colorless dye 206 accommodated in a microcapsule 204, and a droplet 209 disposed outside the microcapsule 204. And an electron-accepting compound 208 having a polymerizable vinyl monomer part in the same molecule and a photopolymerization initiator. In such a configuration, the exposed area of the electron accepting compound 208
In the case, the photopolymerization is caused by the photopolymerization initiator and the photoreceptor becomes immobile. Therefore, even if heated, the electron accepting compound 208 and the electron donating colorless dye 206 become inaccessible and the color becomes impossible. On the other hand, the electron-accepting compound 208
When heated, it passes through the wall of the microcapsule 204 and comes into contact with the electron-donating colorless dye 206, so that the electron-donating colorless dye 206 develops color.

FIG. 9 shows a negative photosensitive recording medium as another example of this kind of photosensitive material. The photosensitive layer of this recording medium is
It comprises a binder 310, an electron-donating colorless dye 306 contained in a microcapsule 304, and a droplet 309 disposed outside the microcapsule 304. The droplet 309 is composed of an electron-accepting compound 308 and an electron-accepting compound 308. It comprises a polymerizable vinyl monomer 311 having the property of decoloring the dye formed by the reaction of the compound 308 with the electron-donating colorless dye 306, and a photopolymerization initiator. In such a configuration, the vinyl monomer 311 in the exposed area becomes immobile due to photopolymerization caused by the photopolymerization initiator, and therefore, when heated, the electron-accepting compound 308 and the electron-donating colorless dye 306 come into contact with each other. Color.
On the other hand, when the vinyl monomer 311 in the non-exposed area is heated, it passes through the wall of the microcapsule 304, and the electron accepting compound 308 and the electron donating colorless dye 306 come into contact with each other, so that the coloring dye is erased.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show a recording medium 78 in which a color hard copy is formed by laminating such a photosensitive material on three layers of a cyan coloring layer, a magenta coloring layer, and a yellow coloring layer. The recording medium includes, for example, a λ1 photosensitive layer 120 that develops cyan by exposure and heating at a center wavelength λ1 in order from top to bottom, a filter (F1) 118 that blocks light at a center wavelength λ1, and a center wavelength λ2. Λ2 photosensitive layer 116 that develops magenta color by exposure and heating, and center wavelength λ
2, a filter (F2) 114 for blocking light, and a center wavelength λ.
Λ3 photosensitive layer 11 that develops yellow color by exposure and heating
2 and support 110, and each photosensitive layer 120, 116, 11
2 is composed of a positive photosensitive recording material as shown in FIG. 8 or a negative photosensitive recording material as shown in FIG.

When a hard copy of an image is formed by light transmitted through a liquid crystal panel using such a recording medium 78, a hard copy creating device is generally constituted by a light source, a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal panel. , G, B signals
A hard copy of a color image can be formed by exposing the recording medium 78 by rotating the hard disk.

[0007]

However, the main photosensitive wavelength range of the conventional heat-developable photosensitive recording medium is not only in the visible region but also in the ultraviolet region or the blue region. About 350
It was found that characteristics such as maximum transmittance and contrast in the ultraviolet region of ~ 400 nm were much worse than in the visible light region. Furthermore, when a xenon flash lamp is used as a light source, the emission energy distribution of this lamp is extremely small in the ultraviolet region, so that there is a problem that the exposure time, that is, the recording time becomes very long (several minutes to several tens of minutes). .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems, and has as its object to provide a hard copy producing apparatus in which a recording time is short when a heat-developable photosensitive recording medium having a main photosensitive wavelength range of an ultraviolet region or a blue region is used. And

[0009]

According to the present invention, to achieve this object, a latent image is formed on a photocurable composition by exposure, and a component relating to color development or decoloration by heating is changed in accordance with the latent image. A hard copy creation device that creates a hard copy of an image on a heat-developable photosensitive recording medium that diffuses in a photosensitive material to form a color image includes a light source having high emission energy in the visible and ultraviolet regions, A polarizing plate having good transmittance in the ultraviolet and visible regions so as to be transmitted,
An image corresponding to an image signal is formed by light transmitted through the polarizing plate.
A liquid crystal panel to create to the heat-developable light-sensitive recording medium as a hard copy, to secure the contrast by cooperation between the sensitivity of the heat-developable light-sensitive recording medium is permeable to a well in the ultraviolet region and a visible region A liquid crystal panel.

[0010]

According to the present invention, the liquid crystal panel is illuminated with light having high emission energy in the visible region and the ultraviolet region, and the liquid crystal panel has relatively good transmittance in both the ultraviolet region and the visible region due to the above structure. Since the contrast is ensured in cooperation with the sensitivity of the development-type photosensitive recording medium, the recording time in the case of using a heat-developable photosensitive recording medium whose main photosensitive wavelength range is an ultraviolet region or a blue region can be shortened.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of a hard copy producing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a graph showing characteristics of the light source of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a graph showing characteristics of the polarizing plate of FIG. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the undesirable characteristics of the light source of FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a graph showing the characteristics of the liquid crystal panel of FIG. 1, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a graph showing detailed characteristics of an ultraviolet region, and FIG.
3 is a graph showing the relationship between the apparatus of FIG. 1 and the density characteristics of the photosensitive material.

Referring to FIG. 1, the hard copy producing apparatus according to the present embodiment has about 350 nm as well as the visible range (400 to 700 nm).
Light source with high emission energy even in the ultraviolet region up to 400 nm
10 and a polarizing plate 12 having a relatively good transmittance in both the ultraviolet region and the visible region so as to transmit light of the light source 10, and a sensitivity of the photosensitive material 16 having a relatively good transmittance in both the ultraviolet region and the visible region. It is constituted by a liquid crystal panel 14 to secure a sufficient contrast in collaboration with. The liquid crystal panel 14 is luminance-modulated three times in accordance with the color video signal, and forms a hard copy (latent image) of the color video on the photosensitive material 16 by transmitted light.

The light source 10 has a visible range (400
UV light sources such as quartz glass special discharge tubes and ultra-high pressure mercury lamps that have high emission energy in the ultraviolet region (350-400 nm) as well as in the ultraviolet region (350-400 nm) are used. As shown in FIG. 3, the polarizing plate 12 is selected from those having a relatively good transmittance in both the ultraviolet region and the visible region as compared with a single case and a case where two polarizing directions are parallel to each other, and Such a polarizing plate
As X, for example, XV-100Z manufactured by Sharp Corporation can be used.

Since the liquid crystal plate 14 is of a transmission type, it is usually composed of two glass plates, a polarizing plate, a liquid crystal, a transparent electrode, and the like. This sandwich glass plate also has an ultraviolet light as shown in FIG. A quartz glass or the like having good transparency in the region is selected. Normal soda glass (blue plate) is not preferable. FIG. 4 shows the characteristics of the light source when glass # 8487 manufactured by Schott in Germany is used as an example of this glass tube. The transmittance in the ultraviolet region is lower than that of a quartz glass tube. The liquid crystal in the liquid crystal plate 14 is formed to a thickness that easily transmits light in the ultraviolet region of about 350 to 400 nm, and the polarizing plate has a transmittance in both the ultraviolet region and the visible region on both the incident side and the outgoing side. A relatively good one is selected.

FIG. 5 shows the characteristics of the liquid crystal panel 18 using such a glass plate, a polarizing plate, and the liquid crystal plate 14, and shows the characteristics in the visible region (40%).
(0 to 700 nm) as well as in the ultraviolet region of about 350 to 400 nm. FIG. 6 shows the detailed characteristics of this ultraviolet region at 350 nm or less, and the transmittance is 60% when the polarizing plate is used alone.
%, About 40% in parallel and 3-4% in orthogonal. Here, if the ratio of the transmittance at the time of opening and closing the liquid crystal panel 18 is large, a small amount of light (3 to
4%) Even if it leaks, the contrast of the recorded image of the photosensitive material 16 can be sufficiently ensured. Note that the transmittance ratio when the liquid crystal panel 18 is opened and closed is 10 or more, and the transmittance when parallel is 50
% Or more, but a contrast ratio of 15%
(= 60% / 4%), the input optical density range is 1.
2, the gradation γ of the photosensitive material 16 as shown in FIG.
Is about 2, a sufficient dynamic range can be secured.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the photosensitive material 16 includes a λ1 photosensitive layer 120 which emits light at a center wavelength λ1 in order from top to bottom, and a filter (F1) for blocking light having a center wavelength λ1. 118 and λ which is colored by the central wavelength λ2
2 A photosensitive layer 116, a filter (F2) 114 for blocking light having a central wavelength λ2, a λ3 photosensitive layer 112 which emits light with a central wavelength λ3, and a support 110 are provided.
6 and 112 are positive photosensitive recording materials as shown in FIG.
And a negative photosensitive recording material as shown in FIG.

Therefore, the luminous energy of the light source 10 is high also in the ultraviolet region of about 350 to 400 nm as in the visible region (400 to 700 nm), and the polarizing plate 12 has relatively good transmittance in both the ultraviolet region and the visible region. In addition, the liquid crystal plate 14 has transparency in the ultraviolet region as well as the visible region, and the photosensitive material 16
Since a sufficient contrast is ensured in cooperation with the above sensitivity, the recording time can be reduced when the main photosensitive wavelength range of the photosensitive material 16 is in the ultraviolet or blue range.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, the liquid crystal panel is illuminated with light having high emission energy in the visible region and the ultraviolet region, and the transmittance of the liquid crystal panel is relatively good in both the ultraviolet region and the visible region. Since the contrast is ensured in cooperation with the sensitivity of the heat-developable photosensitive recording medium, the recording time when a heat-developable photosensitive recording medium whose main photosensitive wavelength is in the ultraviolet or blue range is used is reduced. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of a hard copy creation device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing an example of characteristics of a light source of the embodiment device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing a characteristic example of the polarizing plate of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating an example of an undesirable characteristic of the light source of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a characteristic example of the liquid crystal panel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a graph showing a detailed characteristic example of an ultraviolet region in FIG. 3;

7 is a graph illustrating the relationship between the apparatus of FIG. 1 and the density characteristics of a photosensitive material.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a positive photosensitive recording medium which is an example of the photosensitive material of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a negative photosensitive recording medium which is another example of the photosensitive material of FIG. 1;

10 is a side sectional view illustrating a layer configuration of the photosensitive material of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a graph showing an example of spectral sensitivity characteristics of the photosensitive material of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a graph showing the spectral characteristics of the sandwich glass used for the liquid crystal plate of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Light source 12 Polarizing plate 14 Liquid crystal plate 16 Photosensitive material 18 Liquid crystal panel

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A heat development type in which a latent image is formed on a photocurable composition by exposure, and a component relating to coloring or decoloring is diffused in a photosensitive material according to the latent image by heating to form a color image. in the hard copy generation device for creating a hard copy of the image on a photosensitive recording medium, emission energy is high in the visible region and ultraviolet region
And good ultraviolet light as well as the visible light.
A light source formed of glass that transmits light, a polarizing plate having good transmittance in an ultraviolet region and a visible region so as to transmit the light of the light source, and an image corresponding to a video signal by the light transmitted through the polarizing plate. To
It displayed, a liquid crystal panel to create a hard copy to the heat-developable light-sensitive recording medium, by cooperation between the sensitivity of the permeability to a good heat-developable light-sensitive recording medium in the ultraviolet region and a visible region It has a liquid crystal panel to secure the contrast, the heat-developable light-sensitive recording medium, a main photosensitive wavelength range the ultraviolet
A first photosensitive layer including a blue region or a blue region;
A second photosensitive layer having a photosensitive wavelength range, wherein the liquid crystal panel has a sensitivity of the first and second photosensitive layers.
Depending on the thickness of the liquid crystal layer, the light in the ultraviolet region is easily transmitted.
A hard copy producing device comprising two plates to be formed . 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein γ of the heat-developable photosensitive recording medium is approximately two.