Heating device

• US 5,946,080 A
• Filed: 06/04/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogiwara, Nagao
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, PETER B
• Application Number:
  US08/868,672
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 355/27, 355/97, 355/100, 355/30, 355/35, 355/72, 396/575, 219/638, 219/216, 250/316.1, 250/317.1, 250/318, 250/319
• US Class Current: 355/97
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/30 adapted to be combined with processing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 13/002 Heat development apparatus, e.g. Kalvar

Abstract

A heating device, in which a photosensitive material and an image receiving material can be heated quickly and which has a reduced number of parts. A plate-shaped heating plate, which can move reciprocally within the device, is provided at a heat development transfer section. Attaching/peeling rollers, which can move closer to and away from the heating plate, are disposed above the heating plate. Further, a photosensitive material peeling pawl and an image receiving material peeling pawl are provided on the sides of the attaching/peeling rollers. During two reciprocal movements of the heating plate, the photosensitive material and the image receiving material are loaded on the heating plate, heat-development-transferred, and peeled. Because the respective materials are pressed by the attaching/peeling rollers and adhered to the heating plate, good heat development transfer can be effected in a short time. Moreover, since the pressures of the attaching/peeling rollers are decreased at the time of peeling of the materials, the materials can be peeled easily by the respective peeling pawls.

Claims

1. A heating device in which a photosensitive material, onto which images have been exposed, and an image receiving material, to which the images of said photosensitive material are transferred, are superposed and heated so as to effect heat development transfer, comprising:

a heating plate which is formed in the shape of a flat plate having a surface and which is provided so as to be movable in predetermined directions, said heating plate heating said photosensitive material and said image receiving material while moving in said predetermined directions in a state in which said photosensitive material and said image receiving material are loaded on said surface of said heating plate; and

attaching members which are disposed so as to oppose said heating plate, said attaching members for applying predetermined pressures to said photosensitive material and said image receiving material while said photosensitive material and said image receiving material are nipped between said attaching members and said heating plate such that said photosensitive material and said image receiving material are adhered to said heating plate as said heating plate undergoes a first forward movement.

2. A heating device according to claim 1, wherein said heating plate is provided so as to be able to move reciprocally within a predetermined range, wherein said attaching members are rotating rollers, wherein peeling pawls are provided in the vicinities of said rotating rollers and peel said photosensitive material and said image receiving material from said heating plate in conjunction with said reciprocal movement of said heating plate, wherein when said heating plate moves backward, pressures of said rotating rollers are released, and wherein when said heating plate moves forward again, said peeling pawls are operated so as to peel said photosensitive material and said image receiving material.

3. A heating device according to claim 2, wherein said pressures of said rotating rollers can be increased and decreased, and when said heating plate moves forward again, the pressures of said rotating rollers are smaller than the pressures of said rotating rollers at the first forward movement of said heating plate.

4. A heating device according to claim 1, wherein said heating plate contains a linear heater therein by which the surface of said heating plate is heated to a desirable temperature.

5. A heating device according to claim 1, wherein a surface temperature and a moving time of said heating plate are set to the temperature and the time which correspond to the heat development transfer from the photosensitive material to the image receiving material on said heating plate.

6. A heating device according to claim 1, wherein said attaching members are disposed above the path of movement of said heating plate, and said heating plate, on which said photosensitive material and said image receiving material are loaded, moves below and parallel to said attaching members.

7. A heating device according to claim 2, wherein said rotating rollers include a first rotating roller which superposes said photosensitive material and said image receiving material for attaching said photosensitive material and said image receiving material onto said heating plate, and a second rotating roller which is disposed at the downstream side of said first rotating roller in the forward direction of said heating plate and whose diameter is smaller than the diameter of said first rotating roller.

8. A heating device according to claim 7, wherein said rotating rollers further include at least one presser roller whose diameter is smaller than the diameter of said second rotating roller, and when said heating plate, to which said photosensitive material and said image receiving material are attached, passes below said presser roller, said presser roller presses said photosensitive material and said image receiving material while being rotated due to frictional resistance with said photosensitive material.

9. A heating device according to claim 7, wherein said peeling pawls include a photosensitive material peeling pawl which is disposed in the downstream side vicinity of said first rotating roller in the forward direction of said heating plate for peeling said photosensitive material from said heating plate, and an image receiving material peeling which is disposed in the downstream side vicinity of said second rotating roller in the forward direction of said heating plate for peeling said image receiving material from said heating plate.

10. A heating device according to claim 9, wherein said photosensitive material peeling pawl is swingable around a shaft at a predetermined angle and swings with the reciprocal movement of said heating plate so that when said photosensitive material peeling pawl swings in the downward direction of the device, said photosensitive material, which is attached onto said heating plate with said image receiving material, is peeled.

11. A heating device according to claim 9, wherein said image receiving material peeling pawl is swingable around a shaft at a predetermined angle and swings with the reciprocal movement of said heating plate, so that when said image receiving material peeling pawl swings in the downward direction of the device, said image receiving material which is attached onto said heating plate is peeled.

12. A heating device in which a photosensitive material, onto which images have been exposed, and an image receiving material, to which the images of said photosensitive material are transferred, are superposed and heated so as to effect heat development transfer, comprising:

a heating plate which is formed in the shape of a flat plate having a surface and which is provided so as to be reciprocally movable in predetermined directions, said heating plate heating said photosensitive material and said image receiving material while moving in said predetermined directions in a state in which said photosensitive material and said image receiving material are loaded on said surface of said heating plate;

attaching members which are disposed so as to oppose said heating plate, said attaching members for applying predetermined pressures to said photosensitive material and said image receiving material while said photosensitive material and said image receiving material are nipped between said attaching members and said heating plate such that said photosensitive material and said image receiving material are adhered to said heating plate as said heating plate undergoes a first forward movement; and

peeling pawls, which are provided in the vicinities of said attaching members, for peeling said photosensitive material and said image receiving material from said heating plate in conjunction with said reciprocal movement of said heating plate,

wherein when said heating plate moves forward again, said peeling pawls are operated so as to peel said photosensitive material and said image receiving material.

13. A heating device according to claim 12, wherein said pressures of said attaching members can be increased and decreased, and when said heating plate moves forward again, the pressures of said attaching members are smaller than the pressures of said rotating rollers at the first forward movement of said heating plate.

14. A heating device according to claim 12, wherein said heating plate includes a linear heater therein by which the surface of said heating plate is heated to a desirable temperature.

15. A heating device according to claim 12, wherein a surface temperature and a moving time of said heating plate are set to the temperature and the time which correspond to heat development transfer from the photosensitive material to the image receiving material on said heating plate.

16. A heating device according to claim 12, wherein said attaching members include a first rotating roller which superposes said photosensitive material and said image receiving material for attaching said photosensitive material and said image receiving material onto said heating plate, and a second rotating roller which is disposed at the downstream side of said first rotating roller in the forward direction of said heating plate, wherein the diameter of said second rotating roller is smaller than the diameter of said first rotating roller.

17. A heating device according to claim 16, wherein said attaching members further include at least one presser roller whose diameter is smaller than the diameter of said second rotating roller, and when said heating plate, to which said photosensitive material and said image receiving material are attached, passes below said presser roller, said presser roller presses said photosensitive material and said image receiving material while being rotated due to frictional resistance with said photosensitive material.

18. A heating device according to claim 16, wherein said peeling pawls include a photosensitive material peeling pawl which is disposed in the downstream side vicinity of said first rotating roller in the forward direction of said heating plate for peeling said photosensitive material from said heating plate, and an image receiving material peeling pawl which is disposed in the downstream side vicinity of said second rotating roller in the forward direction of said heating plate for peeling said image receiving material from said heating plate.

19. A heating device according to claim 18, wherein said photosensitive material peeling pawl is swingable around a shaft at a predetermined angle and swings with the reciprocal movement of said heating plate so that when said photosensitive material peeling pawl swings in the downward direction of the device, said photosensitive material which is attached onto said heating plate with said image receiving material is peeled.

20. A heating device according to claim 18, wherein said image receiving material peeling pawl is swingable around a shaft at a predetermined angle and swings with the reciprocal movement of said heating plate so that when said image receiving material peeling pawl swings in the downward direction of the device, said image receiving material which is attached onto said heating plate is peeled.