Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus comprising a first drum having an image receiving portion, an exposure section for applying imagewise thermal energy to the second drum in a state that a toner sheet with an image forming thin film is superposed on the image receiving portion of the first drum, with the image forming thin film being layered on the image receiving portion of the first drum, and a second drum for holding a final image supporting sheet thereon for finally supporting an image thereon. In the image forming apparatus, after an image is formed through the likewise application of the thermal energy by the exposure section and the image is transferred onto the image receiving portion, the toner sheet is separated from the image receiving portion of the first drum, and the final image supporting sheet is pressed against a predetermined location on the image receiving portion by a relative movement of the first drum to and from the second drum.

Abstract: A direct heat-sensitive recording method and device using a light-fixing-type heat-sensitive recording material in which are layered on a support a heat-sensitive recording layer and at least one light-fixing-type heat-sensitive recording layer, which have heat recording sensitivities higher than a heat recording sensitivity of the heat-sensitive recording layer and which are fixed by electromagnetic waves of respectively different wavelengths, each layer of the light-fixing-type heat-sensitive recording material developing to a respectively different color, including: an exposing device for deactivating imagewise each of the light-fixing-type heat-sensitive recording layers corresponding to respective colors by modulating light amounts of electromagnetic waves having respectively different wavelengths and illuminating the electromagnetic waves onto the light-fixing-type heat-sensitive recording layer; and a heat recording device for developing the heat-sensitive recording layer imagewise and developing undea

Abstract: An array-type exposing device, for exposing an image forming body incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a flat light source for emitting a UV rays and a light modulator unit disposed above the flat light source so as to be associated with at least one unit area derived by dividing each of pixels on the image, the light modulator unit modulating the UV ray by electromechanical operation to expose the image forming body.

Abstract: A printer with sheet preheating in which toner applied to a toner ribbon is heat-transferred onto a heat adhesive recording sheet, wherein: a heating member heats the recording sheet at a temperature within the range of predetermined temperatures before the heat transfer is provided. Accordingly, the heat adhesiveness of the recording sheet can be substantially constant regardless of the environment of circumferential temperature, and the variation in sensitivities due to the difference in environment to be used and the difference in the order of transfer can be reduced.

Abstract: A dust eliminator for removing dust prior to a thermal transfer type recording, in a device such as a thermal or laser printer, using a plurality of rollers which possess varying adhesive strengths. A toner sheet is supplied to a printing surface of a thermal head from a supply roll. The toner sheet comes in contact with an adhering surface of a roller with weak adhesive strength, prior to the thermal head, removing dust from the surface of the toner sheet. The toner sheet then comes into contact with an adhering surface of a roller with strong adhesive strength, removing any remaining dust which did not adhere to the weak adhesive roller. The toner sheet then passes though a clearance between the thermal head and a platen roll and is wound by a toner by a winding roll.

Abstract: A printing head drive apparatus comprising: a plurality of printing elements which operate upon receipt of electric power; switching elements which are provided for the respective printing elements and which supply power to the corresponding printing elements; a control signal output section which outputs a control signal for actuating the respective switching elements in response to print data; and a timing control section which arbitrarily sets output timing of the control signal for each printing element.

Abstract: A discharged sheet accommodating tray in which sheets discharged from a discharging section along surfaces of the sheets are successively stacked, includes: a placement surface on which the sheets discharged from the discharging section are placed; and a sheet ride-on portion provided at the placement surface and which sheets being discharged ride on. The sheet ride-on portion can be a convex portion or an inclined plate located in an intermediate central portion of the placement surface, or can be a plurality of convex portions or inclined plates disposed in an intermediate central portion of the placement surface along a direction orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction. Accordingly, sheets which have already been placed on the placement surface have a mountain-shaped configuration at the sheet ride-on portion.

Abstract: A method of recording an image in which a multicolor image is recorded by moving in a subscanning direction a head having recording elements arrayed in a main scanning direction to make variable the density or area ratio of each pixel in correspondence with an image density, and by combining the colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, wherein each color is recorded by dots arranged at a fractional dot cycle in the sub canning direction, so as to prevent color moire due to misregistration.

Abstract: A cleaning roller system, which is preferable for use in a printer having a printing head, is disclosed. The cleaning roller system comprises an adhesive roller which is provided on a recording material feeding side relative to a print head, the adhesive roller has adhesive property, and is in contact with a surface of said recording material, and rotates in a direction of transporting said recording material.

Abstract: A thermal head, in which the catching of a foreign object on a partial glaze is prevented and the head pressure of the partial glaze is not reduced, is provided such that the image quality is improved by preventing the occurrences of line voids, irregularities, and roughness. In a thermal head which includes a partial glaze, which protrudes and whose cross-sectional configuration is substantially arc-shaped, on a recording material opposing surface, the radius of curvature of a heater portion on the partial glaze is less than 50 mm and the height of the partial glaze from the recording material opposing surface is 40 .mu.m or less. Further, the height of the partial glaze from the recording material opposing surface at the conveying direction upstream side of the recording material may be set lower than the height of the partial glaze from the recording material opposing surface at the conveying direction downstream side of the recording material with the heater portion therebetween.

Abstract: A thermal recording system for recording an image on a thermo-sensitive recording medium using a laser beam under a preheated condition of the thermo-sensitive recording medium. In the thermal recording system, a preheating device preheats the thermo-sensitive recording medium which has leuco dyes, a developer and light-absorbing dyes all provided on a support, and which develops color in a continuous tone at a density corresponding to the energy of the applied heat, to a predetermined temperature less than a color-developing temperature. A heating-beam generating device allows a laser beam to scan the thermo-sensitive recording medium so as to heat the thermo-sensitive recording medium to a predetermined color-developing temperature. Thus, the heating-beam generating device can control the laser beam in a sufficient control range, thereby making it possible to record an image on the thermo-sensitive recording medium with high accuracy.

Abstract: An image recording method in which a head, in which a plurality of recording elements are arranged in the main scanning direction, is moved in the sub-scanning direction, one of densities and area rates of respective pixels is varied in accordance with image densities, respective colors of yellow, magenta, cyan and black are combined so as to record multicolor images, the method including the step of: setting a ratio of dots, whose longitudinal direction period is in the sub-scanning direction, of the respective colors of yellow, magenta, cyan and black to 1:3/4:3/5:1/2, where any of these colors may be used as a standard for the ratio.

Abstract: A discharged sheet accommodating tray in which sheets discharged from a discharging section along surfaces of the sheets are successively stacked, includes: a placement surface on which the sheets discharged from the discharging section are placed; and a sheet ride-on portion provided at the placement surface and which sheets being discharged ride on. The sheet ride-on portion can be a convex portion or an inclined plate located in an intermediate central portion of the placement surface, or can be a plurality of convex portions or inclined plates disposed in an intermediate central portion of the placement surface along a direction orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction. Accordingly, sheets which have already been placed on the placement surface have a mountain-shaped configuration at the sheet ride-on portion.

Abstract: An image recording method in which a head, in which a plurality of recording elements are arranged in the main scanning direction, is moved in the sub-scanning direction, one of densities and area rates of respective pixels being varied in accordance with image densities, respective colors of yellow,. magenta, cyan and black are combined so as to record multicolor images, the method including the step of: recording the respective colors in a pattern in which a dot pitch was randomly arranged only in the sub-scanning direction. Further, recording a color in a pattern in which a dot pitch was ordinarily arranged in the sub-scanning direction, and recording the other colors in a pattern, in which the dot pitch was randomly arranged only in the sub-scanning direction, could also be performed.

Abstract: A laminator carrier, which holds superposed sheet members, is subjected to heat and pressure while being transported. The laminator carrier includes a carrier base on which the superposed sheet members are placed, a cover sheet which is disposed on the carrier base so as to cover the sheet members placed on the carrier base, a holding mechanism for holding the cover sheet such that the cover sheet is movable with respect to the carrier base in a transport direction of the laminator carrier. Accordingly, movement of the cover sheet during application of heat and pressure is absorbed by the holding member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of recording an image by digital information on an analog record material, in which the image information is stored as gradation image data representing figure image and binary data representing character image. The binary data representing character image is stored as a state of micro lines representing the character image. The gradation image data of each pixel is converted to binary data representing a plurality of parallel micro lines forming the each pixel, gradation in each pixel being represented by the number of the micro lines. The image is recorded on the analog record material by means of the micro lines corresponding to the binary data of the gradation image and character image.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus for exposing a photosensitive material with image light. An optical modulation device is provided such that the intensity of image light made incident from one side of an optical modulator is modulated in correspondence with the intensity of the image light made incident from the other side of the optical modulator as well as a drive voltage to be applied, and the image light made incident from one side is made emergent from the optical modulator. Since the modulation of the intensity of the image light is effected by the optical modulator, the amount of exposure supplied to a printing paper is controlled in correspondence with the density distribution of the image on a negative film, and an image having appropriate contrast can be reproduced by effective use of the latitude of the printing paper.

Abstract: An image exposure apparatus and method generates a first optical image light and a second optical image light. The first optical image is input to a read side of a spatial light modulating element, and the second optical image light is input to a write side of the spatial light modulating element, so that the first optical image light is modulated by the second image light to be output from the read side again; and exposing the light sensitive material to the output image from the read side, that is the both images are combined, or the intensity of both image lights are modulated.

Abstract: To provide a photosensitive material exposure apparatus which is easy for soft focusing exposure. A liquid crystal light regulation member 72 capable of holding light transmission and scattering functions reversibly is disposed between a light source 54 and paper 12. Original image light from a negative film 10 is made to pass through the liquid crystal light regulation member 72, so that the paper 12 is exposed to the light which has passed through the liquid crystal light regulation member 72. The relation of haze (%) with the ratio B/A of the distance B between the liquid crystal light regulation member 72 and the paper 12 to the distance A between the negative film 10 and the paper 12 is represented by B/A<0.3-0.0025 H, preferably, B/A<0.3-0.0029 H. The light transmission and scattering functions can be held wholly or partly or for every pixel by controlling current conduction to electrodes, so that the liquid crystal light regulation member 72 can be made to serve as a soft focusing filter.

Abstract: A method for recording an image on a thermal recording material in which a plurality of color-development layers are laminated, the plurality of color-development layers being adapted to develop different colors, respectively, upon supply of thermal energy thereto and to form a substantially black color when all of the plurality of color-development layers undergo color development with a substantially identical density. With respect to a portion where a color other than black is to be developed, recording is effected such that a color-development density of each of the plurality of color-development layers becomes lower than a maximum color-development density of each of the plurality of color-development layers.