Recording method and recording device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9899052-B2
Application number	US-201715422796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2017
Priority date	Feb 5, 2016
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A recording method including: emitting laser light from an optical fiber array to record an image formed of writing units with moving a recording target and the optical fiber array relatively using a recording device including a plurality of laser light-emitting elements and an emitting unit including the optical fiber array, in which a plurality of optical fibers configured to guide laser light emitted from the laser light-emitting elements are aligned, wherein a maximum length of the writing unit along a sub-scanning direction is controlled with set values of: a duty ratio and a cycle of a pulse signal input to the emitting unit; recording energy applied to the recording target; and a spot diameter of the laser light, to record with overlapping an edge of the writing unit with an edge of the adjacent writing unit in the sub-scanning direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recording method comprising:
emitting laser light from an optical fiber array to record an image formed of writing units with moving a recording target and the optical fiber array relatively using a recording device including a plurality of laser light-emitting elements and an emitting unit including the optical fiber array, in which a plurality of optical fibers configured to guide laser light emitted from the laser light-emitting elements are aligned,
wherein a maximum length of the writing unit along a sub-scanning direction is controlled with set values of: a duty ratio and a cycle of a pulse signal input to the emitting unit; recording energy applied to the recording target; and a spot diameter of the laser light, to record with overlapping an edge of the writing unit with an edge of the adjacent writing unit in the sub-scanning direction, and
wherein the writing units constituting the image satisfy a relationship represented by Mathematical Formula 1 below:
0< C −(1− D ) T·Vs   Mathematical Formula 1

where, in Mathematical Formula 1, C is a maximum length of a swell of a writing unit in the sub-scanning direction relative to a distance L with which the laser light is emitted, D is a duty ratio of the pulse signal, T is a cycle of the pulse signal, and Vs is a traveling speed of the recording target relative to the optical fiber array.

2. The recording method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the writing units constituting the image satisfy a relationship represented by Mathematical Formula 2 below:
0.1<1−(1− D ) T·Vs/C< 0.9  Mathematical Formula 2.

3. The recording method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the writing units constituting the image satisfy a relationship represented by Mathematical Formula 3 below:
0.95· F ·(2×(1−(1− D ) T·Vs/C )−(1−(1− D ) T·VS/C ) 2 ) 1/2 ≧P   Mathematical Formula 3

where, in Mathematical Formula 3, P is a recording pitch of the writing units in a main-scanning direction, and F is a width of the writing unit in the main-scanning direction.

4. The recording method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the writing units constituting the image satisfy a relationship represented by Mathematical Formula 4 below:
Vs·DT+C≦ 3 F   Mathematical Formula 4

where, in Mathematical Formula 4, F is a width of the writing unit in the main-scanning direction.

5. The recording method according to claim 1 ,
wherein a duty ratio of the pulse signal of a first cycle at the beginning of recording is larger than a duty ratio of the pulse signal of a second cycle or later.

6. The recording method according to claim 1 ,
wherein a duty ratio of the pulse signal of a first cycle at the beginning of recording is 105% or greater but 125% or less relative to a duty ratio of the pulse signal of a second cycle or later.

7. The recording method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the recording target is a thermosensitive recording medium, or a structure including a thermosensitive recording area, or both.

8. A recording device comprising:
a plurality of laser light-emitting elements; and
an emitting unit including an optical fiber array, in which a plurality of optical fibers configured to guide laser light emitted from the laser light-emitting elements are aligned,
wherein the recording device is configured to apply laser light emitted from the optical fiber array with moving a recording target and the optical fiber array relatively, to record an image formed of writing units,
wherein a maximum length of the writing unit along a sub-scanning direction is controlled with set values of: a duty ratio and a cycle of a pulse signal input to the emitting unit; recording energy applied to the recording target; and a spot diameter of the laser light, to record with overlapping an edge of the writing unit with an edge of the adjacent writing unit in the sub-scanning direction, and
wherein the writing units constituting the image satisfy a relationship represented by Mathematical Formula 1 below:
0< C −(1− D ) T·Vs   Mathematical Formula 1

where, in Mathematical Formula 1, C is a maximum length of a swell of a writing unit in the sub-scanning direction relative to a distance L with which the laser light is emitted, D is a duty ratio of the pulse signal, T is a cycle of the pulse signal, and Vs is a traveling speed of the recording target relative to the optical fiber array.

9. The recording device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the writing units constituting the image satisfy a relationship represented by Mathematical Formula 2 below:
0.1<1−(1− D ) T·Vs/C< 0.9  Mathematical Formula 2.

10. The recording device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the writing units constituting the image satisfy a relationship represented by Mathematical Formula 3 below:
0.95· F ·(2×(1−(1− D ) T·Vs/C )−(1−(1− D ) T·Vs/C ) 2 ) 1/2 ≧P   Mathematical Formula 3

where, in Mathematical Formula 3, P is a recording pitch of the writing units in a main-scanning direction, and F is a width of the writing unit in the main-scanning direction.

11. The recording device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the writing units constituting the image satisfy a relationship represented by Mathematical Formula 4 below:
Vs·DT+C≦ 3 F   Mathematical Formula 4

where, in Mathematical Formula 4, F is a width of the writing unit in the main-scanning direction.

12. The recording device according to claim 8 ,
wherein a duty ratio of the pulse signal of a first cycle at the beginning of recording is larger than a duty ratio of the pulse signal of a second cycle or later.

13. The recording device according to claim 8 ,
wherein a duty ratio of the pulse signal of a first cycle at the beginning of recording is 105% or greater but 125% or less relative to a duty ratio of the pulse signal of a second cycle or later.

14. The recording device according to claim 8 ,
wherein a minimum distance between centers of the optical fibers is 1.0 mm or less.

15. The recording device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the number of optical fibers aligned in the optical fiber array is 10 or greater.

16. The recording device according to claim 8 ,
wherein irradiation power of the laser light is controlled depending on a temperature of the laser light-emitting element.

17. The recording device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the recording target is a thermosensitive recording medium, or a structure including a thermosensitive recording area, or both.

18. The recording device according to claim 8 , further comprising a recording target-conveying unit configured to convey the recording target,
wherein laser light is applied to the recording target with conveying the recording target by the recording target-conveying unit.

Assignees

• Arai Satoshi
• Hotta Yoshihiko
• Uetake Kazuyuki
• Sawamura Ichiro
• Ishimi Tomomi
• Yokota Yasuroh
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Arai Satoshi
• Hotta Yoshihiko
• Uetake Kazuyuki
• Sawamura Ichiro
• Ishimi Tomomi
• Yokota Yasuroh

Classifications

• B41J3/445 Primary

  Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras · CPC title

• G11B7/126 Primary

  Circuits, methods or arrangements for laser control or stabilisation · CPC title

• B41J2/315

  characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material (B41J2/385, B41J2/435 take precedence) · CPC title

• G11B7/1384

  Fibre optics · CPC title

• G11B7/127

  Lasers; Multiple laser arrays {(lasers per se H01S)} · CPC title