Method for acquiring and printing electronic images on a photosensitive medium, and an apparatus to carry out said method

A method for acquiring and printing images on a photosensitive medium comprising:

• electronically acquiring and digitizing a color image;
• storing the image in a computer (10);
• displaying the image on primary display means (11);
• sending the image to a reproduction station (30), and displaying the image on secondary display means (12);
• exposing an end portion (33) of a photosensitive medium web (32) to light radiation coming from said secondary display means (12), the light radiation passing through conveying means (50), to form an exposed image thereon;
• cutting the end portion (33) to separate a single sheet (5) containing the exposed image;
• feeding said sheet (5) into a laminar hollow (45) of a single tank developing means (40);
• developing said sheet (5) in said laminar hollow (45), by successively executing a developing step, a fixing step and a washing step, always keeping the sheet (5) in said laminar hollow (45);
• feeding the sheet (5) out of said laminar hollow (45);
• drying the sheet (5);
• and, prior to exposing the end portion, performing image equalization for at least two primary colors, the exposing times for the at least two primary colors being equal, and wherein exposing the end portion comprises first non-filtered exposing the end portion for the at least two primary colors for a first predefined period of time, and second filtered exposing the end portion for a third primary color, for a second predefined period of time.

A method for acquiring and printing images on a photosensitive medium comprising:

• electronically acquiring and digitizing a color image;
• storing the image in a computer (10);
• displaying the image on primary display means (11);
• sending the image to a reproduction station (30), and displaying the image on secondary display means (12);
• exposing an end portion (33) of a photosensitive medium web (32) to light radiation coming from said secondary display means (12), the light radiation passing through conveying means (50), to form an exposed image thereon;
• cutting the end portion (33) to separate a single sheet (5) containing the exposed image;
• feeding said sheet (5) into a laminar hollow (45) of a single tank developing means (40):
• developing said sheet (5) in said laminar hollow (45), by successively executing a developing step, a fixing step and a washing step, always keeping the sheet (5) in said laminar hollow (45);
• feeding the sheet (5) out of said laminar hollow (45);
• drying the sheet (5);
• and, wherein displaying the image and exposing the end portion occur together and comprise in sequence:
• first monochrome displaying of a first primary color of the image to be printed;
• first exposing the end portion, filtering for a first primary color and for a first pre-defined period of time;
• second monochrome displaying of a second primary color of the image to be printed;
• second exposing the end portion, filtering for a second primary color and for a second pre-defined period of time;
• third monochrome displaying of a third primary color of the image to be printed;
• third exposing the end portion, filtering for a third primary color, for a third pre-defined period time.

An apparatus electronically acquiring images and for printing them on a photosensitive comprising:

• electronic input means (1) for electronically acquiring an image;
• a computer (10) for storing and processing the acquired image;
• primary display means (11) connected to said computer;
• a reproduction station (30) for receiving the image from said computer (10) and for printing the image on a sheet (5) of photosensitive medium, said reproduction station having a chassis (31) enclosing secondary display means (12), connected to said computer (10), for displaying the image stored therein;
• a web (32) of photosensitive medium,
• conveying means (50), for conveying the web of photosensitive medium, the conveying means being transparent to light radiation coming from said secondary display means, the web conveyed towards an exposing room (36), the web having an end portion (33) which is placed at the end of said exposing room (36) for receiving light radiation from said secondary display means;
• a cutter (7) and a first pair of rollers (38) for separating the end portion containing the exposed image, forming a single sheet (5) of photosensitive medium;
• single sheet, single tank developing means (50) for receiving said sheet (5) and developing the image;
• roller means for moving the single sheet back and forth within the single sheet, single tank developing means;
• and,
• drying means (80) for drying the sheet (5).

An apparatus for electronically acquiring images and for printing them on a photosensitive medium comprising:

• electronic input means (1) for electronically acquiring an image;
• a computer (10) for storing and processing the acquired image;
• primary display means (11) connected to said computer;
• a reproduction station (30) for receiving the image from said computer (10) and for printing the image on a sheet (5) of photosensitive medium, said reproduction station having a chassis (31) enclosing secondary display means (12), connected to said computer (10), for displaying the image stored therein;
• a web (32) of photosensitive medium,
• conveying means (50), for conveying the web of photosensitive medium, the conveying means being transparent to light radiation coming from said secondary display means, the web conveyed towards an exposing room (36), the web having an end portion (33) which is placed at the end of said exposing room (36) for receiving light radiation from said secondary display means;
• a cutter (7) and a first pair of rollers (38) for separating the end portion containing the exposed image, forming a single sheet (5) of photosensitive medium;
• single sheet, single tank developing means (50) for receiving said sheet (5) and developing the image;
• drying means (80) for drying the sheet (5), wherein the secondary display means (12) is a back-lit, liquid crystal color monitor having a back-lighting lamp (13), a multiple filter (54), interposed between the liquid crystal color monitor (12) and the back-lighting lamp (13).

An apparatus for electronically acquiring images and for printing them on a photosensitive medium comprising:

• electronic input means (1) for electronically acquiring an image;
• a computer (10) for storing and processing the acquired image;
• primary display means (11) connected to said computer;
• a reproduction station (30) for receiving the image from said computer (10) and for printing the image on a sheet (5) of photosensitive medium, said reproduction station having a chassis (31) enclosing secondary display means (12), connected to said computer (10), for displaying the image stored therein;
• a web (32) of photosensitive medium,
• conveying means (50), for conveying the web of photosensitive medium, the conveying means being transparent to light radiation coming from said secondary display means, the web conveyed towards an exposing room (36), the web having an end portion (33) which is placed at the end of said exposing room (36) for receiving light radiation from said secondary display means;
• a cutter (7) and a first pair of rollers (38) for separating the end portion containing the exposed image, forming a single sheet (5) of photosensitive medium;
• single sheet, single tank developing means (50) for receiving said sheet (5) and developing the image;
• and,
• drying means (80) for drying the sheet (5), wherein the secondary display means consist of a plurality of LED bars (142,143,144), placed side by side and driven by driving means (160) to display light radiation, each bar being provided with a plurality of LEDs (145,146,147), the LED bars (142,143,144) being arranged in front and transversely with respect to said end portion (33), the bars extended substantially for the whole width of the end portion, each of the LED bars displaying light radiation of a different primary color, relative to the other LED bars, of a plurality of image pixels belonging to a transverse strips (172,173,174) of the image to be printed, and each bar being provided with a filter (242,243,244) for filtering the same primary color, said conveying means being a sheaf (150) of optical fibers (151), which convey light information generated by said LED (145,146,147) towards a corresponding area (106) of the end portion (33).

An apparatus for electronically acquiring images and for printing them on a photosensitive medium comprising:

• electronic input means (1) for electronically acquiring an image;
• a computer (10) for storing and processing the acquired image;
• primary display means (11) connected to said computer;
• a reproduction station (30) for receiving the image from said computer (10) and for printing the image on a sheet (5) of photosensitive medium, said reproduction station having a chassis (31) enclosing secondary display means (12), connected to said computer (10), for displaying the image stored therein;
• a web (32) of photosensitive medium,
• conveying means (50), for conveying the web of photosensitive medium, the conveying means being transparent to light radiation coming from said secondary display means, the web conveyed towards an exposing room (36), the web having an end portion (33) which is placed at the end of said exposing room (36) for receiving light radiation from said secondary display means;
• a cutter (7) and a first pair of rollers (38) for separating the end portion containing the exposed image, forming a single sheet (5) of photosensitive medium;
• single sheet, single tank developing means (50) for receiving said sheet (5) and developing the image;
• and,
• drying means (80) for drying the sheet (5), wherein the said single sheet, single tank developing means (40) has a thermoregulated container (41) having a first hollow (3) for containing a thermoregulating means (46), the container housing a developing tank (44) having a laminar hollow (45), the developing tank communicating through an upper side thereof and housing developing products and a sheet (5) of photosensitive medium, in order to develop the sheet;
• at least a second pair of rollers (6), longitudinally arranged immediately over the developing tank (44) and aligned with the laminar hollow (45), for engaging and dragging the sheet (5) into and out of the laminar hollow (45);
• paper guiding means (70), arranged immediately over the second pair of rollers (6) for routing the sheet (5) towards the second pair of rollers;
• developing product loading means (60) for placing measured quantities of developing products into the developing tank (44);
• and, draining means (64) for draining the developing products from said developing tank (44).