Asahi Kasei Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Makoto Gonmori

Takeo Kimura

Tetsuo Shiga

Kohei Nonaka

Masahiro Koyama

Takashi Ogata

Kenji Matano

A method and apparatus for forming an image using an image forming sheet that is normally non-photosensitive but can be rendered photosensitive by preheating and is exposed at the preheated area to a light image to form therein a latent image and then heat-developed to form a visible image. After preheating, the preheated area is cooled by cooling means prior to exposure.

Image forming method and apparatus therefor

Image forming methods and apparatus for forming an image, using an image forming sheet which has on an organic substrate to heat-developable image forming layer that is normally non-photosensitive but is rendered photosensitive by preheating prior to exposure and forms therein a latent image by exposure and then provides a visible image by heat development. An image forming area of the image forming sheet is preheated and heat-developed to obtain the visible image. In order to prevent an image forming area of the image forming sheet from heat deformation by heating for the preheating or heat development, the image forming area is heated by heating means, holding the opposite side from the image forming layer corresponding to the image forming area in close contact with a flat portion of an image forming area support member in a manner to extend over the entire area of the flat portion, and after the heating, the image forming area is cooled down to a temperature below the glass transition point of the organic substrate, still holding the opposite side from the image forming layer corresponding to the image forming area in close contact with the flat portion of the image forming area support member. After the cooling, the image forming area support member is brought out of contact with the image forming area.

In image forming apparatus using a heat-developable image forming sheet which is normally non-photosensitive but can be rendered photosensitive by preheating and is exposed to a light image to form a latent image and then heat-developed to produce a visible image, first heating means for preheating, exposure means for exposing the image forming sheet to the light image and the second heating means for heat development are respectively provided with fixing means for respectively fixing different image forming areas of the sheet at the processing positions of the respective means, and the first and second heating means and the exposure means are arranged so that the different image forming areas can be simultaneously processed by the respective means in parallel.

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Tokyo, Japan

Makoto Gonmori