Sheet material cutting apparatus for cutting thermal imaging material

Abstract

A decurl apparatus includes a heating device to heat an image recording carrier web at a constant temperature, which exceeds the glass transition temperature of a support for a constant time period; and a cooling device for subsequent cooling of the image recording carrier web to a temperature equal to or lower than the glass transition temperature, while the image recording carrier web maintains a predetermined shape. The heating device includes an induction-heated heating roller and holding rollers arranged at arbitrary angular positions with respect to the outer circumference of the heating roller. As a result, the image recording carrier web is reliably decurled by a simple construction without being influenced by a transfer velocity or the like.

1 . A sheet material cutting apparatus for cutting a band-shaped thermal imaging material being transferred, comprising: 
 cutting means for cutting said thermal imaging material transferred; and    heating means disposed upstream of said cutting means for heating said thermal imaging material.    
   
   
       2 . A sheet material cutting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said heating means heat the emulsion side surface of said thermal imaging material to a temperature within a range from the Tg temperature of said image forming layer to 100° C.  
   
   
       3 . A sheet material cutting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said heating means includes: 
 a heating roller for heating said thermal imaging material in contact therewith; and    a holding roller made reciprocally movable along the circumference of said heating roller, for adjusting the lapping amount of said thermal imaging material with respect to said heating roller while moving in engagement with said thermal imaging material.    
   
   
       4 . A sheet material cutting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said heating means includes: 
 a plurality of hot wind nozzles arranged on the opposite sides of a transfer passage, along which said thermal imaging material is transferred, for heating said thermal imaging material by blowing the hot wind thereto; and    flow rate adjusting means for adjusting the flow rates blown from said hot wind nozzles, individually.    
   
   
       5 . A sheet material cutting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of said thermal imaging material at least either before or after said thermal imaging material is cut by said cutting means.    
   
   
       6 . A sheet material cutting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 blade heating means for heating said cutting means themselves.    
   
   
       7 . A sheet material cutting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cutting means includes first and second blade members for cutting said thermal imaging material in a direction of intersecting the transfer direction of said thermal imaging material, 
 wherein said first blade member to contact with the emulsion side surface of said thermal imaging material is set such that the edge angle, as made between a reference virtual line normal to said emulsion side surface and the edge line containing the first edge of said first blade member to contact at first with said emulsion side surface, is within a range of 15 to 40 degrees or 85 to 90 degrees,    wherein the shear angle, at which said thermal imaging material is nipped between the first edge of said first blade member and the second edge of said second blade member to contact at first with the side opposed to said emulsion surface, is set within a range of 0.3 to 5 degrees, and    wherein the gap, as taken in the direction to intersect to the cutting direction, between said first edge and said second edge is set to a value of 15% or less of the thickness of said thermal imaging material.    
   
   
       8 . A sheet material cutting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cutting means includes first and second rotary blade members for slitting said thermal imaging material in the transfer direction of said thermal imaging material, 
 wherein said first rotary blade member to contact with the emulsion side surface of said thermal imaging material is set such that the edge angle, as made between a reference virtual line normal to said emulsion side surface and the edge line containing the first edge of said first rotary blade member to contact at first with said emulsion side surface, is within a range of 15 to 40 degrees or 85 to 90 degrees,    wherein the shear angle, at which said thermal imaging material is nipped between the first edge of said first rotary blade member and the second edge of said second rotary blade member to contact at first with the side opposed to said emulsion surface, is set within a range of 10 to 20 degrees, and    wherein the gap, as taken in the direction to intersect to the slitting direction, between said first edge and said second edge is set to a value of 15% or less of the thickness of said thermal imaging material.