1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of recording an image, and more particularly to an image recording apparatus and a method of recording an image which an image formed on a heat-development type photosensitive material by exposure is subjected to heat-development and is then transferred to an image receiving material so as to record the image thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional image recording apparatus, an image formed on a heat-development type photosensitive material is subjected to heat-development and is then transferred to an image receiving material so as to record the image thereon. The image recording apparatus is provided with a photosensitive material magazine for storing a rolled heat-development type photosensitive material. The photosensitive material is pulled out from the photosensitive material magazine by a predetermined length necessary for forming an image thereon by exposure. The photosensitive material thus pulled out is cut and is then conveyed to an exposure section where an image is formed on the photosensitive material by exposure. After completion of the exposure, the photosensitive material is conveyed to a heat-development/transfer section via a water applying section. The image recording apparatus is also provided with an image receiving material magazine for storing a rolled image receiving material. The image receiving material is pulled out from the image receiving material magazine and is then conveyed to the heat-development/transfer section. In the heat-development/transfer section, the photosensitive material and image receiving material are conveyed around a cylindrical heating drum in a state in which they closely contact each other. The photosensitive material and image receiving material conveyed around the heating drum are both heated by heat from a halogen lamp built into the heating drum. As a result, the image formed on the photosensitive material by exposure is heat-developed and is transferred to the image receiving material.
In the heat-development section of the image recording apparatus, the photosensitive material and the image receiving material must be conveyed around the cylindrical heating drum. Therefore, a large space is needed to convey the photosensitive material and the image receiving material around the heating drum. Also, since the heating drum has a cylindrical shape, wasted space exists around the heating drum.
Also, the image receiving material magazine of the image recording apparatus must have a cylindrical space therein to store a rolled image receiving material. Accordingly, a large space is needed and wasted space exists therein.
In the image recording apparatus, the photosensitive material is pulled out from the photosensitive material magazine by a predetermined length necessary for forming an image thereon by exposure, cut, and then conveyed to the exposure section in which an image is formed on the photosensitive material by exposure. Consequently, a large space is necessary to pull out the photosensitive material from the magazine by a predetermined length necessary for forming an image thereon by exposure.
For the above-described reasons, the conventional image recording apparatus has the drawbacks of having a large size and high costs.