Heat development device having sheet pressing members and wide heating plates

摘要

A heat development device for thermally developing a latent image formed on a sheet includes a sheet guide means in the form of a plate and a heating means for heating the sheet guide means. The heating means has a width more than a width of the sheet guide means and has both ends in a width direction each of which extends outwardly from a corresponding end of the sheet guide means. The heating means may preferably be divided into at least three portions which are controllable independently. The heat development device may preferably further includes a sheet pressing means for pressing the sheet against the sheet guide means. The heat development device is effective in improving a thermal distribution of the sheet guide means to provide an image having a uniform image density formed on the sheet when used in an image recording apparatus.