EP0704773A2 - Appareil et méthode de conditionnement d'une image de toner sec - Google Patents

Appareil et méthode de conditionnement d'une image de toner sec Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0704773A2
EP0704773A2 EP95306921A EP95306921A EP0704773A2 EP 0704773 A2 EP0704773 A2 EP 0704773A2 EP 95306921 A EP95306921 A EP 95306921A EP 95306921 A EP95306921 A EP 95306921A EP 0704773 A2 EP0704773 A2 EP 0704773A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
image
marking
tackified
intermediate member
conditioning
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP95306921A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0704773A3 (fr
Inventor
Robert W. Gundlach
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Xerox Corp
Original Assignee
Xerox Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Xerox Corp filed Critical Xerox Corp
Publication of EP0704773A2 publication Critical patent/EP0704773A2/fr
Publication of EP0704773A3 publication Critical patent/EP0704773A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
    • G03G15/01—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for producing multicoloured copies
    • G03G15/0105—Details of unit
    • G03G15/0131—Details of unit for transferring a pattern to a second base
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
    • G03G15/14—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for transferring a pattern to a second base
    • G03G15/16—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for transferring a pattern to a second base of a toner pattern, e.g. a powder pattern, e.g. magnetic transfer
    • G03G15/169—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for transferring a pattern to a second base of a toner pattern, e.g. a powder pattern, e.g. magnetic transfer with means for preconditioning the toner image before the transfer

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to development of dry toner images on an intermediate member, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for conditioning the dry toner image on the intermediate member prior to transferring the image to a recording sheet.
  • a typical electrostatographic printing machine (such as a photocopier, laser printer, facsimile machine or the like) employs an imaging member that is exposed to an image to be printed. Exposure of the imaging member records an electrostatic latent image on it corresponding to the informational areas contained within the image to be printed. The latent image is developed by bringing a developer material into contact therewith. The developed image recorded on the photoconductive member is transferred to a support material such as paper either directly or via an intermediate transport member. The developed image on the support material is generally subjected to heat and/or pressure to permanently fuse it thereto.
  • a recording apparatus for producing a latent image on a recording sheet, comprising an intermediate member. Marking means are provided for depositing dry charged marking material on the intermediate member to produce a marking image thereon. A heater, in communication with the intermediate member, heats the intermediate member so as to form a tackified marking image thereon. A conditioning roller conditions the tackified marking image. Means are provided for transferring the tackified marked image to the recording sheet with the tackified marked image being cooled upon contact with the recording sheet to become substantially permanently fixed thereto.
  • a recording apparatus for producing a color image on a recording sheet comprising an intermediate member.
  • First marking means are provided for depositing dry charged marking material of a first color on the intermediate member to produce a marking image thereon.
  • a heater in communication with the intermediate member, heats the intermediate member so as to form a tackified marking image thereon.
  • a conditioning roller conditions the tackified marking image.
  • Second marking means are provided for depositing dry charged marking material of a second color on the tackified marking image forming a composite tackified marking image on the intermediate member.
  • Means are provided for transferring the composite tackified marked image to the recording sheet with the composite tackified marked image being cooled upon contact with the recording sheet to become substantially permanently fixed thereto.
  • Figure 1 shows the various processing stages which would be employed to carry out the heated intermediate roll imaging process of the present invention.
  • intermediate member 20 is the primary element of the imaging system. When rotated in the direction represented by arrow 22, the intermediate member will pass through three stages: A) image deposition; B) image tackification; C) image conditioning; and D) image transfer/fusing (transfixing).
  • intermediate member 20 is first advanced to image deposition stage A.
  • Numerous alternative marking processes may be utilized to deposit marking materials or particles 24 on the surface of member 20 within deposition stage A.
  • indirect or interactive marking techniques may be used, where an electrostatic latent image is first deposited on the surface of the member and subsequently developed with charged marking particles which contacts the charged surface.
  • indirect marking processes include: basic xerographic techniques commonly known to employ photoconductive members which dissipate charge in response to light images; ionographic techniques, such as, those described in US-A-4,619,515 or in US-A-4,463,363; and pyroelectric methods such as taught in US-A-5,185,619.
  • direct or non-interactive marking techniques may be used to deposit marking particles 24 on the surface of member 20 as disclosed in US-A-2,968,552 and US-A-5,153,615.
  • the result will be a developed image comprised of regions of marking particles, produced in response to original image data which is understood to have been an input to one of the previously described marking processes.
  • marking particles 24, present on the surface of the intermediate member are advanced through image tackification stage B.
  • stage B which essentially encompasses the region between when the marking particles contact the surface of member 20 and when they are transferred to recording sheet 26, the particles 30 are transformed into a tackified or molten state by heat which is applied to member 20 internally.
  • the tackified marking particle image is transferred, and bonded, to recording sheet 26 with limited wicking by the sheet.
  • member 20 includes a heating element, 32, which not only heats the internal wall of the intermediate member in the region of transfix nip 34, but because of the mass and thermal conductivity of the intermediate member, generally maintains the outer wall of member 20 at a temperature sufficient to cause the marking particles present on the surface to melt.
  • intermediate member 20 may be a "instant on" device as disclosed in US-A-5,087,946 or a tubular heat roller formed from a ceramic resistor material having a positive temperature coefficient of resistance as disclosed in US-A-5,191,381.
  • the marking particles on the surface while softening and coalescing due to the application of heat from the interior of member 20, maintain the position in which they were deposited on the outer surface of member 20, so as not to alter the image pattern which they represent.
  • conductive roller 50 is a metal roller.
  • Roller 50 has a polished finish, and is bias by power supply 155, preferably to the same polarity as the tacky image on the intermediate member.
  • potential bias can be varied to pick up some of the excessively thick portions of the image thereby improving the quality of the image.
  • a cleaning blade 55 cleans off toner adhering to roller 50.
  • tackified marking particles pass to image transfixing
  • the tackified marking particles are forced, by a normal force N applied through backup pressure roll 36, into contact with the surface of recording sheet 26.
  • the normal force N produces a nip pressure which is preferably about 68.9 x104 N/m (100 psi), and may also be applied to the recording sheet via a resilient blade or similar spring-like member uniformly biased against the outer surface of the intermediate member across its width.
  • the tackified marking particles wet the surface of the recording sheet, and due to greater attractive forces between the paper and the tackified particles, as compared to the attraction between the tackified particles and the liquid-phobic surface of member 20, the tackified particles are completely transferred to the recording sheet as image marks 38. Furthermore, as the image marks were transferred to recording sheet 26 in a tackified state, they become permanent once they are advanced past transfix nip and allowed to cool below their melting temperature.
  • FIG. 2 Illustrated in Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a multicolor printing apparatus having an intermediate member 20 in a configuration suitable for an ionographic printing process.
  • Intermediate member 20 is employed as an electroreceptor. It is preferred that intermediate member comprises a two layer structure which can be optional mounted onto a rigid cylindrical member 5.
  • the substrate layer has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 1.0 mm and a resistivity between 106 ohm-cm and 1011 ohm-cm at temperatures between 130°C to 150°C.
  • An insulating top layer has a thickness less than 10 ⁇ m, a dielectric constant between 10 and 1.0, and a resistivity between 101 ohm-cm and 1014 ohm-cm at temperatures between 130°C to 150°C.
  • the top layer also has an adhesive release surface. Also, it is preferred that both layers have matching hardness between 50 durometer and 80. Preferably, both layers are composed of VitonTM which can be laminated together.
  • Intermediate member 20 moves around in the direction indicated by the arrow. Intermediate member 20 receives a first latent image to be developed with a first color from ionographic or ionic projection writing head 7, which latent image is then developed with a first developer at one of a plurality of development stations 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d; Figure 2 illustrates development with station 9a engaged. Development stations 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d employ a non-interactive marking technique to deposit marking particles on the surface of intermediate member 20. The marking particles are transformed into a tackified or molten state by heat which is applied to intermediate member 20 internally.
  • Intermediate member 20 includes a plurality of heating elements 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d which not only heats the internal wall of the intermediate member in the region, but generally maintains the outer wall of member 20 at a temperature sufficient to cause the marking particles present on the surface to melt.
  • heat controller 21 keeps intermediate member temperature between the temperatures of 130°C to 150°C.
  • the developed latent image flow into greater contact and higher capacitance with the intermediate member, and the charges on the marking particles relax. This, in turn, reduces contributions to blooming by previous developed images, and also reduce tendency of loose toner to shift under high lateral electrostatic fields at the boundaries of the latent image for the next color.
  • conductive roller 50 biased to the same polarity as the toner charge rolls over the tackified toner image.
  • the rollers create a thinner, more cohesive image without degradation of the image before subsequent imaging by ionic projection writing head 7.
  • the roller compresses the toner image to lower its pile height and further enhancing capacitance for subsequent charging of the image.
  • An advantage of the present invention is that the conductive rollers further reduce both the blooming of charges on each of image toner, but also reduce the tendency of previously developed toner from jumping laterally at boundaries of high voltage contrast.
  • the imaging means again moves past ionic projection writing head 7, at which point another latent image is formed on top of the first developed image, and the latent image moves past development stations 9, where it is developed with a second marking particle of a color different from that of the first developer at, for example, development station 9b.
  • the process is repeated, with the subsequent latent images being developed at development stations 9c and 9d, until the final full color image has been formed.
  • the full color image move to transfix nip 34
  • the liquefied marking particles of the full color image are forced, by a normal force N applied through backup pressure roll 36, into contact with the surface of recording sheet 26.
  • N a normal force applied through backup pressure roll 36
  • the tackified marking particles wet the surface of the recording sheet, and due to greater attractive forces between the paper and the tackified particles, as compared to the attraction between the tackified particles and the liquid-phobic surface of member 20, the tackified particles are completely transferred to the recording sheet.
  • the full color image image transferred to recording sheet 26 in a tackified state becomes permanent once the full color image advances past transfix nip and allowed to cool.
  • the present invention is a method and apparatus for printing which employs a conditioning roller for conditioning a tackified, dry toner image.
  • An intermediate member first acts as a receptor for marking particles representing an image, whereby the marking particles may be deposited directly or indirectly on the member. The member is then exposed, via an internal heat source, to an elevated temperature sufficient to cause the melting and coalescing of the marking particles.
  • the tackified image is condition by a conditioning roller.
  • the intermediate member is advanced at least once and a second color marking particles is deposited onto the previous image. The image is again conditioned by the conditioning roller.
  • the intermediate member is advanced so as to place the multicolor tackified marking particles present on the outer surface of the intermediate member into intimate contact with the surface of a recording sheet.
  • the present .invention provides the advantage of dimensional stability of the intermediate member to provide a uniform image deposition stage, resulting in a controlled image transfer gap and better image registration. Further advantages include reduced blooming of ionographic charges, as well as reduced lateral jumping of previously developed toner at boundaries of high voltage contrast.
EP95306921A 1994-09-30 1995-09-29 Appareil et méthode de conditionnement d'une image de toner sec Withdrawn EP0704773A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US31600794A 1994-09-30 1994-09-30
US316007 1994-09-30

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0704773A2 true EP0704773A2 (fr) 1996-04-03
EP0704773A3 EP0704773A3 (fr) 1997-08-13

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95306921A Withdrawn EP0704773A3 (fr) 1994-09-30 1995-09-29 Appareil et méthode de conditionnement d'une image de toner sec

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0704773A3 (fr)
JP (1) JPH08114999A (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2000031593A1 (fr) * 1998-11-25 2000-06-02 Indigo N.V. Fixeur et tambour de transfert intermediaire
US7092667B1 (en) 2000-10-13 2006-08-15 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Fuser and intermediate transfer drums

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2968552A (en) 1956-10-01 1961-01-17 Haloid Xerox Inc Xerographic apparatus and method
US4463363A (en) 1982-07-06 1984-07-31 Xerox Corporation Fluid assisted ion projection printing
US4619515A (en) 1981-12-04 1986-10-28 Delphax Systems Electrostatic printing apparatus and method
US5087946A (en) 1990-06-04 1992-02-11 The United States Of America As Represented By Director, National Security Agency Composite instant on fuser element
US5153615A (en) 1991-04-26 1992-10-06 Xerox Corporation Pyroelectric direct marking method and apparatus
US5185619A (en) 1991-04-26 1993-02-09 Xerox Corporation Electrostatic printing method and apparatus employing a pyroelectric imaging member
US5191381A (en) 1991-08-12 1993-03-02 Jie Yuan PTC ceramic heat roller for fixing toner image

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS59125766A (ja) * 1982-12-31 1984-07-20 Konishiroku Photo Ind Co Ltd 記録方法
US4992833A (en) * 1989-08-10 1991-02-12 Eastman Kodak Company Fixing method and apparatus having a transfer-fixing chilling drum
US5136334A (en) * 1991-05-17 1992-08-04 Hewlett-Packard Company Method and apparatus for preparing liquid tone for direct transfer to the media during electrophotographic printing
NL9200713A (nl) * 1992-04-21 1993-11-16 Oce Nederland Bv Werkwijze en inrichting voor het vormen van een meerkleurenbeeld.
US5233397A (en) * 1992-08-24 1993-08-03 Xerox Corporation Thermal transfer apparatus
US5353105A (en) * 1993-05-03 1994-10-04 Xerox Corporation Method and apparatus for imaging on a heated intermediate member

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2968552A (en) 1956-10-01 1961-01-17 Haloid Xerox Inc Xerographic apparatus and method
US4619515A (en) 1981-12-04 1986-10-28 Delphax Systems Electrostatic printing apparatus and method
US4463363A (en) 1982-07-06 1984-07-31 Xerox Corporation Fluid assisted ion projection printing
US5087946A (en) 1990-06-04 1992-02-11 The United States Of America As Represented By Director, National Security Agency Composite instant on fuser element
US5153615A (en) 1991-04-26 1992-10-06 Xerox Corporation Pyroelectric direct marking method and apparatus
US5185619A (en) 1991-04-26 1993-02-09 Xerox Corporation Electrostatic printing method and apparatus employing a pyroelectric imaging member
US5191381A (en) 1991-08-12 1993-03-02 Jie Yuan PTC ceramic heat roller for fixing toner image

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2000031593A1 (fr) * 1998-11-25 2000-06-02 Indigo N.V. Fixeur et tambour de transfert intermediaire
US6584294B1 (en) 1998-11-25 2003-06-24 Hewlett-Packard Indigo B.V. Fuser and intermediate transfer drums
US7092667B1 (en) 2000-10-13 2006-08-15 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Fuser and intermediate transfer drums

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH08114999A (ja) 1996-05-07
EP0704773A3 (fr) 1997-08-13

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