JPH0224671A - Electrophotographic recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain electrophotography having good resolution by making toner adhering to the surface of a photosensitive layer fly and making it adhere to a recording medium through the aperture of a mask. CONSTITUTION:As for the toner 4 flying radiately by means of photoirradiation, excess toner is shielded by the mask 3 and only toner which passes through the aperture 3a is made to adhere to the recording medium 2. Therefore, a toner image having good resolution can be recorded. The aperture 3a on a recording medium side is made narrow and the toner is allowed to adhere to medium in the shape of the aperture whose mouth is made narrow, so that the resolution is improved. By using magnetic toner and a cleaning means 11 where a magnetic coil is used, the toner adhering to the inside of the aperture 3a is removed to prevent clogging. An aperture 3b for alignment is provided and light 6b which passes through a part where the photosensitive layer 1c does not exist is matched to the aperture 3b, thereby performing alignment.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to an electrophotographic recording device used in copying machines, printers, facsimile machines, and the like.

[Prior Art] As electrophotographic recording apparatuses, those using the so-called Carlson process have been widely put into practical use, but in recent years, electrophotographic recording apparatuses having recording principles different from the above-mentioned Carlson process have also been studied.

As a recording method using the non-Carlson process, there is one described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-256358.

This recording method will be explained below using FIG. 7.

In the figure, 1 is a support unit, which includes a transparent support 1as, a transparent electrode 1b, a photosensitive layer IC1, and a charged electrode 1d.
The transparent electrode 1b and the charged electrode 1d are formed by
is maintained at a predetermined DC potential. 2 is a recording medium using recording paper or the like.

4 is a toner deposited on the photosensitive layer 1c and the charging electrode 1d, and is kept at the same potential as the charging electrode 1d. 5 is a back electrode, which is maintained at a predetermined DC potential.

The above explanation shows the state when the light 6a from the light source 6 is not irradiated, but the light 6a is applied to the photosensitive layer I.
When the photosensitive layer IC is irradiated with light 6a, the resistance of the photosensitive layer IC decreases in the portion irradiated with the light 6a, and as a result, the electric field acting on the toner 4 becomes stronger, and the toner 4 flies toward the recording medium 2 due to Coulomb force. Then, a toner image is formed on the recording medium 2, and recording is performed.

[Problems to be Solved] In the conventional electrophotographic recording apparatus described above, a radial electric field acts on the toner 4 that flies due to light irradiation, and the toner 4 flies radially in accordance with the electric field.

Therefore, the toner image formed by the toner 4 adhering to the recording medium 2 becomes large or the periphery of the image becomes blurred, so that the above-mentioned conventional electrophotographic recording apparatus cannot obtain a high-resolution recording.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems,
The purpose is to provide an electrophotographic recording device with good resolution.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a support unit formed by a transparent support, a transparent electrode formed on the transparent support, and a photosensitive layer formed on the transparent electrode. , a recording medium placed opposite to the support unit, an aperture mask placed between the support unit and the recording medium, toner adhered to the surface of the photosensitive layer, and the photosensitive layer. and a light source that lowers the resistance of the photosensitive layer in the irradiated area by irradiating the layer with light, and causes the toner adhering to the surface of the photosensitive layer in the irradiated area to fly by Coulomb force. The above problem is solved by an electrophotographic recording apparatus characterized in that a toner image is formed by adhering the toner to the recording medium through the apertures provided in the aperture mask.

The openings are arranged from the toner population side to the outlet side. (a) The mouth is gradually becoming wider.

(b) The mouth is gradually becoming narrower.

It is preferable.

Further, in the present invention, in order to clean the aperture mask, a cleaning means is provided, and the toner adhering to the aperture mask is separated from the aperture mask by the cleaning means,
The present invention provides an electrophotographic recording apparatus characterized in that the aperture mask is cleaned.

[Example] An example of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a support unit, 1a is a transparent support, 1a is a transparent support, Jb is a transparent electrode,
IC is a photosensitive layer using amorphous silicon or the like, and 1d is a charging electrode. 2 is a recording medium using recording paper or the like. Reference numeral 3 denotes an aperture mask, in which an aperture 3a having a negative side or diameter of about 100 micrometers is provided.

4 is toner, 5 is a back electrode, 6 is a light source, and 6a is light from this light source 6.

In this example, an aperture mask 3 is newly added to the conventional example.

When the toner 4 flies radially due to light irradiation, when a toner image is formed, excess toner that causes the toner image to spread or blur around the toner image is blocked by the aperture master 3, and the toner that passes through the aperture 3a is blocked by the aperture master 3. Only the remaining particles adhere to the recording medium 2. Therefore, it is possible to record a toner image with good resolution.

By the way, since the distance between the support unit 1 and the recording medium 2 is short, in the above-mentioned conventional electrophotographic recording apparatus, the recording medium (
In particular, unnecessary toner may adhere to the recording medium due to causes such as contact between the recording medium and the support unit due to curls or wrinkles in the recording paper, or toner flying up during toner transport, but in this example, Since the aperture mask 3 serves as a physical shielding plate, it is possible to prevent unnecessary toner from adhering to the recording medium 2.

FIG. 2 shows the support unit 1 and the aperture mask 3 when the present invention is used in a recording device that obtains a linear print pattern.
This is what is shown.

For the second application, it is preferable to arrange the opening 3a so as to correspond to one dot of the toner image.

Incidentally, the opening 3a shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be formed in a cylindrical or prismatic shape, but in the above shape,
There is a problem in that toner tends to adhere to the inside of the opening 3a and cause clogging.

The embodiments shown below were made to solve the above problem, and relate to the shape of the opening 3a.

In the case shown in FIGS. 3(a) to 3(C), the opening 3a gradually becomes wider from the toner population side to the outlet side.

Although some of the toner 4 flies radially, most of the toner flies directly upward, so most of the toner remains in the shape of the narrow hole on the entrance side of the opening 3a. Part 3a
pass through. Therefore, the probability that toner will adhere to the inside of the aperture is greatly reduced compared to when the aperture has a cylindrical or prismatic shape.

In the case shown in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(C), the opening 3a gradually becomes narrower from the toner inlet side to the toner outlet side.

In the aperture 3a having the above-described shape, toner adhering to the inside of the aperture 3a can easily fall, so that toner clogging can be significantly reduced.

Furthermore, in this example, since the opening 3a is narrow at the exit side of the opening 3a, that is, at the portion close to the recording medium, almost all of the toner is absorbed into the narrow opening on the exit side of the opening 3a. The toner image adheres to the recording medium in the same hole shape, making it possible to record a toner image with even better resolution.

FIG. 5 shows an example of an electrophotographic recording apparatus provided with a means for cleaning toner adhering to an aperture mask.

In this example, magnetic toner is used as the toner 4, and the toner adhering to the entrance side of the aperture mask 3 or the inside of the aperture 3a is removed by magnetic force by the cleaning means 11 using a magnetic coil, and the toner is removed from the aperture 3a by magnetic force. The mask 3 is cleaned to prevent clogging and the like. Therefore, a good toner image can be recorded with good reproducibility.

Particularly, in the case where the toner is cleaned using magnetism such as the above magnetic coil, cleaning can be performed without contact, so that the support unit 1 or the aperture mask 3 etc. are not damaged at all.

FIG. 6 shows a method of aligning the aperture mask and the light source.

When the aperture 3a corresponds to one dot of the toner image, alignment between the aperture mask 3 and the light source 6 is extremely important.

In this example, an alignment aperture 3b is provided, and alignment is performed by aligning the light 6b passing through the portion where the photosensitive layer 1c is not formed with the alignment aperture 3b. ing. The reason why the light 6b passing through the portion where the photosensitive layer 1c is not formed is used because the photosensitive layer IC absorbs the light and hardly transmits any light.

In this example, since it is only necessary to add the positioning opening 3b, positioning can be performed with a simple configuration.

Note that it is effective for manufacturing the aperture mask to make the aperture 3a and the alignment aperture 3b have the same shape and to make the distance between each aperture 3a and 3b the same.

[Effects of the Invention] In the present invention, unnecessary toner is blocked by the aperture mask 3, and only the toner that has passed through the apertures adheres to the recording medium, so that a toner image with good resolution can be obtained. Since the aperture mask serves as a shielding plate, it is possible to prevent unnecessary toner from adhering to the recording medium.

If the aperture gradually widens from the toner inlet side to the toner outlet side, the probability that toner will adhere to the inside of the aperture can be significantly reduced.

If the aperture gradually narrows from the toner inlet side to the toner outlet side, the probability of toner adhering to the inside of the aperture can be greatly reduced, and the resolution can be further improved. A record of the toner image can be obtained.

Further, in the case where a cleaning means is provided, the aperture mask can be cleaned and clogging of the apertures can be prevented, so that good toner image recording can be obtained with high reproducibility.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an electrophotographic recording device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view when the present invention is used in a recording device that obtains a linear print pattern, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are , a perspective view showing the shape of the aperture of the aperture mask according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an example in which a cleaning means is provided, and FIG. 6 is an example in which a positioning means is provided. An explanatory diagram,
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional electrophotographic recording apparatus. 1...Support unit 1a...Transparent support 1b...Transparent electrode IC...Photosensitive layer 2...Recording medium 3...Aperture mask 3a. ...Opening portion 4...Toner 6...Light source 6a...Light 11...Cleaning means and above Figure 1 Cause 3 (CI) Figure 4 ( b) (C) First cause

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A support unit formed by a transparent support, a transparent electrode formed on the transparent support, and a photosensitive layer formed on the transparent electrode, and installed opposite to the support unit. an aperture mask installed between the support unit and the recording medium; a toner adhering to the surface of the photosensitive layer; and irradiation of the photosensitive layer with light. a light source that lowers the resistance of the photosensitive layer in the portions irradiated with the light; An electrophotographic recording apparatus characterized in that a toner image is formed by adhering the toner to the recording medium through the hole. (2) Claim 1, wherein the opening gradually becomes wider from the toner inlet side to the toner outlet side.
The electrophotographic recording device described. (3) Claim 1, wherein the opening gradually narrows from the toner inlet side to the toner outlet side.
The electrophotographic recording device described. (4) In the electrophotographic recording apparatus according to claim 1, 2, or 3, a cleaning means for cleaning the aperture mask by removing the toner adhering to the aperture mask from the aperture mask. An electrophotographic recording device characterized by being provided with.