JPH04162057A - Electrophotographic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the handling performance of a printed document by indicating the second information with the printed time status or the like recorded therein in addition to the information printed by an original exposure device. CONSTITUTION:In the state of character-graphic information received from a host computer being scanned on a sensitized body 1 by a laser optical system 3, the printing of the printing performed time by a user is assigned from a control panel 44. The time information obtained by the clock function of a control-memory part 43 in a date-time exposure device 40 is successively displayed as picture element information on a liquid crystal shutter 41 synchronously with the rotation of the sensitized body 1 and projected on the sensitized body 1 by light source 42. The character-graphic information printed time is thereby indicated on recording paper 12 in addition to the information from the host computer without becoming a load to the printing data on the host computer. The character handling performance can be thus improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus, and more particularly to a method for providing a function of adding information of different content to information to be printed.

[Conventional technology]

In conventional electrophotographic equipment. As an auxiliary exposure means separate from the main exposure device that creates an electrostatic latent image,
It is well known that a non-image area is exposed using a light emitting diode array, as described in Japanese Patent No. 41272.

In the above-mentioned conventional technology, when making a reduced copy in a copying machine that uses a regular development method, the exposure light does not reach the edge of the photoreceptor, and that area is developed meaninglessly, and the toner is wasted. This technology erases the electrostatic latent image by exposing only that part to light in order to prevent the electrostatic latent image from being consumed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The above conventional technology is a technology for erasing unnecessary information on one image, but it is impossible to add information such as separate characters or figures that do not exist on the image information, and it is not possible to recognize it. Not yet.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic apparatus that can improve the handling of printed documents by making it possible to arbitrarily add information such as separate characters or figures that do not exist on image information. It is about providing.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a means for charging a photoreceptor, a means for exposing the photoreceptor, and an electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic latent image formed by the exposure means on the photoreceptor. In an electrophotographic apparatus equipped with a developing means for adhering toner having a charge of the same polarity, information exposed by the photoreceptor exposing means between the charging means to the photoreceptor and the developing means. The second exposure means is provided for exposing text or graphic information emitted from a different information source.

[Effect]

In an electrophotographic device that uses a reversal development method, the exposed area is printed as information, so if exposure is performed from the host process to the development process, no matter how many stages the exposure means is separated, , print information can be additionally recorded.

During normal printing, the second exposure means is not activated, but a memory section and its control section that can be registered and recalled in order to add separate characters or figures that do not exist on one image information are stored in the electrophotographic apparatus. In preparation for this, the handling of printed documents is improved by exposing information such as characters, graphics, date and time, cumulative number of printed sheets, etc. registered by user operations onto the photoreceptor using a second exposure device. .

In addition, if the electrophotographic apparatus is equipped with a plurality of removable developing means, one or at least all but one of the developing means may be removed and the space filled with the developing means may be removed. It is also possible to insert the second exposure means or, in addition, the memory section and its control section.

The plurality of developing means are, for example, a developing device for black printing and a developing device for color printing.Depending on the type of printing information, it is not necessarily necessary that all the developing devices be inserted, so the above-mentioned As long as at least one developing means is left in place, there is often no problem even if the other developing means are removed.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the printing process when the second exposure means is removed in this embodiment. In the figure,
The structure of the electrophotographic apparatus is as follows: around the photoreceptor 1, there is a charger 2 that performs corona discharge of negative polarity. 3. A laser optical system that exposes the photoreceptor 1 according to print information. Developers 4R and 4K attach red and black toner images 6 that are negatively charged according to the charge on the photoconductor 1, and positive polarity to transfer the toner image 6 on the photoconductor 1 onto the recording paper 12. Transfer device 23 for performing corona discharge. A paper static eliminator 24 that performs AC corona discharge to remove static electricity from the recording paper 12 in order to separate the recording paper 12 from the photoreceptor 1 after transfer. A cleaning unit 7 is arranged to clean residual toner that has not been completely transferred onto the recording paper 12. Furthermore, an erase lamp 18 for erasing the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor is arranged further to the rear.

The recording paper 12 is conveyed in synchronization with the rotation of the photoreceptor 1 during transfer, and after the toner image is transferred, it is conveyed to fixing rollers 16 and 17. Further, when printing on both sides, the recording paper is configured to be reversed by a recording paper front/back reversal unit 30.

However, in the electrophotographic apparatus of this embodiment, the red developing device 4R is an optional function, and the date and time exposure device 140, which is the second exposure device, as shown in FIG. It has a replaceable configuration.

In FIG. 1, the same parts as in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals.

The basic printing process is the same as that shown in FIG. The date and time exposure device 40 includes a liquid crystal shutter 41. light source 42,
and a control/memory unit 43 for recording date and time and controlling the pixel expression of the liquid crystal shutter unit, and is connected to the operation panel 44 of the electrophotographic apparatus by being inserted and fitted into the electrophotographic apparatus. It is configured as follows.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which character/graphic information is received from a host computer and the information is scanned onto a photoreceptor 1 by a laser optical system 3.

In addition, the user specifies from the operation panel 44 that the time at which the printing was performed is also printed, and the time information obtained by the clock function of the control/memory unit 43 in the date/time exposure device 40 is used as pixel information. In synchronization with the rotation of the photoreceptor 1, the liquid crystal shutter 4] displays the information on the light source 42.
By projecting it onto the photoreceptor 1, in addition to the information from the host computer, the time when the character/graphic information was printed can be added onto the recording paper 12 without putting any burden on the print data on the host computer. can be written down.

According to this embodiment, by using the recording paper front-back reversing unit 30 in combination, it is also possible to print the date and time of printing on the back side of the recording paper.

Also, in the above explanation, we explained adding the date and time, but
It is also possible to call up characters and figures such as a logo registered in the control/memory section 43 from the control panel 44 or the like at any time and add them as pixel information.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, in addition to the information printed by the original exposure device, it is possible to add second information that records the state at the time of printing, etc., so that the handling of printed documents can be improved. can.

Furthermore, if the electrophotographic apparatus is equipped with a plurality of detachable developing means, one or more of the developing means may be removed and the functions of the present invention may be added using that space. can do.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating details of the second exposure section shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1...Photoreceptor, 4K...Developer for black printing, 4R.
・Developer for red printing, 40...Date/time exposure device,
41 ・Liquid crystal shutter, 42 ・Light source, 43 ・Control・
memory section.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Charging means for a photoreceptor, means for exposing the photoreceptor, and an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor by the exposure means having the same polarity as the electrostatic latent image. In an electrophotographic apparatus, information different from the information exposed by the photoreceptor exposing means is provided between the charging means for charging the photoreceptor and the developing means. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising a second exposure means for exposing character or graphic information emitted from a source. 2. In claim 1, the developing means is composed of a plurality of developing means, each of which can be freely attached and detached, and the second exposure means is formed at one or more of the plurality of developing means, each of which is freely detachable. An electrophotographic apparatus characterized in that it is configured to be inserted into a space from which a separate developing means is removed. 3. An electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of developing means comprises a developing device for black printing and a developing device for color printing.