JPH04201379A - Recorder for forming image by applying voltage to recording material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a recording material of a uniform thickness on a roll surface of a recording material supply roll by a method wherein the peripheral speed of a film-thickness regulating roller differs from that of a distributing roll, and a control means for shaking the distributing roll in an axial direction is mounted. CONSTITUTION:A reservoir for ink 2 is provided on an ink holding roll 1. The ink 2 is applied onto the ink holding roll 1 by a metallic blade 3. Next, the ink roll 1 comes into contact with an ink recovery roll 7 to recover the ink from the ink recovery roll 7 using a principle of an electrothermal recording system, furthermore abutting on ink 2 on an ink supply roll 6 to recover the ink in a similar manner. The ink roll 1 comes into contact with an ink film- thickness regulating roll 4 to form an ink film only on a non-conductive pattern using a principle of an electrothermal recording system. The ink 2 is distributed by a distributing roll 5. At this time, the distributing roll 5 is rotated at a peripheral speed 2-3 times higher than that of the ink regulating roll 4 and axially reciprocatively shaked by 10-20mm in width for every 5-10 full rotations, thereby distributing the ink effectively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus to which an image forming method using a recording material whose adhesion changes depending on the polarity of an applied voltage is applied.

[Prior Art] Desktop publishing (DTP) has been attracting attention in recent years, and various recording devices have been used as output means. The typical conventional devices are listed below.
These include thermal transfer printers, impact printers, laser beam printers, fully automatic stencil printing machines (from plate making to printing), two-offset printing machines, and the like.

These conventional devices each have the following problems when considering medium-scale printing formats such as in-house printing.

(1) Thermal transfer printers, impact printers, and laser beam printers do not have fast printing speeds, making it impossible to increase the number of prints and increasing running costs.

(2) Fully automatic all-in-one stencil printing machines have poor image quality.

(3) Although offset printing machines can achieve high speed, high-volume printing, low running costs, and high image quality, they have a complicated device configuration (especially the inking roll), require a dedicated operator, and require cleaning. There are problems, and it is difficult to say that it is preferable as a DTP output means.

Therefore, an invention filed by the present applicant in order to solve these problems is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-316288.

5 to 10 briefly explain the basic principle of the invention described in the above publication.

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged sectional view of the image forming section, and shows the electrode a.
The recording material C is sandwiched between the pair of electrodes a and b, and the insulating part d is disposed on the electrode.

FIG. 6 shows a pair of electrodes a and b constituting this image forming section.
The figure shows a state where one electrode a is used as an anode and the other electrode is used as a cathode and a voltage is applied.

FIG. 7 shows a situation in which the opposing positions of electrodes a and b are separated from each other while a voltage is still applied between the pair of electrodes a and b, and the electrodes are in contact with the recording material C. is recording material C
Since the recording material C selectively adheres to the insulating portion d on the electrode without adhering to the recording material C, an image is formed by the recording material C on the insulating pattern d of the electrode.

FIG. 8 shows a situation in which the polarity of the voltage applied between a pair of electrodes a and b is reversed from that in FIGS. 6 and 7, and a voltage is applied with electrode A as an anode and electrode A as a cathode.

FIG. 9 shows a situation where the opposing positions of electrodes a and b are separated from each other while voltage is still applied between the pair of electrodes a and b, and the recording material C is adhered onto the electrodes.

Figure 'M10 shows the pair of electrodes a and b in which no voltage is applied between them, and the opposed positions of electrodes a and b are separated, and the recording material C adheres to both electrode a and electrode S.

The image forming apparatus described in the above publication using this principle is configured as follows.

The ink carrying roll is supplied with ink as a recording material of a constant thickness onto the roll surface by a coating roll. On the other hand, the plate cylinder on which the plate is mounted brings the plate into contact with the ink on the ink supply roll, and causes the ink to be applied onto the image pattern formed on the plate.

If a blanket cylinder is provided, the plate is brought into contact with a blanket attached to the blanket cylinder, and the ink image on the plate is transferred via the blanket, or if a blanket cylinder is not provided, the plate is transferred to the blanket. It directly records an image on the recording paper in cooperation with the impression cylinder.

Additionally, this device was able to form high-quality images with high speed, excellent environmental stability, and no distortion.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, conventionally, the leveling roll of this image forming apparatus rotates at the same circumferential speed as the ink film thickness regulation roll, and if the leveling roll is rotated at the same circumferential speed as the ink film thickness regulating roll, the leveling roll may not be able to uniformly ink the thickness. No particular attempt was made to obtain sex.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to further improve the function of the above-mentioned leveling roll and provide a recording apparatus that can obtain better images.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The recording device of the present invention has a recording material on a roll surface whose adhesion changes depending on the polarity of the voltage applied to the pair of electrodes when the recording material is sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. A rotating recording material carrying roll is supplied with a predetermined thickness, and the recording material supplied onto the recording material carrying roll contacts the roll surface, so that a fixed amount of recording material per unit roll surface is received from the recording material carrying roll. A rotating film thickness regulating roll, a leveling roll that rotates so that the roll surface contacts the recording material on the film thickness regulating roll, and the film thickness regulating roll receives the recording material of a constant thickness on the roll surface; The roll surface contacts the recording material on the roll, and the recording material supply roll rotates to receive the recording material of a certain thickness from the leveling roll, and the recording material on the recording material supply roll rotates to receive the recording material on the recording material supply roll. In the recording apparatus, the film thickness regulating roll is provided with a plate cylinder that makes contact with the plate to adhere a recording material onto the image pattern of the plate, and a transfer means that transfers an image of the recording material on the plate of the plate cylinder to the recording paper. and a peripheral speed of the smoothing roll, and includes a control means for swinging the smoothing roll in the axial direction.

Further, the leveling roll may be longer in the axial direction than the other rolls by the amount of swinging amplitude.

[Function] When the smoothing roll contacts the recording material on the film thickness regulating roll and takes the recording material from the film thickness regulating roll, the smoothing roll rotates at a peripheral speed different from that of the film thickness regulating roll. In addition, since it swings in the axial direction, the thickness of the recording material that adheres to the leveling roll becomes uniform.

[Example] Next, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention.

Note that the ink that is the recording material used in this example adheres to the positive electrode side between the positive and negative electrodes.

Specifically, it is a mixture of glycerin, lithium borofluoride, water, colloidal hydroxide silicate, and a coloring material (for example, carbon black), and has electrical conductivity. In the case of ink having opposite properties, it will be easier to understand if the logic is reversed.

The present embodiment is roughly divided into three parts: an inking section, a paper feeding section, and a recording section.

The inking section includes ink 2 supplied in a pool shape, an ink carrying roll 1 provided with a plate 3, an ink film thickness regulating roll 4, a leveling roll 5, an ink supply roll 6, and an ink recovery roll 7.

The paper feed section includes a paper feed roll 13, a paper feed guide 14, a guide 38 with a slit 15, a weight 16, a recording paper 17, a guide 18, a table 19, a timing roll 20, and a cam 21.
, spring 22.

The recording section includes a plate cylinder 9 provided with a plate 8 and a conductive blanket 1.
Blanket cylinder 11 provided with 0, cleaning roll 2
6, an impression cylinder 12, and a paper discharge tray 23b).

Further, each of the above parts is supported by side plates 24 and a bottom plate 25. Further, each roll rotates in the direction of the arrow.

First, let's talk about the paper feed section.

The recording paper 17 is aligned in the guides 18 provided on the left, right and rear sides of the table 19, as well as the guide 38 provided in the front, and the weight 16 is placed on the recording paper 17. The top and bottom are almost in close contact with each other. A slit 15 is provided between the front guide 38 and the table 19, and the interval between the slits 15 is wider than the thickness of one sheet of recording paper 17 and narrower than the thickness of two sheets. The surface of the timing roll 20 is covered with chloropyrene rubber (rubber hardness: 20° to 40°), and the recording paper 17 at the lowest position is supported by a spring 22 or the like.
is in contact with. The timing roll 20 is moved back and forth by a cylindrical cam 21 at the same time every time the plate cylinder 9, blanket cylinder 11, and impression cylinder 12 rotate once.
It is configured to make one reciprocation by 30 mm. Therefore, the recording paper 17 at the lowest position passes through the slit 15 and is sent to the pair of paper feed rolls 13. At this time, a one-way clutch (not shown) provided on the timing roll 20 prevents the timing roll 20 from rotating in the paper feeding direction A, and feeds the recording paper 17 using frictional force. It rotates in the return direction B to perform a smooth return so as not to damage the surface of the recording paper 17. The pair of paper feed rolls 13 rotate at a circumferential speed of 100 to 1000/sec, which is approximately the same as the circumferential speed of the plate cylinder 9, blanket cylinder 11, and impression cylinder 12. The blanket cylinder 11 and the impression cylinder 12 are conveyed to a predetermined nip through the blanket cylinder 11 and the impression cylinder 12.

Next, the inking section will be described.

The ink carrying roll 1 is an electrically conductive rubber roll, and is constructed by covering a stainless steel core material with silicone rubber with a hardness of 30 to 50° in which carbon is dispersed. The plate 3 limits the thickness of the ink 2 that it adheres to.

The ink film thickness regulating roll 4 is powered by a power supply v2 (v2-ts~2
A non-conductive pattern (for example, ultraviolet curable resin, etc.) is provided on a metal roll made of stainless steel, copper, etc., which is connected to a negative electrode of 0 V). For example, if the roll diameter is about φ40+sm, this pattern has a pitch of about 2 - and a pattern width of about 0.7 mm so that the area ratio is about 36%. Figure 2(a).

Three types of pattern examples are shown in (b) and (c).

Therefore, a certain amount of ink on the non-conductive pattern of the ink film thickness regulating roll 4 is supplied to the ink supply roll 6 via the leveling roll 5.

The leveling roll 5 is composed of a stainless steel core coated with chloroprene rubber, silicone rubber, or the like.

Further, the ink supply roll 6 has the same configuration as the ink carrying roll 1, and the core material is connected to the power supply V, (V, = 15
~20 V) (7) Connected to the negative pole. In addition, the ink supply roll 6 has the same potential as the plate, and when the layer of ink 2 supplied on the roll surface is brought into contact with the plate, half of it is deposited on the plate 8 as a uniform layer, and the remaining ink is deposited on the plate 8. Return to carrier roll 1. This remaining ink 2 is removed by the power supply v applied between the ink carrying roll 1 and the ink supply roll 6.
Due to the +V2 polarity, the ink is reliably attached to the ink carrying roll 1 and collected. The ink recovery roll 7 has the same structure as the ink supply roll 6, and has the positive electrode of the power supply V and the power supply ■
2, and contacts the ink 2 supplied as a layer on the plate 8, and all of the ink 2 in the conductive area that is the non-image area of the plate 8 and the ink 2 in the non-conductive area that is the image area of the plate 8 are connected to the negative electrode of the plate 8. Approximately half of the ink is recovered by the action of the power source (1), and the ink 2 recovered by the action of the power source (v2) is brought into contact with the ink carrying roll 1 and returned.

Next, let's talk about the recording section.

The plate 8 has a non-conductive area which is an image area formed by photopolymerizing an ultraviolet curable resin corresponding to a predetermined image on a copper plate having a thickness of about 0.1 mm, and a conductive area which is a non-image area. The plate 8 is removably attached to a plate cylinder 9 made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel and having a diameter of 60 to 100 mm by a chucking means (not shown). The ink supply roll 6 and the ink recovery roll 7 apply ink 2 onto the non-conductive part of the plate 8.
The image formed is transferred to the conductive blanket 10 as the plate cylinder 9 and blanket cylinder 11 rotate.

The conductive blanket 10 is made of approximately 2 mm of rubber such as urethane or ethylene propylene in which carbon is dispersed, and reinforcing fibers are added inside to reduce deformation. Conductive blanket 10
is removably attached to a blanket cylinder 11 made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel and having a diameter of 60 to 1001 cm by a chucking means (not shown).

The impression cylinder 12 is made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel and has a diameter of 60 to 1001 mm, and works together with the blanket cylinder 11 to press the image transferred on the conductive blanket 10 onto the recording paper 17 and record it. do.

The plate cylinder 9, the blanket cylinder 11, and the impression cylinder 12 have the same diameter, and are connected to each other by gears (not shown) so that their circumferential speeds are the same.

The impression cylinder 12 cooperates with the blanket cylinder 11 to press and record the image transferred on the conductive blanket 10 onto the recording paper 17.

The cleaning roll 26 has the same configuration as the ink carrying roll 1 and the ink supply roll 6, is removably attached to the side plate 24, and is powered by a power source v3 (V3 to 15
~20v) is connected to the positive terminal. Further, the cleaning roll 26 is normally separated from the blanket cylinder 11 and comes into contact with the blanket lO on the blanket cylinder 11 only when an instruction signal is received (for example, when a switch is operated to change the printing color). , while rotating to clean any remaining ink on the blanket. The ink on the cleaning roll 26 is collected by a collecting means (not shown).
They should be collected or disposed of in a timely manner.

Next, an example of controlling the ink film thickness in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 when the transfer rate between the rolls when no current is applied is set to 50% will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

Note that the numbers surrounded by O in FIG. 3 represent the ink film thickness, which is expressed in units of μm.

A stop for ink 2 is formed on the ink carrying roll 1, and the ink 2 is coated onto the ink carrying roll 1 to a thickness of about 100 μm using a metal blade 3.

Next, the ink carrying roll 1 comes into contact with the ink collection roll 7, and the ink is collected from the ink collection roll 7 using the principle of the current recording method. In this process, the ink film thickness is
It is approximately 103 μm. Furthermore, the ink carrying roll 1 is
It comes into contact with the ink 2 on the ink supply roll 6 and is similarly collected, and its film thickness is approximately 109 μm. Then, it comes into contact with the ink film thickness regulating roll 4, and forms an ink film only on the non-conductive pattern using the principle of the current recording method. At this time, the ink film thickness is about 55 μm. This ink 2 has an area ratio of 3
Since it is on a 6% pattern, it is leveled by the leveling roll 5, and an ink film of about 20 μm is formed on the leveling roll 5. The circumferential speed of the leveling roll 5 at this time is the ink regulation roll 4
10 to 2 times in the axial direction at a rate of 1 reciprocation for every 5 to 10 rotations of the leveling roll 5.
It is effectively leveled by swinging with a width of 0■■. Next, the ink supply roll 6 contacts the ink supply roll 6.
The ink film thickness is 10μm on the top, and further 6μm on plate 8.
The ink film has a thickness of m and comes into contact with the conductive blanket 10. Then, the ink film thickness becomes 2 μm on the conductive blanket 10, and an image is recorded on the recording paper 17 with an ink film thickness of 1 μm.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and unlike the plate attached to the plate cylinder of the embodiment of FIG.
is attached to a flat plate table 27.

The plate 8 is moved in the direction of the arrow C together with the plate table 27, and an ink film is formed on the image pattern of the plate 8 in the same manner as in the previous embodiment. Thereafter, the image is transferred to the blanket 10 and formed on the recording paper 17 by the impression cylinder.

After being transferred to the conductive blanket 10 (it does not need to be conductive if cleaning by the cleaning roll 26 is not required), the plate 8 is separated from the blanket 10, the ink supply roll 6, and the ink collection roll 7 (in the direction of the arrow). ,
Move in the feeding direction (direction of arrow E) and press the blanket 10 again.
, the ink supply roll 6, and the ink recovery roll. (
(direction of arrow F) The timing is adjusted so that one sheet of recording paper 17 is fed and recorded in accordance with these one cycle.

Other configurations and functions are the same as those in the previous embodiment.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention makes the peripheral speed of the leveling roll different from the peripheral speed of the film thickness regulating roll and swings the leveling roll in the axial direction, thereby achieving a uniform coating. This has the effect that a thick recording material can be formed on the roll surface of the recording material supply roll, and as a result, high quality recording can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention,'! Figures J2 (a), (b), and (c) are diagrams showing examples of non-conductive patterns on the ink film thickness regulating roll, respectively; Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of ink control in the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 4 is 'l! 5th block diagram showing an embodiment of I2
6 to 10 are diagrams showing the principle of recording material adhesion in conventional examples. 1-Ink carrying roll, 2-Ink, 3-Blade, 4-Ink film thickness regulating roll, 5-Leveling roll, 6-Ink paper feed roll, 8-.Form plate, 9.Form cylinder, 10- Conductive blanket, 11-Blanket cylinder, 12-Impression cylinder, 13-Paper feed roll, 14-Paper feed guide, 15-Slit, 16-Weight, 17-Recording paper, 19
- table, 26 - cleaning roll, 27 - plate table. Patent applicant Canon Co., Ltd. Representative Patent attorney Tadashi Wakabu

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A recording material whose adhesion changes depending on the polarity of the voltage applied to the pair of electrodes when sandwiched between the pair of electrodes is supplied to the roll surface with a predetermined thickness, and the recording material is rotated. a recording material carrying roll that rotates to receive a certain amount of recording material per unit roll surface from the recording material carrying roll; The roll surface contacts the recording material on the film thickness regulating roll, and the smoothing roll rotates to receive the recording material of a certain thickness from the film thickness regulating roll, and the roll surface contacts the recording material on the smoothing roll. The recording material supply roll rotates to receive the recording material of a certain thickness from the leveling roll, and the attached plate is brought into contact with the recording material on the recording material supply roll, and the image pattern on the plate is In a recording device comprising a plate cylinder on which a recording material is attached, and a transfer means for transferring an image of the recording material on the plate of the plate cylinder to recording paper, the peripheral speed of the film thickness regulating roll and the leveling roll are A recording apparatus characterized in that the recording apparatus includes a control means for providing a difference between the circumferential speed of the leveling roll and swinging the leveling roll in an axial direction. 2. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein the smoothing roll is longer in the axial direction than the other rolls by an amount corresponding to the swinging amplitude.