JPH04262B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention processes images (including unfixed to fully fixed images) formed by image forming equipment such as printers, copiers, and printers to improve image quality. The present invention relates to a method for improving performance and a sheet used therefor.

(Prior Art) The use of image forming techniques using electrophotography, electrostatic printing, etc. is rapidly expanding as information becomes increasingly complex and diverse. As this progresses, image forming techniques that can be used in a variety of ways, such as digitalization and colorization, are required. Among these required technologies, copies (hereinafter referred to as translucent copies) in which characters and images are formed using black or chromatic toner on a transparent film are screened using an overhead projector (OHP), etc. Projection onto the surface is already widely practiced today. However, when a translucent copy is made using such an electrophotographic copying machine or the like, even if the toner image is a chromatic color other than black, the resulting projected image will not be a chromatic color but will be blackish-gray.

As described above, the reason why clear color projection images cannot be obtained in translucent copies using toner images is that the transparency of the toner is low, that light is scattered or diffusely reflected due to the unevenness of the toner image surface, or This is because both of these prevent the light from the toner image portion from reaching the projection surface, causing the image portion to appear as a shadow.

Therefore, in order to improve the compatibility between the binder, dye, and pigment contained in the toner, and to remove the unevenness on the surface of the toner image, the present inventors developed a chromatic toner image surface formed on a transparent film. A film thinner than the transparent film is superimposed in contact and conveyed between rollers having a heating source, and after the heated toner image has cooled, the thin film is peeled off with a curvature from the toner image surface on the transparent film. For example, he proposed a method for improving image quality in Japanese Patent Application Nos. 59-157179 and 1982-157180.

Although this proposal was extremely effective, depending on the degree of heating and pressure, peeling the thin film from the image could take a considerable amount of time or be difficult to handle. It was done. Further, the thinner the thin film, the better the adhesion between the thin film and the transparent film serving as the recording sheet, and the problem that the thin film was difficult to peel off from the edge of the transparent film was sometimes noticeable.

(Object of the present invention) The present invention aims to solve such problems and provides an image quality improvement sheet that can easily obtain images with improved image quality.

(Summary of the Invention) The present invention, which achieves the above object, is an image quality improvement sheet for improving the image quality of a toner image on a recording sheet. a base sheet that is integrated on the end side, the film and the base sheet are larger than the recording sheet, and the side of the film opposite to the side that is integrated with the base sheet is larger in size than the base sheet. This is an image quality improvement sheet that is characterized by the following.

[Embodiments of the present invention] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, namely:
The toner image forming surface of a transparent film copy formed by forming a chromatic toner image on a transparent film is connected to the thin film of a transparent image forming sheet formed by adhering one end of a film thinner than the transparent film to a backing paper. Listed below are image quality improvement sheets that are constructed to be superimposed and the dimensions of the thin film are larger than the dimensions of the transparent film copy, and a method using the same.

1 to 4 show the structure of the chromatic transparent image forming sheet of this example.

The sheet shown in FIG. 1 for improving image quality consists of a mount 3 and a thin film 4. In the figure, 1 is a transparent film, and 2 is a chromatic toner image fixed and formed on the surface of the transparent film 1. A thin film 4 is superimposed on the transparent film 1 at one end of a mount 3 made of film or paper, which is the base of the chromatic image forming sheet, and one side of the leading edge thereof is adhered at the joint 5 in the figure.

As for the material and thickness of the transparent film 1, for example, a polyester film of 12 .mu.m to 200 .mu.m is used, but a range of 50 .mu.m to 120 .mu.m is preferable from the viewpoint of handleability. On the other hand, the material of the thin film 4 is heat resistant and does not cause compatible adhesion with the toner when heated, such as polyester film,
Polyimide film is used.

The thin film 4 is positioned on the opposite side of the joint 5 so that the end portion 4C wraps around the side edge of the mount 3, and the other end 4a is smaller than the size of the mount 3 and is larger than the size of the transparent sheet 1 as a recording material. larger than the dimensions. The dimensional difference l can be understood by comparing the diagonally shaded portion of the thin film 4 with the end portion 1a of the transparent film 1. This dimensional difference l is preferably at least 1 mm or more so that the thin film is in close contact with the image surface and even when heated. Therefore, when the mount 3 is separated from the image plane, if the size of the mount 3 is approximately the size of the recording sheet, the standard dimension difference is
If l ₀ is in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm, it will vary somewhat depending on the material of the thin film, but it is within a practical range. If this dimensional difference is too large, it is not preferable because of the effects of poor conveyance and heat loss.

The thin film 4 is preferably thinner than the transparent film 1 and has a large curvature when peeled off, and has high smoothness on the toner image contact surface side in order to further improve the unevenness of the toner image surface. The specific thickness is preferably 50 μm or less, in which case the toner image on the transparent film 1 will not be transferred to the film 4 no matter how it is peeled off.
Incidentally, even when using other films, it is assumed that the preferred thickness will be determined by the material and its relationship, but in any case, it is desirable that the film satisfies each of the above conditions and has a thickness of approximately 50μ or less. I can say that.

Since the mount 3 is integrated with a thin film 4 by adhesive on one side of its leading edge, a transparent copy made by an electrophotographic copying machine or the like can be inserted between them, and the thin film 4 can be attached from above. The film 4, the toner image surface, the transparent film 1, and the mount 3 can be stacked correctly and easily in this order. Therefore, the thin film 4 does not shift or wrinkle during overlapping. Moreover, since the translucent copy is held by the mount 3, it can be taken out without being wrapped around the rollers.

As described above, by providing a dimensional difference between the recording sheet and the thin film, it becomes easier to handle the thin film when peeling it off from an image with improved image quality, and it also prevents the image surface from being disturbed when it is peeled off.

In the image quality improvement sheet of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, since the thin film 4 is larger in size than the recording sheet, the end portion 3b of the mount 3 is increased by a size difference _l0 . In this case, the thinner the film 4 is, the better the adhesion to the mount 4 is. This increases the ease of separation, and the dimensional difference l ₀ of the thin film 4 is kept undisturbed and in a state where it is easy to separate.

In addition, the embodiment of FIG. 3 is as shown in FIG.
Also in the width direction, it is a thin film with both ends 4b having a width larger than the recording sheet by a dimensional difference W ₀ . In particular, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the mount 3 also has a large size difference W ₀ between both ends 3c, and is protected by a thin film.

In the present invention, the dimensional difference includes only the width direction, only the length direction, or a combination thereof. This dimensional difference is preferably 1 mm to 10 mm at the time of peeling.

FIGS. 5 to 7 show an example of a method for improving image quality.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment, in which numerals 6 and 7 are arbitrarily pressurized rollers, and 8 is a heater for heating and melting the rollers 6 on both sides of the toner image. first,
As shown in FIG. 5, a transparent film 1 with a chromatic toner image formed on its surface is inserted so as to butt against a chromatic transparent image forming sheet, and a thin film 4 is superposed on top. Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the material is conveyed while being held between rollers. At this time, at least the surface of the toner image on the film 4 side is melted. Thereafter, after the toner image 2 of the translucent copy taken out has cooled down (or after the toner's tackiness has decreased), the thin film 4 is peeled off. FIG. 7 shows the peeling process. The chromatic translucent copy thus obtained allows reproduction of delicate and clear color projection images.

The present invention applies to all the contents previously proposed by the present inventors, and the details can be found in the patent application filed in 1983-
No. 157179, Special Application No. 157180, November 18, 1981
Please refer to the total of 5 articles filed on the date of application: method for improving image quality, device for improving image quality, and fixing device.

The present invention can be applied to ordinary recording sheets, and can be applied to images ranging from unfixed to completely fixed, monochrome (black), monochrome (red, blue), or multicolor.

(Effects of the present invention) Since the thin film that is in contact with the image on the recording sheet whose image quality is to be improved is larger than the size of the recording sheet, it is possible to improve handling properties during peeling, and to reliably obtain an excellent quality image. I can do it.

In particular, the effects of the present invention are particularly excellent when the recording sheet is a resin sheet such as a transparent film.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1 to 4 are explanatory diagrams of embodiments of the image quality improvement sheet of the present invention, and FIGS. 5 to 7 are explanatory diagrams of an image quality improvement method using the image quality improvement sheet of the embodiment of the present invention. 1...Transparent film, 2...Toner image, 3...
... mount, 4... thin film, 5... adhesive part between mount and thin film, 6, 7... roller, 8...
heater. l, l ₀ , W ₀ ... dimensional difference, 4a, 4b,
4c, 3b, 3c... end.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An image quality improvement sheet for improving the image quality of a toner image on a recording sheet, comprising: a film in contact with the toner image on the recording sheet;
The film has a base sheet that is integrated with the film at one end, and the film and the base sheet are larger than the recording sheet, and the side of the film opposite to the side that is integrated with the base sheet is the base sheet. An image quality improvement sheet that is characterized by its larger dimensions. 2. The image quality improvement sheet according to claim 1, wherein the recording sheet is a transparent film, and the film integrated with the base sheet is thinner than the recording sheet.