JPH0429141A - Image forming device and heat developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily recover trouble such as paper jamming and to easily perform maintenance operation by dividing a constitution body about a conveyance path. CONSTITUTION:An exposure device 1 which exposes a photosensitive transfer type heat development material 2, the heat developing device 4 which heats a photosensitive member 2, and a pressure transfer device 6 which presses the photosensitive member 2 and a transfer member 5 one over the other are provided and divided into an upper support body and a lower support body about the conveyance path for the transfer member 5. Thus, the constitution part is divided along the conveyance path where trouble such as paper jamming is easy to occur and exposure is carried out, so the trouble can easily be recovered and the maintenance operation becomes easy.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer that creates an image using a photosensitive transfer type thermal development material.

[Prior Art] A wide variety of image forming methods and apparatuses are known, and a conventional example of an image forming apparatus using a photosensitive transfer type heat development material is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 147461/1983, for example. can be mentioned. According to this publication, main mechanical sections such as an exposure section, a thermal development section, and a pressure transfer section are formed inside one structure within the apparatus, and image formation is performed in the following procedure.

First, after cutting a roll of photosensitive transfer type heat development material into a predetermined length, imagewise exposure is performed to form a latent image.
Heat development is performed by heating row.

Thereafter, the photosensitive member and the image-receiving paper are superimposed and pressure-transferred by a rower, and a separation device discharges the photosensitive member to a photosensitive material disposal section and the image-receiving paper to a tray via a fixing device.

[Problems and Objectives to be Solved by the Invention] However, the above-mentioned prior art has the following problems.

First of all, as is well known, such an image forming apparatus
Because sheet-like materials are handled, so-called paper jams cannot be avoided, so it is necessary to take sufficient measures to clear paper jams that occur throughout the conveyance path, but in the case of this conventional example. Because they use two different types of paper: photosensitive material and image-receiving paper, more complicated paper jams are likely to occur (sometimes both are involved, not just one or the other), and the paper transport path is long. It is complicated, and various mechanical parts are interposed between them, so it is not easy to clear paper jams.

Second, there is a problem with maintenance work for the equipment.

Conventional devices are complicated in that they apply high temperature and pressure to the photosensitive member and image receiving paper. Since it has structural parts, maintenance work (cleaning, replacement, etc.) must be performed on these mechanical parts.

These maintenance operations are usually performed by trained service personnel, but this is difficult when a single structure has various mechanical parts. Additionally, in this case, a certain amount of space is required to facilitate maintenance work, which is a factor that hinders miniaturization of the device.

Third, regarding the handling of photosensitive materials, it is necessary not only to replace the photosensitive material rolls, but also to separately dispose of used photosensitive materials, which is a tedious task. It also has the disadvantage of requiring an additional mechanism to cut the material.

By the way, due to the recent rapid progress in OA, various electronic devices have become popular among a wide range of people, and when ordinary users handle these electronic devices, they are very concerned about things such as being simpler and easier to understand. It's becoming important.

The present invention has been developed to solve the above-mentioned problems in view of the above-mentioned circumstances.The purpose of the present invention is to enable the user to easily release and recover even when troubles such as paper jams occur, and to maintain the mechanism. To provide an easy-to-use and highly reliable image forming device that can be easily operated without much effort.

Another object is to provide an image forming apparatus that is easier to handle and requires less effort by reducing the burden on the user regarding the photosensitive member.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an exposure device that exposes a photosensitive transfer type heat development material, a heat development device that heats the photosensitive member, and a layer that overlaps the photosensitive member and the transfer member. and a pressure transfer device for applying pressure, and is characterized in that it is divided into an upper support body and a lower support body approximately at the conveyance path of the transfer member.

Further, the heat developing device is divided into an upper support member and a lower support member.

Also, an exposure device that exposes a photosensitive transfer type heat development material,
It has a thermal development device that heats the photosensitive member, and a pressure transfer device that overlaps and presses the photosensitive member and the transfer member. The photosensitive member has a continuous shape, and the photosensitive member before exposure and the photosensitive member after pressure transfer are housed in the same removable storage container.

Further, the thermal developing device is characterized in that it is separated from the conveying path of the photosensitive member, has support plates on both sides, and is configured such that at least one side can be connected to and released from the upper support or the lower support. shall be.

[Function] According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the mechanism section is divided and exposed along the conveyance path where troubles such as paper jams are likely to occur, so these troubles can be easily recovered, and maintenance can be reduced. It can also make work easier. Further, the above object can be achieved by configuring the photosensitive member in an integrated storage container and devising the mechanical section accordingly.

[Example] The image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below according to an example.

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a copying machine showing an embodiment of the present invention, and the operation of the copying machine will first be explained.

The exposure device 1 includes a light source 12 and a reflector 13 that illuminate the original 11, an original table 14 on which the original 11 is placed and moves in the direction of arrow A in FIG. It is composed of a lens 16 for forming an image and an exposure table 15. Note that 17 is a document cover for holding the document 11, and 18 is a cooling fan mainly for cooling the light source 12.

A cassette 3 that is a photosensitive member storage container that stores photosensitive members.
The discharged unexposed photosensitive member 2 is exposed to the image of the original 11 on the exposure table 15 to form a latent image. Thereafter, the sheet is heated and developed by a sheet heater 41 and a conveyor belt 42 that constitute the heat developing device 4. On the other hand, the transfer member 5 stored in the paper feed tray 51 is sent out by the paper feed device 52, is superimposed on the photosensitive member 2 in synchronization with the image area of the photosensitive member 2, and is applied by the pressure transfer device 6 of the roller pressure type. Pressure transfer is performed. The pressure section of the pressure transfer device 6 is composed of three rollers: an upper roller 61, a middle roller 62, and a lower roller 63. Pressure transfer is performed between the upper roller 61 and the middle roller 62.

After this, the transfer member 5 is discharged to the outside through a fixing device 7 having a heater unit 71, and after the photosensitive member 2 is separated from the transfer member 5 by a separation roller 84, conveyance and separation of the photosensitive member 2 are promoted. It passes through the pinch roller 65 and is wound up again into the cassette 3. here,? 2. -73 is a conveyance roller that guides and conveys the transfer member; 74 is a guide plate; 75 is an air guide that interrupts thermal coupling between the fixing device 7 and the cassette 3; and 76 is a fan that generates an air flow within the air guide 75. be. Note that 8 is a fulcrum for dividing the support, which will be described later.

Next, division of the support, which is a feature of the present invention, will be explained.

FIG. 2 is a front sectional view showing how the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. As is clear from the figure, the upper support body 81 is configured to be rotatable about the fulcrum 8, and the parts mainly involved in conveying the photosensitive member 2 are attached to the upper support body 81, and the parts mainly involved in conveying the photosensitive member 2 are attached to the upper support body 81. The portion involved in the conveyance of the paper is constituted by a lower support member 82.

In this way, the transport paths of the photosensitive member 2 and the transfer member 5 are exposed to the user of the apparatus, and the convenience of performing various operations is greatly improved. In this example, the rotation angle is approximately 4
The rotation center is not limited to this position, but may be perpendicular or parallel to this example due to the W structure. Various locations are possible. Further, as a method of dividing the support, parallel movement or the like may be used instead of rotation.

In this embodiment, a planar heater 41 for thermal development is installed on the back side of the photosensitive member 2, but in order to perform thermal development at higher speed and with higher quality, heating means such as heaters are provided on both sides of the photosensitive member 2. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 3, the heater 43 on the back side of the photosensitive member 2 should be arranged on the upper support 81, and the heater 44 on the front side of the photosensitive member 2 should be arranged on the lower support 82. In other words, by dividing the thermal developing device 4 into respective supports, especially when a trouble occurs in conveying a photosensitive member, the heater 44 on the front side does not get in the way, making trouble removal and other operations easier.

The heater 44 is driven in the direction of arrow H by the driving means 45 and the transmission mechanism 46, so that it is possible to select between close (or close) and open operations with respect to the photosensitive member 2. ), and may be controlled to be released when the support is divided. This can prevent damage to the photosensitive member 2 when the upper support 81 and the lower support 82 are joined.

Furthermore, the heat developing device 4 may be divided as described above;
As will be described later (FIG. 7), they may be spaced apart from each other with the transportation path of the photosensitive member 2 as a boundary.

Next, a storage container for photosensitive members and a method for attaching and detaching the storage container will be explained.

First, FIG. 4 shows a front sectional view of the cassette 3, which is a photosensitive member storage container, and FIG. 5 shows a perspective view.

The cassette 3 includes a cartridge 31 that stores an unused photosensitive member 2, and a first cartridge unwound from the cartridge 31.
Thermal development device 4 and pressure transfer device 6 are exposed using the exposure device shown in the figure.
The used photosensitive member 2 is stored in a continuous state from the unused part, and the cartridge 31
and a cassette case body 32 that holds the cassette case body 32.

The cartridge 31 that stores the unexposed photosensitive member 2 has a light-shielding exterior case 33 to prevent unnecessary exposure of the photosensitive member 2, and has a substantially cylindrical shape inside to guide the photosensitive member 2. Also serves as. In addition, the photosensitive member 2
is wound around the supply shaft 34. The used photosensitive member 2 is wound around the winding shaft 35. 3
Reference numeral 2 denotes a cassette case body in which the cartridge 31 and the winding shaft 35 are housed, and by mounting the cartridge 31, which has been previously shielded from external light, into the cassette body 35, an unused photosensitive member 2 is supplied. , and the cassette 3 for storing the used photosensitive member 2 can be easily configured. Note that since the unexposed photosensitive member 2 is housed in a light-shielding cartridge 31, the cassette case body 32 does not need to be light-shielding and may be transparent.

Next, a method for attaching and detaching the cassette 3 to the main body of the apparatus will be explained.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view that clearly shows how the cassette is attached and removed, and FIG. 7 is a photosensitive member 2 of the cassette 3 when it is attached.
2 is a front sectional view for explaining the path of the heat developing device 4 and the movement of the heat developing device 4, and its configuration is almost the same as that described above using FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

When installing the cassette 3 into the main body of the apparatus, pull out the photosensitive member 2 from the cassette 3 in the direction of arrow B in FIG.
It is inserted along the conveyance path of the photosensitive member 2 of the exposure table 15, thermal development device 4, and pressure transfer device 6 shown in the figure. Pressure transfer device! '6
is divided into an upper support member 81 and a lower support member 82 with the pressure section as a boundary, so that the photosensitive member 2 can be easily set. Also,
In the case of the heat developing device 4, a sheet heater 41 and a conveyor belt 42 are used.
The photosensitive member 2 is passed between the two. At this time, in order to more easily set the photosensitive member 2, the planar heater 41 and the conveyor belt 42 may be separated from each other with the conveyance path of the photosensitive member as a boundary. Pictured are a sheet heater 41 and a conveyor belt 4
2 shows a state where they are separated, and a broken line shows a state where they are in contact.

HM may be performed manually or mechanically,
Alternatively, the detection may be performed automatically by combining a power source such as a solenoid or a motor with an appropriate transmission mechanism and detection means.

Further, as described above, the thermal developing device 4 may be configured to be divided into the upper support member 81 and the lower support member 82.

Next, a method of supporting the thermal developing device 4 in connection with attaching and detaching the cassette 3 will be explained.

Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken in the direction of arrow C in Figure 1;
The figure is a schematic sectional view taken in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2.

In FIG. 9, the heat developing device 4 (the shaded part in the figure) including a planar heater 41 and a conveyor belt 42 is held by heat developing support plates 47 and 48 on both sides, of which the heat developing device 4 on the right side of the figure The current support plate 48 is connected in close proximity to the upper support body 81 and is in a so-called cantilevered state. Reference numeral 49 denotes a coupling member, which is shown in a non-coupled state in this figure, but its function will be described later. In this embodiment, the upper roller 61 of the pressure transfer device 6 is also held on the heat development support plates 47 and 48. Further, the middle roller 62 and the lower roller 63 of the pressure transfer device 6 have normal rotation support plates 6 on both sides.
6, 67, and these normal rotation support plates 66, 67
is connected to the lower support 82. In this state, the cassette 2 must be attached and detached, but this can be done very easily since it is supported on a cantilever.

However, in this state, it is mechanically unstable and various problems may occur during image formation.

Therefore, during image formation (the state shown in FIG. 1), a configuration as shown in FIG. 8 is used.

In FIG. 8, when the divided upper support body 81 and lower support body 82 are joined, the coupling member 49 moves and the thermal development support plates 47, 48 and the normal rotation support plates 66, 67 are closely engaged. , a so-called double-sided support state occurs. Although the means for moving the coupling member 49 is not particularly shown, it may be carried out manually, mechanically, or automatically by applying electric power, etc. Image formation is performed in this state. Since the thermal developing device 4 is stably held, high-quality images can be obtained. Although it is sufficient to bond to each support only on one side, it is more stable if both sides are bonded as in this example.

Further, when replacing the cassette 2, etc., the coupling member 49 may be moved to release the coupled state, and this has already been explained.

In addition to the above-mentioned thermal development devices, the thermal development devices used in the present invention include those in the form of rollers, sheets, non-contact heating, radiant heat, heat from a light source or fixing device, high-frequency heating, and electrical heating. It is possible to take various configurations such as those that have been used or combinations of these.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mechanism mainly involved in conveying the photosensitive member was configured on the upper support, and the mechanism mainly involved in conveying the transfer member was configured on the lower support, but this can also be configured in the opposite way. It is possible. Furthermore, exposure devices and the like that are not directly involved in conveyance may be configured on either support, or may be configured separately on each support.

Furthermore, although the present embodiment has been described using a copying machine as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to all image forming apparatuses such as printers and electronic cameras.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, in an image forming apparatus using a photosensitive transfer type thermal development material, paper This has the effect of not only making it easy to recover from problems such as clogging, but also making maintenance work easier.

Further, by dividing the heat developing device into an upper support member and a lower support member, the above operation can be performed more easily.

In addition, the photosensitive member is stored in the same removable storage container,
By dividing the pressure transfer device along the pressure section,
This has the effect of reducing the burden on the user regarding the photosensitive member, making it easier to handle, and requiring less effort.

Furthermore, by configuring at least one side of the heat developing device that has support plates on both sides to be able to be connected to and released from the support, the storage container can be attached and detached extremely easily, and the mechanical stability of the heat developing device can also be improved. can.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front sectional view showing how FIG. 1 is divided. FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing the division of the heat developing device. FIG. 4 is a front sectional view of the cassette. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cassette. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing how the cassette is attached and detached. FIG. 7 is a front sectional view showing the path of the photosensitive material and the heat developing device when the cassette is installed. FIG. 8 is a schematic side sectional view of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a schematic side sectional view of FIG. 2. Applicant: Seiko Epson Co., Ltd. Agent: Kisanbe Tsuchi Suzuki et al., Figure 8 Figure 9

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) An exposure device that exposes a photosensitive member that has microcapsules on a support that contain at least a photosensitive substance and a coloring material; a thermal development device that heats the photosensitive member; and a thermal development device that heats the photosensitive member and the transfer member. 1. An image forming apparatus comprising a pressure transfer device that applies pressure in an overlapping manner, and is divided into an upper support body and a lower support body approximately at the conveyance path of the transfer member. (2) The thermal developing device according to claim 1, wherein the thermal developing device is divided into an upper support member and a lower support member. (3) an exposure device that exposes a photosensitive member that has microcapsules on a support that contain at least a photosensitive substance and a coloring material; a thermal development device that heats the photosensitive member; and a thermal development device that heats the photosensitive member and the transfer member. and a pressure transfer device that applies pressure in an overlapping manner, the pressure transfer device is divided into an upper support body and a lower support body with a pressure section as a border, and the photosensitive member has a continuous shape, and An image forming apparatus characterized in that the previous photosensitive member and the photosensitive member after pressure transfer are stored in the same removable storage container. (4) The thermal developing device according to claim 3, wherein the thermal developing device is separated from the conveying path of the photosensitive member. (5) The thermal development apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that it has support plates on both sides, and at least one side is configured to be freely connected to and released from the upper support member or the lower support member.