JPH04307547A - Microcapsule and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain such microcapsules from which phosphor as well as dye precursor flow at one time to enable formation of fluorescent picture images by incorporating a material which reacts with light of specified wavelength and emits fluorescence. CONSTITUTION:The microcapsule 1 consists of an outer part 2 and an inner liquid component 3. This liquid component 3 contains a photosetting material which reacts with specified wavelength to harden, dye precursor which reacts with color developing agent to give color, and a material which reacts with light of specified wavelength and emits fluorescence. As for the photosetting material, photopolymerizable resin, e.g. ethylene-type unsatd. compd. such as trimethylolpropane, etc., is used, and the dye precursor is triarylmethane compd. etc. As for the phosphor material, eosin, rhodamine, etc., which are dyes, and 'Lumogen(R)' dye.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of a microcapsule and an image forming apparatus using the microcapsule.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a photosensitive sheet coated with microcapsules encapsulating a dye precursor, a photocurable substance, etc. is exposed to light using an exposure means based on image information, and the microcapsules are exposed based on the image information. After hardening, the microcapsules that were not hardened were developed under pressure while being in close contact with a support such as plain paper coated with a color developer that changes color by reacting with the dye precursor encapsulated in the microcapsules. A device has been put into practical use that forms an image by causing the dye precursor that is crushed by a crushing roller and flows out of the microcapsules to react with a color developer.

0003

However, none of the images formed by conventional image forming apparatuses emit fluorescence.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image that emits fluorescence.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the microcapsules of the present invention are encapsulated with a substance that emits fluorescence in response to predetermined light.

[0006]

[Function] In the microcapsules of the present invention having the above structure, when the microcapsules are destroyed, the fluorescent substance flows out at the same time as the dye precursor or dye, so for example, a color developer or a dye absorption layer is coated. By bringing it into close contact with a support, it is possible to form an image that emits fluorescence.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the microcapsule of the present invention. The microcapsule 1 consists of an outer shell 2 and a liquid component 3 inside thereof. As the liquid component 3,
It contains at least a photocurable substance that cures in response to a predetermined wavelength, a dye precursor that develops color by reacting with a color developer, and a substance that emits fluorescence in response to light of a certain wavelength.

The above-mentioned photocurable substances include photopolymerizable resins, such as ethylenically unsaturated compounds such as trimethylolpropane, acrylate prepolymers, etc., and these are usually combined with a photopolymerization initiator. It is used in combination with. The photopolymerization initiator is one that is sensitive to light and initiates polymerization of the resin, and includes, for example, benzoyl alkyl ethers such as benzophenone and benzoyl isopropyl ether, Michler's ketone, and 2,4-diethylthioxanthone.

As the dye precursor, triarylmethane compounds, bisphenylmethane compounds, xanthene compounds, thiazine compounds, spiropyran compounds, etc., and mixtures thereof are used.

Examples of substances that emit fluorescence include dyes such as eosin, rhodamine, and thioflavin, and substances such as lumogen dyes. Further, it is also possible to use materials that are white in visible light but absorb ultraviolet rays and emit fluorescence.

[0012] The microcapsules 1 can be manufactured by a known technique such as a coacervation method or an interfacial polymerization method, in which a photocurable material, a dye precursor, and a fluorescent material are housed inside.

An image forming apparatus according to the second invention, which utilizes microcapsules and is configured as described above, will be explained.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus 40 using microcapsules according to the first invention. The image forming apparatus 40 is roughly divided into four units. That is, an exposure device 41 that exposes the original 45 to the microcapsule paper 44, a developer coating device 20 that applies the developer 11 to the microcapsule paper 44 after exposure, and the microcapsule paper 44 after the developer has been applied. and plain paper 10 are pressed together to develop color,
Pressure developing device 47 for forming a color image on plain paper 10
and gives good color development to the image formed on the plain paper 10,
It also includes a heat fixing device 49 for imparting gloss to the image surface.

The exposure device 41 includes a halogen lamp 50.
A document table 52 is provided below the halogen lamp 50.
is provided. The original 45 is placed on the original platen 52, and the microcapsule paper 44 pulled out from the paper feed roll 42 is exposed through the original 45. The document table 5
A guide roller 53 is provided on the right side of 2 and above the pressure developing device 47, and the exposed microcapsule paper 44 is moved between the guide roller 53 and the developer coating device 20.
and a pressure developing device 47, and then wound onto a winding roll 43.

The color developer application device 20 includes a hopper 12 storing a powdery color developer 11, and a color developer carrying roller 13 provided within the hopper 12 and supporting the color developer 11.
In addition, the developer supply roller 14 is provided auxiliary to make the developer carrying roller 13 carry the developer 11, and the developer 11 is not carried excessively on the developer carrying roller 13. It is composed of a layer regulating blade 15. Further, a counter electrode roller 16 is provided on the left side of the developer carrying roller 13 with a predetermined gap d therebetween, and a DC power source E for applying a high voltage is connected to the counter electrode roller 16. There is. The color developer carrying roller 13 and the color developer supplying roller 14 are both grounded.

A support cassette 17 in which plain paper 10 is stored is provided below the developer coating device 20, and the plain paper 10 is fed by a feed roller 18 from an upper opening of the support cassette 17. The microcapsule paper 4 coated with the color developer 11 passes through the guide roller 53.
4 is inserted into the pressure developing device 47 in close contact with the developing device 4.

The pressure developing device 47 has a gap of about 1 cm between the rollers.
It is composed of a set of pressure rollers 55 to which a pressure of t is applied, and an image is formed and transferred onto the plain paper 10 here. The microcapsule paper 44 that has passed through the pressure development device 47 and the plain paper 10 on which the image has been formed are separated by guide rollers 56, 56 provided below the pressure development device 47, and the microcapsule paper 44 is rolled up. Take roll 4
The plain paper 10 on which the image has been formed is conveyed to a heat fixing device 49.

The heat fixing device 49 is provided with a heat source 51 that can maintain the temperature at about 140° C., and the heat fixing device 49 is equipped with a heat source 51 that can maintain the temperature at about 140° C.
By applying heat to the 0, the fixing action of the image is performed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the microcapsule paper 44 is made of polyvinyl alcohol, sodium polyacrylate, polyethylene oxide, methylcellulose, polyamide, polyethylene, polyethylene chloride, vinyl chloride, etc. on a film 4 made of polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, etc. It has a structure in which the microcapsules 1 of the first invention are supported by a binder 5 such as epoxy acrylate.

Next, the operation of this device will be explained.

By pressing the start button of the image forming apparatus 40 (not shown), the halogen lamp 50 is turned on, and an image is exposed onto the microcapsule paper 44 through the document 45 placed on the document table 52. After the exposure, the microcapsule paper 44 passes through the guide roller 53, the developer 11 is applied onto the microcapsules by the developer coating device 20 at the electrode roller 16, and the paper is conveyed to the pressure developing device 47. . On the other hand, since the plain paper 10 is also taken out from the support cassette 17 by the feed roller 18 and conveyed to the pressure developing device 47, the plain paper 10 and the microcapsule paper 44 coated with the color developer 11 are separated by the guide roller 53. The pressure developing device 47 is placed in an overlapping state.
sent to. Thereafter, pressure development is performed by a pressure roller 55, and the dye precursor substance contained in the microcapsules reacts with the color developer, so that a color image is formed and transferred onto the plain paper 10. At the same time, the fluorescent material is also transferred to the plain paper 10, so that an image that emits fluorescence when irradiated with light of a certain wavelength is formed. The plain paper 10 on which the color image has been formed by the pressure developing device 47 is transferred to the heat fixing device 4.
9 fixes the image, and guide roller 5
7 and is discharged to the outside. In addition, the pressure developing device 4
The microcapsule paper 44 that has passed through the paper 7 is wound up by a winding roll 43.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified without departing from the spirit thereof.

For example, in this embodiment, the color developer was applied to the microcapsule paper, but the color developer may be applied to plain paper and then developed with the microcapsule paper.

[0025]

As is clear from the above explanation, in the microcapsule of the present invention, the fluorescent material flows out at the same time as the dye precursor, so it is possible to form an image that emits fluorescence.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a microcapsule.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus that is an example of using microcapsules.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of microcapsule paper used in an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Microcapsule 2 Outer part 3. Liquid component 20 Color developer coating device 40 Image forming device 41 Exposure device 47 Pressure developing device 49 Heat fixing device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A microcapsule in which at least a first component such as a dye precursor or dye that changes color by reacting with a color developer, etc., and a second component that hardens upon receiving external energy are encapsulated, A microcapsule characterized by containing a substance that emits fluorescence in response to light of a predetermined wavelength. 2. Using the microcapsules according to claim 1, pressure development is performed with a color developer and a support when a dye precursor is encapsulated in the microcapsules, and with a support when a dye is encapsulated. An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a support.