JPH05169795A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a multicolor image free from color shift by using a recording body changing in its sweepback contact angle at the time of the contact with a liquid under heating to form a latent image and developing the latent image formed on the recording body to form a visible image and transferring the visible image to recording paper. CONSTITUTION:For example, respective latent images are developed on a recording belt 9 by two color inks 5, 6 not mixed with each other to form visible images which are, in turn, transferred to recording paper 8 at once.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a novel recording device,
More specifically, the surface of the recording medium having a specific property is selectively and reversibly formed so that a region having a receding contact angle corresponding to the heating temperature is formed, and a coloring material is applied to this region (latent image). Supply the contained recording agent (solution or dispersion liquid) to make it visible, perform latent image formation and visualization for each different recording agent, and then transfer it to plain paper in good condition. And a device useful for the multicolor recording method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An offset printing method using a lithographic printing plate is a typical means for dividing a surface into a liquid adhesive area and a non-liquid adhesive area for use in image formation. However, in this offset printing method, it is inevitable that the apparatus becomes large in size by incorporating the plate making process from the original plate and the printing process from the printing plate (printing plate) into one device. For example, even in a relatively small office offset plate making printing machine, in many cases, the plate making apparatus and the printing apparatus are separate.

In order to eliminate such a defect of the offset printing method, a liquid adhesive area and a non-liquid adhesive area can be formed according to image information, and can be repeatedly used (reversible Recording methods and devices have been proposed. Some of them are as follows. (1) Aqueous development method After applying a charge to the hydrophobic photoconductor layer from the outside, it is exposed to form a pattern having a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion on the surface of the photoconductor layer, and only the hydrophilic portion is formed. Aqueous developer is attached and transferred to paper (Japanese Patent Publication No. 40-18992, Japanese Patent Publication No. 40-18993)
(Japanese Patent Publication No. 44-9512, JP-A No. 63-264392, etc.). (2) Method utilizing photochemical reaction of photochromic material The layer containing materials such as spiropyran and azo dye is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and these photochromic compounds are hydrophilized by photochemical reaction [for example, "Polymer Papers", No. 37 Volume 4
No., 287 (1980)]. (3) Method utilizing the action of internal biasing force The amorphous state and the crystalline state are formed by physical change,
Forming areas where liquid ink is attached / not attached (Japanese Patent Publication No. 54-41)
No. 902).

According to the method (1), after the water-based ink is transferred onto paper or the like, the hydrophilic portion is erased by the charge removal, and another image information can be recorded. That is, one original plate (photoconductor) can be repeatedly used. However, since this method is based on the electrophotographic process, charging → exposure →
It requires a long process of development → transfer → static elimination, and has the drawbacks that it is difficult to downsize the device, reduce the cost, and make it maintenance-free. According to the method (2), the hydrophilicity and the hydrophobicity can be freely and reversibly controlled by selectively changing the irradiation of ultraviolet rays and visible light, but the reaction time is very long because of poor quantum efficiency. However, the recording speed is slow and the stability is lacking, and it is the fact that it has not reached the practical level yet. Further, according to the method of (3), the information recording member used there is stable after recording,
Before recording, there is a possibility that the physical structure may change due to the temperature change, so that there is a problem in storage stability.
In addition to this, since a means for applying a heat pulse and then quenching is adopted for erasing the recorded information pattern, there is a disadvantage that repeated image formation cannot imitate complexity.

The inventors of the present invention have conducted research and studies to solve the conventional drawbacks and inconveniences. As a result, a specific recording medium (a recording medium having a surface with a receding contact angle that decreases when heated and brought into contact with a liquid, simply referred to as "recording medium" or "recording medium (A)" for convenience) and contact Use a material (liquid, vapor or solid that turns into a liquid or generates liquid or vapor at a temperature below the receding contact angle reduction start temperature referred to in recording body (A)), and contact the surface of recording body (A) with contact material (B) To the heating temperature on the surface of the recording material (A) by selectively heating the surface of the recording material (A) or by contacting the surface of the recording material (A) with the contact material (B). A method of forming a latent image showing a receding contact angle according to the method, visualizing the latent image with a recording agent solution or a dispersion liquid containing a colorant, and then transferring the visible image to a recording paper is provided. A device related to this has been proposed (West German Patent Publication No. 4010275). According to the method proposed here, the latent image and the visible image can be formed on the recording medium, the visible image can be transferred to the plain paper, and the latent image can be erased very easily and reversibly. ,
A large number of copied images can be easily obtained, and different copied images can be continuously obtained.

[0006]

However, in order to obtain a multicolor image with such a recording apparatus, it was necessary to develop and transfer each color while aligning the recording paper. Therefore, each latent image forming / developing / transfer unit is required for each color, resulting in an increase in size and cost of the apparatus, and in addition, accurate dot alignment is indispensable and troublesome, and a clear color copy cannot be obtained. There was an inconvenience. An object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus in which a high quality multicolor transfer image is formed on a recording paper and the size of the recording apparatus is reduced.

[0007]

The present invention provides the following recording medium
By selectively heating the surface of (A) in contact with the following contact material (B) or by contacting the surface of the recording material (A) with contact material (B) The recording material (B) that forms a latent image showing a receding contact angle according to the heating temperature on the surface of the recording material (A) is supplied to the surface of the recording material (A), and the surface of the recording material (A) is imaged. Means for selectively heating in response to a signal, means for applying a recording agent for making the latent image visible, means for transferring the recording agent adhered on the recording material (A) to recording paper, and the recording material (A) In the recording apparatus having means for erasing the latent image, the recording agents are used that do not mix with each other at the same or substantially the same temperature, and the latent image forming and visualization units are different from each other. A feature is that a plurality of recording agents are provided. (A) A recording material having a surface layer having a property that the receding contact angle decreases when it is heated and brought into contact with a liquid. (B) A liquid, a vapor, or a solid that becomes a liquid or generates a liquid or a vapor at a temperature at which the receding contact angle of the recording medium (A) starts to decrease.

In the apparatus of the present invention, if a recording material such as a liquid ink is used, the means for supplying the contact material (B) can be omitted, and the liquid ink can be used as the contact material (B). If such a material as described above is used, the latent image is formed and visualized at the same time, so that the recording agent applying means can be omitted. In the apparatus of the present invention, the latent image can be erased by heating the surface of the recording medium (A) on which the latent image is formed in the absence of the contact material (B), and reversible image formation is possible. It can be done.

The present invention will be described in more detail below. When the recording medium (A) used in the apparatus of the present invention is heated in contact with a liquid, its receding contact angle becomes low even after cooling, and the receding contact angle becomes high due to heating in the absence of liquid. A member having a function, at least the surface of which is formed. The surface of the recording material (A) having such a function is (1) a member containing an organic compound having a surface self-alignment function of a hydrophobic group, or (2) an organic compound having a hydrophobic group and having a hydrophobic group. Is a member whose surface is oriented.

The "surface self-orienting function" referred to in (1) means that when a solid compound formed on a support or a solid formed by the compound itself is heated in the air, the hydrophobic group on the surface becomes free (to the air side). It means that it has a property of being oriented toward the surface side). This also applies to (2). Generally, in an organic compound, the hydrophobic group has a property of being easily oriented toward the hydrophobic atmosphere. This is a phenomenon that occurs because the interfacial energy at the solid-gas interface tends to decrease. Further, this phenomenon tends to occur as the molecular length of the hydrophobic group becomes longer, but this is because the mobility of the molecule upon heating increases as the molecular length becomes longer.

More specifically, the terminal has a hydrophobic group.
If it is a molecule (that is, lowering the surface energy), it will be on the air side.
It is easy to orient to the surface (free surface side). Similarly, (-CH ₂
-) The linear molecule containing n (-CH ₂ CH ₂ - has a partial planar structures), each other molecular chain is easily oriented. Further, in the molecule containing (-Ph-) n, the -Ph- portion has a planar structure, and the molecular chains are easily oriented. Note that −Ph−
Is a p-phenylene group (hereinafter the same). Particularly, a linear molecule containing an element having a high electronegativity such as fluorine has a high self-aggregating property, and the molecular chains are easily oriented.

Summarizing the results of these investigations, it is more preferable that a straight-chain molecule containing a molecule having a high self-aggregating property or a molecule having a planar structure and having a hydrophobic group at the terminal, or such a straight chain molecule is used. It can be said that the compound containing a chain molecule has a high surface self-orientation function.

As is clear from the above description, there is a relation between the surface self-alignment state and the receding contact angle, and also between the receding contact angle and the liquid adhesion. That is, the adhesion of the liquid on the solid surface occurs mainly by the tacking of the liquid on the solid surface. This tacking can be regarded as a kind of frictional force when a liquid slides on a solid surface. Therefore, the "receding contact angle" θr in the present invention includes cos θr = γ (γs-γse-πe + γf) / γev (where γ: surface tension of solid in vacuum γse: solid-liquid interfacial tension γev liquid Surface tension when is in contact with its saturated vapor πe: Equilibrium surface tension γf: Friction tension γs: Surface tension of a solid without an adsorbed layer) (Saito, Kitazaki et al. Vol. 22, No. 12, 1986). Therefore, when the value of θr decreases, the γf value increases. That is, the liquid does not easily slide on the solid surface, and as a result, the liquid adheres to the solid surface.

As can be inferred from these mutual relationships,
The liquid adhesion depends on the degree of the receding contact angle θr, and the receding contact angle θr is determined by how the member having the surface self-orienting function on the surface. Therefore, in the apparatus of the present invention, the recording material (A) is necessarily a member having a surface self-aligning function on the surface because of the necessity of forming a desired pattern area on the surface and / or visualizing with a recording agent. Must be selected.

Although the relationship between the receding contact angle and the liquid adhesion property has been described so far, these matters are described in detail in the above-mentioned West German Patent Publication No. 4010275.

In short, the contact material (B) is a liquid or a vapor from the beginning, or a liquid is eventually produced at a temperature below the temperature at which the receding contact angle θr of the recording medium (A) is lowered. It is solid. The vapor here is at least on the surface of the recording material (A) or near the surface thereof, at least a part of which is condensed to form a liquid, and the liquid can wet the surface of the recording material (A). Is enough. On the other hand, the solid here is a liquid, a liquid is generated, or a vapor is generated at a temperature at which the receding contact angle θr is reduced or lower. The vapor generated from the solid is condensed on the surface of the recording medium (A) or in the vicinity thereof to generate a liquid, as in the case described above.

More specifically, the contact materials (B) are as follows.

That is, as the liquid which is one of the contact materials (B), in addition to water, an aqueous solution containing an electrolyte, ethanol, n-
Alcohols such as butanol, polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin and ethylene glycol, polar liquids such as ketones such as methyl ethyl ketone, straight chain hydrocarbons such as n-nonane and n-octane, and cyclic hydrocarbons such as cyclohexane. , Non-polar liquids such as m-xylene and aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene. Also, a mixture of these may be used, and various dispersions and liquid inks can also be used. More desirably, polar liquids are superior.

As the vapor which is another one of the contact materials (B), in addition to water vapor, any liquid vapor of the contact material (B) can be used. In particular, organic vapor such as ethanol vapor and m-xylene vapor can be used. Examples include vapors of compounds (including those in a spray state). The temperature of this organic compound vapor needs to be lower than the melting point or softening point of the compound forming the surface of the recording material (A).

Other solids which are another contact material (B) include higher fatty acids, low molecular weight polyethylene, polymer gels (polyacrylamide gel, polyvinyl alcohol gel), silica gel, compounds containing water of crystallization, etc. can give.

As a means for supplying the contact material (B), for example, a plate is provided below the recording medium (A) so that the liquid is filled and the recording medium (A) is always in contact with the liquid in the dish, and the heating source is near the plate. Alternatively, the simplest configuration is to place it in a dish. Instead of the dish, a sponge-like porous body containing a liquid may be used.

As a heating means for forming a latent image, in addition to contact heating with a heater, a thermal head, etc., an electromagnetic wave is used.
There is non-contact heating by (the light from the light source such as a laser light source and an infrared lamp is condensed by a lens).

When the transfer of one image information is completed, the surface of the recording material (A) is heated in the absence of liquid or vapor (in air, in vacuum or in an inert gas) (heating temperature: 50-). Thirty
0 ° C, preferably 100 to 180 ° C, heating time: 1 msec to
If the latent image is erased for 10 seconds, preferably 10 milliseconds to 1 second, the recording medium (A) can be used repeatedly.

As a heating source for erasing the latent image, a contact heating source such as a heater or a thermal head or a non-contact heating source using electromagnetic waves such as a laser or an infrared lamp is desirable. The heating may be performed only on the latent image portion, but may be performed on the entire surface of the recording material (A). Rather, it is more preferable to heat the entire surface because the device structure can be simplified.

The latent image erasing means is provided at a position where the surface of the recording medium (A) is substantially cooled during the time until the latent image is formed again after heating for erasing. The heating temperature required to erase the latent image is as described above.
Although it depends on the material of the surface of (A), it is desirable that the temperature is not lower than the decomposition temperature and not higher than the decomposition temperature at which the receding contact angle of the material on the surface of the recording material (A) becomes low.

As the recording paper (transferred material), a transparent or opaque resin film, plain paper, synthetic paper, ink jet recording paper, type paper or the like can be used.

The recording agent (comprising a solution or dispersion) is selected from among the recording agents used in conventional print recording methods such as writing ink, ink jet recording ink, printing ink and electrophotographic toner. It is possible to select and use one that is compatible with the device of the present invention.

To give a more specific and preferable example, for example, the water-based ink is mainly composed of water, a wetting agent, a water-soluble ink containing a dye or water, a pigment, a polymer compound for dispersion, and a wetting agent. An aqueous pigment dispersion ink, an emulsion ink in which a pigment or a dye is dispersed in water using a surfactant, and the like are used.

In the apparatus of the present invention, at least two color images must be formed on the recording medium before one transfer operation is performed.

FIG. 1 shows the structure of a system for performing two-color recording of black and red as one example of the apparatus of the present invention. Here, the recording body belt 9 is the belt drive roller 1
0 and the driven roller 11 and the recording medium belt 9 has a black oil-based ink 5 contained in the first ink tank 3.
And the red water-based ink 6 contained in the second ink tank 4 is in contact. Further, a first thermal head 1 and a second thermal head 2 are installed at the contact portions between the recording belt 9 and the black oil-based ink 5 and the red water-based ink 6, respectively. The recording paper 8 is pressed against the recording belt 9 by the paper feed roller 12. Also, the recording belt 9
The infrared lamp 7 is provided slightly behind the contact point between the recording paper 8 and the recording paper 8. As described above, the latent image forming means may be separately provided.

The operation of the apparatus according to the present invention will be described below. Initially, it is assumed that the recording belt 9 has no latent image. When the first thermal head 1 is driven, a latent image is formed on the recording material belt 9, and the black oil-based ink 5 is attached to develop the black ink image. The developed portion comes into contact with the red water-based ink 6 before long, but the red water-based ink 6 is not mixed with the black oil-based ink 5 in the portion where the latent image is formed. The second thermal head 2 is driven to form a latent image again, and the red aqueous ink 6 adheres to the recording material belt 9 for the first time, and the image of the red ink is developed. The two-color image thus formed is transferred to the recording paper 8 and then the latent image is erased by the heat of the infrared lamp 7.

In the apparatus of the present invention, recording agents which do not mix with each other at the same or almost the same temperature may be used.
This is an incompatible material, and refers to, for example, a combination of a polar material (water, polyhydric alcohol, etc.) and a nonpolar material (fatty acid, fatty acid ester, n-alkane, etc.).

[0033]

【Example】

Example 1 A recording device was assembled using a recording material of the following materials, and recording was performed under the following conditions. (I) Recording layer material: Fluorine-containing polymer (TG702, manufactured by Daikin Industries, Ltd.) Recording substrate: Polyimide film (about 20 μm thickness, manufactured by Nitto Denko) (ii) Black ink: Solvent (3: 1 of water and glycerin) Mixture) Colorant (black direct dye) Red ink: solvent (oleic acid) Colorant (oil-soluble dye, AlZENSOT Pink-1)
(Hodogaya Chemical Co., Ltd.) (iii) Heating means: thermal head (iV) Device configuration: as shown in FIG. 1 (implementation result) Each color ink surely adheres to each area of the latent image, and a good transferred image is recorded. Obtained on paper.

[0034]

According to the recording apparatus of the present invention, since an image of two or more colors on the recording medium is formed on the recording paper by one transfer, the size of the apparatus can be reduced and the color misregistration can be prevented. A good quality transfer image is obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a recording apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 1st thermal head 2 2nd thermal head 3 1st ink tank 4 2nd ink tank 5 Black oil-based ink 6 Red aqueous ink 7 Infrared lamp 8 Recording paper 9 Recording belt 10 Belt drive roller 11 Follower Roller 12 Paper feed roller

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Yasuo Katano 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Within Ricoh Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akira Oyamaguchi 1-3-3 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Ricoh Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hideki Tomono 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Ricoh Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. The following contact material (B) is applied to the surface of the following recording medium (A).
To the heating temperature on the surface of the recording material (A) by selectively heating the surface of the recording material (A) or by contacting the surface of the recording material (A) with the contact material (B). A recording material that forms a latent image with a receding contact angle according to (B)
To the surface of the recording material (A), a means for selectively heating the surface of the recording material (A) according to an image signal, a means for applying a recording agent for visualizing the latent image, and a recording material ( In a recording apparatus having a means for transferring the recording agent adhered on the recording medium (A) onto a recording sheet and a means for erasing the latent image of the recording medium (A), the recording agents are mixed with each other at the same or almost the same temperature. A recording apparatus, wherein a recording medium is used, and a plurality of latent image forming and developing units are provided for each of the different recording materials. (A) A recording material having a surface layer having a property that the receding contact angle is reduced when it is heated and brought into contact with a liquid. (B) A liquid, a vapor, or a solid that becomes a liquid or generates a liquid or a vapor at a temperature at which the receding contact angle of the recording medium (A) starts to decrease. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a recording material is used as the contact material (B) so that the supply means for the contact material (B) and the application means for the recording material are integrated.