JPH05333536A - Photosensitive capsule and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a high-sensitivity photosensitive capsule without color change or density lowering when an image is formed and to furnish an image forming device having simple structure using the capsule. CONSTITUTION:The light absorption wavelength peak of a wavelength sensitizer 5 is different from that of a coloring material such as pigment 6 in a photosensitive capsule 1, and hence the sensitivity of the coloring material is not deteriorated by light absorption of the coloring material. Meanwhile, the high-sensitivity photosensitive capsule 1 without color change is obtained by selecting a substance capable of decomposing the sensitizer 5 with light or heat. The image forming device using the capsule 1 is provided with a means to decompose the sensitizer 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photosensitive capsule and an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer using the photosensitive capsule.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a photosensitive capsule which contains at least an image forming material such as a dye precursor or a dye or a pigment, and whose mechanical strength is changed in response to light is disclosed in JP-A-63-269.
No. 146, etc. The progress of the photoreaction is performed by an initiator that generates a reactive species such as a radical by light irradiation
It is carried by a wavelength sensitizer added in order to promote a photoreaction by absorbing light having a predetermined wavelength and transmitting the energy to the initiator.

Further, a developing method in which a photosensitive capsule which contains the image recording material therein and whose mechanical strength changes in response to light is used, and after exposing the capsule, only the weak toner is destroyed by pressing or the like. As an image forming apparatus for forming an image on an image receiving paper by means of JP-A-63-31603.
No. 8 publication and the like.

This image forming apparatus forms an image on an image receiving paper by a developing method in which the photosensitive capsule is exposed in accordance with image information, and then only the weak toner is destroyed by pressure or the like.

[0005]

However, the photosensitive capsules used in the conventional image forming apparatus as described above are mechanically sensitive to the image forming materials such as dye precursors, dyes and pigments inside the capsules and react to light. The photosensitive materials whose physical strength changes are contained in a mixed or compatible state. This caused some problems.

First, the color of the photopolymerization initiator or wavelength sensitizer in the photosensitive material is mixed with the color of the image forming material during image formation. The problem is that the sensitizer discolors over time due to an oxidation reaction or the like, and the original color and density of the image forming material do not appear.

In addition, light having a wavelength with which the photosensitive material photoreacts during exposure (exposure electromagnetic wave) is absorbed by the image forming material, and the ratio of the exposure electromagnetic wave absorbed by the wavelength sensitizer is drastically reduced. As a result, the sensitivity of the photosensitive material is lowered.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is a photosensitive capsule which does not cause a color change and a decrease in density during image formation and has a high sensitivity, and a simple structure using the photosensitive capsule. It is an object of the present invention to provide the image forming apparatus.

[0009]

In order to achieve this object, the photosensitive capsule of the present invention has at least a mechanical strength in response to the irradiation of an image forming material such as a dye or a pigment and an electromagnetic wave for exposure of a specific wavelength. A photosensitive capsule containing a changing photosensitive material, and the photosensitive material reacts with an exposure electromagnetic wave having a wavelength that does not affect the sensitivity due to absorption by the image forming material.

The photosensitive material is a wavelength sensitizer capable of generating at least a polymerizable substance, a photopolymerization initiator, and a photopolymerization reaction with a predetermined electromagnetic wave for exposure, and decomposable by heating or electromagnetic wave irradiation. And may be provided.

In the image forming apparatus using the photosensitive capsule, the exposing means for irradiating the photosensitive capsule with an electromagnetic wave for exposure according to image information, and while the exposing means irradiates the electromagnetic wave for exposure, or Thereafter, a dye decomposing means for decomposing the wavelength sensitizer in the photosensitive capsule is provided.

[0012]

The photosensitive capsule of the present invention having the above structure is
The mechanical strength changes in response to an electromagnetic wave for exposure having a wavelength that does not affect the sensitivity due to absorption by an image forming material such as a dye or a pigment.

Further, in the image forming apparatus using the photosensitive capsule of the present invention, the exposing means is
The electromagnetic wave for exposure is irradiated according to the image information, and the dye decomposing means decomposes the wavelength sensitizer in the photosensitive capsule during or after the exposure means irradiates the electromagnetic wave for exposure.

[0014]

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

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the structure of the photosensitive capsule of the present invention.

The photosensitive capsule 1 includes an outer shell 2 and an inner package 3.
It is composed of The outer diameter of the photosensitive capsule 1 is several μm.
It is desirable to be about several tens of μm. However, it is not limited to this.

The inclusion 3 comprises at least a photopolymerization initiator 4, a decomposable wavelength sensitizer 5, a pigment 6 and a polymerizable substance 7.

The photopolymerization initiator 4 is one which is sensitive to light and initiates the polymerization of the resin. For example, benzophenone,
Benzoyl alkyl ethers such as benzoyl isopropyl ether, Michler's ketone, metal arene compounds, and 2,4-diethylthioxanthone can be used.

The decomposable wavelength sensitizer 5 absorbs light having a predetermined wavelength and transfers the energy of the absorbed light to the photopolymerization initiator 4, whereby the photopolymerization reaction is caused by irradiation with light having a predetermined wavelength. Is added in order to accelerate the progress of the process, and for example, a dye which is decolorized by heating as described in JP-A-2-289856 can be used.

As the pigment 6, carbon black,
Inorganic pigments and organic pigments such as yellow lead, red iron oxide, titanium oxide, and molybdenum red can be used.

Here, the color of the decomposable wavelength sensitizer 5 and the pigment 6 should not be the same. For example, if the decomposable wavelength sensitizer 5 is magenta, the pigment 6 is yellow and decomposed. If the sensitizing wavelength sensitizer 5 is cyan, the pigment 6 is magenta, and if the degrading wavelength sensitizer 5 is yellow, the pigment 6 is cyan. Pigment 6 is selected.

As the polymerizable substance 7, for example, N-
Vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, bisphenol A diacrylate and methacrylate, tripropylene glycol diacrylate and methacrylate, polyethylene glycol diacrylate and methacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate and methacrylate, dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate and methacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate and methacrylate , Oligoester acrylates and methacrylates. In addition, these polymerizable compounds may be used alone or as a mixture of two or more kinds.

The photosensitive capsule 1 having the above structure can be manufactured by a known method. For example, US Pat.
No. 00457, No. 2800458 and the like, a method for phase separation from an aqueous solution, Japanese Patent Publication No. 38-1974.
No. 4, Japanese Patent Publication No. 42-446, Japanese Patent Publication No. 42-771, etc., the interfacial polymerization method, Japanese Patent Publication No. 36-9168.
In-situ method by polymerization of monomers, as disclosed in JP-A-51-9079, British Patent No. 95280.
No. 7, No. 965074, there are melt dispersion cooling methods and the like, but not limited thereto.

As the material for forming the outer shell 2, gelatin, gum arabic, starch, sodium alginate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polyamide, polyester, polyurethane, polyurea, polyurethane,
Polystyrene, nitrocellulose, ethyl cellulose,
Methyl cellulose, melamine-formaldehyde resin,
A urea-formaldehyde resin or the like is used, but a material that allows sufficient light transmission is more preferable.

In the photosensitive capsule 1 having the above-mentioned structure, when the light of a predetermined wavelength which the decomposable wavelength sensitizer 5 does not absorb but the pigment 6 absorbs, the photopolymerization curing reaction proceeds.
Therefore, the decrease in photopolymerization sensitivity due to the pigment 6 does not occur.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a configuration showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus using the photosensitive capsule 1 of the above embodiment.

The image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment has all movable parts and light emitting parts (hereinafter abbreviated as movable parts) in the image forming apparatus 10 described in the following embodiments according to an image information signal. Is provided with a control unit 12 for controlling to operate properly for image formation.

The control unit 12 controls the movable part and the like by sending a command to a driver, a switch and the like connected to the movable part and the like while monitoring the operating condition of the movable part and the like with a sensor and the like. is doing.

A document supporting glass 16 is attached to the upper surface of the casing 14 of the image forming apparatus 10. The document is sandwiched between the document support glass 16 and the document retainer 18 and held so that the image surface faces downward.

Below the document supporting glass 16, a light source lamp 20 for illuminating the document, a solid-state image pickup device 22 for reading the reflected light from the document, and reflected light from the document on the solid-state image pickup device. An optical system 24 for forming an image and an arithmetic element 26 for converting an electric signal generated by the image light being formed on the solid-state image sensor into an image information signal.
A scanner unit 28 having a and is provided.

When a copy start button (not shown) is pressed, the scanner unit 28 moves in the direction of arrow 30 by a motor (not shown) or the like in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 12 to move the original document. A reading operation is performed and the read image information signal is transferred to the control unit 12.

The photosensitive capsule 1 has a toner case 32.
It is preserved while being protected from light. The supply belt drive roller 34 has a cylindrical shape and is made of urethane sponge. The supply belt 36 is a nylon film having a thickness of about 50 μm, and its length is slightly longer than the circumference of the cross section of the supply belt drive roller 34, and the supply belt 36 is somewhat slack in the supply belt drive roller 34. It is wrapped with.

In the present embodiment, the material of the supply belt 36 is a nylon film which has a very strong tendency to be positively charged on the charging train and which makes it easy to negatively charge a friction partner, but instead of the nylon film. A film made of another material having a strong tendency to be positively charged, such as Teflon, may be used.

The supply belt drive roller 34 rotates in the direction of arrow 37 in response to a command from the control unit 12, and the supply belt 36 also follows this and rotates in the same direction.

By rotating the supply belt 36,
The photosensitive capsule 1 is pulled out from the toner case 32.

The coating belt driving roller 38 has a cylindrical shape and is made of a metal, and is connected to a high voltage power source installed inside the control unit 12, and the control unit 12 is required to Accordingly, a voltage of about + 250V is applied.

The coating belt 40 is a nylon film having a thickness of about 50 μm, and its length is slightly longer than the circumference of the section of the coating belt driving roller 38.
Is wound around the coating belt drive roller 38 in a somewhat slack form.

In the present embodiment, as the material of the coating belt 40, a nylon film having a very strong tendency to be positively charged on the charging train and being easily negatively charged against the rubbed partner is used, but instead of the nylon film. A film made of another material having a strong tendency to be positively charged, such as Teflon, may be used.

In FIG. 1, the slack of the supply belt 36 from the supply belt driving roller 34 and the slack of the coating belt 40 from the coating belt driving roller 38 face each other (inward). The supply belt 36 and the coating belt 40 are held.

The supply belt 36 and the coating belt 40
Are always in pressure contact with each other, but both have extremely soft elasticity in the direction of pressure contact, so that even when one is stopped, the other can freely rotate.

The coating belt drive roller 38 rotates in the direction of arrow 39 in response to a command from the control unit 12, and the coating belt 40 also follows this and rotates in the same direction.

The supply belt drive roller 34 and the application belt drive roller 38 have different peripheral velocities in opposite rotational directions, and therefore, the supply belt 36 and the application belt 40 which are rotating following them are rotated. Is always in friction.

In FIG. 1, the photosensitive capsule 1 is operated by the rotation of the supply belt 36 so that the toner case 3
It is fed from No. 2 and conveyed to a place where the supply belt 36 and the coating belt 40 are in pressure contact with each other.

The supply belt 36 and the coating belt 40
The photosensitive capsule 1 sandwiched between
Since the peripheral speed of the coating belt 40 is different from that of the coating belt 40, the supply belt 36 and the coating belt 40 rub against each other. However, since the supply belt 36 and the coating belt 40 both have extremely soft elasticity, The compression and shear stress applied to the capsule 1 can be relaxed, and therefore, the photosensitive capsule 1 can be triboelectrically charged to a negative polarity with a sufficient charge amount without breaking.

The photosensitive capsule 1 negatively charged by friction is carried on the coating belt 40 by an electric field generated from the coating belt driving roller 38 to which about +250 V is applied.

The exposure roller 44 is made of metal and is connected to a high-voltage power source installed inside the control unit 12, and a voltage of about +1 kV is applied from the control unit 12 as needed. And rotates in the direction of arrow 46.

The photosensitive capsule 1 carried on the coating belt 40 has the coating belt driving roller 38.
By the action of the electric field generated between the exposure roller 44 and the exposure roller 44, the exposure roller 44 is electrostatically coated.

The photosensitive capsule 1 electrostatically applied on the exposure roller 44 has an exposure source 4 according to image information.
8 and then the dye decomposing means 49 decomposes the decomposable wavelength sensitizer 5 in the photosensitive capsule 1 so that only the pigment 6 is contained as the colored substance in the inclusion 3. A clear image can be formed only by the color of the pigment 6 regardless of the color of the decomposable wavelength sensitizer 5.

Pressed by the pressure transfer roller 52 rotating in the direction of arrow 50, only the photosensitive capsule 1 that has not been photopolymerized and cured is destroyed, and the inclusion containing the coloring material becomes the pressure transfer roller. Carried on 52.

The fragments of the photosensitive capsule 1 and the photo-polymerized cured product remaining on the exposure roller 44 after the pressurization are removed by being slid by the cleaning brush 54, and are discarded in the dust box 56.

The image receiving paper 60 stored in the image receiving paper cassette 58 is fed out by the paper feeding roller 62, and the arrow 68 is drawn by the paper guide 64 and the paper guide roller 66.
Is guided in the gap between the nip roller 70 rotating in the direction of and the compression transfer roller 52, and is nipped and pressed by the nip roller 70 and the compression transfer roller 52,
The inclusion containing the coloring material carried on the pressure transfer roller 52 is transferred onto the image receiving paper 60, and the image is transferred onto the image receiving paper 6
Form on 0.

The image receiving paper 60 having the formed image.
Is guided by the paper discharge roller 72 and discharged to the exit tray 74.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in detail above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, in the photosensitive capsule of this embodiment, a photopolymerization system is used, but a photolysis or photosoftening system may be used.

Further, in the image forming apparatus of the above embodiment, the action of the dye decomposing means is caused after the action of the exposing means of the photosensitive capsule, but these may be performed at the same time.

[0056]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, there is provided a high-sensitivity photosensitive capsule which does not cause a color change and a decrease in density during image formation, and a simple structure using the photosensitive capsule. An image forming apparatus can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a photosensitive capsule of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus using the photosensitive capsule of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photosensitive capsule 4 Photopolymerization initiator 5 Decomposable wavelength sensitizer 6 Pigment 7 Polymerizable substance 10 Image forming apparatus 48 Exposure source 49 Dye decomposition means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A photosensitive capsule containing at least an image-forming material such as a dye or a pigment, and a photosensitive material whose mechanical strength changes in response to irradiation with an electromagnetic wave for exposure having a specific wavelength, wherein the photosensitive material is A photosensitive capsule which reacts with an electromagnetic wave for exposure having a wavelength that does not affect sensitivity due to absorption by the image forming material. 2. A wavelength sensitizer capable of generating at least a polymerizable substance, a photopolymerization initiator, and a photopolymerization reaction with a predetermined electromagnetic wave for exposure, and decomposable by heating, electromagnetic wave irradiation, or the like. The photosensitive capsule according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. An image forming apparatus using the photosensitive capsule according to claim 1, wherein the photosensitive capsule is irradiated with an electromagnetic wave for exposure according to image information, An image forming apparatus comprising a dye decomposing means for decomposing the wavelength sensitizer in the photosensitive capsule during or after the exposing means irradiates the electromagnetic wave for exposure.