JPH0611942A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an image recording device having simple constitution and good performance and capable of providing proof-read and planographic outputs. CONSTITUTION:A prebathing device 34 for performing a prebathing treatment with a liquid which is compatible with an electrically insulative liquid used in a developer and has a high insulating property is provided between an exposing portion located upstream of rotation of a rotary drum 13 past a portion immediately below the rotating rum 13, and the portion immediately below the rotating drum 13. Developing portions 52-56 are provided in which, near the portion immediately below the rotating drum 13, all or most of developing electrodes 52a-56a are located upstream of rotation of the drum past the position immediately below the rotating drum 13. A device for removing an excess of developers is provided which blows air toward a position downstream of rotation of the drum past the position immediately below the rotating drum 13 and in proximity to the developing electrodes 52a-56a provided in the developing portions 52-56.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly to an image recording apparatus capable of obtaining a proof and a lithographic plate. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a so-called total printing system in which a printed matter is obtained through the steps of image capturing, editing processing, proofreading, plate making, printing plate making, printing In a color photographic film, in an image capturing section, for example, by an image scanner or a drum scanner, a plurality of colors required for multicolor printing (the plurality of colors used for multicolor printing are usually subtractive 3 primary colors,
That is, the color is separated into four colors including yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BL).
A color separation film is formed from halftone images for each color, and a plate is made based on the color separation film for proofreading. When the proof print is NO, the color separation film is manually corrected, retouched, edited, cut and pasted, and then returned to the image capturing section as a document for proofreading. The above steps are repeated many times until the printing becomes OK, and when the proof printing is OK, the planographic printing plate for main printing is performed based on the color separation film, This machine is printed using the planographic printing plate made.

The color photographic film of the original is, for example, an image scanner or a drum
Depending on the scanner, multiple colors needed for multicolor printing
Usually, it is color-separated into three subtractive primary colors, that is, four colors including black (BL) in addition to yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C). The digital image data output in correspondence with each halftone image for each color is stored in the storage (MT, hard disk, etc.) of the workstation, and the workstation stores the digital image data stored in the storage. Image processing such as layout, color adjustment, editing, etc. is performed, and the result is confirmed by an output image from a display or a digital color proof. In the case of OK, a photographic film output device or a recorder section of a drum scanner. By making a color separation film under the plate and sending it to the proof, the plate is made based on the color separation film and proof printing is performed. If the proof is NO, the workstation is instructed to repeat the above steps, and if the proof is OK, the color separation film is used to print a lithographic plate for main printing. It was designed such that the plate was made and the machine was printed using the planographic printing plate made.

However, the above-mentioned conventional printing system is
Proofreading using a color separation film, making a printing plate using a color separation film, and so on.
Although the system is based on the existence of color separation film, it takes a long time and a lot of labor to form an image on the color separation film, and there are various problems in storage and management thereof. In addition, proofreading work based on color separation film requires skill, and it is not easy for anyone to operate, and separate and expensive equipment as a proofing machine and a plate-making machine. Since there is a problem that it is required, as a printing system which does not have the above-mentioned defects, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-9888 discloses
Multiple colors required for multicolor printing of the original in the image capture part (usually three subtractive primary colors, that is, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BL)) The digital image data corresponding to each color image obtained by color separation into four added colors} or the digital image data output corresponding to the halftone image for each color is stored in the workstation storage. The workstation described above uses the image processing device to view the color image displayed on the display, and the digital image data stored in the storage is used to adjust the layout, hue, edit, etc. After the image processing, it is given to the output device of the proof and the lithographic plate, and the digital image data corresponding to the halftone image of each color (or the digital halftone image corresponding to the monochrome halftone image). Image data) is used to output a proof or a lithographic plate.

[0005]

By the way, according to the apparatus disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, the problems in the above-mentioned conventional so-called total printing system can be satisfactorily solved. Since the constituent parts are separated, the device becomes large, and the electrophotographic process time is long, so the influence of light attenuation is likely to occur, and there are many contact parts with the electrophotographic recording paper, and the positioning accuracy is high. Therefore, there is a drawback that it is difficult to obtain repeatability and the misregistration tends to be large, and a solution thereof has been demanded.

[0006]

According to the present invention, a charge image corresponding to an image is formed on an electrophotographic recording paper, and the charge image is contained in an electrically insulating liquid containing a colorant, a binder and the like. In the image recording apparatus, which is visualized by a wet developer for electrophotography in which the developed fine particles are dispersed,
Between the exposed portion located on the upstream side of the drum rotation than the portion immediately below the rotary drum that winds and carries the electrophotographic recording paper, and on the side of the rotary drum, and the portion immediately below the rotary drum. In the portion between, is compatible with the electrically insulating liquid used in the above-mentioned electrophotographic wet developer, and,
An image recording apparatus in which a prebath processing section for performing a prebath treatment is arranged on the electrophotographic recording sheet with a liquid having a high insulating property, and a rotation for winding and carrying the electrophotographic recording sheet. An image recording apparatus in which a developing unit is arranged so that all or most of the developing electrodes are located in a portion near the portion immediately below the drum and closer to the upstream side of the drum rotation than the position immediately below the rotating drum. , And the excess developer at a position closer to the downstream side of the drum rotation than the position immediately below the rotating drum that winds and carries the electrophotographic recording paper, and close to the developing electrode provided in the developing section. An image recording device provided with a surplus developer removing portion that can be removed by air pressure, a rotary drum that winds and carries electrophotographic recording paper, and a roll-shaped electrophotographic recording paper. A means for cueing the electrophotographic recording paper fed from the paper feeding section and holding the electrophotographic recording paper cut into a predetermined size in a close contact state on the rotating drum, and a means wound around the rotating drum. A charging device for uniformly charging the electrophotographic recording paper, and a laser beam whose intensity is modulated by predetermined exposure data including halftone dot image digital data is deflected and then uniformly charged through the optical system. A means for exposing the electrophotographic recording paper with light of a predetermined spot, and an exposure portion located upstream of the drum rotation with respect to the portion immediately below the rotating drum and laterally of the rotating drum, and the above-mentioned rotation. The liquid which is provided in a portion between the portion directly below the drum and which is compatible with the electrically insulating liquid used in the above-mentioned electrophotographic wet developer and has a high insulating property is used, Before on photographic recording paper The pre-bath processing section that is adapted to perform processing, and all or most of the developing electrodes are located in a portion near the portion immediately below the rotating drum and closer to the upstream side of the drum rotation than the position immediately below the rotating drum. Excess developer is removed by air pressure at a position closer to the developing electrode arranged in the developing unit and a position immediately below the rotating drum than the position directly below the rotating drum. A surplus developer removing section, a heat fixing section, a residual charge removing section, means for ejecting the recorded electrophotographic recording paper from the rotating drum, and ejecting the recording paper, and the operation of each of the above-mentioned components. There is provided an image recording device including a control device that controls the image recording device.

[0007]

In the wet developer for electrophotography, a portion between the exposed portion located on the upstream side of the drum rotation with respect to the portion immediately below the rotary drum and the portion directly below the rotary drum is used. The pre-bath treatment that is performed on the electrophotographic recording paper by the pre-bath treatment device by the liquid that is compatible with the electrically insulating liquid and has a high insulation property is performed on the steeply inclined surface of the rotating drum. Therefore, the pre-bath treatment operation is performed in good condition on the electrophotographic recording paper wound on the rotating drum. Further, in a developing unit arranged so that all or most of the developing electrodes are located in a portion in the vicinity of a portion immediately below the rotating drum and closer to the upstream side of the drum rotation than the position immediately below the rotating drum. The developing electrode was used for the development as well as being able to favorably perform the developing operation by the electrophotographic wet developer flowing out toward the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper wound on the rotary drum. The wet developer for electrophotography can be favorably collected in the tray. The excess developer is removed by the air blown from the surplus developer removing section to a position closer to the downstream side of the drum rotation than the position directly below the rotating drum and close to the developing electrode provided in the developing section. Satisfactorily flows down from just below the drum to the tray of the developing section.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The specific contents of the image recording apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view (a part of which is a sectional view) showing a schematic configuration of an image recording apparatus of the present invention, in which 1 and 2 are side plates of a body of the image recording apparatus, which are above the side plate 1 of the body. Two bearing plates 3 for rotatably supporting each one end of the rotary shaft 4 of the roll-shaped electrophotographic recording paper 5 are fixed to the rotary electrophotographic recording paper 5 (in the figure, the rotary shaft 4 is shown). The bearing plate for supporting the other end of is not shown). The roll-shaped electrophotographic recording paper 5 described above is an electrophotographic recording paper in which a photosensitive layer formed by dispersing photoconductive titanium dioxide in an insulating resin binder is provided on a conductive support. , It is shielded from light by the covering member 6 as shown in phantom in the figure. Since various roll widths of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 are used, the width of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 used for image recording is detected by a sensor (not shown). Then, the signal of the detection result is given to the control device 11. As a result, the control device 11 performs initial setting of operating conditions in the subsequent steps, for example, setting of the developing width and other necessary conditions.

In order to start image recording by the image recording apparatus, when the operator inputs information on the start of image recording to an input section (not shown), the operator is pulled out and passes between the guide plates 7 and 8 and the supply roller 9 The recording paper 5 for electrophotography sandwiched between the recording medium 10 and the recording medium 10 is fed to the rotating drum 13 by the supply rollers 9 and 10 whose rotation is controlled under the control of the controller 11. That is, one of the supply rollers 9 and 10 is a drive roller, the other supply roller 10 is a passive roller, and the passive roller 10 is in the direction of arrow A in the figure. The supply roller 9 is movably supported by the control device 11 and rotates when it receives power from a drive motor whose operation timing is controlled by the control device 11, and is pinched between the supply roller 9 and the supply roller 10. The attached electrophotographic recording paper 5 is transferred to the rotary drum 13 through the inoperative cutting device 12.
The above-mentioned supply rollers 9 and 10 and the driving motor thereof are integrally configured as one block of constituent parts, and the above-mentioned blocked constituent parts can be easily pulled out from the inside of the apparatus to the front side. it can. Further, as the cutting device 12, a known device having a rotary blade and a fixed receiving blade can be used. The cutting device 12 cuts the electrophotographic recording paper 5, as will be described later, when power is transmitted from a drive motor whose operation timing is controlled by the control device 11.
The cutting device 12 is also made into a block so that it can be easily pulled out from the inside of the device to the front side.

When the supply of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is started by the supply rollers 9 and 10 as described above, the starting position regulating member 14 provided above the rotating drum 13 is controlled by the control device. An operating cam (not shown) causes its tip to descend to the surface of the rotating drum 13 which in this state exhibits a reference rotational phase and is in a stopped state. A signal generated by a sensor (not shown) is generated when the leading end of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 moving forward by the rotation of the supply rollers 9 and 10 comes into contact with the starting end position regulating member 14. Given to the controller 11,
Further, the pressing roller 15 is lowered by the operation of a cam (not shown) as indicated by an arrow B, and the vicinity of the beginning of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is pressed against the rotary drum 13. A shallow groove is provided in the generatrix direction of the rotary drum 13 on the surface of the rotary drum 13 in the portion covered by the vicinity of the leading end of the electrophotographic recording paper 5, and a large number of grooves are provided in the groove. The through hole 16 is provided so as to communicate with a suction port 17 of a suction device provided in the internal space of the rotary drum 13, and the suction port 17 is provided with the pipe 18 and the rotary drum 13.
It is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) through the inside of the hollow rotary shaft 19 of FIG.

The control device 11 has a predetermined timing based on a signal generated from a sensor (not shown) at the time when the leading end of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 comes into contact with the above-mentioned starting end position regulating member 14. The suction operation by the vacuum pump is started so that the leading portion of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is brought into close contact with the peripheral surface of the rotary drum 13. The timing at which the leading portion of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is brought into close contact with the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 13 by the suction operation performed from the suction port 17 of the suction device through the multiple through holes 16 is the electrophotographic recording paper. The leading end of 5 is the starting end position regulating member 14 described above.
Immediately after the time when the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is abutted, or after the pressing roller 15 presses the electrophotographic recording paper 5 against the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 13.

As described above, with the leading end position of the leading portion of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 being regulated by the starting end position regulating member 14, the leading portion of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is sucked by the suction port 17 of the suction device. Immediately after the suction is performed through the plurality of through holes 16 to bring the start end position restricting member 14 into contact with the peripheral surface of the rotary drum 13 under the control of the controller 11, as shown by an arrow C. After rising, the rotating drum 13 starts to rotate in the direction of the arrow R in the figure under the control of the controller 11, and the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is wound around the outer periphery of the rotating drum 13 in a tightly contacted state. Start operation. That is, the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is in a state in which the leading end thereof is brought into close contact with the surface of the rotating drum 13 by the suction operation as described above, and is pressed against the surface of the rotating drum 13 by the pressing roller 15. Therefore, the electrophotographic recording paper 5 that is wound around the surface of the rotating drum 13 as the rotating drum 13 rotates, and thus is wound around the surface of the rotating drum 13, is
3 can be brought into close contact with the surface. The starting end position regulating member 14 and the pressing roller 15 described above are
And, those lifting mechanisms are formed into a block and can be pulled out from the inside of the device to the front side.

The electrophotographic recording paper 5 to be wound around the rotary drum 13 as described above is the control device 1 described above.
By the cutting operation of the cutting device 12 operating under the control of No. 1, the length of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is cut to a length required for image recording, and the rear end portion of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is passed through the suction port 20 of the suction device to a plurality of through holes 21.
By the intake operation performed via the
Is in close contact with the peripheral surface of. That is, in the outer peripheral direction on the surface of the rotary drum 13 in the area to be covered by the vicinity of the rear end portion of the electrophotographic recording paper 5, various sizes of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 planned to be used correspond to various sizes. However, a shallow groove in the generatrix direction of the rotary drum 13 is provided at a position near each rear end portion of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 of each size, and a large number of through holes are formed in the groove. 21 is provided so as to communicate with a suction port 20 of a suction device provided in the internal space of the rotary drum 13, and the suction port 20 is provided with the movable pipe 22 and the rotary drum 1.
By performing an exhaust operation by a vacuum pump (not shown) through the inside of the hollow rotary shaft 19 of No. 3,
The rear end portion of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is brought into close contact with the peripheral surface of the rotary drum 13 by the suction operation performed from the suction port 20 of the suction device through the large number of through holes 21. Reference numeral 23 in the drawing denotes a shallow groove in the generatrix direction of the rotary drum 13 existing near the rear end portion of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 which is determined corresponding to the size of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 used. The movable tube 2 at a position corresponding to a large number of through holes in the
2 is a mechanism for moving the suction port 20 provided at the tip of 2.

As described above, when the rotary drum 13 in which the electrophotographic recording paper 5 of a predetermined size is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface is continuously rotated, the rotary drum 13 is wound around the rotary drum 13. The electrophotographic recording paper 5 has chargers 24 and 25.
The uniform charging is performed by. That is, the timing of the operation of the chargers 24 and 25 is determined by the control device 11. For example, the chargers 24 and 25 such as a corotron or a scorotron are the same as the rotary drum 1
Corona discharge is started during the second rotation of No. 3, and the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is wound tightly around the rotating drum 13.
A uniform charge is applied to the electrophotographic recording paper 5 from the leading portion of the. The above-mentioned chargers 24 and 25, a cleaner for corona wires (not shown), a drive source thereof, and the like are made into blocks, and can be pulled out from the inside of the apparatus to the front side.

Reference numeral 26 is a motor, 27 is a rotary mirror wheel, and the rotary mirror wheel 27 is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed in the direction of arrow D in the figure by the motor 26 and is emitted from the semiconductor laser 28. The generated laser light is deflected in a predetermined direction. The semiconductor laser 28 emits laser light whose intensity is modulated by predetermined exposure data including halftone image digital data to be recorded, and the laser light is the lens 2
9. Through the optical system including the reflecting mirrors 30 and 31, the uniformly charged electrophotographic recording paper 5 is irradiated,
The electrophotographic recording paper 5 is exposed by a predetermined exposure date including halftone image digital data to be recorded, and the image on the photoconductor of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is the image to be recorded. A charge image corresponding to the information is formed.

Reference numeral 32 is a surface electrometer for measuring the surface potential of the electrophotographic recording paper 5, which is the surface electrometer 3 described above.
The measured value of the surface potential by 2 is supplied to the control device 11 and used for setting the operating conditions of the image recording device. A prebath device 34 is mounted on the support plate 33 between the portion where the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is exposed by the laser light and the portion immediately below the rotary drum 13.
The pre-bath device 34 is formed into a block together with the rocking force source of the roller 38, and can be pulled out from the inside of the device to the front side. In the prebath device 34, a prebath solution container 35 fixed to a bottom plate 47 of the machine body is passed through a pipe 36 from the prebath solution, that is, an electrically insulating liquid used in a wet developer for electrophotography. A pre-bath liquid using a compatible and highly insulating liquid is supplied, and in the pre-bath device 34, the electrophotographic recording paper 5 wound in close contact with the rotary drum 13 is The pre-bath solution is uniformly poured to form a film of the pre-bath solution on the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5.

The prebath liquid poured from the prebath device 34 onto the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is rotated integrally with the rotating drum 13 in the direction of arrow R in the figure. The surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5, that is, the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 having a steep downward slope between the exposed portion of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 and the portion directly below the rotary drum 13. It flows down and reaches the roller 38 while wetting the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 substantially uniformly, and the roller 38 forms a film of uniform thickness by the prebath solution on the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5. After that, the excess prebath solution is dropped back into the prebath device 34. The roller 38 is rotatably supported by a tip end portion of a lever 71 rotatably supported by a rotation shaft 72. Then, the lever 71 described above
A spring 74 stretched between the pin 75 and the pin 76 urges the roller 38 toward the rotary drum 13 and abuts against the stopper 76, so that the roller 38 is tightly wound around the rotary drum 13. The pre-bath solution on the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 has a constant film thickness by keeping a predetermined minute interval (for example, several tens of microns) with respect to the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5. It is said that The roller 38
The extra pre-bath liquid removed by the process also drops downward and is returned to the pre-bath device 34. The prebath solution returned to the prebath apparatus 34 as described above is collected in the prebath solution container 35 fixed to the bottom plate 47 of the machine body through the pipe 37. In addition,
If the roller 38 is pressed against the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 wound tightly around the rotary drum 13 with a predetermined constant pressing force, the stopper 76 is pressed. Even if it is not used, it is possible to form a film of the pre-bath solution having a constant film thickness on the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 which is tightly wound around the rotary drum 13.

The electrophotographic recording paper 5 which has been subjected to the pre-bath treatment in the above-mentioned pre-bath device 34 is then visualized by the developing section. The developing unit (developing device) is located in the vicinity of a portion immediately below the rotary drum 13, and the developing electrode 56 is provided at a portion closer to the upstream side of the drum rotation than the position immediately below the rotary drum 13.
a (development electrode of the development device which is selectively used among the development electrodes 52a to 56a provided in the development devices 52 to 56, and the development device 56 is used in the illustrated state, so the development electrode 56a) Are arranged such that all or most of them are located. The developing device 56 (52-
55) is the same as that of the developing electrode 56a (the same applies to 52a to 55a) with a slight distance from the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 whose surface is wound in close contact with the rotary drum 13. From the surface of the developing electrode 56a corresponding to the developing device used in the container 46 of the electrophotographic wet developer disposed on the bottom plate 47 of the machine body (42 to 46). That is supplied to the developing device 56 via the tube 85 from the wet developer for electrophotography,
The electrophotographic recording paper 5 having the wet developer for electrophotography, which has flowed out or ejected from the through hole formed in the developing electrode 56a and is wound in a close contact state on the rotating drum 13,
By being supplied to the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5, toner corresponding to the amount of charge of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is attached to the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 to visualize the charge image.

Since the surface of the above-mentioned developing electrode 56a has an inclination corresponding to the inclination of the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 wound in a close contact with the rotary drum 13, the development is carried out as described above. The wet developer for electrophotography, which has flowed out or jetted from the through hole formed in the electrode 56a, fills the gap between the surface of the developing electrode 56a and the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5. In such a state, it satisfactorily flows in the rotating direction of the rotary drum 13 and is collected in the developing device 56.
The wet developer for electrophotography collected in the developing device 56 is a tube 9
0 is collected in the container 46 of the wet developer for electrophotography.

In FIG. 1, the containers 42 to 46 of the electrophotographic wet developers, which are arranged on the bottom plate 47 of the machine body, are different types of electrophotographic wet developers (colorants and binders in the electrically insulating liquid). A wet developer for electrophotography, in which fine particles for development composed of a binder and the like are dispersed, for example, a container 4 for a wet developer for electrophotography.
Reference numeral 2 stores a lipophilic electrophotographic wet developer used for obtaining a recorded electrophotographic recording paper to be used as a printing plate (lithographic plate), and a container 43 for the electrophotographic wet developer.
Reference numerals 46 to 46 separately store the electrophotographic wet developers for the respective colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, black) used when obtaining the recorded electrophotographic recording paper for proofreading. As described above, from the containers 42 to 46 of the electrophotographic wet developers individually accommodating the different types of electrophotographic wet developers, respectively, the development provided individually. Different wet developers for electrophotography are supplied to the individual developing devices 56 via the individual tubes 81 to 85, respectively, and are supplied from the developing devices 52 to 56 described above. Excessive wet developer for electrophotography is returned to and collected in the above-mentioned individual containers 42 to 46 for electrophotographic wet developer through the individual tubes 86 to 90, respectively.

As for each of the developing devices 52 to 56, one selected from the developing devices 52 to 56 is located near the portion immediately below the rotating drum 13 as described above.
The developing electrodes are arranged so that all or most of the developing electrodes are located at a portion closer to the upstream side of the drum rotation than the position immediately below 3. In the image recording apparatus shown in FIG. The bottoms of the developing devices 52 to 56 are placed on two transfer belts (for example, chains, belts, etc.) stretched in parallel at a predetermined distance, and the transfer belts are directed in the direction of arrow E in the figure. And one of the developing devices on the transfer belt is raised to the predetermined position by the elevating device provided between the two transfer belts so that it can be used for the developing processing operation. Alternatively, or by lowering the developing device in the raised position and returning it to the transfer zone, a predetermined one of the plurality of developing devices 52 to 56 is selectively used. I am trying. The arrow F in the figure indicates the moving direction of the lifting device. The developing devices 52 to 56 are mounted on the two transfer belts stretched in parallel at a predetermined interval with the position of the interval pieces 91 to 96 being regulated. However, each of the developing devices 52 to 56 can be pulled out from the inside of the apparatus to the front side by using the spacing piece as a guide.

1 and 2, reference numerals 48 and 49 denote transfer belts 50, such as belts or chains (in the following description,
A chain is used as the transfer zone 50 ... However, the shape of the chain is not shown in the figure for simplification of the drawing)
One sprocket 48 is a drive sprocket and the other sprocket 49 is a driven sprocket. The driving force is transmitted to the sprocket 48 under the control of the control device 11, or the supply of the driving force is cut off. Reference numeral 51 is a plate for preventing the slack of the chain described above and preventing it from meandering. In the figure, the chain sprocket on the front side of the two chains stretched in parallel at a predetermined interval is not illustrated, and the chain shown in the figure is not shown. 50 and the sprockets 48 and 49 on which the chain 50 is stretched are those provided on the back side of the machine body.

Numerals 91 to 96 are spacing pieces provided by connecting two chains, and the spacing pieces 91 to 96 are provided.
Is also for controlling the position of the bottom of each of the developing devices 52 to 56 in a state where one end of each of the bottoms of the plurality of developing devices 52 to 56 is placed on one of the two chains. Used. The control device 11 controls the supply state of the driving force to the driving sprocket 48, and transfers one selected one of the developing devices 52 to 56 to the position of the elevating device. The lifting device is the control device 1
Under the control of 1, the cam shaft 6 to which the cam plate 62 is fixed is attached.
1 is transmitted to the cam plate 6 described above.
By the rotation of 2, the substrate 67 of the elevating member to which the rotating shaft 65 of the roller 66 which is in sliding contact with the cam surface of the cam plate 62 is fixed is moved up or down. 60 is a support. Below the base plate 67 of the elevating member, guide parts 63 and 64 having holes to be fitted into the two guide rods 58 and 59 fixed to the mounting plate 57 are fixed, and the elevating member is also lifted. Above the substrate 67 of the member, the connecting bodies 68, 6 are provided.
A support base 70 is provided via the base 9.

Then, the supporting base 70 of the above-mentioned lifting device.
However, when the developing device 52 to 56 is lowered from the height position of the chain 50 on which the developing devices 52 to 56 are mounted, the cam plate 62 is rotated to move upward, and at that time, the support base is moved. The developing device located above 70 is raised to the position of the developing device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the predetermined developing processing operation as described above can be performed at that position. The developing device, which has completed the developing processing operation, is lowered along with the lowering of the support base 70 of the elevating device by the rotation of the cam plate 62 under the control of the control device 11 and is placed on the chain 50. . In this way, the plurality of developing devices 52 to 56 can be selected one by one and used sequentially for the developing processing operation.

Now, the electrophotographic recording paper 5 which has undergone the developing process in the developing section moves with the rotation of the rotary drum 13 in a state in which the excess developer which cannot be completely dropped at the developing electrode portion is attached. However, in the image recording apparatus of the present invention, as described above, since the position of the developing electrode is provided in the portion closer to the upstream side of the drum rotation than the position immediately below the rotating drum 13, the surplus moved as described above. When the developer reaches a portion directly below the rotary drum 13, most of the excess developer drops and is collected in the developing device. By the way, if some excess developer adheres to the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 due to the viscosity of the electrophotographic wet developer and is carried to the next fixing section as the rotary drum 13 rotates, the fog will occur. Since unevenness in development and development will be a problem, it has to be ensured that a good liquid state is obtained.

Therefore, in the image recording apparatus of the present invention, excess developer is discharged at a position closer to the downstream side of the drum rotation than the position directly below the rotary drum 13 and close to the developing electrode provided in the developing section. The excess developer removing portion that can be removed by air pressure is provided so that the liquid may be drained well. In the excess developer removing portion, for example, a blower chamber configured with a siroco fan. The air blown from 40 is blown toward the rotary drum 13 at a position close to the developing electrode provided in the developing section by the air guide tube 39, so that the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 as described above. The excess developer carried to the next fixing portion as the rotary drum 13 rotates while adhering to the surface is blown toward the portion directly below the rotary drum 13 to rotate the excess developer. And to be able to satisfactorily dropwise at a portion directly under the ram 13.

As described above, after the development processing is performed in the developing section, a toner image corresponding to the charge image is formed on the surface of the electrophotographic recording paper 5, and then the excess developer is removed by the excess developer removing section. The formed electrophotographic recording paper 5 is fixed by being heated and dried in the fixing unit 80, and then the residual potential of the electrophotographic recording paper 5 is removed in the charge eliminating unit 102 configured by using, for example, a lamp. The recorded electrophotographic recording paper 5 is obtained. When the image recording is one-color image recording, the leading portion of the recorded electrophotographic recording paper 5 that is wound in close contact with the rotating drum 13 and rotates integrally with the rotating drum 13 is rotated. At the time of approaching the position directly above the drum 13, air is ejected from the suction port 17 of the suction device used for bringing the vicinity of the leading end of the recorded electrophotographic recording paper 5 into close contact with the surface of the rotating drum 13. As described above, since the suction side and the exhaust side of the vacuum pump operating under the control of the control device 11 are switched, the vicinity of the leading end of the recorded electrophotographic recording paper 5 is the rotary drum 13. It is peeled from the surface.

As described above, the rotary drum 13 is located near the head.
The rear end portion of the recorded electrophotographic recording paper 5 peeled off from the surface is still in close contact with the surface of the rotary drum 13 by the suction action of the intake port 20. Recorded electrophotographic recording paper 5 that progresses as the rotary drum 13 rotates with the vicinity of the leading portion separated from the surface of the rotary drum 13.
The leading portion of the sheet is placed on the bottom plate 101 of the paper discharge unit, then advances on the bottom plate 101, and is pinched by the rotating paper discharge rollers 99 and 100. It is discharged. The above-mentioned paper discharge rollers 99 and 100 and their drive sources are made into blocks so that they can be attached and detached above the apparatus. Further, it is also possible to independently attach / detach the above-mentioned paper discharge roller 100 alone. Then, when the rear end portion of the recorded electrophotographic recording paper 5 rotating integrally with the rotary drum 13 approaches the position directly above the rotary drum 13, the recorded electrophotographic recording paper 5 is recorded. The suction of the vacuum pump operating under the control of the control device 11 so that air is ejected from the suction port 20 of the suction device used to bring the vicinity of the rear end portion into close contact with the surface of the rotary drum 13. Since the side and the exhaust side are switched, the vicinity of the occipital region of the recorded electrophotographic recording paper 5 is separated from the surface of the rotary drum 13 so that the recorded electrophotographic recording paper 5 is discharged. The rotating drum 13 stops at the position of its initial rotation phase under the control of the control device.

The recorded electrophotographic recording paper 5 obtained by the above-described one-color image recording operation is a lithographic plate (recorded electrophotographic recording paper by one-color image recording operation for a printing plate) and is lipophilic. When the developing process is performed using the wet developer for electrophotography, the heat fixing is performed by the powerful heat fixing devices 97 and 98 arranged in the middle of the paper discharging process. To As a result, it is possible to eliminate the step of performing the heat fixing again after the paper is ejected to the outside of the machine body. The heat fixing device 9 described above
The fixing unit 80 described above is configured to be capable of switching between two levels of strength and weakness without providing 7, 98, and heat-drying fixing is performed when a recorded electrophotographic recording sheet for calibration is obtained. Further, when obtaining a planographic printing plate (recording paper for electrophotography which has been recorded by a one-color image recording operation for a printing plate), strong heat fixing may be performed.

When the image recording is multi-color image recording, the sheet is not discharged after the steps from the charging step to the discharging step in the first one-color image recording are completed.
All the image recording operations for each color are completed, including the development processing for each color performed using the predetermined different types of wet developers for electrophotography, which are to be used for recording a multicolor image. Up to this point, after the above-described image recording operation is repeatedly performed, the above-described paper discharge operation is performed. In the case of multicolor image recording, the initial rotation phase of the rotary drum 13 is regulated to the reference rotation phase position after each step of image recording for each color is completed, and then the next one-color image is recorded. It is a preferred embodiment that the recording operation be started. After all image recording operations have been performed,
If a mechanism for cleaning dirt on the rotary drum 13 due to a wet developer for electrophotography etc. is provided, deterioration of the adsorption ability of the electrophotographic recording paper of the rotary drum 13, color mixture of recorded images, etc. It can be prevented. As described above, the constituent elements such as the paper feed roller portion, the cutting portion, the tip end regulation portion, the charging device, the pre-bath treatment portion, the developing device, and the paper discharge roller portion are individually divided into blocks, and If each block is configured to be attachable / detachable to / from the device, the assembly of the image recording device at the time of manufacture is easy, the performance of each block can be easily checked, and maintenance is easy. Serviceability can be improved, and trouble repairability and user maintenance are also improved.

[0031]

As is clear from the above description, the image recording apparatus of the present invention has an exposure portion located upstream of the drum rotation with respect to the portion immediately below the rotating drum.
A prebath treatment is performed using a liquid having a high insulating property, which is compatible with the electrically insulating liquid used in the electrophotographic wet developer in a portion between the portion directly below the rotating drum and the portion directly below the rotating drum. Since the pre-bath treatment device performs the pre-bath treatment on the electrophotographic recording paper at the portion of the steeply inclined surface of the rotating drum, the electrophotographic recording paper wound on the rotating drum is treated. The pre-bath treatment operation can be performed in a good condition, which makes it possible to easily obtain a recorded image without fog and development unevenness, and the position immediately below the rotary drum in the vicinity of the part directly below the rotary drum. The developing electrode in the developing section is arranged such that all or most of the developing electrode is located on the upstream side of the drum rotation with respect to the electrophotographic recording paper wound around the rotating drum. The developing operation by the electrophotographic wet developer flowing out toward the surface can be favorably performed, and the electrophotographic wet developer used for the development can be favorably collected in the tray, and the surplus is further increased. Excessive developer is removed by the air blown from the developer removing section to a position closer to the downstream side of the drum rotation than the position directly below the rotating drum and close to the developing electrode provided in the developing section. Since it can be easily flowed down from just under the drum to the receiving tray of the developing section, the liquid can be drained well, and furthermore, as a recording paper for electrophotography, a photosensitive layer containing titanium dioxide is provided. The proofreading output and the lithographic (printing plate) output can be obtained by using the sheet. Since there is no member that makes strong contact with the electrophotographic recording paper, the relative positional relationship between the rotating drum and the electrophotographic recording paper does not shift, resulting in a full-color recorded image with extremely little misregistration. In addition, it is possible to stably and easily obtain a recorded electrophotographic recording paper having a high-quality and high-definition recorded image without pinholes, slurries, and fogging. In addition, since the arrangement of the main constituent parts around the rotary drum is organized, in the case of multicolor recording or full-color recording, it can be performed during the processing closer to the first half of the process and the processing closer to the latter half of the process. In addition, the processing time can be shortened and the device can be downsized, and the time from the charging process to the exposure process to the development process can be shortened, so the effect of light attenuation is small, color mixing does not occur, and the developer Is less consumed. Further, the recorded electrophotographic recording paper is a lithographic plate (recorded electrophotographic recording paper by a one-color image recording operation for a printing plate), and development processing is performed using a lipophilic electrophotographic wet developer. If it is performed, the heat fixing is performed by a powerful heat fixing device in the middle of the paper discharging process, thereby eliminating the step of performing the heat fixing again after the paper is discharged outside the machine. Further, the lithographic plate obtained as described above can be immediately subjected to an automatic etching machine, and the present invention can satisfactorily solve the above-mentioned conventional problems.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view (a part of which is a sectional view) showing a schematic configuration of an image recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a part of the image recording apparatus shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 ... Side plates of the body of the image recording apparatus, 3 ... Bearing plates, 4 ...
Rotating shaft, 5 ... Electrophotographic recording paper, 6 ... Covering member, 7, 8
... Guide plate, 9, 10 ... Supply roller, 11 ... Control device, 1
2 ... Cutting device, 13 ... Rotating drum, 14 ... Starting end position regulating member, 15 ... Pressing roller, 16, 21 ... Through hole, 17, 2
0 ... Suction port, 18 ... Tube, 19 ... Hollow rotary shaft of rotary drum, 22 ... Movable tube, 24, 25 ... Charger, 26 ... Motor, 27 ... Rotating mirror wheel, 28 ... Semiconductor laser, 29 ... Lens, 30, 31 ... Reflecting mirror, 33 ... Support plate, 34 ... Pre-bath device, 35 ... Liquid container for pre-bath treatment, 38, 66 ... Rollers, 39, 41 ... Baffle tube, 40 ... Winding chamber, 42-46
... container for wet developer for electrophotography, 47 ... bottom plate of machine body, 4
8,49 ... Sprocket, 50 ... Chain, 52-56
... developing device, 52a to 56a ... developing electrode, 62 ... cam plate,
63, 64 ... Guide portion provided with holes for fitting with two guide rods 58, 59 fixed to the mounting plate 57, 67 ... Elevating member substrate, 68, 69 ... Coupling body, 70 ... Support base , 7
1 ... Lever, 72 ... Rotating shaft, 75, 76 ... Pin, 74 ...
Spring, 80 ... Fixing part, 91-96 ... Spacing piece provided by connecting two chains, 97, 98 ... Heat fixing device, 99, 100 ... Paper discharge roller, 101 ... Bottom plate of paper discharge part , 102 ... static eliminator, 103 ... discharge port,

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Reference number within the agency FI Technical indication location // G03F 3/10 B 8004-2H (72) Inventor Toshiya Kobashi 3-12 Moriya-cho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Address: Within Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (72) Inventor: Takashi Horiuchi, 3-12 Moriya-cho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture Within: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An electrophotographic recording paper on which a charge image corresponding to an image is formed, and the charge image is dispersed with development fine particles containing a colorant and a binder in an electrically insulating liquid. An image recording apparatus which is made to be visualized by a wet developer for electrophotography, which is located on the upstream side of the rotation of the drum directly below the rotary drum which winds and carries the electrophotographic recording paper, And, in the portion between the exposed portion located on the side of the rotary drum and the portion immediately below the rotary drum, it is compatible with the electrically insulating liquid used in the wet developer for electrophotography. And an image recording apparatus in which a prebath treatment section is arranged to perform a prebath treatment on the electrophotographic recording paper with a liquid having a high insulating property. 2. A charge image corresponding to an image is formed on an electrophotographic recording paper, and the charge image is dispersed with developing fine particles containing a colorant, a binder and the like in an electrically insulating liquid. An image recording apparatus which visualizes with a wet developer for electrophotography, which is directly below the rotary drum in the vicinity of a portion directly below the rotary drum which winds and carries the electrophotographic recording paper. An image recording apparatus in which the developing section is arranged such that all or most of the developing electrodes are located on the upstream side of the drum rotation from the position. 3. A charge image corresponding to an image is formed on a recording paper for electrophotography, and the charge image is dispersed with a developing fine particle containing a colorant, a binder and the like in an electrically insulating liquid. An image recording apparatus which visualizes with a wet developer for electrophotography, which is located closer to the downstream side of drum rotation than a position directly below a rotating drum that winds and carries electrophotographic recording paper. Further, the image recording apparatus is provided with an excess developer removing section capable of removing excess developer by air pressure at a position close to the developing electrode provided in the developing section. 4. A charge image corresponding to an image is formed on an electrophotographic recording paper, and the charge image is dispersed with developing fine particles containing a colorant, a binder and the like in an electrically insulating liquid. An image recording apparatus which visualizes with a wet developer for electrophotography, comprising: a rotating drum that winds and carries electrophotographic recording paper; and roll-shaped electrophotographic recording paper. A means for cueing the electrophotographic recording paper fed from the paper feeding section and holding the electrophotographic recording paper cut into a predetermined size in a close contact state on the rotating drum, and a means wound around the rotating drum. A charging device for uniformly charging the electrophotographic recording paper, and a laser beam whose intensity is modulated by predetermined exposure data including halftone dot image digital data is deflected and then uniformly charged through the optical system. Electrophotographic recording paper on a specified spot Means for exposing with the light, the portion between the exposed portion located on the side of the rotary drum on the upstream side of the drum rotation with respect to the portion immediately below the rotary drum, and the portion directly below the rotary drum. And pre-bathing the electrophotographic recording paper with a liquid having a high insulating property and compatible with the electrically insulating liquid used in the wet developer for electrophotography. In the vicinity of the pre-bath processing section and the portion immediately below the rotating drum, the whole or most of the developing electrode is located at a portion closer to the upstream side of the drum rotation than the position immediately below the rotating drum. Excessive developer can be removed by air pressure at a position that is closer to the developing electrode that is provided in the developing unit and closer to the downstream side of the drum rotation than the position directly below the rotating drum. A surplus developer removing section, a heat fixing section, a residual charge removing section, a means for ejecting the recorded electrophotographic recording paper from the rotating drum and ejecting the paper, and a control for controlling the operation of each of the above-mentioned components. An image recording device comprising a device. 5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a recorded electrophotographic recording paper for a printing plate is obtained by using a lipophilic wet developer for electrophotography. 6. An image recording operation performed on one sheet of electrophotographic recording paper by using a predetermined type of electrophotographic wet developer corresponds to the number of types of the electrophotographic wet developer described above. The image recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the recording electrophotographic recording paper for proofreading is repeated a number of times. 7. A recording electrophotographic recording sheet for proofreading,
7. The recorded electrophotographic recording paper for a printing plate is obtained from the same type of electrophotographic recording paper.
Any of the image recording devices. 8. A fixing unit for a recorded electrophotographic recording sheet for a printing plate is provided during a sheet discharging process.
Any of the image recording devices. 9. An electrophotographic recording paper comprising a conductive support and a photosensitive layer formed by dispersing photoconductive titanium dioxide in an insulating resin binder on the conductive support. The image recording apparatus according to any one of 1 to 8.