JPH08106172A - Optical reactive color toner and printing device using it - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide one-dimensional optical reactive color toner and a printing method using it by which a developing process is simplified by using one kind of toner, a color printer is made compact and a color printing action can be executed even on a plain paper. CONSTITUTION: Three or more kinds of pigment capsules 11, 12 and 13 are formed by coating three or more kinds of leuco dye 11a, 12a and 13a having different pigments with photosetting resin 11b, 12b and 13b respectively photoset by different-wavelength light. Besides, the optical reactive color toner for electrophotographing is formed by polimerizing three or more kinds of pigment capsules and developer 14 by using thermoplastic resin 15. Then, the respective pigment capsules are photoset. By successively irradiating the toner image of a recording paper with the image data of three or more kinds of different- wavelength light, the full coloring is executed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photoreactive color toner and a color printing method using the same, more specifically,
A single color toner for electrophotography comprising three or more types of leuco dyes, a color developer, and a thermoplastic resin in an amount about 10 times that of the developer, and color printing is performed by an electrophotographic method using such a single color toner. Related to a printing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional color printer apparatus uses three to four different color toners, including three primary colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan, which are necessary for color recording, respectively, to perform development to perform full-color printing. I was going. For example,
In the multi-drum type color printer, as shown in FIG. 3, 3 to 4 are arranged along the traveling direction (arrow A) of the printing paper S.
Developing units (four developing units of Y, M, C, and B in the figure) are sequentially arranged, and each developing unit has a photosensitive drum 31, a charger 32, an exposure unit 33,
The developing device 34 and the transfer device 35 that store the toners of the respective colors are provided. In each developing unit, the charger 3
An electrostatic latent image of an image to be developed in each color is formed on the photosensitive drum 31 charged by 2 by the exposure device 33, and then toner is applied to each photosensitive drum 31 by the developing device 34. Thus, a toner image of each color is formed. While the printing paper S passes through the developing units Y, M, C, B, the transfer device 35 transfers the yellow (Y) toner image on the printing paper in the first developing unit, and similarly, the second, On the third and fourth developing units, magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (B) color toner images are transferred onto the printing paper, respectively, and finally, a fixing device 36 including a heating roller and the like is attached. By letting it pass
These color toner images are fixed on the printing paper S to obtain a full color image.

Further, in the single-drum type color printer, as shown in FIG. 4, three to four developing units (in the figure, around one photosensitive drum 41 along the rotation direction P thereof). Y, M, C, and B developing units are sequentially arranged, and in each developing unit, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black are sequentially arranged on the photosensitive drum 41. The electrostatic latent image of the image to be developed in each color of (B) is exposed and formed, and the toners of each color are sequentially applied by the developing device to sequentially form the color image of each color toner on the photosensitive drum 41. Then, the color toner image thus obtained on the photosensitive drum is transferred to the printing paper S by the transfer device 42, and then the color image is fixed on the printing paper S by the fixing device 43.

As another color printing method, light-transmitting particles are electrostatically adhered to a photosensitive plate containing a photoconductive material, and then imagewise exposed to remove charges on the exposed portion of the photosensitive plate. Then, the particles in the above portion are taken out of the system by applying a necessary and sufficient force from the outside, an image of the particles is obtained on the photosensitive plate, and the particles are heated with the electron-accepting substance to form a sublimable color former contained in the particles. A method is known in which a colored image is obtained by sublimating and developing a color on an electron-accepting substance (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 5).
9-90865).

In this system, as the light-transmitting particles, light-transmitting particles that see through blue-violet light and develop a color of yellow, light-transmitting particles that see through green light and show a color of magenta, and see through red light and show a color of cyan. Particles in which three kinds of light-transmitting particles are mixed are used. Then, the surface of the charged photoconductive photoreceptor is
A mixture of types of light-transmissive particles is deposited and a light image of a color original is exposed thereon. Due to this exposure, the electric charge of the photoconductor is attenuated at the part of the particle that selectively transmits the light of the optical image, the electrostatic adhesion is lost, and the particle at that part is separated, and the color original is separated on the photoconductor. The obtained particle image is obtained. Next, after electrostatically transferring the particle image on the photoreceptor to the image receptor, the sublimable color former in the particles is sublimated by heating the particles with a heating roller, thereby forming a developer of the image receptor. Reacts and develops color.

Further, in the same Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-90865, a transparent particle is obtained by granulating a transparent resin binder with a colorant and a sublimable color former as the light transmissive particle. Alternatively, a structure in which the surface of particles dyed with a colorant is coated with a layer containing a sublimable color former, a transparent colored transparent layer having transparent particles as a core and containing a colorant is further coated, and a sublimable color former is further used. A structure covered with a layer containing is also disclosed.

[0007]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention
In a system in which different color toners are separately used for development and the developed color images are superposed on the photoconductor drum or the printing paper, the developing unit for each color is used to avoid color mixture. When required, complex structures were required to accurately position and drive these units.

Further, in the method of using a toner in which different light-transmitting particles are mixed as in JP-A-59-90865, it is necessary to use a mixture of various kinds of toner. Therefore, it is inconvenient to handle the color toner, and it is necessary to use a special paper containing a color developer as the recording paper, which limits the application range. Therefore, in the present invention, a single photoreactive color toner and printing using the same are used, in which the developing process is simplified by using one kind of toner, the color printer is downsized, and color printing can be performed even on plain paper. The purpose is to provide a method.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to claim 1, as shown in FIG. 1, three or more kinds of leuco dyes 11a, 12a, 1 having different dyes are used.
3a is coated with photo-curable resins 11b, 12b, 13b which are respectively cured with light of different wavelengths to form three or more types of dye capsules 11, 12, 13, and the three or more types of dye capsules and a color developer. Provided is a photoreactive color toner for electrophotography, which is formed by polymerizing 14 and 14 with a thermoplastic resin 15.

That is, in order to realize toners of various colors, photoreactive color toners are prepared by the following procedure. Resin monomers 11b, 1 that use leuco dyes 11a, 12a, 13a as dyes and are cured by specific light
Cover with 2b and 13b. As leuco dyes, Table 1 to Table 4
Known materials shown in can be used. Examples of the yellow dye include No. 1 in Table 1. It is preferable to use Y-721 (trade name) of No. 1. As a red dye,
For example, in Table 1 No. Red 500 (trade name) of 6 is suitable. Further, as the blue dye, for example, Blue220 (trade name) in Table 4 is suitable.

In Tables 1 to 4, M. W. Is the molecular weight of the dye, and M. P.
(° C) is the melting temperature of the dye, λmax (nm) is the maximum absorption wavelength of the dye, MITI No. is the existing chemical substance number, CAS number (No.) is the US Chemistry Sy
The number registered in the stem (Chemical Abstracts Service Re
gistry Numbers), TSCA indicates whether or not the United States Hazardous Substances Control Law is registered, and ELINCS indicates whether or not it is registered in the "EC Safety Law".

[0012]

[Table 1]

[0013]

[Table 2]

[0014]

[Table 3]

[0015]

[Table 4]

Next, the color developer 14 is added. As the developer, any of the known ones shown in Table 5, that is, any one of 1) to 6) can be used. In Table 5, m.
p. (° C.) indicates the melting temperature of the developer.

[0017]

[Table 5]

A chemical (charge 16) for adjusting the charge amount is added. The whole is integrated with the thermoplastic resin 15. As described above, the unitary color toner as shown in FIG. 1 is formed. According to claim 2 of the present invention, the photoreactive resin monomer 11b, 12b, 13b contains an organic boron ammonium salt, a cyanine dye borate as a catalyst, the photoreactive property according to claim 1. Color toner is provided.

Further, according to claim 3, as a printing device for electrophotography, which uses the photoreactive color toner 10 according to claim 1, as shown in FIG. 2, a photoconductor 20 and the photoconductor 20. An exposure unit 21 on which a monochrome electrostatic latent image is formed,
A developing unit 22 that obtains a toner image by applying the color toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor, a transfer unit 23 that transfers the toner image on the photoconductor to a recording sheet, and a transfer unit that simultaneously transfers the toner image to the recording sheet. Or after transfer, a light emitting diode, laser,
Or a light data irradiating section 24 for sequentially irradiating image data of three or more kinds of light having different wavelengths by curing each dye capsule of the photoreactive color toner from a light source lamp or the like. A printing device is provided.

[0020]

A monochromatic image is formed on the above-mentioned unitary toner by a conventional electrophotographic process, and at the same time as or after transfer to paper, three or more kinds of different wavelength LEDs, lasers or various lamps are used to change the Y, By irradiating the image data of M, C, and black, full color is developed.

[0021]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below. First, a method for manufacturing the unitary color toner of the present invention will be described. -Method for producing dye capsules (11, 12, and 13 in Fig. 1) 0.5 l of water and 0.1 l of isoptylene maleic anhydride copolymer were placed in a 1 l flask and stirred for 1 hour with a mixer of 3000 rpm. Add 10 grams of pectin to 20
Stir for a minute. PH (PH) using 10% acetic acid solution
Adjust to 4. Add 20 grams of dye with stirring at 3000 rpm mixer. After 20 minutes, reduce the mixer speed to 2000 rpm, add 50 grams of 50% urea solution, 70 grams of formaldehyde and 40 grams of 5% ammonium sulfate and stir for 5 minutes. Temperature 60
The mixture is heated to ℃ and stirred for 3 hours to form a capsule wall. 20%
Sodium hydroxide is added to bring the pH (PH) to 9. Cool and remove capsules.

Toner manufacturing method: 3 or more types of dye capsules (11, 12, 13 in FIG. 1)
30 grams each, 60 to 90 grams of color developer (14 in FIG. 1), 30 grams of charge control agent (charge 16 in FIG. 1), and 850 styrene acrylic resin (thermoplastic resin 15 in FIG. 1).
The toner is prepared by emulsion polymerization using gram to 880 grams.

In this way, the unitary color toner 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is produced. In FIG. 1, for example, 11 is a yellow (yellow Y) dye capsule, 12 is a red (magenta M) dye capsule, and 13 is a blue (cyan C) dye capsule. 11a is a yellow dye,
12a is a magenta dye and 13a is a blue dye. Further, 11b is a photocurable resin that cures the yellow dye capsule, 12b is a photocurable resin that cures the magenta dye capsule, and 13c is a photocurable resin that cures the cyan dye capsule. Reference numeral 14 is a color developer, 15 is a thermoplastic resin, and 16 is an electric charge. The unitary color toner 10 may include a black (B) dye capsule.

Using a unitary color toner having such a particle structure, color printing is performed by a printing apparatus as shown in FIG. The apparatus of FIG. 2 is the same as the conventional electrophotographic printing apparatus except for the optical data irradiation unit indicated by reference numeral 24. As the printing paper S, plain paper is used. First, the photoconductor drum 20 is charged by a charger (not shown) and exposed by a light emitting diode (LED) in the exposure device 21. The exposure in this case is similar to that in monochrome, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 21. The developing device 22 is filled with the unitary color toner of the present invention prepared as described above, and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 20. Next, in the transfer section 23, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 20 on the printing paper S conveyed in the direction of arrow A is transferred.

The optical data irradiation unit 24 is a light emitting diode,
An image signal is emitted onto the printing paper S on which the toner image has been transferred by a laser, a light source lamp or the like. For example, first, a light having a wavelength that reacts with a photocurable resin that cures a yellow (Y) dye capsule is irradiated, and then a light with a wavelength that reacts with a photocurable resin that cures a magenta (M) dye capsule is irradiated. Irradiation with light and finally irradiation with light having a wavelength that reacts with the photocurable resin that cures the cyan (C) dye capsule. Thereby, based on the data of each image signal,
A predetermined dye capsule is hardened, and a non-hardened dye capsule is colored to perform full-color coloring. Then, the fixing device 25 fixes the color image on the printing paper S.
In the case of a single color toner including a black (B) dye capsule, cyan (C)
Is irradiated with light having a wavelength that reacts with the photocurable resin that cures the black (B) dye capsule.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, full color printing can be performed by a simple process. After the development, the transfer process is only required once, so the size can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing particles of a photoreactive single color toner for electrophotography used in the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a color printing apparatus using a single color toner according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a conventional multi-drum type color printer.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a conventional single-drum type color printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Single color toner 11, 12, 13 ... Dye capsule 11a, 12a, 13a ... Leuco dye 11b, 12b, 13b ... Photocurable resin 14 ... Developer 15 ... Thermoplastic resin 16 ... Charge 20 ... Photosensitive drum 21 ... exposure device 22 ... developing device 23 ... transfer device 24 ... optical data irradiation unit 25 ... fixing device

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A photocurable resin (11b, 12b, 13) which cures three or more kinds of leuco dyes (11a, 12a, 13a) having different dyes with light of different wavelengths.
Coat in b) and use 3 or more dye capsules (1
1, 12, 13) and the three or more types of dye capsules and the developer (14) are polymerized using a thermoplastic resin (15) to form an electrophotographic light. Reactive color toner. 2. The photoreactive color toner according to claim 1, which contains an organic boron ammonium salt and a cyanine dye borate as a catalyst for the photocurable resin. 3. A printing device for electrophotography, which uses the photoreactive color toner (10) according to claim 1, comprising a photoconductor (20) and a monochrome electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor (20). And an developing unit (22) for applying the color toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor to obtain a toner image.
A transfer part (23) for transferring the toner image on the photoconductor onto the recording paper, and the photoreaction by means of a light emitting diode, a laser, a light source lamp or the like on the toner image at the same time as or after the transfer onto the recording paper. A color printing device, comprising: an optical data irradiating section (24) for sequentially irradiating image data of three or more types of light having different wavelengths, which cures each dye capsule of the volatile color toner.