JPS6068366A - Electrostatic copying method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To convey a transfer paper after separation sufficiently and securely without any trouble by conveying the transfer paper after separation from a guide plate having a destaticizer into a fixation area. CONSTITUTION:The destaticizer 44 which is grounded is provided above the transfer paper guide plate 42 on the transfer paper conveyance path between a transfer area 24 and a fixing device 28, and then the transfer paper is conveyed excellently by being forced onto the surface of the guide plate 42 through the operation of the destaticizer 44 without jamming owing to upward curvature. Further, a similar destaticizer 46 is provided near the internal end of a receiving tray 30 to force the paper downward through the operation of the destaticizer 46, and the paper is never curved upward when discharged into the tray 30. The destaticizer 46 and 44 are formed by working conductive fabric or resin plates, fabric having conductive fine fiber or metallic thin wire woven, or films having conductive particulates dispersed in resin into a saw tooth shape and cause discharge between pointed points and an electrostatically charged body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an electrostatic copying method, more specifically, a toner image transfer step of transferring a toner image formed on a photosensitive member to a transfer paper, and a process of fixing the toner image transferred onto the transfer paper. The present invention also relates to an electrostatic copying method including a fixing step in which the transfer paper is then discharged onto a tray.

There are various types of electrostatic copying methods for producing the desired copy image, but recently, plain paper (including paper that has undergone some processing but is essentially equivalent to plain paper) )
The demand for so-called plain paper copying (RPC) on which a copy image is formed has increased significantly.

The electrostatic copying method for forming a copy image on plain paper generally includes an electrostatic latent image forming process of forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the original image on a photosensitive member, and an electrostatic latent image forming process formed on the photosensitive member. A development step in which a fine powder developer, i.e., toner, is applied to the image to make it visible; a toner image transfer step in which the developed toner image on the photosensitive member is transferred onto transfer paper, which is plain paper; The method includes a fixing step for fixing the toner image, a static elimination step for removing residual charges remaining on the photosensitive member after transfer, and a cleaning step for removing toner remaining on the photosensitive member after transfer. There is.

However, in such conventional electrostatic copying methods, during the transfer process (
There is a problem that needs to be solved in that the transfer paper is charged with static charge during (and during the fixing process), and the transport of the transfer paper is often hindered by such static charge.

The present invention has been made in view of this fact, and its main purpose is to
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and superior electrostatic copying method that allows transfer paper to be transported as required with sufficient reliability.

According to the present invention, there is provided an electrostatic latent image forming step of forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of a photosensitive member having a photoconductive layer; An electrostatic latent image development step of forming a toner image on the surface of the member; and conveying the transfer paper to a transfer area and sequentially bringing the surface of the transfer paper into close contact with the surface of the photosensitive member in the transfer area. a toner image transfer step of transferring the toner image onto the surface of the transfer paper by separating the transfer paper from the surface of the photosensitive member, and providing the transfer paper with the toner image transferred to the surface with a fixing device; In an electrostatic copying method, the toner image is transferred onto the transfer paper and fixed in the fixing area, and then the transfer paper is discharged to a receiving tray. , characterized in that during the fixing step, the transfer paper separated from the surface of the photosensitive member is conveyed to the fixing area along the surface of a transfer paper guide plate provided with a static eliminator above the surface. An electrostatographic method is provided.

In a preferred embodiment of the electrostatic copying method of the present invention, during the fixing step, the transfer paper is discharged into the tray through the underside of a static eliminator provided above near the inner end of the tray. .

Further details will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. An example of an electrostatic copying apparatus that performs a toner image transfer type electrostatic copying method will be described with reference to FIG. Photosensitive member (
That is, the electrostatic latent image holding member) 2 is first subjected to the action of the charging corona discharger 20, and an electrostatic charge is applied onto the photosensitive member 2 (charging step).

Then, the optical system 2
2, an image of an original (not shown) to be copied is irradiated onto the surface of the photosensitive member 2 (original image exposure step), thus forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the original image on the surface of the photosensitive member 2. (electrostatic latent image forming process). Thereafter, a fine powder developer, ie, toner, is applied to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member 2 by the developing device 6, and the electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image (developing step). Next, the toner image thus formed on the photosensitive member 2 is transferred to a transfer area 24, for example, by a paper feeder (I).
The toner image is transferred onto a transfer paper supplied from a transfer paper supply section composed of a J-shaped roller 26 (toner image transfer step). The transfer paper onto which the toner image has been transferred is sent to a device 28 comprising, for example, a pair of pressure rollers, where the toner image is fixed under pressure on the transfer paper, and then discharged onto a tray 30 (fixing step). On the other hand, the photosensitive member, on which the toner image formed on the surface has been transferred to the transfer paper, is irradiated by the static elimination lamp 32, thereby removing the residual charge remaining on the photosensitive member (static elimination process). .

Further, by the action of cleaning device #34, toner remaining on the photosensitive member without being transferred onto the transfer paper is removed (cleaning step).

The toner image transfer step is generally conveniently carried out by bringing the surface of the photosensitive member 20 into close contact with the surface of the transfer paper in the transfer area 24, and applying a discharge current from the back surface of the transfer paper by a transfer corona discharger 36. ing.

The transfer paper brought into close contact with the surface of the photosensitive member 20 in the transfer process is separated from the surface of the photosensitive member 2 by a means such as a peeling claw 40 on the downstream side of the transfer area 24, and is removed from the fixing device 28. However, the conventional electrostatic copying method has the following excessive problem regarding such conveyance of the transfer paper. That is, from the transfer area 24 to the saucer 30
In this transfer paper conveyance step up to this point, the transfer paper is charged with static charge during the transfer process and during the pressure fixing by the fixing device 28, and due to the static charge, the transfer paper is transferred from the transfer area 24 to the fixing device 28t. When the transfer paper is bent upward from the surface of the transfer paper guide plate 42 in the conveyance path, causing paper jam #),
Alternatively, when the transfer paper is discharged onto the receiving tray 30, problems often arise, such as the transfer paper being warped upward and not being properly discharged onto the receiving tray 30.

However, the present inventors first developed the transfer area 24 and the fixing device 2.
If a grounded static eliminator 44 is provided above the transfer paper guide plate 42 in the transfer paper conveyance path between the transfer paper guide plate 8 and
It has been found that the transfer paper is forced onto the surface of the transfer paper guide plate 420 by the action of No. 4, and is smoothly conveyed without causing problems such as curling upward and causing paper jamming. Furthermore, if a grounded static eliminator 46 is provided above the rearmost part of the transfer paper conveyance path, that is, above near the inner end of the receiving tray 30, the transfer paper is forced downward by the action of this static eliminator 46, and the receiving tray 30
This prevents the tray 30 from warping upward when being discharged.
properly drained on top.

The static eliminators 44 and 46 are as shown by the number 48 in FIG.
A conductive cloth or resin plate, a cloth woven with conductive thin mackerel fibers or thin metal wires, or a film made of conductive fine powder dispersed in resin is processed into a serrated shape, and the sharp edges are What is generally called a sparkless static eliminator, which generates corona discharge between a charged object and a charged object, is preferably used.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a simplified sectional view schematically showing an example of an electrostatic copying apparatus that carries out the electrostatic copying method of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram showing a static eliminator used in the electrostatic copying apparatus of FIG. 1. 2... Photosensitive member 24... Transfer area 28... Fixing device 30... Receivers 44 and 46... Static eliminator

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An electrostatic latent image forming step of forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of a photosensitive member having a photoconductive layer; developing the electrostatic latent image by applying a solid fine powder developer; an electrostatic latent image development step of forming a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive member; and conveying the transfer paper to a transfer area, and in the transfer area, the surface of the transfer paper is brought into close contact with the surface of the photosensitive member. a toner image transfer step in which the toner image is transferred to the surface of the transfer paper by separating the transfer paper from the surface of the photosensitive member, and fixing the transfer paper on which the toner image has been transferred; An electrostatic copying method comprising a fixing step of conveying the toner image transferred onto the transfer paper to a fixing station provided with a device, fixing the toner image transferred onto the transfer paper in the fixing area, and then discharging the transfer paper onto a tray. In the
During the fixing step, the transfer paper separated from the surface of the photosensitive member is conveyed to the fixing area along the surface of a transfer paper guide plate provided with a static eliminator above the surface. electrostatic copying method. 2. The electrostatic copying method according to claim 1, wherein during the fixing step, the transfer paper is discharged into the tray through the lower side of a static eliminator provided above near the inner end of the tray.