JPS62231965A - Copying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To copy an image on an original without using any consumable goods except a photosensitive recording sheet, by breaking down a microcapsule whose rupture strength is weak, of the microcapsules on the photosensitive recording sheet which is exposed, namely, that which is not hardened by irradiating a light beam, or that which is softened by irradiating the light beam. CONSTITUTION:Paper 60 is used as a sheet-shaped supporting body, and a dyestuff precursive body, and a developer such as an organic acid which is colored by reacting to the dyestuff precursive body and used as a main component of that which is enclosed in a microcapsule, and as a main component of that which carries a photosetting resin and a photopolymerization start agent on the paper 60, respectively. A microcapsule 62 of a part to which a light beam on a photosensitive recording sheet 44 is irradiated is hardened, and a microcapsule 64 of a part to which the light beam is not irradiated is left in its original soft state. Thereafter, when pressure is applied by a pressure roller 46, only the microcapsule 64 which is left in a soft state is crushed, the dyestuff precursive body in its microcapsule 64 reacts to a developer 66 which is applied onto the paper 60, and a copy image of the same phase as that of a photosensitive drum 30, namely, an original 26 is obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a copying apparatus that copies an image on a document.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, when copying characters written on thick manuscripts or books, it has usually been done using an electrophotographic copying machine. This involves transferring the original image onto a charged photoreceptor using a suitable optical system, attaching colored resin powder called toner to the unirradiated, residually charged areas, and then transferring this onto the paper to be copied. The image is then fixed and copied.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the above-mentioned conventional electrophotographic copying machine, since the toner is attached to the paper, it is necessary to replenish the toner as appropriate. Therefore,
There have been problems such as the troublesome task of replenishing toner once, and the need to constantly store toner in addition to paper as a consumable item for the copying machine.

[Means for solving the problems] The means adopted by the present invention to solve the above problems are as follows:
a transparent photoreceptor; a first member that emits light to which the transparent photoreceptor is sensitive;
a first exposure means comprising a light source and forming an image of the original on the transparent photoreceptor by the light of the first light source; and a coating for applying a light-shielding material on the exposed transparent photoreceptor in accordance with the image of the original. and a second light source that emits light to which the transparent photoreceptor is not sensitive, microcapsules in which a first component is encapsulated on the surface of a sheet-like support, and a sheet-like support that reacts with the first component. The light-shielding material is coated on a photosensitive recording sheet, which carries a second component that discolors the surface of the microcapsules, and further contains a component that changes the breaking strength of the microcapsules in response to light. a second exposure means for irradiating light from a second light source through the transparent photoreceptor;
The gist of the present invention is to provide a copying apparatus characterized in that it is equipped with a destroying means for destroying microcapsules having a weaker breaking strength in the exposed photosensitive recording sheet.

[Operation] The first exposure means irradiates the surface of the document with light from the first light source, and the reflected light is scattered onto the transparent photoreceptor by a suitable optical system. Alternatively, if the original is transparent or semi-transparent, a portion of the original may be transferred onto the transparent photoreceptor by transmitting light from the first light source through the original.

In the coating means, the light-shielding material is applied by the electrostatic means in correspondence to the image of the document formed on the transparent photoreceptor.

The second exposure means irradiates light from a second light source onto the photosensitive recording sheet through a transparent photoreceptor coated with a light-shielding material. Here, the light from the second light source is assumed to be in a wavelength range to which the transparent photoreceptor is not sensitive. This is because if this is not done, the area formed on the photoreceptor by the first exposure means will disappear. On the photosensitive recording sheet, the breaking strength of the microcapsules changes in areas that are not blocked by the light-blocking material and are irradiated with the light from the second light source. That is, it hardens or softens depending on the components encapsulated in the microcapsules.

Next, the microcapsules on the exposed photosensitive recording sheet having a weaker breaking strength are destroyed by the destroying means, that is, those that are not hardened by the light irradiation or those that are softened by the light irradiation. As a result, the first component encapsulated in the microcapsules and the second component on the surface of the sheet-like support react with each other, causing the surface of the sheet-like support to discolor. The color of the photosensitive recording sheet changes slightly in the areas that are irradiated with light or the areas that are not irradiated with light, and the image on the document can be copied.

[Embodiment] A copying machine which is an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the copying machine of this embodiment. The main body case 10 is separated into a first exposure chamber 14 and a second exposure chamber 6 by a separator 12. The top surface of the main body case 10 A portion thereof is a glass surface 18, and a glass original table 20 that is movable in the horizontal direction is further disposed on the glass surface 18.

A first light source 22 and a half mirror 24 are provided in the first exposure chamber 14, and the half mirror 24 is connected to the first light source 22.
The light is reflected and irradiated through the glass surface 18 of the main body case 10 and the original table 20 onto a document 26 placed on the document table 20.

The light from the first light source 22 reflected by the original 26 passes through the original table 20 and the glass surface 18 again, and further passes through the half mirror 24 to reach the optical system 28 disposed on the separator 12.
As a result, ink condenses on the surface of the rotatable photosensitive drum 30 in the second exposure chamber 16.

The photosensitive drum 30 is a transparent drum made of glass or the like, whose surface is coated with a thin layer of photoreceptor to maintain its transparency, and the photoreceptor used is one whose photosensitive region is almost limited to the visible light region. For example, a eutectic complex of a substance having the following structural formula and polycarbonate 1M resin is used as a charge generation layer in the lower layer on a conductive thin film, and a compound having the following structural formula as a charge transport layer in the upper layer. It is known that a laminated photoreceptor using metal has such characteristics.

Before the photosensitive drum 30 is exposed to light by the first light source 22, its surface is charged by a charger 32. Then, when it is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1 and exposed to light by the first light source 22, the charge only on the portion hit by the light disappears, forming a latent image depending on the presence or absence of charge. Further rotation is performed, and toner 36 is electrostatically applied to only the portions where the charge remains in the toner application section 34 . Then, when the portion to which the toner 36 is applied rotates to the lowest position, the light from the second light source 38 disposed inside the photosensitive drum 30 passes through the condensing prism 40 and the photosensitive drum 30, The light is irradiated onto a photosensitive recording sheet 44 sandwiched between the drum 30 and the paper transport belt 42 in contact with it. The light from the second light source is
Light in a wavelength range to which the photoconductor on the photoconductor drum 30 is not sensitive;
For example, when the above photoreceptor is used, ultraviolet light is used.

By performing the above steps while moving the document table 20 in the horizontal direction, the entire surface of the document 26 can be copied onto the photosensitive recording sheet 44.

The photosensitive recording sheet 44 exposed by the second light source 38 is conveyed by a paper conveying belt 42, and a pair of pressure rollers 46
The image is developed and fixed by applying pressure to the copy output port 4.
Sent from 8. Also, the toner 3 on the photosensitive drum 30
6 is removed and collected by the static eliminator 50 and transferred to the toner application section 3.
It can be reused in 4.

The photosensitive recording sheet 44 used in the above-mentioned copying machine and its development and fixing processes will be described next. This photosensitive recording sheet 44 has the structure described in the section of means for solving the problems, and includes a sheet-like support, components encapsulated in microcapsules, and components on the sheet-like support. can be used in various combinations as follows:

First, in the example shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B), paper 60 is used as the sheet-like support, and a dye precursor (for example, a triarylmethane compound, etc.) is used as the main component of what is encapsulated in the microcapsules. A photocurable resin (for example, a photopolymer such as trimethylpropane) and a photopolymerization initiator (for example, benzophenone, etc.) are supported on the paper 60 as main components, such as an organic acid that reacts with the dye precursor to develop color. Use a color developer. Examples of such photosensitive recording sheets include those described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-23025. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2(A), the microcapsules 62 on the photosensitive recording sheet 44 where the light has been irradiated are hardened, and the microcapsules 64 on the non-light irradiated parts are in their original soft state. remain as is. After that, when pressure is applied by the pressure roller 46, as shown in FIG.
Microcapsules 6 remained soft as shown in B)
4 is crushed, and the dye precursor in the microcapsules 64 reacts with the color developer 66 coated on the paper 60 to obtain a copy image on the paper 60 in the same phase as the photosensitive drum 30, that is, the original 26. I can do it. Since the hardened microcapsules 62 are not crushed thereafter, fixing of the developed image is also achieved.

In FIGS. 2(C) and (D), a transparent film 68 is used as a sheet-like support, and the main components in the microcapsules are a dye precursor and a photosoftening resin (for example, 3-oxyamino-2-butanone). methacrylate, etc.), and a color developer 70 is applied on the film 68. In this case, the microcapsules 72 in the area irradiated with light are shown.
Only the microcapsules 74 soften, and the portions of the microcapsules 74 that were not irradiated with light remain in their original sandy state. Therefore, by the subsequent application of pressure by the pressure roller 46, only the softened microcapsules 72 are crushed, and only that portion of the film 68 is colored. In this case, the photosensitive drum 30, that is, the original 2
Since a copy image having a phase opposite to that of 6 can be obtained, negative-positive conversion of the film can be performed.

FIGS. 2(E) and (F) have the same structure as FIGS. 2(A) and (B), but instead of applying a color developer to the paper 76, the paper 76 is colored 78 with a dye or the like in advance. In addition, a decoloring agent such as a bleaching agent is encapsulated in the microcapsules 80 instead of the dye fl precursor. In this case, only the portions that were not irradiated with light are bleached, and a copied image with a phase opposite to that of the original is obtained.

Figure 2 (G) and (I () are Figure 2 (C) and (D)
This is an example of obtaining a copy image of the same phase by replacing a similar dye precursor, color developer, dye, and decolorizing agent.

As mentioned above, in the copying machine of this embodiment, the photosensitive recording sheet 44
No other consumables are required, and in-phase or reverse-phase copied images can be easily obtained using various types of photosensitive recording sheets 44 depending on the purpose.

Further, the toner 36 on the photosensitive drum 30 is not removed by the static eliminator 50, but is further rotated, and the next photosensitive recording sheet 44 is exposed by the second light source 38, thereby making a plurality of copies in succession. You can also do that.

In the above example, the microcapsules on the photosensitive recording sheet printed with light were destroyed by mechanically applying pressure with a pressure roller, but other methods such as thermal, electrical, physical, chemical, etc. For example, encapsulating a component that expands when heated in a microcapsule, destroying it by electrical discharge,
This method involves making the shell of the microcapsule a physically or chemically soluble component.

[Effects of the Invention] Since the copying apparatus according to the present invention does not require any consumables other than the photosensitive recording sheet, it is easier to operate and maintain than conventional copying apparatuses.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the structure of a photosensitive recording sheet and development and fixing processes. 22... First light source 26... Original 3
0... Photosensitive drum 36... Toner 3
8... Second light source 44... Photosensitive recording sheet 46... Pressure roller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A transparent photoreceptor, and a first light source that emits light to which the transparent photoreceptor is sensitive,
a first exposure means for forming an image of a document on a transparent photoreceptor using light from a first light source; a coating means for applying a light-shielding material on the exposed transparent photoreceptor in accordance with the image of the document; and a transparent photoreceptor. Equipped with a second light source that emits light that the body is not sensitive to,
Microcapsules in which a first component is encapsulated, and a second component that reacts with the first component to discolor the surface of the sheet-like support are supported on the surface of the sheet-like support, and
Furthermore, light from a second light source is applied to the photosensitive recording sheet containing a component that changes the breaking strength of the microcapsules in response to light, through a transparent photoreceptor coated with the light-shielding material. A copying apparatus comprising: a second exposure means for irradiating light; and a destruction means for destroying microcapsules having a weaker destruction strength of the exposed photosensitive recording sheet.