JPS629360A - Electrophotographing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the size of a device by providing an integrated process head where an electrostatic charging chamber, a developing chamber, an exposing chamber, and a fixing chamber are arrayed and a feeding device which feeds an electrophotographic film by two frames from the elecrostatic charging chamber to the fixing chamber and by one frame in the opposite direction. CONSTITUTION:The 1st frame of the electrophotographic film is positioned in the electrostatic charging chamber 23 and charged there electrostatically. Then, the electrophotographic film 22 is sent forward by two frames to position the 1st charged frame in the exposing chamber 25, where exposure is carried out. Further, the electrophotographic film 22 is returned by one frame in the opposite direction to position the 1st exposed frame in the developing chamber 24, where development and squeezing are performed. When the 1st frame is positioned in the developing chamber 24, the 2nd frame is positioned in the charging chamber 23, so the 2nd frame is charged electrostatically. When the electrophotographic film is fed forward by two frames successively, the 1st frame and the 2nd frame are positioned in the fixing chamber 26 and the exposing chamber 25 respectively to dry the surface of the 1st frame and expose the 2nd frame at the same time. Thus, restrictions of space in lens designing are relaxed and the device is reduced in size.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus having an integrated process head.

Prior Art> Electrophotographic devices differ from photographic devices that use photographic films made of silver halide photosensitive materials; electrophotographic devices use long rolls of electrophotographic photosensitive materials that become photosensitive only after being electrostatically charged;
Alternatively, a sheet-shaped electrophotographic film is used.

Due to its nature, electrophotographic film requires charging, exposure, development, and drying to record images.

Each process step of fusing is required, and this type of electrophotographic apparatus has a processing chamber for performing each of these process steps. Among these, an integrated type norocess head 11 shown in FIG. 3 incorporating these processes Xt has been considered.

This process head 11 uses a roll-shaped electrophotographic film, and includes charging g-photoelectrons 13 each having an opening of a size corresponding to one frame of image formation on the electrophotographic film 12;
A developing chamber 14, a drying chamber 15, and a fixing chamber 16 are arranged in order at an image interval of one frame of the electrophotographic film 12. It is designed so that each process can be executed simultaneously and in parallel by moving and stopping the process.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, as mentioned above, in the conventional integrated process head 11, charging and exposure are performed in a single charging and exposure chamber 13, and the electrophotographic film 12 is sent frame by frame in sequence. As a result, there were the following problems.

(1) The exposure lens cannot be placed close to the photosensitive surface of the electrophotographic film 12. (g) In the charging exposure chamber 13, a charging corona wire and a corona electrode are arranged close to the electrophotographic film 12, and an exposure lens is arranged further away from the electrophotographic film 12. I have no choice but to do it. Therefore, a short focal length lens cannot be used, and the charging lens accommodating portion protrudes rearward, which limits the installation space.

(2) Since charging and exposure are performed using the same mask, the spread of the charge to the outside of the mask on the electrophotographic film 12 during charging is not removed even if exposure is performed, and that area becomes dirty after exposure. It will remain.

(3) Since the charging exposure chamber 13 is located at the end of each processing chamber, the optical axis is deviated from the center of the process head 11. This is due to the variation in the position of the optical system.
This causes the overall size of the device to increase.

Next Means for Solving the Problems The present invention aims to solve these problems, and for this purpose, it is possible to produce electrophotographic film using a method in which charging and exposure are performed in separate processing chambers. A charging chamber, a developing chamber, an exposure chamber, and a fixing chamber are arranged in order at one-frame intervals for image formation, and the electrophotographic film is sent two frames in the direction from the charging chamber to the fixing chamber and returned one frame in the opposite direction. The operator performs each process step vi- by repeating alternately.

Therefore, the position of the exposure lens relative to the electrophotographic film can be freely determined without being affected by the charging corona wire, etc., and separate masks are used for charging and exposure. Further, the exposure chamber is located near the center of the process head.

<Meiden example> Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a process head according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a time chart thereof.

In FIG. 1, a process head 21 according to the present invention includes a charging chamber 23, a charging chamber 24, and a charging chamber 24, each having an opening of a size corresponding to one frame of electrophotographic film 22. Dew original presentation 25
In the fixing chamber 26, images on the electrophotographic film 22 are sequentially arranged at intervals of one frame, and the electrophotographic film 22 is pressed against the openings by a presser plate 27 to perform various processing.

A corona wire 28 and a corona electrode 29 are disposed in the charging chamber 23, and an electrophotographic film 22 facing the opening thereof.
' to be charged. A developer and squeeze gas are supplied to the developing chamber 24, and the electrophotographic film 22
Electrostatic latent @! The exposure chamber 25 is provided with an exposure lens 30, and the exposure chamber 25 is equipped with an exposure lens 30.
Image information is formed on the electrophotographic film 22 which has been charged to a certain degree, and the electrophotographic film 22 is exposed to light. The fixing chamber 6 is equipped with a flash lamp 31 such as a xenon lamp, which melts and adheres toner carried by electrostatic charge to the surface of the electrophotographic film 220 to semi-permanently transfer image information to the electrophotographic film. Fix it on 22. Further, the exposure chamber 25. An electrophotographic film 22 is attached to the fixing film 26.
A drying device is provided for drying the surface wetted with the developer by blowing a gas such as air onto the developer.

On the other hand, the electrophotographic film 22 is fed in a film feeding device (not shown) along the direction in which the J-color processing patterns are arranged. The film feed device is an electrophotographic film 22
The process of advancing two frames in the direction from the charging chamber 23 to the fixing chamber 26 (forward direction) and then returning one frame in the opposite direction is repeated alternately.

Next, the explanation will be given with reference to FIG. First, the first hook of the electrophotographic film 22 is placed in the full charging chamber 23 and charged there (C
h, ) ' to be done. Next, the electrophotographic film 22 is moved two frames in the forward direction and positioned on the charged first hook exposure electrode 25, where exposure (Exp, )'e is performed. Next, the electrophotographic film 22 is moved back one frame in the opposite direction to position the exposed hook in the developing chamber 24, where development (Dev, ) and subsequent squeezing are performed. When this - hook is located in the developing chamber 24, the second hook is located in the charging chamber 23, so
Then, a second charge is applied. Next, electrophotographic film 2
When 2 is moved two frames in the forward direction, the -hook and the second hook are located in the fixing chamber 26 and the exposure chamber 25, respectively, where the -hook is subjected to the first drying CD of the surface, 1) and the second. A hook-eye exposure is performed. Next, the electrophotographic film 22 is returned one frame in the opposite direction, and the -hook is located in the exposure chamber 25 for second drying (Dry2), and the second hook is located in the developing chamber 24. Development and sufino are performed, and since the third hook is located in the charging chamber 23, the third hook is charged there. Next, the electrophotographic film 22 is fed two frames in the forward direction, the - hook is once removed from each processing chamber, the second hook is located in the fixing chamber 26 and dried for the first time, and the third hook is removed from each processing chamber. is located in the exposure chamber 25 and exposed. Next, the electrophotographic film 22 is returned one frame in the opposite direction, - the hook is located in the fixing chamber 26 and fixing CFix is performed, - each process of the hook is completed, and the second hook is A second drying is carried out in the exposure chamber 25, and a third development and squeezing are performed in the developing chamber 24.
Further, a new fourth hook is charged in the charging chamber 23. In this process, the electrophotographic film 22 is repeatedly fed two frames in the forward direction and one frame in the reverse direction, and various processes are simultaneously executed in parallel in each processing chamber.

<Effects of the Invention> As specifically explained above with reference to the examples, if the present invention is implemented, charging and exposure are performed in separate processing chambers, so that the charging process is not affected by the charging corona wire, etc. This allows you to freely determine the position of the exposure lens relative to the electrophotographic film without having to move, and therefore, using a short-focus lens layer with a deep depth of field, you can improve focusing accuracy and reduce space constraints in lens design. can be reduced. Furthermore, since separate masks are used for charging and exposure, it is necessary to increase the opening of the exposure mask and the opening of the charging mask.
It can be removed. t+t, since the exposure chamber is located near the center of the process head,
The optical system can be moved closer to the center of the device, and the entire device can be made more compact.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a process head according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a time chart thereof, and FIG. 3 is an external view of a conventional integrated view process head. In the drawing, 21 is a process head, 22 is an electrophotographic film, and 23 is a charging chamber.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Charging chamber,
An integrated process head in which a developing chamber, an exposure chamber, and a fixing chamber are arranged, and the electrophotographic film is alternately fed two frames in a direction from the charging chamber to the fixing chamber and one frame in the opposite direction. An electrophotographic device comprising a film feeding device.