JPS632090A - Image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize a device small, and also, to constitute it so that a photosensitive body for constituting a latent image carrying body is not exposed, and no adverse influence is exerted on the photosensitive body, by making the carrying direction of a transmission member different from the carrying direction of photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording paper. CONSTITUTION:A photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording paper supply unit 50 is constituted of a feeding paper cassette 53 for containing a sheet S, a feeding paper roller 51 for taking out the sheet from the feeding paper cassette 53, a sheet guide part 52 for guiding the sheet which is fed by the feeding paper roller 51, etc. Its sheet guide part 52 is placed in the lower side of a film 36 so that the sheet S can be placed right under the film 36, and also, constituted so that the sheet S can be guided between a pair of pressure rollers 60. Accordingly, since the carrying direction of the sheet S is different from the carrying direction of the film 36, the feeding paper roller 51 and the pressing roller 60 are in a different position against the film 36, and the device can be miniaturized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that forms an image on photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording paper.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, there are the following methods for recording image information on photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording paper (hereinafter referred to as a sheet).

Method (1): A method in which the sheet is directly scanned and exposed using switchable light such as a laser.

Method (2): A method of transmitting optical information between a continuously emitting lamp and a sheet via a micro-shutter, such as a liquid crystal light shutter.

However, these methods have the following problems.

Regarding method (1), the only sheet that can be manufactured at present has a spectral sensitivity of wavelength λ=475 [nm] or less. For this reason, the laser light source as the scanning exposure means has an argon laser wavelength (λ=351 [nm] >,
Krypton laser wavelength (λ-351 [nm] >, helium cadmium laser wavelength (λ = 325 [nm])
) and ultraviolet gas laser, but
All of these are large and expensive.

Regarding method (2), when a liquid crystal optical shutter is used as the microshutter, the liquid crystal itself deteriorates due to ultraviolet rays.

As a device that solved the above problems, the applicant of the present application proposed a copying device shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 76281/1981.

In such a copying apparatus, a latent image corresponding to an image on a document is formed on a transparent photoreceptor as a latent image carrier, and a light-shielding material is applied to the latent image. The sheet and an exposure device are placed at positions sandwiching the transparent photoreceptor coated with the light-shielding material, and the exposure device exposes the sheet to light through the light-shielding material and the transparent photoreceptor.

The sheet has many microcapsules on its surface, and the microcapsules harden when exposed to light.
Since the sheet retains its soft state when not irradiated with light, microcapsules that have been exposed and hardened will not be crushed even if pressure is applied to the sheet, but soft microcapsules that are blocked by a light-shielding material will be crushed and their records will be recorded. Paper develops color due to the coloring material contained within the microcapsules.

As a result, an image is formed on the sheet at a location corresponding to the latent image formed on the transparent photoreceptor, and the image becomes the same as the image on the original, and the image on the original is copied.

Therefore, the copying apparatus proposed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent Application No. 61-76281 solves the conventional problems that occurred when using light-sensitive and pressure-sensitive recording paper, namely, the increase in the size of the exposure scanning means and the deterioration of the micro-shutter. This is an excellent solution.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the case of the copying apparatus described above, the light from the exposure device illuminates the transparent photoreceptor, which adversely affects the characteristics of the transparent photoreceptor.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to miniaturize the device and provide an excellent image that does not adversely affect the photoreceptor constituting the latent image carrier. The purpose is to provide a recording device.

[Means for solving the problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the recording device of the present invention has the following features:
A latent image forming means for forming a latent image based on image information on a latent image carrier, a coating means for applying a light shielding material to the latent image, and a light shielding material coated on the latent image carrier. an image forming means that forms an image on the transparent member by transferring light onto the transparent member; a conveying means that conveys the transparent member on which the image is formed in one direction; Arranging means for closely arranging the light-sensitive and pressure-sensitive paper that is conveyed in an intersecting manner with respect to the transmissive member; and an exposing means that exposes the light-sensitive and pressure-sensitive recording paper on which the transmissive member is closely arranged from the side to which the light-shielding material is transferred. and a pressure applying means for applying pressure to form an image on the exposed light-sensitive and pressure-sensitive recording paper.

[Function] According to the recording apparatus of the present invention described above, the light-shielding material coated on the photoreceptor on which the latent image is formed is transferred to the transmissive member, and the transmissive member conveyed in the − direction The photoreceptor is not exposed to light by the exposure means because it is placed in close contact with the photosensitive and pressure-sensitive recording paper that is transported intersecting the direction in which it is transported. Thereby, the photoreceptor is not adversely affected by being exposed to light. Furthermore, since the conveyance direction of the transparent member and the conveyance direction of the photosensitive and pressure-sensitive recording paper are different, the conveyance roller that conveys the transparent member and the conveyance roller that conveys the photosensitive and pressure-sensitive recording paper do not overlap with each other, and the apparatus can be easily operated. Miniaturized.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example in which the present invention is embodied in a color image recording device (2) for forming a color image will be described with reference to the drawings.

This color image recording device consists of a laser gunner unit 1
0, a xerography unit 20, a transmission member transport unit 30, an exposure unit 40, a photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording paper supply unit 5o, a pressure fixing unit 60, and the like.

The laser scanner unit 10 constitutes a latent image forming means that forms a latent image based on image information on a photosensitive drum 22, which will be described later, and includes a motor 11, a polygon mirror 12 rotated by the motor 11, and a polygon mirror 12. It is composed of a semiconductor laser 13 that irradiates laser light to the photosensitive drum 22, an fθ lens 14, and a plane mirror 15 that allows the laser light to reach the photosensitive drum 22.

In recent years, the photosensitive drum 22 whose spectral sensitivity has been enhanced to the near-infrared region around 800 nm has become easily manufactured, so the semiconductor laser 13 can be a small and inexpensive one with a rated power of several mW. .

The laser scanner unit 10 converts digital image data based on character or graphic information into optical signals using a controller unit (not shown), and scans the photoreceptor 22 at high speed.
Scan above. Since this technique is well known and is used in the optical systems of many commercially available laser printers, detailed explanation of its operation will be omitted.

The xerography unit 20 constitutes a coating unit that applies a light-shielding material to the latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 22, and includes the photosensitive drum 22 as a photoreceptor, a toner 24 as a light-shielding material, and a toner containing the toner 24. A case 23, a developing sleeve 25 for attaching the toner 24 to the photosensitive drum 22, and a transparent insulating film (hereinafter referred to as a film) 36 for attaching the toner 24 to the photosensitive drum 22, which will be described later.
a cleaning member 27 that collects the residual toner 24 on the photosensitive drum 22 after being transferred to the film 36, a collected toner case 28 that stores the collected toner 24, and the photosensitive drum 22. two erase lamps for removing residual charges, and a photosensitive drum 22.
It is composed of a charge corotron 21 that uniformly charges the .

After the photosensitive drum 22 is uniformly charged by the charger corotron 21, only the image portion is exposed to laser light by the laser scanner unit 10 to form an electrostatic latent image.

In this embodiment, a black one-component toner 24 is stored in the toner case 23, and this is uniformly applied onto the developing sleeve 25, and the latent image on the photosensitive drum 22 is developed. In this case, the toner 24 is charged with the same sign as the unexposed portion of the latent image, and adheres to the exposed portion of the drum due to electrostatic repulsion. This is reversal development in which toner adheres to the exposed areas. Note that this process may be regular development, in which case the outside of the image area will be exposed. Further, a high voltage having a polarity different from that of the toner is applied to the transfer roller 26 from a high voltage power source (not shown).

The untransferred toner remaining on the drum is removed by cleaning member 2.
The charges remaining on the drum are recovered from the drum at step 7, and the remaining charges on the drum are exposed and erased by an erase lamp 29.

The transmission member transfer unit 30 includes a drive roller 31 and a driven roller 32 that transfer the film 36, a motor (not shown) that drives the drive roller 31 and stops the film 36 at a predetermined position, and a motor (not shown) that drives the drive roller 31 and stops the film 36 at a predetermined position. It is composed of a cleaning blade 33 that collects the transferred toner 24, a collection toner case 33 that stores the collected toner 24, etc. The film 36 is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and has flexibility. A photosensitive and pressure sensitive recording paper supply unit 50 having a thickness of about 70 to 200 [μm] and transmitting to light having a wavelength longer than wavelength λ=350 [nm] is shown in FIG. As shown in the sheet S
A paper feed cassette 53 that stores a sheet, a paper feed roller 51 that takes out a sheet from the paper feed cassette 53, a sheet guide section 52 that guides the sheet fed by the paper feed roller 51, and the like. The sheet guide section 52 is disposed below the film 36 so that the sheet S can be disposed directly below the film 36 (referred to as an exposure station), and the sheet S is placed between a pair of pressure rollers 60, which will be described later. It is structured so that it can guide you.

Therefore, since the conveyance direction of the sheet S and the conveyance direction of the film 36 are different, the paper feed roller 51 and the pressure roller 60 are located at different positions with respect to the film 36, and the apparatus is made smaller.

In this embodiment, the sheet S is for color printing, and its surface is coated with microcapsules individually containing coloring materials of the basic colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow. The spectral sensitivity characteristic of this sheet S is, for example, the fourth
As shown in the figure, it has a cyan peak sensitivity at a wavelength λ=350 [nm], a magenta peak sensitivity at a wavelength λ=385' [nm], and a yellow peak sensitivity at a wavelength λ-470 [nm].

The exposure unit 40 includes an exposure lamp 41 and an exposure lamp 4.
In order to selectively photocure the cyan, magenta, and yellow coloring materials, there is an interference filter that transmits only the light of the wavelength corresponding to each color. It is composed of a built-in filter unit 43 and the like.

In this case, when recording a predetermined color on the sheet S, the filter unit 43 selects the cyan filter C1, the magenta filter M1, and the yellow filter Y by appropriate means. In this case, the exposure lamp 41 has a wavelength λ=300
[It is desirable to have a wide wavelength band from the ultraviolet region around nml to the visible region, such as a xenon lamp.

The pressure fixing unit 60 crushes unexposed microcapsules and records an image on a sheet using the dye flowing out from the microcapsules, and is composed of a pair of pressure rollers 61 and a sheet feeding member (not shown). ing.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

First, a magenta image is formed on the sheet S. The scanner unit 10 irradiates laser light only to the portion of the photoreceptor drum 22 that is to be colored magenta. Xerography unit 20 transfers black toner to the portions of film 36 that are to be magenta. The film 36 to which the toner has been transferred becomes a magenta positive mask.
exposed to light. In this case, the filter unit 43 inserts in the optical path a magenta interference filter M that transmits only light around a wavelength λ=385 nm. As a result, only the magenta color microcapsules on the sheet undergo a photocuring reaction. Then, due to the black toner deposited on the area on the film 36 where magenta color should be developed, the wavelength λ-3
The microcapsules that have not received the 85 nm light do not undergo a photocuring reaction, but when the sheet is pressed together with the pressure roller 61, a coloring reaction occurs, and a magenta image is formed on the sheet.

The same applies to the formation of yellow and cyan images, and the filter unit 43 includes a yellow filter Y1.
A cyan filter C is placed in each optical path, the xerography unit 20 forms a positive mask for each color on the film 36, and the exposure lamp 41 exposes each color. As a result, the manner in which a magenta image is formed on a sheet is performed in the same manner for each color. film 36
is stationary when exposing the sheet S. At this time, the sheet S is transported from the paper feed cassette to the exposure station by the paper feed roller 51 and the sheet guide section 52 along the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the film 36, and the sheet is transferred to the exposure station by a pressure plate (not shown). 36 and comes to rest.

While the exposure of the three primary colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow is carried out, the sheet S remains stationary, and the positive masks of each color are formed on the film 36 by the xerography unit 20 in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. It moves in the direction of , stops at a predetermined position, and is exposed for each color.

After the exposure, the sheet S is then passed between a pair of pressure rollers 61 by a feed roller, the microcapsules to be colored are crushed by pressure, and the sheet is colored by the coloring material contained therein.

After the toner image on the film 36 is used as a mask, the film moves in the direction of the arrow, and the remaining toner is removed from the top of the film by the cleaning blade 33 by 1 m and collected. The film 36 is repeatedly transferred with toner and used as a mask.

In the embodiments described above, when forming a color image, development on the photosensitive drum 22 is performed using only one color of black toner. There is no need to adjust the exposure light amount and develop bias control according to the characteristics, and there is no need to correct the gradation and color tone.

Therefore, the color image recording device of this embodiment uses a xerographic method that forms a color image.
The process unit has a simple configuration, making it possible to reduce the size and cost of the device, and further improve reliability.

In addition, the exposure method of this embodiment requires less light energy than the conventional exposure method that directly exposes the sheet with laser light. A total of 10' uniform exposures
It only takes about 100W from vV at most. Furthermore, by using a scanner using a semiconductor laser, the exposure apparatus can be simplified and miniaturized.

Furthermore, developing and fixing the photosensitive and pressure sensitive paper does not require a power source like the thermal fixing device used in the conventional serography method, making it possible to significantly reduce power consumption.

Although the above-mentioned embodiment has been described as a color laser printer, the image recording method is not limited to this. For example, the exposure means for the photoreceptor may be an LED array instead of a laser scanner, or a device combining a fluorescent lamp and a liquid crystal shutter array.

Also, instead of a color printer, you can use black or yellow printers.
It can be used as a single-color printer by using photosensitive and pressure-sensitive paper coated with monochromatic microcapsules that contain color-forming materials for each primary color, such as magenta and cyan. It may also be used in a copying machine as shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 76281/1983.

Further, as the exposure lamp for the sheet S, a fluorescent pair having respective peaks at wavelengths λ=350.385 and 470 [nm] may be used instead of the xenon lamp.

Furthermore, a thermomagnetography method may be used as a method of forming a latent image on the latent image carrier.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the recording apparatus of the present invention, since the conveying direction of the transparent member and the conveying direction of the photosensitive and pressure-sensitive recording paper are different, the conveying roller for conveying the transparent member and the photosensitive pressure-sensitive The conveyance roller that conveys the recording paper does not overlap with the conveyance roller, so the apparatus is miniaturized, and the photoconductor constituting the latent image carrier is not exposed to light, so that the photoconductor is not adversely affected.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment embodying the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of main parts showing the photosensitive pressure-sensitive paper feeding section, the transmission member feeding section, etc. of this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an exposure device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the main part of the photosensitive pressure sensitive paper. In the figure, 10 is a laser scanner unit, 20 is a xerography unit, 22 is a photosensitive drum, 24 is a toner, 26
30 is a transfer roller, 30 is a transparent member transfer unit, 36 is a transparent insulating film, S is a photosensitive pressure sensitive recording paper, 40 is an exposure unit, 43 is a filter unit, and 60 is a pressure row.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A latent image forming means for forming a latent image based on image information on a latent image carrier, a coating means for applying a light shielding substance to the latent image, and a light shielding substance coated on the latent image carrier. an image forming means that forms an image on the transparent member by transferring a light-shielding substance onto the transparent member that transmits light; a conveying means that conveys the transparent member on which the image is formed in one direction; arranging means for arranging the light-sensitive pressure-sensitive paper conveyed in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the light-shielding material is transferred; What is claimed is: 1. An image recording apparatus comprising: an exposure means for exposing the exposed light-sensitive pressure-sensitive recording paper; and a pressure applying means for applying pressure to form an image on the exposed light-sensitive and pressure-sensitive recording paper.