JPH02225053A - Image forming method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable good image quality to be maintained for a long time by a method wherein a banded member to which an image forming agent that contains recording liquid under a state of being not exposed to the open air and jets the recording liquid according to heating is established, is opposed to a recording medium, and is heated from a back side of said banded member. CONSTITUTION:When a tube 3 dipped in liquid 6 is pulled up, a capsule particle 2A sticks to its surface. When a tape part holding the capsule particle 2A is carried to a contact position to a heating element 4, the heating element performs heating from a back of the tape 3 according to image information. The capsule particle 2A stuck to the surface of the tape 3 bursts by boiling of ink 1 in the capsule. The ink flies toward a surface of a recording medium 5, and is fixed by osmosis or drying.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image forming method and apparatus.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, various recording methods have been realized in image forming apparatuses, and one of the leading methods is a liquid jet recording method (inkjet recording method). Ink is ejected as minute droplets from an ejection port using ejection energy such as, and the ink is deposited on paper, film, or other recording media to record, making it possible to form high-quality, high-resolution images. .

However, in the inkjet recording method, the higher the density of the ejection ports and the finer they are, the more likely the ejection ports will become clogged due to thickening or drying of the ink, dust, etc., and the problem arises that the reliability of ink ejection decreases. Therefore, special clogging removal means were provided.

On the other hand, there is a method in which a heating element is brought into contact with the back side of a porous tape-like member impregnated with ink, and the ink is ejected by driving the heating element. It has been proposed as a form of inkjet recording method that utilizes. In this method, a means is provided to impregnate the endless tape with ink while it is running, and the running path of the endless porous tape is configured such that it comes into contact with a heating element thereafter. According to this method, - multiple injection holes on the porous tape correspond to the elements, so even if some of the injection holes become clogged, there is little impact on the overall image quality. have.

However, in areas other than the ink impregnating means, such as tanks, the ink impregnated into the porous tape is exposed to the outside air, so the ink on the tape may dry and solidify during tape running or during non-recording operations. . When such solidification occurs, the solidified ink does not dissolve easily even if it is subsequently immersed in a tank, etc., and therefore clogging occurs easily in the injection holes in a wide area of the tape. There was a problem in that the tape itself was difficult to use.

An object of the present invention is to prevent ink from solidifying or clogging in an image forming apparatus having a tape supporting a recording agent such as ink and a heating element for ejecting the recording agent supported on the tape by heating. In this way, the reliability of injection can be improved and good image quality can be maintained for a long time.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Therefore, in the image forming method according to one embodiment of the present invention, the recording liquid or a component serving as a solvent for forming the recording liquid is contained in a state where it is not exposed to the outside air, and the recording liquid is formed in response to heating. The method is characterized in that a belt-shaped member provided with an image-forming agent to be injected is placed opposite a recording medium, and image formation is performed by heating the belt-shaped member from the back side.

Further, in another embodiment of the present invention, the recording liquid or a component serving as a solvent for forming the recording liquid is contained in a state that is not exposed to the outside air, and the recording liquid is formed in response to heating and is ejected. a belt-shaped member carrying a forming agent; a conveying means for transporting the belt-shaped member so that the surface carrying the image-forming agent faces a recording surface of a recording medium; and disposed on the back side of the belt-shaped member at the opposing portion. and a heating means for heating the image forming agent via the belt-like member.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, a belt-like member for carrying an image forming agent having a film around a recording liquid or a solvent component, a conveying means for transporting the belt-like member to a recording area, and a conveying means for conveying the belt-like member to a recording area. The present invention is characterized in that it includes a heating means disposed on the opposite side of the image forming agent supporting side of the belt-shaped member.

[For production]

In the present invention, image formation is performed by heating an image forming agent, for example, an image forming agent in the form of capsule particles formed by coating a recording liquid (ink) in capsules. Since a plurality of capsule particles can be associated with one heating element, the influence of clogging does not become a problem. Furthermore, since there is no injection hole that leaves the recording liquid exposed to the outside air, drying does not become a problem and the strip member can be reused.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a preferred embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. Here, 1 is ink liquid,
A capsule particle 28 is constituted by being wrapped in a capsule film 2 made of resin or the like.

3 is a supporting tape for the capsule particles 2A. This tape 3 is used to make it easier for the two capsule particles to adhere to each other.
It can be formed by providing irregularities on the surface as shown in the figure, or by using a material that easily adheres to the capsule coating 2. Alternatively, the dispersion solvent of the capsule particles 2^ may be made to have adhesive ability. As the material for forming the chip 3, resin, metal foil, etc. can be used. Of course, the material and thickness of the tape 3 are selected so that it can sufficiently efficiently transmit thermal energy generated by a heating element, which will be described later.

4 is a heating element that heats the back surface of the tape 3; 5;
is a recording medium, which is conveyed through a position opposite to the heating element 4. 6 is a liquid in which the capsule particles 2A are dispersed, and is stored in an appropriate tank.

In the above process, when the tape 3 immersed in the liquid 6 is pulled up, the capsule particles 2A adhere to its surface. In order to perform the adhesion by such an adhesion mechanism, a part of the tape 3 is immersed in the liquid 6 and a part of the tape 3 is placed on the surface of the tape 3.
A roller made of absorbent material may be provided and as it rotates the attachment may be effected, or magnetic force may be used.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, when the tape portion holding the capsule particles 2^ is conveyed to the position where it comes into contact with the heating element 4 (in the same figure), the heating element 4 is moved in accordance with the image information. When heating is performed from the back side of the tape 3, the capsule particles 2^ adhering to the surface of the tape 3 burst due to boiling of the internal ink 1 (for example, due to bumping) (■ to ■ in the same figure), and the ink records due to its vapor pressure. Fly toward the surface of the medium 5,
It is fixed by penetration or drying (■ in the figure).

By the way, on the ink flow side, there is no means for determining the direction other than using the broken film shape of the capsule particles, that is, no nozzle or the like is used like other inkjet recording devices, so the direction of ink ejection cannot be determined. It is desirable to improve the quality even further.

To achieve this, the capsule film thickness on the injection side can be made thinner than the other capsules.This can be done, for example, by applying a strong electric field using a strong electric field generator when forming the capsule, as shown in Figure 3 (^). Dielectric properties can be used to make one end of the capsule thicker and the other end a thinner membrane.

Then, as shown in Figure (B), when pulling up the tape 3 from the dispersant, an electric field is also applied between the electrode 7 and the tape 3, so that the thicker film is located on the tape surface side. Orient and attach. According to this, since the thinner side of the end portion is easily torn when heated, it is possible to improve the directionality of injection. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2C, an electric field may be applied between the tape 3 and the electrode 8 at the time of injection to enhance the directionality. Furthermore, it is also possible to use magnetic ink or a magnetic film to improve the directionality of injection using a similar method.

The particle size of the capsule particles 2A may be uniform, may have a distribution within a certain range, or may have a plurality of distribution peaks. The thickness of the capsule coating may equally be uniform or may have a distribution. When the distribution is given, it is possible to eject ink selectively depending on the heating conditions using particles with different heat capacities or coating strengths, and by giving the particles a smooth characteristic as shown in Figure 4, it is possible to eject ink selectively depending on the heating conditions. Halftone expression can be easily achieved by converting one pixel into multiple values.

Particle size and film thickness can be adjusted using existing microcapsule technology. Here, as the material of the membrane, for example, cellulose conductor, polyvinylsulfonic acid, polyurethane, or other synthetic polymers can be used, and the particle size is preferably about several tens to several hundred μm.

Encapsulation can be carried out by an interfacial polymerization method, an in-liquid curing coating method, or the like. Also, the amount of heating depends on the shape and thermal conductivity of the head, but ranges from several + tnJ/crd to several J/crr? It can be done. The image density can be several hundred dots/inch if the particle size is made small, but the smaller the particle size, the lower the image forming efficiency and the shorter the ink flight distance. It is preferable to keep the distance between the two electrodes to about several tens to several hundreds of micrometers. Further, the surface roughness of the tape 3 is preferably about 0.1 μm to several hundred μl.

Above, we have explained an example using capsule particles, that is, an example using vapor pressure caused by bumping a liquid in a two-layer structure.
Moreover, it is possible to obtain the same effect even with a solid such as zeolite, in which water molecules can bump. Moreover, it does not have to be water, but may be a liquid or a chemical substance that can utilize vapor pressure. Since water molecules contained in zeolite as crystal water are easily desorbed by heating, this steam pressure can be used.

FIG. 4 shows an example using zeolite.

Zeolite particles 9 are arranged on the tape 3,
A soluble ink or wax lO is applied to the surface of the zeolite particles. When the back side of the tape 3 is heated by the head 4, the water molecules in the zeolite are released, and the wax on the surface, which has already become molten due to the steam pressure! 0 is injected, adheres to the recording medium 5, and solidifies.

The above-mentioned method can be applied to various types of one-time recording devices, ie, those that perform serial recording and those in the form of line printers.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a recording device that performs serial recording, and the wooden example is a cartridge type in which the above-mentioned tape 3, heating element 4, and liquid 6 storage tank are integrated. is used.

2, a carriage 30 removably holds the cartridge 100, and is driven to scan in the direction indicated by arrow S in the figure. 15 has a carriage 30 fixed to it, and
It is a wire stretched between unillustrated pulleys provided at both ends of the B movement range, and is driven by a motor or the like connected to one pulley to cause the carriage 30 to scan. 11^
and 11B are first and second guide rails extending in the S direction to guide the carriage 30.

13 is a platen roller for regulating the recording surface of the recording medium 5 such as paper, film, etc. and for conveying the recording medium 5, and is coupled to a motor (not shown) and driven to rotate.
In response to this, the recording medium 5 is conveyed. Reference numeral 17 denotes a control signal transmission cable, one end of which is attached to the carriage 3 and the other end connected to a control means (not shown) to transmit image data, control signals, etc. between the control means and the cartridge 1. communicate. This cable 17 is in the form of a flexible cable so as to follow the displacement of the carriage 3. Reference numeral 33 designates a lock arm provided on the carriage 3 to fix the cartridge 1 and ensure that the cartridge 1 is attached. Reference numeral 37 designates an electrical contact member that receives the electrical contact member 170 of the cartridge 1 and connects it to the cable 17.

40 is a tape transport motor provided on the carriage 30 and serves as a drive source for transporting the tape 3 during recording processing, and 42 is a motor gear provided on the shaft of the motor 40. A drive gear 44 meshes with the gear 42 and also meshes with the drive gear 140 in the illustrated cartridge mounted state, and transmits the rotation of the motor 40 to the drive gear 140. Of course, the structure of such a transmission mechanism may be of any kind.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the internal configuration of the cartridge 100.

Reference numeral 150 denotes a storage member (hereinafter referred to as a tank) that stores liquid 6 in which capsule particles 2^ are dispersed, and in this example, serves as a main supply source of recording material to recording head 104, which is formed by arranging heating elements 4. Then, the tape 3 is conveyed inside this, and the capsule particles 2A are attached as described above with reference to FIG. Further, in order to ensure this adhesion, application with a roller or attraction using magnetic force may be performed. Furthermore, means for stabilizing the directionality of the ejected ink as described with reference to FIG. 3(^) may be provided. In addition, instead of using the tank 150 as the main supply source, the liquid 6 may be supplied from outside.

170 is a connector-shaped electrical contact member, which includes a group of contacts for receiving image signals, drive signals, and other control signals, a group of contacts for transmitting status notification signals on the cartridge 1 side such as remaining ink level detection signals, etc. It is possible to have a configuration in which the following is provided. Further, the recording head 104 is made up of an array of heating elements 4 that apply ink ejection energy according to a drive signal, and the drive signal is transmitted to an electric contact member 170.
The signal is transmitted from the side via a signal line (not shown). 142 is a drive roller provided coaxially with the drive gear 140; 144 is a pinch roller that presses the tape 120 against the drive roller 142; It is provided at one end. Reference numeral 146 denotes a roller provided to regulate the conveyance path of the tape 3 formed in the shape of an endless belt in this example. 148 is a tension roller provided to apply tension to the tape 120, and the tension roller 148 is provided to apply tension to the tape 120.
The tension arm 14 is given a rotational habit toward
It is provided at one end of 8B. That is, the action of the tension roller 148 ensures movement of the tape 3 along the conveyance path, and the back surface of the tape 3 comes into sliding contact with the recording head 104. Note that a member for cleaning the back surface of the tape may be provided before reaching the head 104.

Reference numeral 180 denotes a cleaning member provided in front of the roller 142, which is a member in contact with the tape surface, at an appropriate location on the tape conveyance path, and is used to clean the cleaning roller and the capsule coating 2 that is detached from the tape surface. It can be configured to have a member for receiving the residue, etc. Of course, this location can be determined as appropriate, so that the roller 142 and the like are not affected by any bad influence due to the residue of the capsule coating 2 or the capsule particles 2^ that were not used for recording, or the capsule coating 2 that has come off. If adhesion of residue to the tape surface is not a problem, it may be provided integrally with the tank 150, for example.

In the above configuration, the endless tape 3 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7 by a predetermined amount, for example, an amount corresponding to the area in which the heating elements are disposed. That is, the tape 3 that has been pulled up from the tank 150 and carries the capsule particles 2^ on its surface.
The portion eventually reaches the recording head 104, where the second
After the recording process as described above with respect to the figure has been performed, the tank 150 is cleaned by the cleaning member 180, and the tank 150 is cleaned again.
It is immersed in water and used for recording.

In this example, even during transportation or when recording is interrupted, the ink 1 is covered with the capsule film 2, so it will not dry and solidify. Therefore, even if the tape is made into an endless tape as shown in the figure, there will be no inconvenience, and good recording quality can be maintained for a long time.

Although the present invention is applied to the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 in FIG. 7, it goes without saying that the configuration shown in FIG. 5 can also be adopted.

Furthermore, the present invention can be applied not only to serial type recording devices as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, but also to line printers.Furthermore, even if the serial type is used, it can be applied to tanks, heads, and tapes as described above. It is not necessary to take the form of a cartridge that integrates the above components. Additionally, the tape does not necessarily have to be endless.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, by providing the image forming agent with direct injection ability, it is possible to easily form a high-density image without causing the clogging phenomenon unlike other types of inkjet recording devices. It became. In addition, since the liquid of the image forming agent supported on the tape is not exposed to the outside air, even if the non-recording state continues for a long time, drying will not be a problem and it can be reused many times. Moreover, it has become possible to maintain good image quality for a long time.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a flow diagram showing an embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, Fig. 'fJ2 is an explanatory drawing for explaining the operation during recording, and Figs. 3 (A) to (C) are diagrams showing the ejected ink. A schematic diagram showing three examples of means for stabilizing directionality, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the particle size distribution of capsule particles and heating effect, and FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the main parts of an embodiment of the recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing an example of the internal structure of the cartridge in FIG. 6. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Ink, 2... Capsule coating, 2A... Capsule particle, 3... Tape, 4... Heating element, 5... Recording medium, 6... Capsule particle dispersion, 7 .8... Electrode, 9... Zeolite particle, 100... Cartridge, 104... Recording head, 142... Tape drive roller, 146... Roller, 150... Tank, 180...・Cleaning parts. Figure Figure Figure Figure

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) An image forming agent that contains a recording liquid or a component serving as a solvent for forming the recording liquid in a state that is not exposed to the outside air, and that forms and injects the recording liquid in response to heating. 1. An image forming method characterized by forming an image by arranging a band-shaped member provided with a recording medium to face a recording medium and heating the band-shaped member from the back side. 2) The image forming agent has the form of capsule particles in which the recording liquid is wrapped in a film, and the film is ruptured by bumping of the recording liquid due to the heating, and the recording liquid is injected. The image forming method according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3) The image forming agent contains a crystalline component of a solvent for forming the recording liquid, and includes solid particles in which the crystalline component bumps when heated, and a solute of the recording liquid that covers the solid particles. 2. The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the image forming method is formed from a layer consisting of a layer comprising: 4) a band-shaped member that contains a recording liquid or a component of a solvent for forming the recording liquid in a state where it is not exposed to the outside air, and carries an image forming agent that forms and injects the recording liquid in response to heating; a conveying means for conveying the belt-shaped member so that the surface carrying the image forming agent faces the recording surface of the recording medium; An image forming apparatus comprising: heating means for heating the image forming agent. 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for causing the band-like member to carry the image forming agent before reaching the opposing portion. 6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the belt-like member has a form of an endless tape, and includes means for cleaning the surface of the endless tape after passing through the opposing portion. 7) A belt-shaped member for carrying an image forming agent having a film around a recording liquid or a solvent component, a conveying means for transporting the belt-shaped member to a recording area, and a belt-shaped member provided in the recording area. An image forming apparatus comprising: heating means disposed on a side opposite to the side on which the image forming agent is supported. 8) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an adhesion mechanism for supplying the image forming agent to the strip member. 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the adhesion mechanism includes a strong electric field generator. 10) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a cleaning member for cleaning the strip member.