JPH0281070A - Wet developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent an image blurring and to obtain a sufficient image density by arranging rotatably a cylindrical rotary developing electrode in a photosensitive body carrying direction and providing a shielding plate interrupting the flow of developer on the surface of a photosensitive body ahead of the developing electrode rotational direction. CONSTITUTION:A pump 9 sends the developer to a developing vessel 2 from a developing tank 8 through a supplying pipe 5. The developer sent to the developing vessel 2 sufficiently wets the surface of the cylindrical rotary developing electrode 3, immerses the photosensitive body P shifting on the front surface and visualizes an electrostatic latent image. The photosensitive body P passes through the shielding plate 4 in accordance with the rotation of the developing electrode 3, simultaneously the developer once used for developing the photosensitive body P is made to flow in the carrying direction of the photosensitive body P together with the rotation of the developing electrode 3, and abutted against the shielding plate 4. Then, the developer is guided downward and collected to a recovery device 6 through recovery tubes 7a, 7b, 7c.... The used developer collected to the recovery device 6 returns to the developing tank 8 to be collected. Thus, image blurring can be prevented, and moreover a sufficient image density can be obtained.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a wet developing device for electrophotography, comprising:
This paper relates to a wet type developing device using a cylindrical rotating developing electrode. [Prior Art] In electrophotography, an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor is visualized and developed using a blue powder (toner). There are two types of developing methods: a method called dry development in which the toner is used in a dry state, and a method called wet development in which the toner is used in an insulating liquid. Furthermore, in the wet development method, methods for bringing the toner into contact with the photoreceptor include an immersion method, a dripping method, and a spraying method. Conventionally, the above-mentioned immersion type development apparatus among wet type development systems is generally shown as an example in FIG. That is, in Figure 3,
The wet developing device A has a slit S at the upper end of the developing tank 'l'.
It has a structure in which a photoreceptor (I) moves over the development electrode E into water (I) with the surface on which an electrostatic latent image is formed facing downward. Further, a collector C is disposed around the developing tank 'l' (excluding the upper end), and the developer overflowing from the slit S of the developing electrode E is collected by the collector C. It is. Furthermore,
A supply pipe F for supplying a developer is connected to the developer tank T. A fixed amount of the developer supplied from the supply vibrator F is stored in the developer tank T, and a part of the stored developer overflows from the slit S of the development electrode E in the direction of arrow Y. The developer overflowing from the slit S flows on the development electrode E in the directions of arrows A and C, that is, both in the same direction as the transfer direction d of the photoreceptor P and in the opposite direction C. The developer flowing in this manner and flowing out from the developing electrode E is collected by the collection V4G and discharged from the discharge pipe. [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, according to the above-mentioned conventional developing device, there are places where the direction in which the photoreceptor P is transported and the direction in which the developer flows are opposite, resulting in image disturbances such as image smearing. This method has the disadvantage that it is easy to generate images, making it difficult to obtain high-quality images. In addition, since the developing electrode E is formed long along the direction in which the photoreceptor P is transported, especially in locations where the flow of the developer is the same as the direction in which the photoreceptor P is transported, the developer used for development is Until when will the photoreceptor P come into contact with the photoreceptor P? Therefore, there is a problem in that the supply of toner necessary for the phenomenon of the photoreceptor P is insufficient, and sufficient image density cannot be obtained. [Objective of the Invention 1] The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to prevent image blurring by aligning the flow of the phenomenon liquid of the developing electrode with the direction of transfer of the photoreceptor. At the same time, the developer used for development comes into contact with the photoconductor and stagnates L)'4
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wet-type developing device that can be quickly recovered and obtain sufficient image density. In the wet developing device of the present invention, a cylindrical rotary developing electrode is disposed in a liquid developing tank disposed opposite to the surface of a photoreceptor that is fed in a fixed direction, and is rotatable in the direction in which the photoreceptor is transported. Ojf in front of the rotation direction of the electrode
A shielding plate is provided to block the flow of the developer on the surface of the photoreceptor. Further, a plurality of the cylindrical rotary developing electrodes may be arranged in parallel in the direction in which the photoreceptor is transported, and a shielding plate may be provided attached to each developing electrode, or the rotation speed of the cylindrical rotary developing electrode may be made variable. preferable. [Function] The wet developing device of the present invention having the above configuration (accordingly,
The cylindrical rotating developing electrode rotates in the same direction as the photoreceptor transport direction, and all the developer that comes into contact with the photoreceptor is transferred to the cylindrical rotating ring@! It flows over the electrode in the same direction as the direction of transport of the photoreceptor. The developer used for development in contact with the photoreceptor immediately flows down from above the cylindrical rotating developing electrode, is guided to a shielding plate in front of the cylindrical rotating developing electrode in the direction of rotation, and is collected. For this reason, the developer that comes into contact with the photoreceptor is always replaced by a new developer delivered from the developer tank. Further, if a plurality of cylindrical rotating developing electrodes are arranged in parallel, sufficient contact between the photoreceptor and the developer can be achieved. Furthermore, if the rotation speed of the cylindrical rotating developing electrode is made variable,
It is possible to control the supply amount of the developing solution overflowing to the developing electrode. [Example] Hereinafter, an example embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, referring to FIG. 2, a wet developing device of the present invention, 1/l
The configuration of will be explained. A plurality of cylindrical rotating developing electrodes 3 are arranged in the upper part of the developing tank 2 in the wet developing device 1, perpendicular to the transport direction of the photoreceptor P, and parallel to each other at intervals of /f) in the transport direction. It is arranged so that it can rotate freely. Each cylindrical rotating developing electrode 3 is configured to rotate in the same direction as the transport direction C of the photoreceptor P by a rotating means (not shown). Further, the rotational speed of each cylindrical rotating developing electrode 3 can be changed by using a pulse motor or the like as a rotating means (not shown). In front of each cylindrical rotating developing electrode 3 in the rotational direction,
Shielding plates 4 are arranged at intervals. The height of each shielding plate 4 is set so that its upper end is approximately at the same height as the upper surface of the cylindrical rotating phenomenon electrode 3. Directly below each cylindrical rotating developing electrode 3, a dish portion 4a extends from the lower end of the shielding plate 4 to receive the developer. In addition,
The rightmost shielding plate 4' is also used as a side wall of the developer tank 2. At the lower end surface of each shielding plate 4, developer recovery tubes 7a, 7 are provided.
b, 7c, . . . are connected at their upper ends, and pass through the bottom of the developer tank 2 to form a recovery pipe 7a. The lower ends of 7b, 7c, . . . open into the collector 6. The collector 6 is provided below the developer tank 2 to receive the developer tank 2, and the bottom of the collector 6 is inclined downward toward the center. The upper end of the discharge pipe 7 is connected to the center of the bottom of the recovery device 6, and the lower end is connected to the developing tank 8. Further, the bottom of the developer tank 2 and the developer tank 8 are connected by a developer supply pipe 5, and the supply pipe 5 penetrates the bottom of the recovery device 6. A pump 9 is interposed in the supply pipe 5 near the developing tank 8. Furthermore, the photoreceptor outside the developer tank 2

An aperture c-nola 10 is provided near the end of the movement of the arrow [). FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 2, showing the relationship between the cylindrical rotary developing electrode 3 and the shielding plate 4 arranged in the developing tank 2. As shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the direction in which the photoreceptor P is transported is in the direction of arrow d, and the cylindrical rotating developing electrode 3 is rotating in the same direction as arrow r. Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 1 and 2. In the figure, during a developing operation, a developer is sent from a developer tank 8 to a developer tank 2 via a supply pipe 5 by a pump 9. The developer sent to the developer (4hff 2) sufficiently softens the surface of the cylindrical rotating developing electrode 3, and immerses the photoreceptor P moving on the upper surface in the developer to visualize the electrostatic latent image. The developer once used to develop the photoreceptor P is caused to flow in the transport direction of the photoreceptor P at the same time as it passes over the photoreceptor Ph<shielding plate 4 as the cylindrical rotating developing electrode 3 rotates. , after hitting the shielding plate 4, it is guided downward and into the recovery pipe ?a, ?
Recovered from b, 7c...'? Collected in 56. The used developer collected in the collector 6 returns to the developer tank 8 from the discharge pipe 7 and is collected. Next, the flow situation of the developer will be explained in detail. As shown in FIG. 1, the developer supplied from the developer tank 8 to the developer tank 2 via the supply pipe 5 by the pump 9 is adjacent to the upstream side (left side in the figure) of the cylindrical rotating developing electrode 3. As the cylindrical rotary developing electrode 3 rotates, it overflows from between the shielding plates 4 in the direction of the arrow &. Further, the supply amount of the developer overflowing in the direction of the arrow a is determined by the cylindrical rotating developing electrode 3
is adjusted by changing the rotation speed of the In this way, the developer overflowing onto the cylindrical rotating phenomenon electrode 3 is a cylindrical rotating phenomenon electrode! Since the pole 3 rotates in the direction of the arrow r, the photoreceptor P is immersed while flowing in the direction of the arrow s, which is the same direction as the transfer direction d of the photoreceptor P, and the electrostatic charge formed on the photoreceptor P is Develop the latent image. After being used to develop the photoreceptor P, the flow of the developer flowing in the direction of the arrow s is regulated by the shielding plate 4, and flows downward along the shielding plate 4 in the direction of the arrow e. and collection tubes 7a, 7b, 7c.
...and be collected in collector 6. The developer collected in the collector 6 is collected into the developer tank 8 through a discharge pipe 7. 4. That is, when the photoreceptor P on which the electrostatic latent image has been formed as described above is sent in the direction of arrow d and reaches the top of the developer tank 2, the photoreceptor 1) is The electrostatic latent image is immersed in a developer through a cylindrical rotating developing electrode 3 rotating in the same direction as the electrostatic latent image. Excess developer is squeezed out of the developed photoreceptor 1 by a squeeze roller 1O (FIG. 2), and the development operation is completed. [Effects of the Invention] As is clear from what has been described in detail below, the wet developing device of the present invention has the following effects. (1) The direction of rotation of the cylindrical rotating developing electrode is made the same as the direction in which the photoreceptor is transported, so that the flow of all the developer is in the same direction as the direction in which the photoreceptor is transported. It is possible to develop images with image quality. (2) The flow of the developer is controlled using a shielding plate and a collection tube so that the used developer can be collected immediately from each cylindrical rotating developing electrode. Since there is no stagnation of the contacting developer and the photoreceptor is always immersed in a new developer with an appropriate toner concentration, an image with sufficient image density can be obtained. (3) According to the wet type developing device of claim 2, the photoreceptor is immersed in the developer multiple times through the plurality of cylindrical rotating developing electrodes, so that the photoreceptor is reliably developed and an even image is produced. can get. (4) According to the wet type developing device of the third aspect, the rotational speed of the cylindrical rotary developing electrode can be appropriately changed to control the amount of developer ejected, thereby making it possible to adjust the developing speed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 show an embodiment embodying the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a developing tank, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the entire developing section of a wet type developing device, and FIG. The figure is a sectional view showing a conventional phenomenon device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Wet developing device, 2... Developer tank, 3... Cylindrical rotating developing electrode, 4... Shielding plate, 5... Supply vibe, 6 Recovery device, 7... Discharge pipe, 7a, 7b, 7c...
... Recovery pipe, 8... Developing tank, 9... Pump,
IO... Aperture [l-ra.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A cylindrical rotary developing electrode is provided in a liquid developing tank disposed opposite to the surface of a photoreceptor that is fed in a fixed direction, and is rotatable in the direction in which the photoreceptor is transported; A wet-type developing device characterized in that a shielding plate is provided in front of the photoreceptor in a rotational direction to block the flow of the developer on the surface of the photoreceptor. 2. The wet type developing device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the cylindrical rotary developing electrodes are arranged in parallel in the direction in which the photoreceptor is transported, and a shielding plate is provided attached to each developing electrode. 3. The wet type developing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotation speed of the cylindrical rotating developing electrode is variable.