JPH03120575A - Image recording method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent light fatigue of a photosensitive body and to omit the cleaning of the photosensitive body by transferring an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body to sensitized paper and exposing the surface of the sensitized paper after a transferred image is developed with light-shielding matter. CONSTITUTION:A photosensitive drum 1 is positively electrified by a corotron 2 and the electrostatic latent image is formed by a writing device 100. The aluminum layer of the drum 1 is struck to the surface of a pressure sensitive sheet 31 where aluminium is applied as an identical potential, and transfer is performed. At a developing device 33, the latent image transferred to the sheet 31 is developed by the light-shielding matter and becomes visible as a toner image. Then, the sheet 31 is exposed, unneccessary toner on the sheet 31 is removed and the toner is recovered by a cleaner 37. Thereby, the light fatigue of the photosensitive body is prevented and the cleaning of the photosensitive body is omitted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image recording method using photosensitive paper such as a photosensitive agent sheet, and an image recording apparatus used in this method.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of image recording apparatus includes, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
The one shown in Japanese Patent No. 231965 has been proposed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, 1. In conventional image recording devices such as those mentioned above, it is difficult to completely separate the spectral sensitivity of the light-sensitive pressure-sensitive sheet and the spectral sensitivity of the transparent photoreceptor, so when exposing the light-sensitive pressure-sensitive sheet, There was a problem that the transparent photoreceptor suffered from light fatigue.

Further, since the toner is applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum, there is a problem that the photosensitive drum is easily soiled and cleaning the drum is complicated.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image recording method and an apparatus therefor that do not cause optical fatigue of the photoreceptor and do not require cleaning of the photoreceptor.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the image recording method according to the present invention, a photoreceptor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed is brought into close contact with photosensitive paper, the electrostatic latent image is transferred to the photosensitive paper, and the transferred image on the photosensitive paper is developed with a light-shielding material. After that, the surface of the photosensitive paper is exposed and the light-shielding material is removed.

Also, the image recording device used in this method is. A photoreceptor that can be charged to a uniform charge, an image writing device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor, and the photoreceptor is brought into close contact with photosensitive paper to transfer the electrostatic latent image onto the photosensitive paper. a developing device that develops the transferred image with a light-shielding material, an exposure device that exposes the surface of the developed photosensitive paper, and a removal device that removes the light-shielding material from the exposed surface of the photosensitive paper. There is.

[Effect]

In the present invention, the surface of the photoreceptor is uniformly charged by a charging device, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the charged surface by irradiating light from an image writing device. Next, the photoreceptor and the photosensitive paper come into close contact with each other in the transfer section, and the electrostatic latent image is transferred onto the photosensitive paper.The transferred latent image is developed with a light-shielding material, and then the image on the photosensitive paper is The photosensitive paper is then exposed to light by an exposure device, and then unnecessary light blocking objects on the photosensitive paper are removed by a removal device.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image recording device.
As shown in the figure, the image writing device 100. The writing device 100 forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1, which is a photosensitive member that can be charged with a uniform charge. Laser diode unit 21 that emits a corresponding laser beam
A polygon mirror 22 for scanning the laser light from this unit 21, a motor 23 for driving this polygon mirror 22, a motor 23 for transmitting and reflecting the laser light from the polygon mirror 22, and condensing it on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. It includes a lens 24 and a mirror 25 for imaging.

The photosensitive surface of the photosensitive drum 1, which rotates clockwise as shown by the arrow, is charged with a uniform charge (for example, a positive charge in FIG. 1) by a corotron 2 serving as a charging device. Image writing device 10 on a uniformly charged photosensitive surface
When a laser beam is irradiated from zero, the uniform charge on the photosensitive surface decreases in the imaging area in accordance with the amount of light that has arrived, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive surface.

The electrostatic latent image thus formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 reaches the surface of the photosensitive pressure-sensitive sheet (YM paper) 31 as photosensitive paper as the photosensitive drum 1 rotates. This photosensitive pressure sensitive sheet 31 is coated with a photosensitive material such as microcapsules that is sensitive to three types of light wavelengths: red (R), green (G), and blue (B). Further, the photosensitive pressure-sensitive sheet 31 is movable in the left-right direction as indicated by arrow A in the figure. While the photosensitive pressure sensitive sheet 31 is moving to the left at the same speed as the circumferential speed of the photosensitive drum 1, the transfer unit 3
In step 2, the photosensitive drum 1 is brought into close contact with the pressure sensitive sheet 31, and the electrostatic latent image on the drum 1 is transferred to the surface of the pressure sensitive sheet 31. The electrostatic latent image is transferred by bringing the aluminum layer of the photosensitive drum 1 and the aluminum coating surface of the pressure-sensitive sheet 31 into close contact with each other at the same potential.

The positively charged latent image transferred to the surface of the pressure-sensitive sheet 31 is developed by a developing device 33 provided on the left side of the photosensitive drum 1 and visualized as a toner image. That is, this developing device 33 contains a toner (colored resin powder) 40 as a light-shielding material that is negatively charged in advance, and when this charged toner 40 is supplied to the surface of the pressure-sensitive sheet 31, the toner 40 is It adheres to the latent image area, and the latent image becomes visible as a toner image.

An exposure device 34 that exposes the surface of the developed pressure-sensitive sheet 31 is detachably provided below the light source 35 and the light source 35.
, green (G), and blue (B). When the toner image on the pressure-sensitive sheet 31 is exposed to the first color light (for example, red) that has passed through the color filter 36, the exposure of the pressure-sensitive sheet 31 with the first color light is completed. . The toner 40 that is no longer needed after exposure is collected by a cleaner 37 serving as a removal device for removing the toner 40 from the surface of the photosensitive paper 31 after exposure.

The photosensitive drum 1 is provided with an eraser lamp 3 between the transfer section 32 and the corotron 2 for completely erasing the transferred electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 . Therefore, when the photosensitive drum 1 rotates clockwise, the transfer section 32
The residual electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 after being transferred to the pressure sensitive sheet 31 is exposed to light by the eraser lamp 3 to completely erase the charge, and then the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is again flushed by the corotron 2. It is charged differently.

The photosensitive and pressure sensitive sheet 31 is supplied from a sheet supply unit 51 which is rotatably driven so as to be able to be wound up and unwound, and guided by rotatable guide rollers 52 to 55 so as to be rotated so that it can be taken up and unwound. It is taken up by a driven take-up roller 56, thereby making it movable left and right as shown by arrow A.

After being exposed to the first color light, the pressure-sensitive sheet 31 moves to the right and is rewound to the position before the latent image transfer, while the color filter 36 is used for exposure of the next color, e.g. The color of (
It will be replaced with a green one. Next, the same operation as for the first color is performed, that is, the image writing device 100 writes the photosensitive drum 1.
After forming an electrostatic latent image on the pressure sensitive sheet 31, the photosensitive drum l is brought into close contact with the pressure sensitive sheet 31 to transfer the electrostatic latent image onto the pressure sensitive sheet 31, and then the transferred image is developed with the toner 40 of the developing device 33. , the exposure device 34 to which the second emergency color filter 36 is attached performs exposure, and then the toner 40 on the pressure-sensitive sheet 31 is removed by the cleaner 37. next,
For the third color (blue), the same operations as for the first and second colors described above are repeated.

The photosensitive pressure sensitive sheet 31, which has been exposed to three colors in this way, is led to the pressure developing device 63. On the other hand, the color developing sheet 61 is supplied from the supply tray 62 and guided to the pressure developing device 63 while being overlapped with the photosensitive pressure sensitive sheet 31 . The pressure developer 63 presses the superposed color developer sheet 61 and pressure sensitive sheet 31 with a pair of pressure rollers 64, whereby the color developer sheet 61 develops color, and is then led to a heat fixing device 65. A process is performed to give the image surface a glossy appearance.
Thereafter, the paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 66.

Next, the structure of the photosensitive pressure sensitive sheet 31 and its development and fixing processes will be explained based on FIGS. 2(A) to 2(H). This pressure-sensitive sheet 31 has 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. In addition, the microcapsules contain a component that changes the breaking strength of the microcapsules in response to light. The ingredients can be used in various combinations as follows:

First, in the example shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B), paper 7o 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 enclosed in the micro capsule. , a photocurable resin (for example, a photopolymer such as trimethylpropane) and a photopolymerization initiator (for example, benzophenone, etc.) are supported on the paper 70, and an organic acid that reacts with the dye precursor to form a color. Use a color developer such as Examples of such photosensitive and pressure sensitive sheets include those described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-23025. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2(A), the microcapsules 72 on the light-irradiated portion of the photosensitive pressure-sensitive sheet 31 harden, and the microcapsules 72 on the portion of the photosensitive pressure-sensitive sheet 31 that is shielded from light by the toner 40 and not irradiated with light are cured. 74 remains in its original soft state. When pressure was then applied by the pressure roller 64, only the microcapsules 74 that remained soft were crushed, and the dye precursor in the microcapsules 74 was applied onto the paper 70, as shown in FIG. 2(B). By reacting with the color developer 76, an image can be obtained on the paper 70, and this image is transferred to the color developer sheet 61 under pressure. The hardened microcapsule 2 will not collapse thereafter.

In FIGS. 2(C) and (D), a transparent film 78 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 80 is applied onto the film 78. At this time, only the portions of the microcapsules 82 that are irradiated with light soften, and the portions of the microcapsules 84 that are not irradiated with light remain in their original hard state. Therefore, by the subsequent application of pressure by the pressure roller 64, only the softened microcapsules 82 are crushed, and only that portion of the film 78 is colored. In this case, since a copy image having a phase opposite to that of the photosensitive drum 1, that is, the original, is 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 onto the paper 86, the paper 86 is colored with a dye or the like in advance. In addition, a decoloring agent such as a bleaching agent is encapsulated in the microcapsules 90 instead of the dye 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 (H) are Figure 2 (C)
and similar dye precursors, developers and dyes for (D);
This is an example of obtaining a duplicate image of the same phase by replacing it with a decolorizing agent.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, since an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1 and transferred to the pressure sensitive sheet 31, cleaning of the photosensitive drum 1 is not necessary, and the structure around the photosensitive drum 1 is also simplified. Furthermore, since the exposure of the pressure-sensitive sheet 31 does not affect the photosensitive drum 1 at all, it is possible to provide an image recording apparatus having the photosensitive drum 1 without optical fatigue.

Note that the latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 is not formed by a laser, but by L.
It is also possible to expose with an ED array.

Furthermore, a light shielding element such as a liquid crystal shutter or PLZT can be exposed to light using a light source such as a halogen lamp.

Furthermore, the photoreceptor 1 may be belt-shaped instead of drum-shaped. Further, if the photosensitive pressure sensitive sheet 31 is exposed to white light, a monochromatic output can be obtained.

Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor is transferred to photosensitive paper, the transferred image is developed with a light-shielding material, and then the surface of the photosensitive paper is exposed to light, so that optical fatigue does not occur on the photoreceptor. There is no need to clean the photoreceptor.

Device.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. The photoreceptor on which the electrostatic latent image has been formed is brought into close contact with photosensitive paper to transfer the electrostatic latent image onto the photosensitive paper, the transferred image on the photosensitive paper is developed with a light-shielding material, and then the surface of the photosensitive paper is exposed to light. An image recording method characterized by removing a light-shielding substance at the same time. 2. A photoreceptor that can be charged to a uniform charge, an image writing device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor, and the photoreceptor is brought into close contact with photosensitive paper to transfer the electrostatic latent image onto the photosensitive paper. a developing device that develops the transferred image with a light-shielding material, an exposure device that exposes the surface of the developed photosensitive paper, and a removal device that removes the light-shielding material from the surface of the exposed photosensitive paper. An image recording device characterized by: