JPH04355756A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to microcapsules that contain a dye or a dye precursor and harden in response to a predetermined wavelength. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on an image receptor using powder that contributes to image formation.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventionally, microcapsules that contain a dye or a dye precursor and harden in response to a predetermined wavelength are used, and a powder that contributes to the formation of an image in cooperation with the contents of the microcapsules is used to receive an image. An example of an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a body is the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-149847. This device uses microcapsule paper that supports microcapsules that contain a dye precursor and cures in response to a predetermined wavelength, and a color developer that reacts with the dye precursor contained in the microcapsules to form a color. is configured to form an image on an image receptor such as plain paper. In this device, the exposed microcapsule paper and the image receptor are overlapped and pressurized with a powdered color developer interposed therebetween, and the dye precursor flows out from the microcapsules destroyed by this pressurization. This dye precursor and a color developer are reacted to form an image-formed product, and this image-formed product is fixed on an image receptor to form an image on the image receptor such as plain paper.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-mentioned conventional image forming apparatus, since the image receptor is pressurized together with the microcapsule paper, it is difficult to use materials such as plastics, ceramics, glass, etc., which may be damaged by pressurization. There has been a problem in that corrugated paper, cloth, etc., whose shape changes significantly when pressurized, cannot be used as image receptors.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is applicable to plastics, ceramics, and glass that may be damaged by pressure, as well as corrugated paper and cloth whose shape changes significantly when pressure is applied. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can use an image receptor as an image receptor.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention provides a microcapsule paper carrying microcapsules that contain a dye or a dye precursor and harden in response to a predetermined wavelength. and a powder that contributes to the formation of an image together with the contents of the microcapsules, and pressurizes the exposed microcapsule paper and the powder in a pressure development section to form an image-formed product, In an image forming apparatus which transfers this image-formed material to an image receptor to form an image on the image receptor, the supply unit supplies the powder to the exposed microcapsule paper or the pressure development unit; a pressure development section that presses paper and the powder to cause the inclusions of the microcapsules to flow out to form an image formed by mixing the inclusions and the powder; and an image formed by the pressure development section. The image forming apparatus is characterized in that it has a transfer section that transfers the formed product to an image receptor.

[0006]

[Operation] In the image forming apparatus of the present invention having the above configuration, toner-like powder is supplied to the exposed microcapsule paper or the pressure development section by the supply section, and the contents of the microcapsules destroyed by the pressure development section are The material and the powder are mixed to form an image-forming material, which is supported on microcapsule paper. Then, the image formed on the microcapsule paper is transferred onto the image receptor by the transfer section. In this way, an image can be formed without applying much pressure to the image receptor, so it is not possible to use an image receptor that is likely to be damaged by pressure or whose shape changes significantly. can.

[0007]

[Example] Hereinafter, as an example embodying the present invention,
Microcapsule paper that carries microcapsules that contain a dye precursor and cures in response to a predetermined wavelength of light and has a conductive layer, and a color developer that is a powder that reacts with the dye precursor and contributes to color development. An image forming apparatus using the agent will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of this image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an exposure section 10 provided in the upper part, a microcapsule paper conveyance section 30 provided on the left side, and a color developer application section 20 as a supply section provided on the right side. Pressure developing section 40 provided in the center
The image receptor conveying section 60 is provided at the lower part, and the transfer section 50 is provided straddling the image receptor conveying section 60.

The exposure section 10 includes a halogen lamp 11 as an exposure light source, a document table glass 15 on which a document 12 is placed and held, a document table cover 13, and a filter 14 for adjusting the color tone of an image. and light-shielding plates 19a and 19b that prevent the microcapsule paper 35 carrying microcapsules on its surface from being erroneously exposed to light.

The microcapsule paper transport section 30 includes a supply cartridge 31 for the microcapsule paper 35 and transport rollers 32 and 33 for transporting the microcapsule paper 35.
and a recovery cartridge 34 for microcapsule paper 35. The color developer application unit 20 includes a carrier roller 21 that forms an electric field with the microcapsule paper 35 to support a toner-like developer 25, and supplies the developer 25 to the carrier roller 21. A supply roller 22 for stirring the color developer 25, an agitator 23 for stirring the color developer 25, a regulating member 24 for regulating the amount of the color developer 25 carried on the carrying roller 21, and a hopper 26 for storing the color developer 25. has been done. The carrying roller 21 and the supply roller 22
and is grounded. Further, the microcapsule paper 35 is configured to have a positive voltage applied to its conductive layer.

The pressure developing section 40 includes two pressure rollers 41.
, 42, and the pressure rollers 41, 42 have microcapsule paper 3 coated with a color developer 25 in the gap between them.
It is set up to sandwich 5. One of the pressure rollers 42 is a non-stick pressure roller. Here, the non-stick pressure roller 42 will be explained. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the non-stick pressure roller 42. As shown in FIG. That is, the non-stick pressure roller 42 is constructed by forming a non-stick layer 44 on the surface of a core bar 43 made of iron, aluminum, or the like. The material of this non-adhesive layer 44 is as follows:
Examples include fluorine-based compounds such as so-called Teflon and silicon-based compounds, and any material that does not adhere to the pressure roller 42 after the color developer 25 is pressurized may be used.

The other pressure roller 41 may be one without the non-adhesive layer 44 of the non-stick pressure roller 42, or may have exactly the same structure. The image receptor conveyance section 60 transports conveyance rollers 63, 64, 65, 66 to the image receptor 3.
8 are sequentially installed along the running direction. Then, the microcapsule paper 35 and the image receptor 38 are overlapped by the conveyance rollers 65 and 66.

The transfer section 50 is composed of a backup roller 51 and a heat roller 52 containing a halogen lamp therein, and is disposed between the conveyance rollers 65 and 66. Here, the backup roller 51 is in contact with the microcapsule paper 35, and the heat roller 52 is in contact with the microcapsule paper 35.
The microcapsule paper 35 is placed in contact with the image receptor 38.
and the image receptor 38 are placed in between.

Next, the operation of this image forming apparatus 1 will be explained. When the supply cartridge 31 and recovery cartridge 34 for the microcapsule paper 35 are driven by pressing a start switch (not shown) or the like, the microcapsule paper 35 is conveyed to the lower part of the exposure section 10 . Then, the halogen lamp 11 of the exposure section 10 is turned on, and the document table glass 15 holding the document 12 moves. As a result, the light emitted from the halogen lamp 11 passes through the transparent platen glass 15 and reaches the original 12 placed on it, and as the platen glass 15 moves, the exposure operation of the original 12 is performed. It will be done. The light reflected from the original 12 passes through a filter 14 for adjusting the color tone of the image, and forms an image on the microcapsule paper 35. In this way, the exposed microcapsules harden,
A chemical latent image is formed on the microcapsule paper 35, and the microcapsule paper 35 on which the chemical latent image is formed is conveyed to the developer coating section 20 as the conveyance roller 32 rotates.

On the other hand, in the developer applying section 20 , the agitator 23 and the supply roller 22 rotate, and as the developer 25 rotates, the developer 25 is charged and carried on the carrier roller 21 . The color developer 25 placed on the carrier roller 21 faces the microcapsule paper 35 , receives electrostatic force from the electric field formed between the carrier roller 21 and the microcapsule paper 35 , and is directed toward the microcapsule paper 35 . Fly. Therefore, an electrostatic coating layer of the color developer 25 is formed on the microcapsule paper 35. The microcapsule paper 35 is moved, and the portion coated with the color developer 25 is sent to the pressure developing section 40.

In the pressure developing section 40, the microcapsule paper 35 on which the chemical latent image has been formed and the color developer 25 has been applied is pressed by a pair of pressure rollers 41 and 42. This pressurization destroys the uncured microcapsules of the microcapsule paper 35, and the dye precursor contained in the destroyed microcapsules flows out. As a result, the color developer 25 coated on the microcapsule paper 35 reacts with this dye precursor to develop color and form an image formed object 29. This image formed material 29 adheres to the microcapsule paper 35 due to the difference in surface energy between the non-stick layer 44 of the non-stick pressure roller 42 and the microcapsule paper 35 . In this way, the image formed object 2
The microcapsule paper 35 with 9 attached is transferred to the transport roller 3
3, the image forming apparatus 10 is conveyed toward the lower part of the image forming apparatus 10.

The image receptor 38 is supplied into the interior of the image forming apparatus 10 from a supply port 61 provided on the right side of the image forming apparatus 10, and is conveyed toward the left side by an image receptor conveying section 60. Here, the microcapsule paper 35 to which the image-formed material 29 is attached and the image receptor 38 are overlapped, and the conveyance rollers 65, 6
6, the sheet is conveyed between the heat roller 52 and the backup roller 51.

At this time, the halogen lamp of the heat roller 52 is turned on, and the image receptor 38 is heated by radiant heat. When the image receptor 38 is heated, since the image receptor 38 and the image formed material 29 attached to the microcapsule paper 35 are in contact with each other, the image formed material 29 is also heated and the softened region is melted. Since the image receptor 38 is heated, the molten image forming material 29 penetrates into the image receptor 38. For this reason,
The image formation 29 is separated from the microcapsule paper 35 and transferred to the image receptor 38, where it is fixed.

Image receptor 3 on which an image is formed in this way
8 is outputted to the outside from the image receptor output port 62 at the lower left of the image forming apparatus 10. On the other hand, the used microcapsule paper 35 is collected by a collection roller 34. In the embodiment described above, the color developer 25 is applied to the microcapsule paper 35 by the color developer application device 20. A color developer in the form of a body may be supplied and applied.

Furthermore, the thermal transfer means is not limited to a configuration in which a heating source is provided on the image receptor side as in this embodiment, but may be configured to heat from the microcapsule paper side, or a configuration in which a heating source is provided on the image receptor side. It may be configured to heat from both sides of the microcapsule paper. Furthermore, the powder supplied to the microcapsule paper or non-adhesive pressure roller is not limited to the color developer, but also works together with the contents of the microcapsules, such as absorbers, fixing accelerators, and color development accelerators, to form images. Any powder that contributes may be used. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to microcapsules containing a dye precursor as in this embodiment, but may also be microcapsules containing a dye or a pigment. in this case,
Since a color developer is not required, an absorbent, a fixing accelerator, an adhesive, or the like may be used as the powder that contributes to image formation.

[0021]

As is clear from the above detailed description, the image forming apparatus of the present invention can form an image on the surface of the image receptor without applying much pressure to it. This has the advantage that plastics, ceramics, and glass, which may be damaged by pressure, as well as corrugated paper, cloth, and the like, which change their shape significantly by pressure, can be used as image receptors.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a non-stick pressure roller.

[Explanation of symbols]

1...Image forming device 10...Exposure section 20...Developer application part 25...Color developer 29...Image formed product 30...Microcapsule paper conveyance section 35...Microcapsule paper 38...Image receptor 40...Pressure developing section 41...Pressure roller 42...Pressure roller (non-adhesive pressure roller) 44...non-adhesive layer 50...Transfer section 51...Backup roller 52...Heat roller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Microcapsule paper carrying microcapsules that contain a dye or a dye precursor and cure in response to a predetermined wavelength, and a powder that contributes to the formation of an image in cooperation with the contents of the microcapsules. The exposed microcapsule paper and powder are pressed together in a pressure development section to form an image formed object, and this image formed object is transferred to an image receptor to form an image on the image receptor. The image forming apparatus includes a supply section that supplies the powder to the exposed microcapsule paper or a pressure development section, and a supply section that presses the microcapsule paper and the powder to cause the contents of the microcapsules to flow out. An image characterized by having a pressure development section that forms an image formed product in which inclusions and the powder are mixed, and a transfer section that transfers the image formation formed by the pressure development section to an image receptor. Forming device.