JPH04190259A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make a base material sheet and a light shielding cartridge unnecessary and reduce the running cost of a device, by forming a electrostatic latent image on a photoconductive sheet, and exposing a micro capsule coated over it, and conducting development and fixing. CONSTITUTION:First, a photoconductive sheet 13 is sent to the outer periphery of a conductive drum 10 through delivery rollers 15. After that, an exposure unit 5 starts a scanning action in an arrow A direction while radiating light to a document 2, and synchronously with this, the sheet 13 is uniformly electrified, exposed, and a electrostatic latent image is formed. Hereupon, a photosensitive toner 18 is attracted and moved by Coulomb's force, and coated over the electrostatic latent image. After that, the sheet 13 is peeled off the drum 10, and sent to the inside of a pressure development device 20, and the toner 18 is destroyed between pressurization rollers 21, and coloring is made in reaction with a developer, and heating fixing is conducted in a thermal fixing device 23.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image recording device such as a copying machine that forms an image using microcapsules containing a dye precursor and a photocurable resin. It is something.

[Prior Art] As a conventional image recording apparatus of this type, a configuration in which an image is formed using a photosensitive recording medium is known. The photosensitive recording medium used in this image recording device is
For example, as shown in JP-A No. 62-143044, the main material is a photocurable resin using a photopolymerization initiator,
Constructed by coating a base sheet with microcapsules containing a photocurable resin that hardens when exposed to red, green, and blue wavelengths of light, and cyan, magenta, and yellow dye precursors. has been done.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in this conventional image recording device, the photosensitive recording medium has a complicated structure in which microcapsules are coated on a base sheet, and the photosensitive recording medium is wound in a wound state. Since a light-shielding cartridge is required to accommodate the device, and the base sheet and cartridge are disposable, there is a problem in that the running cost of the device increases.

The present invention has been made by focusing on the problems existing in the conventional technology, and its purpose is to provide a base sheet on which microcapsules are coated and a material for accommodating a photosensitive recording medium. An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording device that does not require a light-shielding cartridge and can reduce the running cost of the device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the image recording apparatus of the present invention includes a charging means for charging a photoconductive sheet, and a charging means for exposing the charged photoconductive sheet to light. an exposure means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the sheet; a housing means for housing the microcapsules containing a dye precursor and a photocurable resin; A device that is equipped with a coating means for coating on the electrostatic latent image, a developing means for applying pressure to develop the photoconductive sheet coated with microcapsules, and a fixing means for fixing the image developed on the photoconductive sheet. It is.

[Function] In the image recording apparatus configured as described above, when forming an image on a photoconductive sheet based on image information, the photoconductive sheet is uniformly charged by the charging means, and The image is exposed based on the image information by the exposure means,
An electrostatic latent image is formed on the sheet, and the microcapsules in the containing means are applied by application means onto the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive sheet. Thereafter, the microcapsules coated on the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive sheet are exposed again by the exposure means based on the same image information to form a color latent image on the sheet, and The latent color image is developed by applying pressure by the developing means, and the developed image is color-fixed by the fixing means.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an image recording apparatus embodying the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 1 of the apparatus is formed into a substantially box-like shape, and on the top thereof is a document table glass 3 on which a document 2 can be placed.
A cover 4 that covers the document table glass 3 in an openable and closable manner is provided. The exposure unit 5 constituting the exposure means is disposed below the document platen glass 3 so as to be able to scan in the direction of arrow A, and includes a light source 6 that irradiates light onto the document 2 on the document table glass 3 and a light source 6 that emits light from the document 2 on the document table glass 3. It is composed of a mirror 7 that changes the optical path of light. Lens 8 is exposure unit 5
The mirror 7 changes the optical path of the reflected light from the document 2, and the reflected light from the original 2 is guided onto the conductive drum 10 via the lens 8 and the mirror 9. .

A conductive drum 10 made of a conductive material is rotatably disposed within the device main body 1, and a locking pawl 11 is provided on a part of its outer periphery. The cassette 12 is removably attached to the outside of the main body 1 of the apparatus, and a photoconductive sheet 13 is housed therein in a stacked state. This photoconductive sheet 13 is constructed by applying a photoconductive substance such as zinc oxide or titanium oxide onto a conductive sheet. A feeding device 14 consisting of a suction cup or the like is arranged above the cassette 12 to face it, and the feeding device 14 feeds the photoconductive sheets 13 one by one from inside the cassette 12, and a feeding roller 15 feeds the photoconductive sheets 13 to the conductive drum. It is conveyed and wrapped around the outer periphery of 10, and is locked and held by locking claws 11.

A charging corotron 16 constituting charging means is disposed facing the outer periphery of the conductive drum 10.
6, the photoconductive sheet 13 on the conductive drum 10 is uniformly charged. A developing device 17 constituting a storage means is disposed facing the outer periphery of the conductive drum 10, and photosensitive toner 18 is stored therein. This photosensitive toner 18
The main material is a microcapsule containing a photocurable resin that hardens when exposed to light of red, green, and blue wavelengths and cyan, magenta, and yellow dye precursors, and a color developer is coated on the outer surface of the microcapsule. It is made up of a coating of

The coating roller 19 constituting the coating means is provided in the developing device 17, and is disposed opposite to the conductive drum IO with a slight gap therebetween. Then, the photosensitive toner 18 charged in the developing device 17 adheres to the surface of the application roller 19 to a certain thickness, and due to the exposure operation of the exposure unit 5, the photoconductive toner is formed on the conductive drum 10. A photosensitive toner 18 is applied from an application roller 19 onto the electrostatic latent image formed on the electrostatic sheet 13 .

A pressure developing device 20 as a developing means is equipped with a pair of pressure rollers 21, and a latent color image formed on the photoconductive sheet 13 by the re-exposure operation of the exposure unit 5 is applied with pressure by a feeding roller 22. While being fed into the developing device 20, it is pressed between pressure rollers 21 and developed. The thermal fixing device 23 as a fixing means includes a heat roller 24 and a pressure roller 25, and the image after pressure development on the photoconductive sheet 13 is transferred to the heat roller 24 and the pressure roller 25 of the thermal fixing device 23. After being heated and fixed through the paper feed roller 26, the paper is ejected onto a paper ejection tray 27.

Next, the operation of the image recording apparatus configured as described above will be explained.

Now, when making a color copy with this image recording device, after placing the original 2 on the original platen glass 3,
When a start button (not shown) is operated, first, the photoconductive sheet 13 is fed from the inside of the cassette 12 by the paper feeding device 14, and is fed to the outer periphery of the conductive drum 10 by the feeding roller 15. The conductive drum 10 is rotated in the direction of arrow B in synchronization with the feeding of the photoconductive sheet 13, and when the locking pawl 11 comes to the front end receiving position of the photoconductive sheet 13, the conductive drum IO is rotated. Rotation is stopped. In this state, the tip of the photoconductive sheet 13 or the locking claw 1
1, the conductive drum IO is locked and held on the outer periphery of the conductive drum IO.

Thereafter, the exposure unit 5 starts a scanning operation in the direction of arrow A while irradiating the original 2 with light, and in synchronization with this, the conductive drum 10 is rotated in the direction of arrow B, so that the photoconductive sheet 13 becomes conductive. While being wrapped around the outer periphery of the drum 10, the photoconductive sheet 13 is uniformly charged by a charging corotron 16. Then, the reflected light from the original 2 is imaged onto the photoconductive sheet 13 via the mirror 7, lens 8, and mirror 9, and exposure is performed. At this time, the exposed portion on the photoconductive sheet 13 is
While the charge escapes through the zero, the charge remains in the unexposed portions, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the sheet 13.

In this state, as the conductive drum lO rotates, the developing device 17
The photosensitive toner 18 charged inside the photoconductive sheet 1
Due to the Coulomb force of the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive sheet 13, the electrostatic latent image is attracted and moved onto the photoconductive sheet 13 via the application roller 19, and is applied onto the electrostatic latent image.

Thereafter, with the photoconductive sheet 13 still wound around the conductive drum 10, it is rotated again from the exposure position in the direction of arrow B, and the exposure unit 5 is returned to the initial position and scanned again in the direction of arrow A. In operation, the photosensitive toner 18 applied on the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive sheet 13 is exposed again to light reflected from the same document 2. and,
A latent color image is formed on the sheet 13 by a change in the viscosity of the photosensitive resin in the exposed photosensitive toner 18 depending on the amount of exposure.

Thereafter, the photoconductive sheet 13 is peeled off from the conductive drum IO by releasing the locking pawl 11, and is fed into the pressure developing device 20 by the feed roller 22, and the photosensitive toner 18 on the sheet 13 is transferred to the pressure developing device. 20 pressure rollers 2
The photosensitive toner 18 is destroyed by applying pressure for 1 hour, and a chromogen is released from the photosensitive toner 18 depending on the degree of exposure, and reacts with the color developer to develop color. After this pressure development, the photoconductive sheet 13 is fed into a heat fixing device 23 and heat-fixed between a heat roller 24 and a pressure roller 25, and then placed on a paper discharge tray 27 by a feed roller 26. The paper is ejected.

The image forming apparatus of this embodiment does not use a photosensitive recording medium in which microcapsules are coated on a base sheet as in the conventional apparatus, but uses the photosensitive toner 18 mainly composed of microcapsules as described above. Since the device is used to form images, there is no need for a base sheet to coat the microcapsules or a light-shielding cartridge to house the photosensitive recording medium, reducing the running cost of the device. .

Another Embodiment Next, another embodiment of an image recording apparatus embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

Now, in this embodiment, a conductive exposure table 31 is provided in place of the conductive drum lO of the previous embodiment, and the -
A gate 32 is provided on the side. Then, with this gate 32 being rotated to the position shown by the chain line in FIG. , 34 along the upper surface of the exposure table 31 in the direction of arrow C.

Further, in this embodiment, a charging corotron 16 and a developing device 17 are disposed opposite to the upper surface of the exposure table 31. The photoconductive sheet 13 being transported in the direction of arrow C along the exposure table 31 is uniformly charged by the charging corotron 16, and is exposed to light by reflected light from the document 2 accompanying the scanning operation of the exposure unit 5. The conductive sheet 13 is exposed to light to form an electrostatic latent image on the sheet 13, and then the photosensitive toner 18 in the developer 17 is transferred to the coating roller 1.
9 onto the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive sheet 13.

Also, at this time, the gate 32 is rotated to the position shown by the solid line in FIG. The photosensitive toner 18 applied on the latent image is exposed again to light reflected from the same original 2, and the sheet 13
A latent color image is formed thereon. Thereafter, the latent color image on the photoconductive sheet 13 is developed by applying pressure by the pressure developing device 20, and the developed image is color-fixed by the thermal fixing device 23, and is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 27. It is papered.

In this embodiment, as in the previous embodiment, the photosensitive toner 18 mainly composed of microcapsules is used to form an image. A light-shielding cartridge for accommodating the medium is not required, and the running cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment described above (for example, the photoconductive sheet 13 may be coated with a color developer on its surface, and the developer 17 may be provided with a color developer). For example, using microcapsules that do not apply
It is also possible to arbitrarily change and embody the configuration of each part without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[Effect of the invention] Since this invention is configured as explained above,
Eliminating the need for a base sheet on which microcapsules are applied and a light-shielding cartridge for accommodating a photosensitive recording medium,
This has the excellent effect of reducing the running cost of the device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of an image recording apparatus embodying the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the image recording apparatus. 5... Exposure unit as exposure means, 13... Photoconductive sheet, 16... Charging corotron forming charging means, 17... Developing device forming storage means, 18.
・-Photosensitive toner based on microcapsules, 19
. . . Application roller constituting application means, 20 . . . Pressure developing device as developing means, 23 . . . Heat fixing device as fixing means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Charging means (16) for charging a photoconductive sheet (13), and exposing the charged photoconductive sheet (13) to a static image on the sheet (13). an exposure means (5) for forming an electrostatic latent image; a housing means (17) for housing microcapsules (18) containing a dye precursor and a photocurable resin; and a microcapsule (17) within the housing means (17). 18) onto the electrostatic latent image of the photoconductive sheet (13); and a photoconductive sheet (18) coated with the microcapsules (18).
13); and a fixing means (23) for fixing the developed image on the photoconductive sheet (13).