JP2811795B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus using a TiO ₂ photoreceptor.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, there has been known an image recording apparatus that outputs a color image using a photosensitive paper formed by applying a TiO ₂ photoreceptor on aluminum (PET) (polyethylene terephthalate). This device utilizes the high resolution of a white and minute TiO ₂ photoreceptor and directly forms an image on the TiO ₂ photoreceptor with toner, so that an extremely good image quality is obtained.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, since special paper such as TiO ₂ photosensitive paper is used, it is impossible for a user to form an image on an arbitrary support such as plain paper or an OHP sheet.

For this reason, attempts have been made to form an image on various supports, for example, by forming a photosensitive drum using a TiO ₂ photoreceptor and using an ordinary electrophotographic image recording apparatus.

However, light fatigue occurs due to the characteristics of the TiO ₂ photoreceptor, and the TiO ₂ photoreceptor cannot be used many times, and the toner on the TiO ₂ cannot be sufficiently transferred to a support.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and has as its object to output a good image utilizing a white background of a TiO ₂ photoreceptor on an arbitrary support.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the image recording apparatus of the present invention uses Ti
A means for applying an O ₂ photoreceptor on a carrier, a means for charging the TiO ₂ photoreceptor, exposing, developing, and discharging to form an image and a photoreceptor on which the image is formed on an optional support Transfer means.

[Operation] In the image recording apparatus of the present invention having the above-described configuration, a TiO ₂ photoreceptor is applied to a carrier, an image is formed on the photoreceptor by an electrophotographic process, and the image is transferred to the TiO ₂ photoreceptor. An image can be output on the support.

Therefore, an image utilizing the white background of the TiO ₂ photoreceptor can be output to an arbitrary support, and image recording with good image quality can be obtained.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an image recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The device exterior 10 has an insertion port 11 and an outlet 12 for an arbitrary support.
Is provided. Inside, an exposure unit 20, an image forming unit 30, and a transfer / transport unit 50 are provided.

The exposure unit 20 includes a semiconductor laser 21 driven by image data to be copied, a polygon mirror 22 for scanning light emitted from the semiconductor laser 21, and a lens 23. In the image forming unit 30, units for processing various processes are arranged around a carrier drum 31 made of a conductor such as aluminum. That is, the TiO ₂ photoreceptor is powdered,
A TiO ₂ photoreceptor toner 32 whose charge is controlled by an organic dye or the like is stored in a toner case 33, and an application roller 34 is installed to face the support drum 31.

Further downstream, a charger 35 for applying a negative corona in the direction of rotation of the support drum 31, a developing device 36 mounted on a moving table 37 for wet developing three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan, a squeeze roller 38 and a static elimination lamp 39 are sequentially arranged.

The transfer transport unit 50 is configured as follows. Driving device that gives contact and detachment operations to and from carrier drum 31
The transfer roller 51 includes a transfer roller 51 including a transfer roller 51 and a counter electrode roller 55 that conveys a support 53 facing the transfer roller 51. The support 53 is held on a transport belt 54, and is driven by a guide roller 56 and the counter electrode roller 55.

The carrier drum 31 and the transfer roller 51 can be applied with a positive voltage and ground, and the counter electrode roller 55 is applied with a positive voltage.

 Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

This apparatus uses a TiO ₂ photosensitive toner 32 in the image forming unit 30.
After an image is formed on the transfer support unit 50
Basically, an operation of performing transfer to 53 is performed.

First, in the image forming unit 30, the TiO ₂ photoconductor toner 32 is negatively charged by frictional charging in the toner case 33, is rotated in the arrow direction while being held by the application roller 34, and has a carrier drum applied with 1 to 2 kV. When facing the toner 31, the toner flies to the carrying drum 31. 10 on the carrier drum 31
A TiO ₂ photoreceptor layer of about 15 μm is formed. Carrying drum
31 is grounded after the TiO ₂ photoreceptor 32 is electrostatically applied to a required area. Next, the TiO ₂ photoreceptor is uniformly charged negatively by the charger 35 before coming to the exposure unit 20. This unit 20
The semiconductor laser 21 emits light in accordance with an electric signal output from a control device (not shown), and the semiconductor laser 21 is scanned by the polygon mirror 22 so that the TiO ₂ on the support drum 31 is scanned.
An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoreceptor. The electrostatic latent image is a developer
Visualized by 36. Further, after the excess developer is removed by the squeeze roller 38, the residual potential is grounded by the discharging lamp. This embodiment is a full-color compatible machine, and forms a full-color image on a TiO ₂ photoreceptor by repeating an electrostatic image process of three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan.

Next, a negative corona is applied by the charger 35 to the developing layer and the TiO ₂ photoreceptor layer formed on the carrier drum 31, so that both layers are negatively charged. Transfer roller
51 is normally separated from the carrier drum 31 and the counter electrode roller 55 by the driving device 52, but is arranged to be in contact with both when image formation is completed, after the carrier drum 31 is grounded,
Since a positive voltage is applied to the transfer roller 51, when both rollers rotate at the same peripheral speed, the negatively charged developing layer and the TiO ₂
The photoconductor layer is transferred to the transfer roller 51. When the image is almost transferred onto the transfer roller 51, the transfer roller 51 is grounded,
Since a positive voltage is applied to the opposing electrode roller 55 with the support 53 interposed therebetween, the image is transferred onto the support 53 with the TiO ₂ photoreceptor layer as the optimized layer. The support 53 on which the image is formed is output from the outlet 12.

As described above, an image can be formed on any support using the TiO ₂ photoreceptor. In addition, the output image uses a method in which the whiteness of the TiO ₂ photoreceptor and the toner image formed on the photoreceptor are applied to the support together with the photoreceptor. Can be output.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above, according to the present invention, the white background of the TiO ₂ photoreceptor and the toner image formed on the photoreceptor are transferred to the support together with the photoreceptor. An image recording apparatus that forms a high-quality image on an arbitrary support can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment embodying the present invention, and are schematic sectional views of an image recording apparatus of the present invention. In the figure, 10 is the exterior of the image recording device, 20 is the exposure unit, 30 is the image forming unit, 32 is the TiO ₂ photoreceptor toner, 50 is
It is a transport unit.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A image recording apparatus of an electrophotographic method using a TiO ₂ photosensitive member charged to means and said TiO ₂ on the photosensitive member for coating the TiO ₂ on the photosensitive member to the support member, exposure, development, performs neutralization An image recording apparatus comprising: means for forming an image; and means for transferring the TiO ₂ photoreceptor on which the image has been formed to an arbitrary support.