JPS6059592B2 - Recording method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a recording method belonging to electrophotography for obtaining multicolor recorded images on plain paper.

In most conventional electrophotographic methods, a photoreceptor is charged with corona and toner is attached using changes in the charging potential caused by light irradiation.

Therefore, in order to obtain a multicolor image or a color image using toners of a plurality of colors, a cycle of corona charging, exposure, development, toner image transfer, and cleaning must be performed for each color toner. For this reason, the equipment is extremely complex, with the paper moving back and forth to obtain a recorded image, the developing machine containing toner of each color changing places, and the photoreceptor moving to the developing position. required high precision. For this reason, devices for multicolor recording or color recording have problems such as large size and high device cost, and have not been widely used in various fields. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method that can be simplified compared to conventional devices that require complicated device configurations and highly accurate movements.

First, the basic principle of this invention will be explained.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a photoreceptor used in the present invention, and the photoreceptor 1 is composed of an insulating layer 2, an optical semiconductor layer 3, a transparent conductive layer 4, and a transparent support 5. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the distribution of charges and toner charges inside the photoreceptor 1 due to light irradiation.

The photoreceptor 1 is in contact with a magnetic brush developing device 30 via the toner 6, and the conductive magnet 7 is connected to a power source 8 to which a negative charge is applied. Here, the part narrowed by the broken line in the figure is irradiated with light L according to the original pattern, and the light L entering from the transparent support 5 is transmitted through the transparent conductive layer 4 to the optical semiconductor layer. Reach 3. Accordingly, in a dark place, the optical semiconductor layer 3, which is an insulator, becomes conductive.
Positive charges advance into the optical semiconductor layer 3 near the insulator layer 2. On the other hand, the charges in the portion corresponding to the optical semiconductor layer 3 placed in a dark place do not enter the optical semiconductor layer 3 from the transparent conductive layer 4 and remain there. Next, the light irradiation is interrupted, and then the photoreceptor 1 is separated from the toner 6 on the magnetic brush developing device 30. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the charge distribution of the photoreceptor 1 including the light-irradiated portion a of the optical semiconductor layer 3 that has been irradiated with light, and the toner image 9.

Here, positive charges remain in the vicinity of the insulator layer 2 of the optical semiconductor layer 3 that has been irradiated with light, and a toner image is formed on the insulator layer 2 correspondingly, and in the toner image 9 A negative charge is present. On the other hand, no charge remains in the areas that are not irradiated with light, and toner 6 does not adhere to them. Figure 4 is paper 1
2 is a cross-sectional view showing a process of transferring a toner image 9 onto a toner image 9, and a diagram showing its charge distribution.

A back electrode 10 is present on the back side of the paper 12, and a positive voltage is applied by a power source 11. Further, the photoreceptor 1 is uniformly irradiated with light from a light source 13 from the transparent support 5 side. Therefore, the optical semiconductor layer 3 becomes conductive, and negative charges advance to the vicinity of the insulator layer 2. On the other hand, since the toner image 9 has a negative charge, a repulsive force is generated between the toner image 9 and the photoreceptor 1, and the toner image 9 is attracted toward the paper 12 by the back electrode 10. Therefore, at the moment when the photoreceptor 1 separates from the paper 12, almost all of the toner image 9 is transferred to the paper 12, forming the toner image 9 on the paper 12. The toner image 9 transferred to the paper 12 in this manner is fixed by various fixing methods (not shown) used in ordinary electrophotography to form a final image.

On the other hand, as the distance from the back electrode 10 increases, the effect of the electric field of the back electrode 10 on the photoreceptor 1 decreases.

Even when the influence of this electric field disappears, it remains a light source. 13
When the photoreceptor 1 is irradiated with light, as shown in FIG.
The whole becomes ground potential. Thereafter, the photoreceptor 1 returns to the process shown in FIG. 2 and is reused. Although the magnetic brush developing device 30 is used here as a toner supplying device, it can also be used in electrophotography and the like. Other developing methods and toners used therein can also be used, and in addition to powder toners, toners for liquid development can also be used. Furthermore, a magnetic brush developing machine 30
Although the polarities of the voltages applied to the back electrode 10 were negative and positive, respectively, the recording method of the present invention can be similarly used even if these polarities are reversed. In addition, in the process shown in FIG. 4, light irradiation was performed by the light source 13, but if a photoreceptor exhibiting rectifying properties is used at the interface between the optical semiconductor layer 3 and the transparent conductive layer 4 shown in FIG. can be omitted. A photoreceptor exhibiting this rectifying property is known from Japanese Patent Publication No. 43-24748 and the like, and the present invention can be manufactured by making the support of this photoreceptor transparent. In this case, charges exist in the photosemiconductor layer 3 near the insulator layer 2 of the photoreceptor 1 that is reused in FIG. The problem is eliminated by using toner 6 that is charged to the same polarity as . Next, the configuration of a recording apparatus using the recording method of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG.

Figure 6 shows an apparatus for monochromatic recording, in which the photoreceptor 1
is formed in the shape of a drum, and includes a light source 15 in which a large number of light emitting diodes 14 are arranged, a lens 16 that images the light source 15 onto the optical semiconductor layer 3, a light source 13, and a reflector 17 for the light source 15 inside the drum-shaped photoreceptor 1. is set up.

Further, 18 is a toner supply device, and 26 is a pressure fixing device.
Next, this operation will be explained.

The portion of the photoreceptor 1 in contact with the magnetic brush developing device 30 is selectively irradiated with light from the inside, and a toner image 9 is formed on the drum-shaped photoreceptor 1 that rotates counterclockwise accordingly.

Next, the portion of the photoreceptor 1 in contact with the paper 12 is irradiated with light from the inside by the light source 13, and the toner image 9 is transferred onto the paper 12 within the electric field generated by the back electrode 10. This allows paper 12
A toner image 9 is transferred thereon and then fixed by a pressure fixing device 26 . On the other hand, the photoreceptor 1 further rotates, comes into contact with the magnetic brush developing device 30 again, and is used for recording again. Here, a light emitting diode 14 was used as a light source, but
It is also possible to use a method in which a scanning laser beam or an optical image of the original is guided using a mirror and a lens. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus for forming images using toners of three different colors.

The toner supply devices 18 of the three magnetic brush developing machines 31, 32, 33 contain toners 20, 21, 22 of different colors, respectively.

Furthermore, the portions where each of the magnetic brush developing devices 31, 32, and 33 come into contact with the photoreceptor 1 are configured so that light from the light emitting diode 14 can be irradiated from inside the drum-shaped photoreceptor 1. The toner 20 is in contact with the magnetic brush developing device 31.
A toner image 23 is formed. The photoreceptor 1, which rotates counterclockwise, forms a toner image 24 with toner 21 at the part where it comes into contact with the magnetic brush developing machine 32, and further forms a toner image 24 with the toner 22 at the part where it comes into contact with the magnetic brush developing machine 33. The image 25 forms three types of toner images 23,
24 and 25 are formed on the photoreceptor 1. After this, paper 12
The toner images 23, 24, and 25 are irradiated with light by the light source 13 at the portions in contact with the toner images 23, 24, and 25, and are transferred to the paper 12 by the electric field created by the back electrode 10. Here, the polarities of the toners 20, 21, 22 and the back electrode 10 are opposite, but each voltage is arbitrary, and the toners 20, 21, 22 are used under different conditions. Toner images 23, 24, 2 transferred to this paper 12
5 is fixed in the same manner as in the example of FIG. On the other hand, photoreceptor 1
Before reaching the magnetic brush developing device 31, the toner of each color remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 1 is removed by a cleaner 19.

Further, if the surface of the insulating layer 2 on the photoreceptor 1 is charged due to various types of friction, a static eliminator may be installed. The photoreceptor 1 that has passed through such a process as necessary comes into contact with the magnetic brush developing device 31 again, and is subsequently reused in the same manner. As explained above, the recording method of the present invention uses a photoreceptor in which a transparent conductive layer, an optical semiconductor layer, and an insulating layer are sequentially provided on a transparent support, and a voltage is applied between the toner supply device and the transparent conductive layer. is applied, and while a voltage is applied, selected light is irradiated onto the optical semiconductor layer from the transparent support side, a toner image is formed on the insulating layer corresponding to the light irradiation, and a voltage of opposite polarity is applied. The toner is applied to the back side of the paper to transfer the toner image onto the paper and erase the charge image remaining in the photosemiconductor layer, and then the toner is selectively attached to the photoconductor without requiring corona charging. This has the advantage that it is possible to do so, and that a relatively simple configuration can be achieved.

For this reason, in the case of a multicolor recording device, the paper used in conventional electrophotography using corona charging must be moved back and forth, and the developing machine containing toner of each color must be moved to the position where the photoreceptor is developed. In contrast, the recording method of the present invention has the advantage that it does not have such complications, can have a very simple device configuration, and can only perform rotational motion. be. Furthermore, in this invention, since there is an insulating layer on the photosemiconductor layer, there is no direct contact between the toner and the opposite charges in the photosemiconductor layer, which prevents image loss and uneven development due to increased development time. There are benefits that do not arise.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the photoreceptor used in this invention, Figure 2 is a sectional view of the magnetic brush developing machine and the photoreceptor, Figure 3 is a sectional view of the photoreceptor having a toner image, and Figure 4 is a sectional view of the photoreceptor. FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the process of transferring the toner image of the invention, FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the photoreceptor after the toner image has been transferred, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are configuration diagrams showing the apparatus for carrying out the invention. be.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Using a photoreceptor in which a transparent conductive layer, a photosemiconductor layer, and an insulating layer are sequentially provided on a transparent support, a voltage is applied between a toner supply device and the transparent conductive layer, and the voltage is applied. irradiating selected light onto the photosemiconductor layer from the transparent support side to form a toner image on the insulating layer corresponding to the light irradiation, and then bringing the toner image into contact with paper; , applying a voltage opposite in polarity to the voltage applied between the toner supply device and the transparent conductive layer to the back side of the paper, transferring the toner image onto the paper and transferring the photo-semiconductor. A recording method characterized by erasing a charge image remaining in a layer.