JPH0315743B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a novel image recording method for recording both an optical image and an electrical information signal on the same recording medium.

Conventionally, as a method of combining and recording both an optical image and an electrical information signal on the same recording medium, an optical image exposure device and an electrical information signal such as an LED or a laser scanning device are placed around a drum-shaped photoreceptor. An exposure device for converting into an optical information signal is provided, and an optical image such as format information by an optical image exposure device is provided on the photoconductor which has been subjected to charging processing, and an exposure device for converting an electrical information signal described later into an optical information signal. Therefore, it is known to obtain a composite image by exposing an optical information signal such as a character pattern to form an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor, and then performing necessary development, transfer, and fixing.

This method uses plain paper as the recording paper and has excellent performance in that it can produce clear images. On the other hand, in this exposure method, in addition to performing negative exposure using the exposure section as the information section for the optical information signal, it is also necessary to perform optical image exposure to expose a negative image of the original based on a positive image original. For this purpose, an optical image original such as a format is first created into a negative image, the negative original is exposed to light on a photoreceptor, and then a laser scanning device or the like is used to negatively expose an information signal such as a character pattern to the blank area of the format. It is generally done at the location of

Therefore, in this method, in order to obtain a composite image of an optical image original such as a format and an electrical information signal such as a character pattern, the optical image original must be subjected to negative printing, and the time required for negative printing is required. for,
This not only lacks speed but also increases costs.

Furthermore, in this method, in order to record a large number of identical images, it is necessary to repeat the entire process for each recording. Therefore, no matter how many copies of the same image are produced, the cost per copy does not become cheaper.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides an image recording method that does not require negative copying of an optical image original when recording a composite image of an optical image and an electrical information signal on recording paper. The purpose is to

Another object of the present invention is to obtain a plurality of recorded materials by forming a latent image once.

Another object of the present invention is to use plain paper as recording paper and to obtain clear images on the plain paper.

The object of the present invention is to perform optical image exposure using a conventional positive image on a photoreceptor having sustained photoconductivity and heat release, and then respond with an electrical information signal by a thermal energy application means such as a thermal head. By applying a thermal energy pattern, the highly conductive state (uncharged state) of the exposed area caused by the above-mentioned image exposure is thermally released according to the thermal energy pattern, resulting in a low conductive state almost equivalent to that of the unexposed area. (charging state), thereby forming a conductive pattern latent image corresponding to a composite image of the optical image and electrical information signal, and further discharging the photoreceptor surface on which the conductive pattern latent image is formed using a corona discharger. The electrostatic latent image is charged with a toner, etc. to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the composite image, and then this electrostatic latent image is developed with a one-component or two-component toner, and transferred and fixed onto recording paper. It will be achieved.

The details of the present invention will be explained below based on the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of the basic configuration of a photoreceptor used in the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a photoreceptor,
1a is a photoconductive layer with sustained photoconductive and thermal release properties, 1b is a conductive substrate.

The photoreceptor 1 may have a belt-like or drum-like form, and the material of the conductive substrate can be arbitrarily selected depending on the shape.

The photoconductive layer 1a is a layer of a photoconductive material that is persistently photoconductive and thermally releasable. The term "sustained photoconductivity" as used herein refers to a phenomenon in which conductivity and chargeability change due to light irradiation, and the state in which the conductivity and chargeability have changed persists for a certain period of time or more even after the light is shut off. This refers to a phenomenon in which the excited state formed by light irradiation is released by heating or infrared irradiation, and the conductivity and chargeability return to the dark state.

The photoconductive material should be one that has a duration of photoconductivity that is sufficiently longer than the expected image recording time, and in terms of heat release properties, it should be able to withstand heat at approximately 60°C or above, taking into account the temperature inside the device and the heating device. A photoconductive material that exhibits release properties is preferred. Photoconductive materials exhibiting such sustained photoconductivity and heat release properties include zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, polyvinyl carbazoles, and the like. These photoconductive materials contain dyes for sensitization.
A sensitizer such as an acid may also be included. Typical sensitizing dyes include triphenylmethane, cyanine,
Examples include xanthene pigments. Typical sensitizing acids include quinones, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid anhydrides, and phenols.

Dispersed photoconductive materials such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are dispersed in a ball mill in binders such as polyester resins, acrylic resins, silicone resins, alkyd resins, epoxy resins, urethane resins, butadiene-styrene resins, imide resins, and silicone-butadiene resins. It is used as a photoreceptor after being dispersed by a dispersion means such as a machine or an ultrasonic dispersion machine.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of an apparatus for implementing the image recording method of the present invention, in which 1 is a photoreceptor, 2 is an optical image exposure device, 3 is a thermal head that generates heat in response to an information signal, and 4 is a conductive head. A charging corotron for forming an electrostatic latent image from a pattern latent image; 5 a developing device; 6 a developing device 5 for transferring the toner image formed on the photoreceptor 1 onto recording paper (plain paper) 9; 7 is a transfer corotron, and 7 is a fixing device.

8 is a cleaning device for removing residual toner on the photoreceptor 1; 10 is a recovery corotron for recovering the entire surface of the photoconductive layer 1a on which a conductive pattern is formed to the low conductivity state in the dark;
11 is a corotron for static elimination.

Corotron 10 for recovery, Corotron 11 for static elimination
The optical image exposure device 2 performs positive exposure of a first format original (for example, C-line, etc.) on the photoreceptor 1, which has low conductivity and has been neutralized, and the thermal head 3 performs positive exposure of a second original (for example, A composite latent image is formed on the photoreceptor 1 through two processes: application of thermal energy corresponding to information (numbers, letters, etc.).

How a latent image is formed on the photoreceptor 1 through these two processes will be explained.

For the photoconductive layer 1a of the photoreceptor 1 used in the present invention, a photoconductive material having sustained photoconductive properties and heat release properties is used. Therefore, the conductivity (ρ _L ) of the portion of the photoconductive layer 1a that is irradiated with light by image exposure by the optical image exposure device 2 increases compared to the conductivity (ρ _D ) of the portion that is not irradiated with light. Moreover, the state in which the electrical conductivity has changed is sufficiently maintained within the time period when the film is sent to the developing device 4.

By this operation, a conductive pattern of a positive image of, for example, a format (key line, etc.) original based on the Pon image original, with the low conductivity (ρ _D ) state as the information part, is formed.

On the other hand, a photoconductive layer 1a is applied with thermal energy according to information such as a character pattern by a thermal head 3.
Due to the thermal decomposition property of the photoconductive layer, the high conductivity (ρ _L ) state caused by light irradiation is restored to the dark state (ρ _D ). This state of electrical conductivity (ρ _D ) is also maintained until development, similar to the electrical conductivity (ρ _L ) caused by light irradiation.

By this operation, a low conductivity (ρ _D ) state formed by the above-mentioned image exposure is placed in a predetermined position of the conductive pattern of the positive image with the information part as a low conductivity state according to an electrical information signal such as a character pattern. A pattern of rate (ρ _D ) is added.

As a result, a composite latent image is formed on the photoreceptor 1 by an optical image consisting of a conductive pattern with the low conductivity (ρ _D ) portion as an information portion and an electrical information signal.

Next, the photoreceptor 1 is irradiated with corona ions by the charging corotron 4. The low conductivity (ρ _D ) portion of the photoreceptor 1 retains charge, while the high conductivity (ρ _L ) portion is not charged due to its high conductivity.
As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the conductive pattern latent image is formed.

The polarity of charging depends on the charging characteristics of the photoconductive material used in the photoreceptor, and the polarity dependence of the recovery performance of the photoconductive material from a sustained photoconductive state to a low conductivity (ρ _D ) state in the dark due to corona irradiation. It is determined accordingly.

For example, a photoreceptor using a ZnO dispersed photoconductive material hardly recovers when exposed to positive corona irradiation, but quickly recovers when exposed to negative corona irradiation. Therefore, although the charging property is inferior to that of negative corona irradiation, a better electrostatic latent image is formed when positive corona irradiation is performed. Charging means that can be used in the image recording method of the present invention include, in addition to the above-mentioned corona charging method, a charging method by rubbing with a conductive fur brush or the like to which a bias is applied.

The photoreceptor 1 on which the electrostatic latent image has been formed is then developed by a developing device 5, and a toner image is formed on the photoreceptor 1. Furthermore, this toner image is transferred to the transfer device 6.
The image is transferred onto a recording paper (plain paper) 9 by a printer, and then fixed by a fixing device 7.

Developing devices that can be used in the image recording method of the present invention include all developing devices whose purpose is to develop an electrostatic latent image.

The toner used in the image recording method of the present invention can have a wide range of specific resistance values, from conductive toners to insulating toners, and is not particularly limited by the specific resistance value; In order to obtain a clear transferred image on a conductive paper as a recording paper, it is preferable to use a toner having a relatively high resistance.

The transfer means used in the image recording method of the present invention includes means known as electrophotographic methods, such as a corotron method, a bias roll method, a pressure transfer method, and a thermal transfer method.

On the other hand, the photoreceptor 1 that has completed the transfer is subsequently sent to a cleaning device 8. Cleaning means that can be used in the image recording method of the present invention include a brush cleaning device, a magnetic brush cleaning device, a blade cleaning device, and a web cleaning device. There are devices etc.

Following the completion of cleaning of the photoreceptor 1, the conductivity state of the photoconductive layer 1a is determined by the low conductivity in the dark (ρ _D ).
In order to recover the state, negative polarity corona ions are irradiated by the recovery corotron 10.

The photoconductive layer 1a used in the present invention has sustained photoconductivity, and the sustained photoconductivity is generally longer than the image recording cycle. Therefore, even after development and transfer cleaning are completed, the conductive pattern generated during image exposure and thermal energy application is maintained on the photoreceptor 1, and this conductive pattern is erased and darkened before moving on to a new image recording cycle. It is necessary to restore the low conductivity (ρ _D ) state.

In addition to the above-mentioned negative polar corona ion irradiation, recovery to the low conductivity state can also be achieved by heating the photoconductive layer using the heat release property of the photoconductive layer used in the present invention. be done. In this case, in addition to installing a new heating device such as a heat roll or an oven heater at the location of the recovery corotron 10, the thermal head 3, which serves as a means for applying thermal energy in response to an electrical information signal, may also be used as a heating means for full-scale recovery. It is possible.

Next, the photoreceptor 1 is neutralized by a static eliminating corotron so that its surface potential becomes approximately 0V. Due to this charge removal, the effective developing voltage applied to the latent image can always be kept at a constant value. In addition to corona ion irradiation, rubbing with a conductive fur brush or the like is used as a static eliminating means.

With the above steps, one cycle of composite image recording is completed.

It is clear from the above description that the image recording apparatus according to the image recording method of the present invention can be used only for optical copying or only for electrical information recording.

Next, a case will be described in which the same image is recorded on a plurality of sheets by forming a conductive pattern latent image once.

The operation for forming a conductive pattern latent image on the photoreceptor 1 is no different from that described above. The difference from the case where a new conductive pattern latent image is formed every cycle is that the recovery corotron 10 as a conductive pattern erase recovery means is not operated until the desired number of cycles are completed, and The optical image exposure device 2 and the thermal head 3, which are conductive pattern latent image forming means, are not operated during the cycle.

As a result, even in the second and subsequent cycles, 1
The conductive pattern formed during the second cycle is maintained, and therefore, the same electrostatic latent image as the first cycle is formed after the charging process, and then development, transfer, cleaning, and static elimination are repeated. By forming a conductive pattern latent image once, a plurality of recorded images can be obtained.

In this case, in place of the corotron, which generates negative polar corona ions that adversely affect the maintenance of the conductive pattern, a bias roller transfer means, a conductive fur brush static elimination means, etc. are used as the transfer and static elimination means, so that the same conductivity can be removed. The number of sheets recorded from the latent image of the sexual pattern can be increased.

If multiple sheets of latent image of the same conductive pattern are not to be recorded, a uniform exposure device 12 may be used in place of static eliminating means such as an alternating current (AC) corona discharger, as shown in FIG. is also possible.
In this case, uniform exposure brings the entire surface into a state of high conductivity (ρ _L ), and the charged charges are removed.
At the same time, the conductive pattern latent image also disappears.

Next, an example of the image recording method according to the present invention will be described.

Example 1 ZnO powder (manufactured by Sakai Chemical Co., Ltd., SFF-100) 80 parts by weight Rethane (manufactured by Kansai Paint Co., Ltd., urethane resin)
20 〃 Rose Bengal 0.1 〃 Leucomalachite Green 0.1 〃 Ethyl acetate 10 〃 Toluene 40 〃 After dispersing the above ingredients in a ball mill for 3 hours, the dispersion was coated on conductive treated paper with a dry thickness.
It was coated to a thickness of about 15 μm, dried by heating at 150° C. for 2 hours, and then left in a dark place overnight to prepare a photoreceptor.

After exposing the image of a positive original to this photoreceptor using a reflection exposure device, an image signal was applied to the photoconductor using a thermal head for a XEROX485 telecopier so that the heat application section became the information section, and a composite image was created. A conductive pattern was formed.

Next, while grounding the conductive treated paper of this photoreceptor, a +
When positive charging was performed using a corotron discharger to which a voltage of 7KV was applied, the surface potential of the non-exposed area and the area to which thermal energy was applied was approximately 300V, and the surface potential of the exposed area and the area to which thermal energy was not applied was approximately 20V. An electrolatent image was formed.

Next, it is developed using a one-component magnetic brush developer using a high-resistivity magnetic toner with a resistivity of 10 ¹⁵ Ωcm.Next, plain paper is placed on the photoreceptor on which the toner image has been formed, and the surface is +6. When positive corona irradiation was performed using a corotron discharger to which a voltage of 5KV was applied, a clear composite image of the positive original and image signal was formed on the surface of plain paper without toner scattering around the image, and the subsequent thermal fixing Therefore, an image density (measured with a Macbeth reflection type densitometer) of 1.2 or higher was obtained.

Example 2 After cleaning the photoreceptor with a magnetic brush after development and transfer in Example 1, negative corona irradiation was performed to erase the conductive pattern latent image, followed by AC corona irradiation to reduce the surface potential of the photoreceptor to approximately 0V. Irradiation was carried out.

Next, when the positive original and image signal were changed and the same image exposure, heat application, charging, development, transfer, and fixing as in Example 1 were performed, a new composite positive image of the positive original and image signal was created on plain paper. Obtained clearly.

Example 3 After imagewise exposing an original image using a reflection exposure device using the photoreceptor used in Example 1, charging, development, transfer, and fixing were performed in the same manner as in Example 1. As a result, an image was formed on plain paper. A clear copy image corresponding to the original was obtained.

Example 4 After the entire surface of the photoreceptor used in Example 1 was exposed to light using an exposure device, heat was applied according to the image signal using the thermal head described in Example 1, and then the photoreceptor was exposed in the same manner as in Example 1. When charging, development, transfer and fixing were performed, a clear image corresponding to the image signal was obtained on plain paper.

Example 5 Using the photoreceptor described in Example 1, a first recorded material was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1.

Next, the photoreceptor after the toner image transfer was cleaned with a magnetic brush, and then the surface of the photoreceptor was rubbed with a conductive fur brush to which a bias voltage was applied, and the surface potential of the photoreceptor was adjusted to about 0V. When this photoreceptor was immediately charged, developed, transferred and fixed in the same manner as the first time, a composite image of the same quality as the original recording material was obtained on plain paper.

As described above, the present invention provides an image recording method that does not require negative copying of an optical image original when forming a composite image of an optical image and an electrical information signal. The disadvantages of speed and economy due to the necessity of negative copying are eliminated, and a clear composite image can be obtained on plain paper.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a plurality of sheets of recorded matter by forming a latent image once, so that image recording costs can be reduced.

In the above embodiments, a thermal head was used as an example of the thermal energy applying means, but a laser,
Similar results can be obtained using thermal energy such as an infrared lamp.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a photoreceptor used in the method of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams of an example of an apparatus used in the image recording method of the present invention. Symbols in the figure; 1... photoreceptor; 1a... photoconductive layer;
1b... conductive substrate; 2... optical image exposure device;
3... Heat head; 4... Charging corotron; 5...
... Developing device; 6... Corotron for transfer; 7... Fixing device; 8... Cleaning device; 9... Recording paper; 10... Corotron for recovery; 11... Corotron for static elimination; 12... Uniform exposure lamp .

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A photoreceptor having sustained photoconductive properties and heat release properties is irradiated with a light image of a first original, and then an image-like thermal signal or thermal energy corresponding to a second original is applied to the photoreceptor, thereby forming a low conductive part and a high conductive part. a step of forming a composite latent image of a first document and a second document consisting of sexual parts; a step of charging a photoreceptor on which the composite latent image is formed to form an electrostatic latent image; A process of developing the photoconductor on which is formed with toner, a process of transferring the toner image formed on the photoconductor onto recording paper, and a low conductivity portion and a high conductivity portion held on the photoconductor. An image synthesis recording method characterized by comprising the steps of erasing a latent image consisting of and removing static from a photoreceptor.