JPH0510664B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to a recording method using a photoconductive toner, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a recording method using a photoconductive toner. It relates to a recording method in which a single toner layer is uniformly and reliably formed on the surface of a substrate by adhering the toner to a substrate, thereby obtaining a good visible image.

Prior Art In a recording method using photoconductive toner,
It is most important to uniformly and reliably form a toner layer on the image forming surface in order to obtain a good visible image. The conventional recording method involves applying a bias potential to a conductive substrate 100 as shown in FIG.
Toner 101 which has been charged in advance by polishing
There is known a method in which the particles are transferred via a magnet roll 102, which is a counter electrode of the substrate 100 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 68233/1983). According to this method, the toner is coated on the surface of the substrate by the hopper 103.
It has a two-stage structure in which the toner inside is once held by the magnet roll 102 via a magnetic carrier and then transferred to the surface of the substrate. Therefore, the toner layer may not be uniformly and reliably formed on the surface of the substrate.

In addition, a magnet 104 is attached to the back side as shown in FIG.
A recording method is known in which a photoconductive magnetic toner 106 is magnetically attracted to the surface of a conductive substrate 105 having a conductive substrate 105 to form a uniform, single-layer toner layer on the surface of the substrate (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1983-1999). 125767). According to this method, the shape of the magnetic flux lines produced by the magnet 104 on the back surface of the base changes every moment as the base 105 rotates. Therefore, due to the interaction between the magnetic force of the magnet 104 and the magnetic force of the magnetic toner 106, so-called spikes of magnets occur near the surface of the substrate. This also causes an electrostatic latent image formed by uniform charging of the toner and imagewise exposure to be exposed.

In addition, photoconductive powder toner is adhered and held onto a conductive rubber substrate having elasticity and roughness by Van der Waals force or adhesive force, and then this toner is charged with a polishing charging plate or the like. A recording method is known in which the image is then exposed and transferred (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 1983-1999).
No. 39750). However, in this method, since the surface of the conductive substrate is made rough, there is a risk that the toner layer will not be formed uniformly and in a single layer.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a recording method in which a toner layer is uniformly and reliably formed on a substrate, thereby obtaining a good visible image.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a recording method in which the toner layer is formed into a substantially single layer, thereby providing a good visible image. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a recording method that can selectively obtain either a positive image or a negative image of an optical image.

Summary of the Invention The recording method of the present invention includes (1) a step of polishing and charging photoconductive powder toner to a predetermined polarity, and (2) having a grounded conductive blade near the surface as a counter electrode. (3) adsorbing the charged toner onto the substrate and uniformly covering the surface of the substrate with a toner layer; (4) a step of exposing the toner layer with a light image; (5) a step of injecting the bias charge of the substrate into the toner which has become conductive through the exposure to form an electrostatic latent image; and (6) a step of forming an electrostatic latent image. The method includes the step of transferring toner having one polarity of charge among the toners on the surface of the substrate onto a transfer sheet by a transfer charger, thereby achieving the above object.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below based on examples and with reference to the drawings.

According to the recording method of the present invention, first, as shown in FIG. It has a charge of . On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, a bias potential is applied to the conductive substrate 2, and the charged toner 1
It is charged with the opposite polarity to 1. A conductive blade 3 is arranged near the surface of the base body 2, for example, at the hopper 1, with a predetermined gap therebetween as a counter electrode. This conductive blade 3 is grounded. An electric field is generated between the base 2 and the blade 3 so that the charged toner 11 is directed toward the base 2. Base body 2
When the charged toner 11 is supplied from above to the surface of the substrate, the charged toner 11 adheres uniformly and reliably to the surface of the substrate. Although the strength of the electric field rapidly decreases due to the shielding effect in the area where the toner 11 adheres and a toner layer is formed, the toner layer continues to be formed on the base 2 by relatively moving the base 2.

The toner layer on the substrate 2 is then exposed to a light image by an optical system 4, as shown in FIG. The exposed toner 12 acquires conductivity and loses its charge through the substrate 2, but also receives an injection of bias charge from the substrate 2. In this way, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the substrate 2.

Next, as shown in FIG.
By performing corona discharge, the sheet 5 is charged to a polarity opposite to that of the unexposed charged toner 11. Toner 11 is transferred onto sheet 5. A toner image, which is a positive optical image, is obtained on the sheet 5. When the sheet 5 is charged with the same polarity as the unexposed charged toner 11 by the charger 6, a negative optical image is obtained on the sheet 5.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a recording apparatus suitable for continuously carrying out the above steps of the present invention. Hopper 1
are made of Teflon or are coated with a suitable electrically insulating material. The toner 10 accommodated here is charged by polishing. The charging polarity of the toner 10 is determined depending on the polishing charging series between the toner and the hopper. When the hopper is made of Teflon, the toner is generally polarized. A bias potential is applied to the conductive base drum 2, and the conductive base drum 2 is charged to have a polarity opposite to that of the toner 11 charged by polishing. The base body 2 is made of, for example, an inexpensive and easily moldable metal such as aluminum. The conductive blade 3 is provided on the hopper 1 with a predetermined gap from the surface of the base 2. This blade 3 is grounded,
It also functions as a counter electrode for the base 2. An electric field is generated in the vicinity of the base 2 and the blade 3 so that the charged toner 11 is directed toward the base 2. Therefore, the charged toner 11 is attracted to the surface of the base 2 and strongly adheres thereto. Since the base body 2 is rotating in the direction of the arrow, a toner layer is sequentially and uniformly formed on the surface of the toner layer, and the toner layer is conveyed to the base body 2. The toner layer is then exposed with a light image by the imaging optics 4. Then, the exposed toner 12 of the toner 11 constituting the toner layer gains conductivity and loses its retained charge through the substrate 2. This toner 12
further receives charge of opposite polarity from the base 2 and becomes polarized. While transferring the transfer sheet 5 in the direction of the arrow, the toner 11 is transferred by the transfer charger 6.
When the toner 11 is charged to the opposite polarity, the unexposed charged toner 11 is transferred onto the sheet 5 and a positive optical image is obtained. A copy image is obtained by fixing this onto the sheet 5 using a heat roller 7 made of Teflon or the like. Toner 11 for sheet 5
When the toner 12 is charged to the same polarity as the sheet 5, the toner 12 is transferred onto the sheet 5 and a negative optical image is obtained.

The toner is not limited to a single color such as black. It goes without saying that color copies can be obtained by coloring the toner in three primary colors and creating a mixed system consisting of a photoconductive material having a photosensitivity spectrum corresponding to each color. The toner used in the present invention does not need to be particularly new; for example, it may contain 3 parts by weight of phthalocyanine as a charge-generating pigment, 18 parts by weight of polyester resin as a binding resin, and 4-nitrochloride as a sensitizer. - 1 part by weight of phthalic anhydride. Examples of known antiblocking agents for toner include silica, alumina, and talc, and appropriate amounts thereof are added as needed.

Effects of the Invention According to the recording method of the present invention, a grounded conductive blade is disposed as a counter electrode of a conductive substrate to which a bias potential having a polarity opposite to the charged polarity of the toner is applied. During this time, an electric field is generated that directs the charged toner toward the substrate. Due to the action of this electric field, toner adheres to the substrate surface,
Although the strength of the electric field rapidly decreases in the area where the toner layer is formed due to the shielding effect, by moving the substrate relative to the blade, toner continues to adhere to the substrate and a toner layer is formed.

As a result, a thin toner layer is uniformly and reliably formed on the substrate, thereby providing a good visible image. Furthermore, since a bias potential is applied to the substrate to inject charges of opposite polarity into the exposed toner, it is extremely simple to simply provide a grounded conductive blade near the surface of the substrate. The above effect can be obtained. Further, by selecting the polarity when charging the transfer sheet with a transfer charger, either a positive image or a negative image of the optical image can be selectively obtained on the transfer sheet.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are schematic front views of a recording apparatus to which a conventional recording method is applied, FIGS. 3 to 6 are process diagrams illustrating an example of the recording method of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of a recording apparatus to which a conventional recording method is applied. 1 is a schematic front view showing an example of a recording device to which the recording method is applied. 1... Hopper, 2... Conductive base, 3... Conductive blade, 3G... Conductive magnetic blade, 4
...Optical system, 5... Transfer sheet, 6... Transfer charger, 8... Magnet, 10... Photoconductive powder toner, 11, 11G... Charged toner, 12, 12
G...Exposure toner.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. (a) triboelectrically charging photoconductive powder toner to a predetermined polarity, and (b) biasing a conductive substrate having a grounded conductive blade near its surface as a counter electrode. a step of applying a potential to charge the substrate to a polarity opposite to that of the charged toner; (c) adsorbing the charged toner onto the substrate to uniformly cover the surface of the substrate with a toner layer; (d) a step of uniformly covering the surface of the substrate with a toner layer; (e) injecting the bias charge of the substrate into the toner which has become conductive through the exposure to form an electrostatic latent image; (f) forming an electrostatic latent image of the toner on the surface of the substrate; A recording method using a photoconductive toner, comprising the steps of: transferring a toner having an electric charge of one of the polarities onto a transfer sheet using a transfer charger.