Image forming sheet, operating apparatus, image forming...

Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural physical display element control system – Display elements arranged in matrix

Reexamination Certificate

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C359S293000, C359S296000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06362807

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image forming sheet, an operating apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming method. More specifically, the present invention is directed to such an image forming sheet, an operating apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming method, capable of forming an image by applying either an electric filed or a magnetic field to an image forming layer, while no transparent electrode is used.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, the image forming apparatuses have been proposed in which the image forming sheets are detachably mounted on the drive apparatuses. These image forming sheets can be handled as “paper” (for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei. 2-25440 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei. 4-355786).
This one conventional image forming apparatus, as represented in
FIG. 9
, is arranged as follows: That is, the liquid crystal panel
50
A is detachably mounted on the drive apparatus
60
for selectively applying the voltages to the respective electrodes of this LCD panel
50
A. The LCD panel
50
A is equipped with the sheet-shape-arranged liquid crystal layer (not shown); a plurality of data electrodes positioned in the vicinity of one surface of this LCD layer, and in which a plurality of electrodes arranged along a preselected direction are arrayed in a preselected pitch (approximately 0.3 [mm]) along a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction; and furthermore, a plurality of scanning electrodes positioned in the vicinity of the other surface of this LCD layer, and in which a plurality of electrodes arranged along a preselected direction are arrayed in a preselected pitch (approximately 0.3 [mm]) along a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.
To externally observe images formed in this conventional image forming apparatus, a high-cost transparent electrode must be employed so as to construct any one of the data electrode layer and the scanning electrode layer.
Also, in order to mount the LCD panel
50
on the drive apparatus
60
, the respective electrode lines of the matrix electrode should be electrically Connected to the signal lines for the electrodes of the drive apparatus in a proper manner. However, as previously described, the pitch between the respective electrodes is set to approximately 0.3 [mm]. Under such a circumstance, it is practically difficult to correctly mount the LCD panel
50
A on the drive apparatus
60
in order that the respective electrode lines of the matrix electrode are properly connected to the signal lines for the electrodes employed in the drive apparatus. As a result, such an image forming apparatus that the LCD panel
50
A is detachably mounted on the drive apparatus
60
in the proper manner could constitute an ideal image forming apparatus. In other words, practically speaking, this image forming apparatus can be hardly realized.
Also, for example, another conventional image forming, apparatus has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,103 (Applicant: XEROX corporation). As indicated in
FIG. 10
, in this image forming apparatus, the image forming sheet
5
OB is detachably mounted on the drive apparatus (not shown) . This image forming sheet
50
B is constituted by the image forming layer
52
for rotatably storing a plurality of 2-color rotating member particles (not shown) into a sheet-shaped elastomer. These 2-color rotating member particles are painted in two colors, and the respective surface charges of these colors are different from each other. This image forming apparatus is further arranged by the data electrode layer
54
arranged on one side of this image forming apparatus
52
; the scanning electrode layer
56
arranged on the other side of this image forming apparatus
52
; and one pair of boards
59
and
60
for sandwiching these image forming apparatus
52
, data electrode layer
54
, and the scanning electrode layer
56
. It should be understood that in this image forming layer
52
of the image forming apparatus (see FIG.
10
), the surface resistances of the visible side surface and another side surface located opposite to this visible side surface are made equal to each other and also made large.
Similarly, in order to externally observe the image, any one of the visible sides of the data electrode layer
54
and the scanning electrode
56
must be made of the expensive transparent electrode layer. Alternatively, the image may be formed without such a transparent electrode layer. In this alternative case, the image forming condition cannot be confirmed. In other words, no confirmation can be made of the image unless the image is written into the image forming sheet
50
B, and this image forming sheet
50
B is derived from any one of the data electrode layer
54
and the scanning electrode layer
56
. This alternative image forming method may simply have the same function as a simple printer. Therefore, this alternative image forming method cannot achieve the merit of the detachable image forming apparatus, namely, the image forming sheet can be handled as paper.
On the other hand, the above-described drawback can be solved by such an image forming technique as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei. 6-35370, which is capable of hardly the image forming sheet. This conventional image forming technique is to form the image on the electrophoresis image forming display sheet, while the electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive member and the image is formed based on this electrostatic latent image. The protection plate having the transparent electrode layer is provided on the electrophoresis image display sheet on which the image is formed. In accordance with this prior art technique, the image forming sheet is made flexible, and therefore, this sheet can be handled as paper. However, in general, an easily-broken ITO is used as this transparent electrode. When this ITO image forming sheet is rounded, or roughly handled, this transparent electrode would be broken. Therefore, this transparent electrode must be made flexible. However, none of the conventional image forming techniques describes, or teaches this solution method.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve the above-explained drawbacks, and therefore, has an object to provide an image forming sheet, an operating apparatus, an image forming apparatus equipped with these image forming sheet and operating apparatus, and also, as image forming method, capable of confirming an image without employing a transparent electrode.
To achieve the above-described object, an image forming sheet, according to an aspect of the present invention, is featured by comprising a sheet-shaped image forming layer for forming thereon a visible image by being applied by any one of an electric field and a magnetic field and a pair of flexible films for supporting the image forming layer from both surface sides thereof without having an electrode, one of an electric resistance and a magnetic resistance of one flexible film being smaller than that of the other flexible film.
In this case, the image forming layer forms such a color image in response to the applied direction of the electric field, or the magnetic field. It should be noted that at least one of the paired films is made transparent.
Also, an operating apparatus, according to another aspect of the present invention, is featured by that either the electric field or the magnetic field is applied to the image forming sheet from the other film surface side in order to form the image thereon in response to the image data.
Then, an image forming apparatus, according to another aspect of the present invention, is featured by employing the above-explained image forming sheet and the above-described operating apparatus. It should be noted that the image forming sheet and the operating apparatus are detachably mounted.
Also, to form an image, a sheet-shaped im

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