Incremental printing of symbolic information – Electric marking apparatus or processes – Electrostatic
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-02
2001-06-26
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Electric marking apparatus or processes
Electrostatic
C347S128000, C399S159000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06252620
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus and an image recording method which are used for a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile and so forth.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
An electrophotographic process which is an image forming technology of a conventional copying machine and also a printer is applied universally. The Carlson method (Xerography) which is representative process thereof needs six manufacturing processes of a charging, an exposure, a development, a transfer, a fixing, and a cleaning. An electrophotographic process instead of the Carlson method as a simplified electrophotographic process is disclosed in which charging of a photoreceptor is unnecessary, and implementing the exposure, the development, and transfer at the same time, in regard of the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 9-204092 by the inventors of the present invention.
The electrophotographic process disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 9-204092 is described referring to the drawing.
FIG. 1
is a view for explaining a printing section of the conventional image recording apparatus schematically. According to
FIG. 1
, the image recording apparatus comprises a multi-hole photoreceptor
100
constituted in such a way that a transparent conductive layer
2
, and a photoconductive layer
3
, are laminated on a transparent supporting structure
1
, and a multi-hole layer
4
on which an electrode layer
5
is formed with a plurality of penetrated holes is laminated on the surface of the photoconductive layer
3
, an electrode member which is not illustrated for holding conductive colored particles
6
on the surface, which electrode member is arranged so as to be opposite to the multi-hole photoreceptor
100
through a gap, a power supply
21
for applying voltage in between the transparent conductive layer
2
and the electrode layer
5
, a power supply which is not illustrated for applying voltage in between the transparent conductive layer
2
and the electrode member, an opposite electrode
8
arranged so as to be opposite to the multi-hole photoreceptor
100
inserting a gap and the recording medium
7
at a position different from a part where the electrode
5
is opposite to the multi-hole photoreceptor
100
, a third power supply
22
for applying voltage in between the transparent conductive layer
2
and the opposite electrode
8
, and an exposure means for irradiating the image light
10
at the photoconductive layer
3
corresponding to an image signal from the side of the transparent supporting structure
1
.
There is described operation of the conventional image recording apparatus. The conductive colored particles
6
are filled into the hole of the multi-hole layer
4
in which the conductive colored particles
6
are charged by induction charging. An electric potential of the conductive colored particles
6
is maintained about the same electric potential of an electric potential of the electrode layer
5
in condition that the conductive colored particles
6
are not exposed, therefore an electric field of layer surface of the conductive colored particles
6
filled into the hole is extremely faint, thus the conductive colored particles 6 do not fly. However, when the image light
10
is irradiated, the electric charge of the conductive colored particles
6
is neutralized through the photoconductive layer
3
, so that the electric potential decreases. Strong electric field is generated at the surface layer of the conductive colored particles
6
while there appears an electric potential difference between the conductive colored particles and the electrode layer
5
. As a result, the conductive colored particles are charged caused by induction charging to fly to the recording medium
7
, thus the conductive colored particles adhere thereto to form an image.
In such the conventional method, the pixel formed on the recording medium
7
is corresponding to the hole of the multi-hole layer
4
one by one. On the other hand, in manufacture of the multi-hole layer
4
, the more that the wall part between holes of the multi-hole layer is made large, the more that the multi-hole layer is strong dynamically and easy to make.
The Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 7-191530 discloses Image Forming Apparatus which enables no leak of electric charges to occur in the lateral direction while being conducted conductive fine particles or conductive ink only at the exposing section in such a way that the apparatus forms sufficient high electric field within photoconductive layer, and causing the conductive fine particles or conductive ink of the exposing section to be induction charging. Voltage is applied between conductive layer of transfer sheet and transparent conductive layer of photoreceptor to form high electric field within photoconductive layer. Thus electric charge injection occurs for conductive colored particle or conductive ink only at image exposing section so that the particles undergo induction charging to fly to recording paper at intervals of gap according to electrostatic field, so adhering thereto.
The Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 60-154771 discloses Image Recording Apparatus which comprises a recording structure to which transparent conductive layer and photoconductive layer are laminated, a toner development means forming charged toner layer evenly on the recording structure, and a toner image transfer means in which transfer purpose electrode at the side of recording medium while inserting recording structure consisting of charged toner layer and the recording medium along with thereon and light irradiation section reverse surface side of the recording structure are arranged oppositely with each other, wherein the apparatus applies same polarity of voltage with charged toner to the transfer purpose electrode of toner image transfer means, and implementing light irradiation to the moving recording structure with the recording medium corresponding to image pattern according to the light irradiation section, so transferring charged toner layer part light-irradiated in electrostatic way, further, fixing means fixes the toner image formed on the recording medium.
However, in the electrophotographic process disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 9-204092 and so forth, the pixel formed on the recording medium
7
is corresponding to the hole of the multi-hole layer
4
one by one, therefore, insulating wall part of the multi-hole layer
4
between the holes into which the conductive colored particles are filled can not form an image inevitably, particularly for an even image part, and resolution of the multi-hole layer
4
deteriorates. In the case where rate of area of wall part is large, unevenness of color occurs, while in the case where resolution is high, there is the problem that image density decreases together with lowering of area rate of the hole.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention, in order to overcome the above mentioned problem to provide an image recording apparatus and an image recording method in which it is capable of being implemented high density print with no blank space in between pixels printed on the recording medium.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, there is provided an image recording apparatus which comprises a multi-hole photoreceptor of an approximate columnar shape provided with a multi-hole layer of prescribed thickness on which an electrode layer is formed only in respect of a surface thereof having a plurality of holes arranged in equal intervals on a photoreceptor formed in such a way that transparent conductive layer and photoconductive layer are laminated in order on a transparent supporting structure, an opposite electrode arranged so as to be opposite to the multi-hole photoreceptor with an interval while inserting a recording medium, and an exposure means for exposing in answer to an image
Funayama Yasuhiro
Hori Takeshi
Uezono Tsutomu
Yoshii Tomoyuki
Foley & Lardner
Le N.
NEC Corporation
Pham Hai C.
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