Incremental printing of symbolic information – Light or beam marking apparatus or processes – Scan of light
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-22
2004-12-07
Pham, Hai (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Light or beam marking apparatus or processes
Scan of light
C347S262000, C347S264000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06828997
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image recording method and an image recording apparatus for recording information such as images, characters, etc. on recording paper, and particularly to a technique for attaining reliable recording while simplifying an image recording step using an image receiving sheet and a toner sheet.
A transfer type image recording apparatus has such a configuration that recording materials such as an image receiving sheet, a toner sheet and so on to be used are stacked and attached on a rotating recording drum and the recording materials are irradiated with laser light in accordance with inputted character/image data so that image recording is performed.
An image recording process in such an image recording apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.
14
(
a
) to (
f
) showing an example of recording process for the respective colors of K (black), C (cyan), M (magenta) and Y (yellow). Each process for the four colors K, C, M and Y is constituted by a step of performing laser recording with corresponding color data, and a step of separating a toner sheet from an image receiving sheet thereafter. When laminating is performed, a laminating step will be inserted before each step of laser recording. The respective steps will be described below sequentially.
An image receiving sheet
5
is wound on a recording drum
2
as shown in FIG.
14
(
a
).
A K-toner sheet
6
is wound on the image receiving sheet
5
as shown in FIG.
14
(
b
) in order to execute a K-process.
Laser light is radiated in accordance with image/character data of K so as to perform recording as shown in FIG.
14
(
d
).
The K-toner sheet
6
is separated from the image receiving sheet
5
as shown in FIG.
14
(
e
) (the K-process is terminated).
Next, a C-process is executed. That is, a C-toner sheet is wound on the image receiving sheet in the same manner as in the K-process.
Laser recording is performed in accordance with C-data.
The C-toner sheet is separated from the image receiving sheet (the C-process is terminated).
Next, an M-process is executed. That is, an M-toner sheet is wound on the image receiving sheet in the same manner as in the K-process.
Laser recording is performed in accordance with M-data.
The M-toner sheet is separated from the image receiving sheet (the M-process is terminated).
Next, a Y-process is executed. That is, a Y-toner sheet is wound on the image receiving sheet in the same manner as in the K-process.
Laser recording is performed in accordance with Y-data.
The Y-toner sheet is separated from the image receiving sheet (the Y-process is terminated).
In such a manner, the four colors K, C, M and Y are put one on another or not put on the image receiving sheet properly so as to form a desired color image as shown in FIG.
14
(
f
).
The color image formed through the above process is transferred to recording paper (not shown).
In the case where laminating processing is required, the toner sheet is pressed by a press roller, a heating roller or the like immediately before laser recording in each color so as to be put into tight contact with the image receiving sheet as shown in FIG.
14
(
c
).
However, in the above-mentioned recording process, the image receiving sheet is detached from the image recording apparatus after image recording of the four colors K, C, M and Y is performed on the image receiving sheet, and then the image receiving sheet is attached to another apparatus so that an image on the image receiving sheet is transferred to recording paper. Therefore, there has been a problem that during the transfer, there is an increased possibility that the recording material will become damaged or stained with dust when the image receiving sheet is detached from the image recording apparatus. This causes lowering of the quality of the recording material. A step of transferring the image to recording paper by another apparatus, that is, a step of detaching the recording material from the image recording apparatus and attaching it to a transfer apparatus is required in addition to the image recording step. Therefore, there has been a problem that the number of steps working increase so that the cost increases.
In addition, generally, there is a slight variation in the thickness of recording paper in accordance with a location of the recording paper. This variation occasionally influences the image quality. That is, the height of the image receiving sheet and the toner sheet which are attached to the recording drum through the recording paper from the drum surface varies in accordance with the thickness of the recording paper. On the other hand, an optical head for emitting laser light has a fixed focus. Accordingly, when the thickness of the recording paper varies, the focal position of the laser light may be out of its proper position, so that the laser light spot is extended. As a result, there has been a problem that the resolution of a recorded image deteriorates so that the image quality deteriorates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image recording method and an image recording apparatus in which not only an image recording process can be simplified to improve the productivity, but also image recording on recording paper can be performed accurately and stably with high quality.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an image recording method comprising the steps of:
attaching recording paper on an outer peripheral surface of a recording drum;
forming an image receiving layer on a surface of the recording paper; and
transferring the toner on a toner sheet onto the image receiving layer to record an image thereon in accordance with recording data.
In this image recording method, recording is performed by selectively transferring toner to the image receiving layer on the recording paper in accordance with the recording data. Therefore, an image is recorded on the recording paper directly, so that the image recording process is simplified.
According to the present invention, a cushion layer is formed between the surface of the recording drum and the image receiving layer.
In this image recording method, a cushion layer is formed under the image receiving layer on the recording paper, so that the cushion layer sinks in accordance with the thickness of toner and the surface to which the toner is transferred is made flat. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the adherence of the toner, and it is possible to prevent toner from separating after transfer, so that image recording can be realized with higher quality.
According to the present invention, the receiving layer is formed by attaching an image receiving sheet having the image receiving layer on the surface of the recording paper and then transferring the image receiving layer thereon.
In this image recording method, the recording paper and the image receiving sheet are attached subsequently on the outer circumferential surface of the recording drum, and the image receiving layer of the image receiving sheet is transferred to the outer circumferential surface of the recording paper. The toner sheet is further wound thereon, and toner is thermally transferred to the recording paper directly in accordance with the recording image data to thereby record an image thereon. Accordingly, image recording onto the recording paper is performed directly, stably and more accurately. In addition, the image receiving sheet in which an image has been formed is not required to be detached from the image recording apparatus and transferred to the recording paper again. It is therefore possible to simplify the image recording process.
According to the present invention, the image receiving sheet includes a cushion layer therebeneath, and the image receiving layer is transferred such that the cushion layer is placed between the surface of the recording paper and the receiving layer.
In this image recording method, a cushion layer is formed in the image receiving sheet, and is tra
Sasaki Yoshiharu
Tanaka Toshiharu
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