Wet recording apparatus

Abstract: In a wet recording apparatus comprising: an image bearing structure (301); a developing solution (306) prepared by dispersing charged color material particles in a dispersion medium; an ion generating unit; and ion current control units (310), the developing solution is applied to the image bearing structure (301) to form a developing solution layer (311) thereon, the ion current controlling unit (310) operates to cause ions (312) produced by the ion generating unit to stick selectively to the surface of the developing solution layer (311), to form a color material image (314) on the image bearing structure (301), and the color material image is transferred, as a toner image, onto a recording sheet (316).

Description: This invention relates to a wet recording apparatus. In a conventional wet recording apparatus, a recording electrode is held on an insulating holder, and voltage is applied between the recording electrode and a confronting electrode (cf. USP 4,330,788). In the conventional apparatus, the confronting electrode is an image bearing structure which has a conductive surface and is movable, the developing solution containing pigment particles which are moved by electrophoresis is held between the recording electrode and the image bearing structure, and the electric field formed upon application of voltage to the recording electrode acts to form an image on the image bearing structure. The developing solution is prepared by dispersing color material particles (generally pigment particles) in a liquid dispersion medium so that, upon formation of electric fields, the particles are moved by electrophoresis. The pigment particles are treated as follows: In order to control the charging and fixing characteristics of the pigment particles, a charge control agent and pigment cover agent are applied to the surfaces of the pigment particles by adsorption or adhesion. The above-described conventional wet recording apparatus is disadvantageous in the following points: In the apparatus, the electric field is formed only when voltage is applied to the recording electrode, and therefore formation of the image must be accomplished while an image forming portion of the image bearing structure passes through the recording electrode. In general, the electrophoretic speed of a developing solution is low, and therefore it is necessary to increase the voltage applied to the recording electrode, or to decrease the speed of movement of the image bearing structure. However, the increase of the voltage results in an increase in manufacturing cost, and the decrease in the speed of movement of the image bearing structure results in another difficulty that the time required for obtaining a desired image is increased. In addition, since the recording electrode is held in the developing solution, the end face of the recording electrode is soiled thereby, or the pigment particles stick to the recording electrode to deteriorate the latter. Furthermore, in the conventional apparatus, the electric field formed by application of the voltage to the recording electrodes spreads in the same manner as the electric field formed between a charged point and plane does. Hence, the image formed on a recording medium becomes larger than the width of the recording electrode, and it becomes foggy. Moreover, in the case where an image is formed directly on a conductive recording medium, it is impossible to form the image on the ordinary sheet. One example of the conventional wet recording apparatus is an electrophotographic recording apparatus. In the apparatus, the image bearing structure is a photo-conductive drum, an electrostatic latent image on the photo-conductive drum is developed into a toner image by a developing unit, and brought into contact with a recording sheet, so that it is electrostatically transferred onto a recording sheet (Electrophotographic Society Publication "Transition and Tendency of Wet Copying Machine", by Mochizuki et al, 26, 3 (1987) pp 270 - 276). In the apparatus, the electrostatic latent image is converted into a toner image with high fidelity when passing through the developing unit; however, the transferred image is low in picture quality, being affected by the unevenness of the surface of the recording sheet. More specifically, if the recording sheet is low in smoothness, then the toner is transferred to the protrusions of the recording sheet, but not to the depressions, so that the toner image transferred onto the recording sheet is partially incomplete, being low in picture quality. One example of a conventional recording apparatus for recording the same picture repeatedly is a copying machine which uses a belt-shaped photo-conductive material and dry toner. In the conventional copying machine, the belt-shaped photo-conductive material is wound on a drum one turn, and a charging operation, exposing operation, developing operation, and flash-fixing operation are carried out successively to form a block copy; and in recording an original image repeatedly, a charging operation, entire surface exposing operation, developing operation, transferring operation, and fixing operation are repeatedly carried out to form hard copies ("4th Non-impact Printing Technique Simposium Papers P113" by Yoshino, Masami). The above-described copying machine is disadvantageous in the following points: Even when it is required to form only one image, it is necessary to wind the photo-conductive material on the drum, and the photo-conductive material used must be removed from the drum for the next image forming operation. Since these operations are carried out automatically, the copying machine is unavoidably bulky. Use of the photo-conductive material results in an increase in running cost. Furthermore, the copying machine is intricate in construction and high in manufacturing cost, because its structure requires light-shielding means. Document JP-A-61 065 270 shows the use of an ion current modulator to write an image to a recording paper using an ion charge. The charge on the paper surface picks up a toner. The toner is then impressed into the paper, completing the image recording process. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to eliminate the above-described difficulties accompanying a conventional wet recording apparatus. This object is solved by the wet recording apparatus of independent claim 1. Further advantageous features are evident from the dependent claims, the following description and the drawings. According to this invention, in a wet recording apparatus, a developing solution is used to form an image. The invention as claimed provides a wet recording apparatus in which low voltage control is made to form an image at high speed and at low cost, and an image is formed in a non-contact mode, and a wet recording apparatus for practicing the method. The invention as claimed also provides a wet recording apparatus which can form an image high in picture quality irrespective of the smoothness of a recording sheet. The invention as claimed further provides a wet recording apparatus simple in construction and small in size which can record an original image repeatedly without a photo-conductive material. In an example of the wet recording apparatus according the invention, a block copy is formed during one rotation of a conductive image bearing structure, and thereafter the block copy is utilized for an operation of forming the same image repeatedly. The apparatus comprises: liquid toner applying means for applying the liquid toner prepared by dispersing charged color material particles in a dispersion medium to the conductive image bearing structure; ion current controlling means for causing ions to stick selectively on the conductive image bearing structure to which the liquid toner has been applied by the liquid toner applying means, to form primary color material image thereon; heating means for fixing the primary color material image by heating which has been formed by the ion current controlling means; and charging means and developing means for applying ions uniformly to the conductive image bearing structure on which the color material image has been fixed by the heating means, to form a secondary color matarial image on the primary color material image. In the case where the operation of forming the same image repeatedly is not carried out, the operation of the heating means is suspended. In the apparatus, the ion current controlling means operates to cause ions to deposit selectively on the liquid toner layer which is formed on the conductive image bearing structure by the liquid toner applying means, as a result of which electrophoresis occurs with the charged pigment particles suspended in the liquid toner layer, thus forming a toner image corresponding to the image pattern. When the toner image is heated with the heating means, the dispersion medium is evaporated, so that the image is fixed, thus providing the aimed block copy. Ions opposite in polarity to the toner are applied to the block copy thus formed. In this case, in the region where toner has stuck, the toner act as insulator to accumulate electric charges, thus providing a surface potential; whereas in the region where not toner has stuck, no electric charges are accumulated because it is electrically conductive. When, under this condition, the developing operation is carried out, the liquid toner sticks to the region by electrophoresis where the toner has stuck, thus forming a secondary toner image. The secondary toner image can be transferred and fixed by the ordinary methods. Hence, by repeatedly performing the ion applying operation, developing operation, transferring operation and fixing operation, the same image can be repeatedly formed by repeatedly perform; that is, a plurality of sheets bearing the same image can be obtained. The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings: Fig 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of an example of the wet recording apparatus according to the invention, in which a block copy is formed during one revolution of an image bearing structure, and thereafter, with the aid of the block copy, the same image is formed repeatedly; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an ion current controlling unit in the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the electrical connection of the ion current controlling unit in the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and Figs. 4a through 4h are explanatory diagrams for a description of an image recording process in the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Preferred embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows the arrangement of an example of the wet recording apparatus in which a block copy is formed during one rotation of an image bearing structure, and thereafter, with the aid of the block copy, the same image is repeatedly formed. The apparatus, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises: a hollow-drum shaped conductive image bearing structure 501; a liquid toner coating roller 502; an ion current controlling unit 503; a surplus toner removing unit 504; heating means 505; a cleaning unit 506; and charging units 507 and 508. Those devices 502 through 508 are arranged around the conductive image bearing structure 501. A recording sheet 509 is supplied by means of sheet supplying rollers (not shown). After a color material image being formed on the recording sheet 509, the latter 509 is conveyed to a fixing unit 510 comprising a heat roller and a pressure roller. The apparatus further comprises a liquid toner developing solution containing vessel 511 which is connected through a pump 512 to the liquid toner applying unit 502 so as to supplying a suitable quantity of liquid toner to the latter 502, and it is further connected to the surplus toner removing unit 504 to receive the surplus of toner removed by the latter 504. The liquid toner 518 is prepared by dispersing in an insulating carrier solvent positively charged resin particles including pigment. The liquid toner coating roller 502 has grooves in its cylindrical wall, to apply the liquid toner 518 to the cylindrical wall of the conductive image bearing structure 501. The thickness of a liquid toner layer is controlled by a regulating board 513 in association with the depth and pitch of the grooves formed in the coating roller 502. The ion current controlling unit 503 is shown in Fig. 2 in more detail. The unit 503 comprises: an insulating substrate 521 0.1 mm in thickness which has an opening 522 in the middle portion. A common electrode 524 is formed on one side of the insulating substrate 521, and control electrodes 523 are formed on the other side with a pitch of 300 dpi (dots per inch, with 1 inch = 2,54 cm). An ion generating unit, namely, a "corotron" is provided above the insulating substrate 521. The ion generating unit comprises: a tungsten wire 525 0.05 mm in diameter; and a stainless housing 526 covering the tungsten wire 525 in such a manner that the housing 526 is spaced about 5mm from the tungsten wire 525. The wire 525, the housing 526, the common electrode 524, and the control electrodes 523 are connected to power sources 533, 534 and 535 as shown in Fig. 3, thus providing potential differences with respect to the conductive image bearing structure 501. When a switch 530 is set to a terminal 531 to block the current of positive ions produced in the ion generating unit, and it is set to a terminal 532 to cause positive ions to stick to the liquid toner layer on the conductive image bearing structure 501 as required. In the apparatus, the power sources 533, 534 and 535 are of 5 KV, 500 V and 200 V, respectively, for instance. With those power sources, an ion current controlling operation is so performed that positive ions produced around the wire 525 reach the surface of the liquid toner layer through the opening 522. The surplus toner removing unit 504 (Fig. 1) has a squeeze roller 514 which is positioned in such a manner that there is a small gap between itself and the conductive image bearing structure 501. The squeeze roller 514 is rotated at an outer peripheral speed different from that of the conductive image bearing structure 501. As a result, a force attributing to liquid viscosity is applied to the liquid toner in the small gap, thereby to remove the latter from the conductive image bearing structure 501. A separating board 515 is abutted against the squeeze roller 514, to remove a surplus of toner from the latter 514. The heating means 505 comprises: a roll; and a heating lamp built in it; that is, the heat means is of heat roll type. The cleaning unit 506 comprises an urethane blade 516 and a sponge roller 517 which are rockably installed. The blade 516 and the roller 517 are brought into contact with the conductive image bearing structure 501 to clean the latter; i.e., to remove the color material image therefrom. An operation of forming a block copy, and an operation of copying an original image will be described with reference to Figs 4(a) and 4(b). First, the liquid toner applying roller 502 is operated to apply the liquid toner 518 is applied to the conductive image bearing structure 501 to a uniform thickness of 5 to 50 µm (Fig. 4(a)). Under this condition, the ion current controlling unit 503 is operated to cause the ions 545 to stick selectively to the surface of the liquid toner layer (Fig. 4(b)). Then, since the liquid toner dispersion medium is dielectric, the positive ions are held on the liquid toner layer surface, thus forming electric fields with the conductive image bearing structure 501. The electric fields thus formed apply electrostatic force to the positively charged pigment particles in the liquid toner layer; that is, electrophoresis occurs with the pigment particles so that the latter move towards the cylindrical wall of the conductive image bearing structure 501, thus forming a toner image 546 on the latter 501. The polarity of the ions controlled by the ion current controlling unit 503 may be opposite to that of the charge liquid toner layer. That is, the electric fields formed by the negative ions sticking to the liquid toner layer surface apply electrostatic force to the positively charged pigment particles in the liquid toner layer so that the pigment particles are moved towards the surface of the liquid toner layer. And the pigment particles stick to one another, thus forming a toner image on the cylindrical wall of the conductive image bearing structure 501. As the liquid toner layer passes through the surplus toner removing unit 504 (Fig. 1), the surplus of toner in the non-image, region is removed from the conductive image bearing structure 501, so that a toner image 546 is formed in correspondence to the image pattern (Fig. 4(c)). After passing through the surplus toner removing unit, the toner image is fixed on the conductive image bearing structure 501 by the heating means 505, thus providing a block copy (Fig. 4(d). The operation of copying an original image is carried as shown in Figs. 4(e) through 4(h). The charging unit 507 is operated to apply negative ions 548 to the conductive image bearing structure 501 on which the toner image has been fixed in the above-described manner. As a result, the ions are deposited on the region where the toner has stuck, because the toner acts as an insulator, so that the ions thus deposited provide a surface potential. On the other hand, no ions are deposited on the region where no toners have been stuck, because the region is conductive (Fig. 4(e)). When the toner image thus fixed (hereinafter referred to as "a primary toner image" , when applicable) is developed with the liquid toner 548 with the negative ions 548 deposited on it, a secondary toner image 549 is formed on the fixed toner image by electrophoresis, and the surplus of toner on the non-image region is removed by the surplus toner removing unit 504 (Fig. 4(f)). The secondary toner image electrostatically transferred from the conductive image bearing structure 501 onto the recording sheet 509 (Fig. 4(g)), and then fixed thereon by the fixing unit 510 (Fig. 4(h)). By repeatedly performing the above-described image recording operation described (Figs. 4(e) through 4(h) the same image can be recorded about 1,000 times; that is, about 1,000 recording sheets having the same image can be provided. When, thereafter, it is required to form another image, the primary toner image is removed from the conductive image bearing structure 501 with the cleaning unit 506. If, in this case, only one image is recorded (it is unnecessary to record the same image a plurality of times), a toner image is formed on the conductive image bearing structure 501 in correspondence to an given image pattern, and then it is transferred onto a recording sheet and fixed thereon. In this operation, the heating means 505 is not used. In the apparatus, the liquid toner applying unit serves also as a developing unit. As is apparent from the above description, in the apparatus, the conductive image bearing structure can be used repeatedly. Therefore, it is unnecessary to provide for the apparatus a mechanism for winding a belt-shaped photo-sensitive material on or rewinding it from the drum. Furthermore, images are formed by controlling a ion current, and therefore it is unnecessary to provide light shielding means for the apparatus. Thus, the invention can realize the wet recording apparatus which can repeatedly record the same image although being simple in construction. Furthermore, the apparatus is low in running cost. In addition, with the apparatus, the resultant image is bright in color and high in resolution because of employment of the liquid toner.

Claims: A wet recording apparatus in which a block copy is formed during one recording operation, and thereafter said block copy is used as a primary color material image to form the same image repeatedly wherein said apparatus comprises: conductive image bearing means (501); means for applying a liquid toner (502) to said conductive image bearing means to form a liquid toner layer thereon, said liquid toner having been prepared by dispersing charged color material particles in a dispersion medium; ion current controlling means (503) for causing ions to stick selectively on said liquid toner layer of said conductive image bearing means (501) to form a primary color material image thereon; heating means (505) for fixing said primary color material image on said conductive image bearing means (501) by heating, thereby forming said block copy; and charging means (507, 508) for applying ions uniformly to said fixed primary color material image on said conductive image bearing means (501) to form a secondary color material image on said primary color material image. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for suspending the operation of said heating means (505) where said operation of forming the same image repeatedly is not carried out. An apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said image bearing means (501) is elastic having an elastic layer with a flat and smooth surface for forming a toner image on said surface by electrophoresis; said apparatus further comprising transfer means having a heat source therein for transferring said toner image to a recording sheet and voltage applying means for applying voltage across said elastic image bearing means and said transfer means which are confronted with each other through said recording sheet. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein an image is formed on a recording sheet by use of a developing solution which has been prepared by dispersing charged color material particles in a dispersion medium; said means for controlling the flow of said ions controls in response to a recording signal to cause said ions to stick to said developing solution layer, thereby forming a color material image on said image bearing means; and said apparatus further comprising: means for coating said developing solution on said image bearing means to provide a developing solution layer thereon; means for generating ions; means for transferring said color material image to a surface of said recording sheet. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said transferring means comprises a transferring drum onto which said color material image is transferred from said image bearing means, and a pressure roller for pushing said recording sheet against said transferring drum to transfer said color material image on said transferring drum to said recording sheet. An apparatus according to claim 5, in which said transferring means causes said recording sheet to come into contact with said color material image formed on said image bearing means. An apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, in which said controlling means operates to cause ions opposite in polarity to said charged color material particles to stick selectively to said developing solution layer. An apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 6 in which said controlling means operates to cause ions identical in polarity to said charged color material particles to stick selectively to said developing solution layer.

Inventors: FUJINO MAKOTO, HIGASHIMURA KOICHI, MIYAZAWA YOSHINORI, YAMAZAKI HIDEO, FUJINO, MAKOTO, HIGASHIMURA, KOICHI, MIYAZAWA, YOSHINORI, YAMAZAKI, HIDEO
Applicants: SEIKO EPSON CORP, SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G03G15
IPC codes: G03G15