JPH03222765A - Multicolor electronic photograph printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve a printing speed heretofore sharply decreased regarding a conventional full color printing sheet and to realize reduction of the size of a device by a method wherein at least two developing means are positioned facing one exposing means. CONSTITUTION:A developing device 1 stores an yellow toner and a developing device 2 stores a cyanic toner. Exposure is carried out by an LED print head 5 serving as a writing head, and a formed electrostatic latent image is developed. A developing device 3 stores a Magenta toner and a developing device 4 stores a black toner, and a latent image formed by an LED print head 6 is developed. In a process, the same process as that of general electronic photograph is orderly carried out, and two cycles of electrification, exposure, and development are carried out through one full turn of a sensitized material 1. Thus, the sensitized material can be developed in four colors through two full turns. Transfer to a recording medium 12 and cleaning of the sensitized material are effected right before the starting of third rotation after completion of last development and during third rotation, a picture of a subsequent page is formed. Thereby, the number of revolutions of the sensitized material per one page during continuous printing is two.

Description

【発明の詳細な説明】 〔産業上の利用分野〕 本発明は、印刷装置に関し、特にカラー印刷が可能な多
色電子写真印刷装置に関する。DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printing device, and particularly to a multicolor electrophotographic printing device capable of color printing.

〔従来の技術〕[Conventional technology]

従来、この種の多色電子写真印刷装置としては、単一の
潜像形成手段に対し各色の現像器を順次対応させ、露光
・現像工程を４回繰り返すことによって、カラー印刷を
実現していた。Conventionally, this type of multicolor electrophotographic printing equipment has achieved color printing by sequentially corresponding developing devices for each color to a single latent image forming means and repeating the exposure and development process four times. .

〔発明が解決しようとする課題〕[Problem to be solved by the invention]

上述した従来の多色電子写真印刷装置は、露光・現像工
程の色の数だけ繰り返さなければならないなめ、単色の
印刷に比べ格段に印刷速度が落ちるという欠点がある。The above-mentioned conventional multicolor electrophotographic printing apparatus has the disadvantage that the exposure and development steps must be repeated for each color, so the printing speed is significantly lower than that of monochrome printing.

また、潜像形成手段を色の数だけ具備することも考えら
れているが、装置が大きくなりすぎるため、実現性が低
い。It has also been considered to provide as many latent image forming means as there are colors, but this would make the apparatus too large and is therefore impractical.

〔課題を解決するための手段〕[Means to solve the problem]

本発明は、光導電性をもつ画像担体と、この画像担体の
表面電位を一定にする帯電器と、 前記帯電器により前記画像担体に複数の潜像を順次形成
する光書き込みヘッドと、 前記潜像のそれぞれに対し互いに違う色のトナー像を前
記画像担体に重複して形成する複数の現像器と、 この現像器に形成されたトナー像を記録媒体に転写する
転写器とを具備する多色電子写真印刷装置において、 前記帯電器を２個、前記光書き込みヘッドを２個具備し
、前記帯電器の一方および前記光書き込みヘッドの一方
からなる１組に対し前記現像器を複数個、前記帯電器の
他方および前記光書き込みヘッドの他方からなる１組に
対し前記現像器を複数個、それぞれ対応させて配置した
ことを特徴とするものである。The present invention provides a photoconductive image carrier, a charger for keeping the surface potential of the image carrier constant, an optical writing head for sequentially forming a plurality of latent images on the image carrier by the charger, and the latent image carrier. A multicolor device comprising: a plurality of developing devices that overlap each other to form toner images of different colors on the image carrier; and a transfer device that transfers the toner images formed on the developing devices onto a recording medium. The electrophotographic printing apparatus includes two of the chargers and two of the optical writing heads, and a plurality of the developing devices and one of the charging units for one set of one of the chargers and one of the optical writing heads. The invention is characterized in that a plurality of the developing units are arranged in correspondence with one set consisting of the other of the containers and the other of the optical writing heads.

〔実施例〕〔Example〕

次に、本発明について図面を参照して説明する。 Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

第１図は、本発明の一実施例の縦断面を示す模式図であ
る。現像器１は、イエローのトナーを、現像器２はシア
ンのトナーを格納しており、光書み込みヘッドとしての
ＬＥＤプリントヘッド５によって露光され、形成された
静電潜像を顕像化する。現像器３はマゼンダのトナーを
、現像器４は黒のトナーをもち、ＬＥＤプリントヘッド
６が形成する潜像を現像する。FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a longitudinal section of an embodiment of the present invention. The developer 1 stores yellow toner, and the developer 2 stores cyan toner, and is exposed to light by an LED print head 5 serving as an optical writing head to visualize the formed electrostatic latent image. . The developer 3 has magenta toner, and the developer 4 has black toner, and develops the latent image formed by the LED print head 6.

プロセスは一般の電子写真と同じ工程を順次行うが、本
実施例では感光体１回転で２回の帯電・露光・現像を行
う。従って感光体に２回転で４色の現像ができる。記録
媒体１２への転写と、感光体のクリーニングは、最後の
現像が完了した後、３回目の回転開始直前に行われ、３
回目の回転では次のページの画像形成が行われるため、
連続印刷時の１ページ当りの感光体回転数は、２回転と
なる。The process is the same as that of general electrophotography, but in this embodiment, charging, exposure, and development are performed twice in one rotation of the photoreceptor. Therefore, four colors can be developed on the photoreceptor in two revolutions. Transfer to the recording medium 12 and cleaning of the photoreceptor are performed after the final development is completed and immediately before the start of the third rotation.
During the second rotation, image formation for the next page is performed, so
The number of rotations of the photoreceptor per page during continuous printing is 2 rotations.

第２図は本実施例の動作を示すタイムチャートである。FIG. 2 is a time chart showing the operation of this embodiment.

１回目の回転では、まず帯電器７で、感光体の表面電位
を一定にし、ＬＥＤプリントヘッド５で第１色目の潜像
を形成する。現像器１にて前記潜像を現像するが、この
とき現像器２には電界をかけずにおくことによって画像
担体９上のトナー像は乱されない。帯電器８にて感光体
の表面電位を一定にした後さらにＬＥＤプリントヘッド
６で第２色目の潜像を形成し、現像器３で現像する。１
周目では転写部に記録媒体１２はなく、転写器１０には
電圧が印加されていない。クリーニング部１１は感光体
上のトナー像を乱さないよう退避しており、引続き帯電
器７．ＬＥＤプリントヘッド５．現像器２にて第３色目
の画像形成を行う。帯電器８．ＬＥＤプリントヘッド６
、現像器４にて第４色目の画像形成を行った後、転写部
に搬送しておいな記録媒体１２にトナー像を転写する。In the first rotation, the charger 7 first makes the surface potential of the photoreceptor constant, and the LED print head 5 forms a latent image of the first color. The latent image is developed in the developing device 1, but at this time, no electric field is applied to the developing device 2, so that the toner image on the image carrier 9 is not disturbed. After the surface potential of the photoreceptor is made constant by the charger 8, a second color latent image is formed by the LED print head 6, and developed by the developer 3. 1
During the rotation, there is no recording medium 12 in the transfer section, and no voltage is applied to the transfer device 10. The cleaning section 11 is retracted so as not to disturb the toner image on the photoreceptor, and the charger 7. LED print head5. The developing device 2 forms a third color image. Charger8. LED print head 6
After forming a fourth color image in the developing device 4, the toner image is transferred onto the recording medium 12 which has been conveyed to the transfer section.

転写終了後感光体上に残ったトナーをクリーニング部１
１にて除去する。以上のプロセスを１回とし、１回のプ
ロセスを繰り返すことによって連続的に画像形成が行わ
れる。After the transfer is completed, the toner remaining on the photoconductor is removed by cleaning section 1.
Remove in step 1. Image formation is performed continuously by repeating the above process once.

〔発明の効果〕〔Effect of the invention〕

以上説明したように本発明は、１つの露光手段に対し、
少なくとも２つの現像手段を対応させることによって、
従来フルカラー印刷時に大幅に落ちていた印刷速度を改
善したうえで、装置の小型化を実現することができる。As explained above, the present invention provides for one exposure means,
By matching at least two developing means,
It is possible to improve the printing speed, which had previously been significantly reduced during full-color printing, and to make the device more compact.

【図面の簡単な説明】[Brief explanation of drawings]

第１図は本発明の一実施例の縦断面の模式図、第２図は
第１図の動作を示すタイムチャートである。 １・・・現像器、５・・・ＬＥＤプリントヘッド、７・
・・帯電器、９・・・画像担体、１０・・・転写器、１
１・・・クリーニング部、１２・・・記録媒体。FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a time chart showing the operation of FIG. 1. 1...Developer, 5...LED print head, 7.
... Charger, 9... Image carrier, 10... Transfer device, 1
1... Cleaning section, 12... Recording medium.

Claims (1)

【特許請求の範囲】 光導電性をもつ画像担体と、 この画像担体の表面電位を一定にする帯電器と、 前記帯電器により前記画像担体に複数の潜像を順次形成
する光書き込みヘッドと、 前記潜像のそれぞれに対し互いに違う色のトナー像を前
記面像担体に重複して形成する複数の現像器と、 この現像器に形成されたトナー像を記録媒体に転写する
転写器とを具備する多色電子写真印刷装置において、 前記帯電器を２個、前記光書き込みヘッドを２個具備し
、前記帯電器の一方および前記光書き込みヘッドの一方
からなる１組に対し前記現像器を複数個、前記帯電器の
他方および前記光書き込みヘッドの他方からなる１組に
対し前記現像器を複数個、それぞれ対応させて配置した
ことを特徴とする多色電子写真印刷装置。[Scope of Claims] An image carrier having photoconductivity, a charger that keeps the surface potential of the image carrier constant, and an optical writing head that sequentially forms a plurality of latent images on the image carrier by the charger. It includes a plurality of developing devices that overlap and form toner images of different colors on the planar image carrier for each of the latent images, and a transfer device that transfers the toner images formed on the developing devices onto a recording medium. A multicolor electrophotographic printing apparatus comprising two of the chargers and two of the optical writing heads, and a plurality of the developing devices for one set of one of the chargers and one of the optical writing heads. . A multicolor electrophotographic printing apparatus, characterized in that a plurality of the developing units are arranged in correspondence with one set of the other of the chargers and the other of the optical writing heads.