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US 6,212,350 B1Granted
Formation method, image formation system, and intermediate transfer body having a photoconductive resistivity change layer
AssigneeFuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
InventorsTaichi Yamada, Yoshinari Ueno, Satoshi Shigezaki, Hideyuki Akagi, Susumu Hiranuma
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image formation system where, when an intermediate transfer body B having a resistivity change layer B2 whose volume resistivity lowers in a state in which predetermined physical stimulation (light application, etc.,) passes through an electricity removal area Q5 after secondary transfer is executed, physical stimulation is given to the intermediate transfer body B for lowering the volume resistivity of the intermediate transfer body B and in this state, electricity of the intermediate transfer body B is removed.
Claims22
An image formation method comprising the steps of:
- a latent image formation step of forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of an image support at a latent image write position set along a turning surface of said image support;
- a developing step of developing the electrostatic latent image to a toner image by a developing unit in a developing area set along the turning image support surface;
- a primary transfer step, when a turning intermediate transfer body having a resistivity change layer whose volume resistivity lowers with predetermined physical stimulation given passes through a primary transfer area set along the turning image support surface, said primary transfer step of producing a primary transfer electric field between said intermediate transfer body and the image support surface by a primary transfer device placed facing said image support with the primary transfer area between and primarily transferring the toner image on the image support surface to said intermediate transfer body;
- a secondary transfer stop, when a transfer material transported by a transfer material transporter passes through a secondary transfer area set along a turn passage of said intermediate transfer body, said secondary transfer step of producing a secondary transfer electric field by a secondary transfer device placed facing said intermediate transfer body passing through the secondary transfer area with the transfer material between and secondarily transferring the toner image on said intermediate transfer body surface to the transfer material;
- and
- an electricity removal step, when said intermediate transfer body where the secondary transfer step has been executed passes through an electricity removal area set downstream from the secondary transfer area of the turn passage of said intermediate transfer body and upstream from the primary transfer area, the electricity removal area wherein a conductive member for electricity removal for coming in contact with said intermediate transfer body and supplying charges for electricity removal and a stimulation giving member for giving predetermined physical stimulation to said intermediate transfer body coming in contact with said conductive member are placed, the electricity removal step of giving physical stimulation to said intermediate transfer body and removing electricity of said intermediate transfer body in a state in which volume resistivity of said resistivity change layer of said intermediate transfer body is lowered.
3 more elements
An image formation system comprising:
- an image support on which an electrostatic latent image is formed at a latent image write position set along a turning surface of said image support;
- a developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image to a toner image in a developing area set along the image support surface;
- an intermediate transfer body turning through a primary transfer area set along the image support surface and passing through a secondary transfer area set along a turn passage;
- a primary transfer device being placed facing said image support with said intermediate transfer body between in the primary transfer area for applying a primary transfer voltage to nip between said intermediate transfer body and said image support for transferring the toner image on the image support surface to said intermediate transfer body;
- a transfer material transporter for transporting a transfer material to the secondary transfer area and allowing the transfer material to pass through the secondary transfer area;
- a secondary transfer device for applying a secondary transfer voltage to nip between said intermediate transfer body and the transfer material in the secondary transfer area so as to transfer the toner image on said intermediate transfer body to the transfer material;
- a conductive member for electricity removal for coming in contact with said intermediate transfer body and supplying charges for electricity removal in an electricity removal area set downstream from the secondary transfer area of the turn passage of said intermediate transfer body and upstream from the primary transfer area;
- said intermediate transfer body having a resistivity change layer whose volume resistivity lowers when predetermined physical stimulation is given;
- a stimulation giving member for giving the predetermined physical stimulation to said intermediate transfer body in the electricity removal area;
- and
- a resistivity controller for giving physical stimulation to the resistivity change layer by said stimulation giving member and lowering the volume resistivity of the resistivity change layer, when said intermediate transfer body where secondary transfer has been executed in the secondary transfer area passes through the electricity removal area.
8 more elements
An intermediate transfer body comprising:
- a resistivity change layer made of a photoconductive layer which is a dielectric layer having high volume resistivity in a state in which light is not applied, and has a charge transport layer for transporting charges by carriers of either negative-polarity electrons or positive-polarity holes in a state in which light is applied,
- a charge generation layer being disposed on the rear face of the charge transport layer for generating charges in a state in which light is applied, and
- a blocking layer being disposed on the rear face of the charge generation layer for transporting charges by carriers of the opposite polarity to the carriers of the charge transport layer and suppressing transport of charges by carriers of the same polarity as the carriers of the charge transport layer.
An image formation method, comprising the steps of:
- primarily transferring a toner image held on an image support to an intermediate transfer body by a primary transfer device,
- secondarily transferring the toner image from said intermediate transfer body to a transfer material by a secondary transfer body,
- after the step of secondarily transferring the toner image is executed, physical stimulation is applied to said intermediate transfer body by electrical contact with an electricity removal member placed downstream from said secondary transfer body to lower the volume resistivity thereof, and
- forming an image, wherein
- said intermediate transfer body has a resistivity lowering layer whose volume resistivity lowers in a state in which a predetermined physical stimulation is applied.
2 more elements
An image formation system comprising:
- an image support on which an electrostatic latent image is formed;
- a developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on said image support to a toner image on said image support;
- an intermediate transfer body for temporarily holding the toner image, said intermediate transfer body having volume resistivity lowering in a state in which predetermined physical stimulation is given;
- a primary transfer device for primarily transferring the toner image formed by said developing unit to said intermediate transfer body;
- a secondary transfer device for secondarily transferring the toner image held on said intermediate transfer body to a transfer material;
- a physical stimulation giving member being placed downstream from said secondary transfer device for given physical stimulation to said intermediate transfer body where the secondary transfer has been executed for lowering the volume resistivity of said intermediate transfer body;
- and
- an electricity removal member being placed downstream from said secondary transfer device for coming in electric contact with said intermediate transfer body having the volume resistivity lowering as a result of giving the physical stimulation to said intermediate transfer body.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.