Photosensitive unit, light source and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a porous photosensitive unit,
• said porous photosensitive unit including a substrate,
• a conductive layer formed on a surface of said substrate;
• a photoconductive layer formed on a surface of said conductive layer;
• a porous insulating layer formed on a surface of said photoconductive layer, said porous insulating layer having a plurality of holes for holding conductive color particles,
• said plurality of holes exposing a plurality of surface portions of the surface of said photoconductive layer, respectively;
• an electrode formed on a surface of said porous insulating layer except where said plurality of holes are formed;
• and
• restrainer means whereby an optical arrangement is provided, in which, when a light source corresponding to a desired one of said plurality of holes emits light to cause conductive color particles to fly out of said desired hole only, said light exposes a region, within said photoconductive layer, which substantially coextends with the surface portion that is exposed by said desired hole;
• a plurality of light sources corresponding to said plurality of holes, respectively;
• means for supplying conductive color particles to said porous photosensitive unit and holding the conductive color particles in said plurality of holes;
• and
• a recording medium;
• said plurality of light sources being adapted to emit light to cause at least one of said plurality of holes to allow the conductive color particles to fly out of the hole toward said recording medium.

An image forming apparatus operable on a Carlson process elecrophotography, comprising:

• a photoconductive unit;
• and
• a light source including
• an array including a plurality of light-emitting elements, which are subject to individual luminous controls, respectively;
• and
• a beam control element to restrict in cross sectional area and profile of a beam of light emitted by each of said plurality of light-emitting elements.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a porous photosensitive unit,
• said porous photosensitive unit including a substrate,
• a conductive layer formed on a surface of said substrate;
• a photoconductive layer formed on a surface of said conductive layer;
• a porous insulating layer formed on a surface of said photoconductive layer, said porous insulating layer having a plurality of holes for holding conductive color particles,
• said plurality of holes exposing a plurality of surface portions of the surface of said photoconductive layer, respectively;
• an electrode formed on a surface of said porous insulating layer except where said plurality of holes are formed;
• and
• restrainer means whereby an optical arrangement is provided, in which, when a light source corresponding to a desired one of said plurality of holes emits light to cause conductive color particles to fly out of said desired hole only, said light exposes a region, within said photoconductive layer, which substantially coextends with the surface portion that is exposed by said desired hole;
• a plurality of light sources corresponding to said plurality of holes, respectively;
• means for supplying conductive color particles to said porous photosensitive unit and holding the conductive color particles in said plurality of holes;
• and
• a recording medium;
• said plurality of light sources being adapted to emit light to cause at least one of said plurality of holes to allow the conductive color particles to fly out of the hole toward said recording medium;
• each of said plurality of light sources including
• an array including a plurality of light-emitting elements, which are subject to individual luminous controls, respectively;
• and
• a beam control element to restrict in cross sectional area and profile of a beam of light emitted by each of said plurality of light-emitting elements.