JPS63136880A - Color image forming device and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make a device compact, and to improve an operability by forming a monochromatic or polychromatic toner image on an image forming body by means of repeating a write-in and a development as many times as the number of color signals, and transcribing it to a transcribing material. CONSTITUTION:A color original is scanned, an obtained optical information is color- separated into, at least, two kinds of picture image informations with a wavelength component different from each other, the picture image information is photoelectric- converted into a picture image signal, the picture image signal is converted into a digital signal, the digital signal is color-separated according to a prescribed color information and outputted as plural number of the color signals, the color signal is converted into an optical signal, the optical signal is written on the picture image forming body being uniformly charged, an electrostatic image is formed, the electrostatic image is developed by the thin layer of a developing agent containing a fine particle toner and a carrier corresponding to the color signal, and the toner image is formed on the image forming body by repeating the write-in and the development as many times as the number of the color signals, and the toner image is transcribed to the transcribing material. Thus, the device is made to be compact and of a low cost, and further be suprior in the operability and be highly efficient.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Fields of Application of Products 1 and 2] The present invention relates to a color image forming apparatus and method, and particularly relates to a color image forming apparatus and method for forming color images by a digital method.

[Background of the invention]

In recent years, with the spread of color image machines such as computer color display devices and Videotex terminal devices, and the shift to colorization of documents and other printed matter in companies and offices, there has been a demand for color copies with a larger amount of information. is increasing.

Conventional color image forming devices that produce color copies include:
Examples include Xerox 6500 from Xerox, NP-Color T from Canon, and Nori2 Color 5000 from Ricoh. The image forming process in such a color image forming apparatus includes, for example, corona charging the image forming body, imagewise exposing it through a blue filter, developing the obtained electrostatic image with a yellow developer to form a yellow toner image, and Transfer to transfer material. Next, in the same manner as described above, the image forming body is imagewise exposed through a green filter and developed with a magenta developer to form a magenta toner image, which is transferred in accordance with the yellow toner image on the transfer material. Furthermore, the same process as above is repeated using a red filter and cyan developer to transfer the cyan toner image in accordance with the previous two toner images, and the resulting multicolor toner image is fixed and colored. You will be asked to get an image.

That is, according to this color image forming method, the colors of blue, green, and red are separated, and the image forming body is exposed to light for each color to develop yellow, magenta, cyan, and black if necessary, and each of the obtained colors is The toner images are separately transferred to a transfer material to obtain a color image in which toner images of each color are layered. However, in the analog electrophotographic color image forming method and its apparatus, there are many problems that need to be overcome in terms of color tone, gradation, image quality, resolution, etc.

For example, each color toner image is transferred each time it is formed, resulting in transfer misalignment, resulting in unclear color images, poor reproducibility of intermediate colors, and chromatic toners being mixed in the black image area, resulting in a pure black image. There are problems such as loss of image quality, difficulty in matching the developing conditions of each color developing device, making it impossible to obtain good image quality, and the device becoming large and complicated.

In recent years, technology has been developed to convert video signals from computers, facsimiles, COD image sensors, etc. into digital signals, perform image signal processing, and form color images.

Regarding such digital color image forming methods and devices, for example, there is a research report by Mr. Tajiri of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation and Yokosuka Telecommunications Research Institute entitled "Multicolor reading method using contact image sensor" at the 1981 IEICE general meeting. , as well as in JP-A-56-162755 and JP-A-57-44825.

In the research report of the Institute of Electronics and Communication Engineers, as shown in FIG. The reflected light is received by the image sensor 2 to obtain respective image signals, and the obtained image signals are compared with an A/D conversion calculation circuit to separate red and black color signals. A technique has been disclosed in which the separated signals are output to a transfer type two-color recording device to form the red and black color images.

FIG. 48 is a color separation map used to separate the color signals. The horizontal axis represents the image signal level when the green LED is lit, and the vertical axis represents the image signal level when the red LED is lit. The area ) represents the white area of the obtained color image, the area (n) represents the red area, and the area (III) represents the black area.

Next, JP-A-56-162755 discloses that when a black image original with red and blue notes is used, a black toner image corresponding to the black image is first formed using a normal analog electrophotographic method. This is transferred onto a transfer material, and then only the red and blue notes are formed using a digital copying method, and these are transferred along with the previous black toner image to form a color image. A technique for doing so has been disclosed. An outline of such a color image forming apparatus is shown in FIG.

In the figure, after the surface of the image forming body 11 is uniformly charged by the charger 12, the conveying roller 30°31.3
An electrostatic image is formed by irradiating exposure light obtained by irradiating a document 14 transported by an exposure lamp 2 with an exposure lamp 13 via a first optical system 15. This electrostatic image is developed by a black developing device 16 to form a black toner image, which is transferred by a transfer device 18 onto a transfer material 17 that is conveyed in synchronization with the rotation of the image forming body 11.

On the other hand, the original 14 is provided with a light source 4 different from the exposure lamp 13.
0, and the obtained exposure light is manually input to color signal generating means 42 described below via a second optical system 41.

The color signal generating means 42 includes a half mirror 43 and a red filter.
44, blue filter 45, COD image sensor 46,
47 and a signal processing device 48, the red filter
44, the sensor 46° 47 through the blue filter 45
The two types of signals detected and photoelectrically converted are input to the signal processing device 48, where the two types of signals are subjected to calculation processing of the difference between them, the black component is removed, and the positive and negative signals are differentiated into opposite polarities.

The blue and red color signals thus differentiated into positive and negative are manually applied to the pin electrode 51 (which performs discharge of both positive and negative polarities) of the color image forming section 50, and are applied onto the image forming body 52 by the pin electrode 51. ``Static images corresponding to the green signal (positive) and the red signal (negative) are formed. This electrostatic image is developed by a developing device 53 containing a developer consisting of negatively charged blue toner and positively charged red toner (which is also a carrier). The black toner image is transferred in accordance with the black toner image transferred to the black toner image, and is heated and fixed by the fixing device 21. In the figure, 20 and 56 are cleaning blades, 19 and 57
Reference numeral 54 indicates a pre-cleaning static eliminator, and 54 a pre-transfer charger.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-44825, image information read from a color original is separated into, for example, two types of color separation information, the obtained color separation information is photoelectrically converted to obtain image signals of each color, and further, Arithmetic processing is performed to calculate the sum of the image signals of each color, the luminance is determined from the sum signal, and the difference of the logarithmic calculation of the image signals of each color is separately calculated, and the signal of the difference and the signal of the sum are determined. A technique has been disclosed in which hues are determined based on a combination, and a color recording device is driven by signals output from these two types of determining means to form a color image of red, blue, green, black, or the like.

FIGS. 50 and 51 are diagrams for explaining the technique described in the above publication. In FIG. After being amplified by ', the adder 63 inputs tInW 7 ÷ 1 and compares it with one reference value in Rζ. is determined to be "white" and output as "0".

The luminance signal 64 is compared with the other reference value, and if it is less than the reference value, it is determined to be "black", a black signal 66 is output, and a black image is recorded by the recording device.

By the way, if the luminance signal is between the two basic values, it is determined that the document has color, and the color signal 67 or the color discrimination circuit 6a is determined.
is input to.

In order to perform color discrimination in the color discrimination circuit 68, the signals 61, 61' are subjected to logarithmic processing via the logarithmic amplifiers 69, 69', and then the difference between the values is calculated by the subtractor 70. The hue signal 71 is inputted to the color discrimination circuit 68, and compared with a reference value to identify blue, green, and red.Only when the color signal 67 is input, the blue, green, and red color signals are input. 2,73,74 are output to a recording device to form a color image.

FIG. 51 is a color separation map showing each hue and luminance, in which the horizontal axis indicates the value of the hue signal, and the vertical axis indicates the value of the luminance signal.

In such known technology, a method and apparatus for digitally forming color images of 11 colors or multiple colors such as red, blue, green, and black has been disclosed. There is very little demand for full color, rather graphic images and illustration images y consisting of +F and pure colors such as red, blue, green, and black are J! There is a strong demand for so-called simple office 71 copies, which are copies of both images (characters and line drawings), etc.

According to the J-Hakaru digital recording method, the equipment is simplified,
In addition to being lower cost, compared to analog methods, color J, 5i,
Nli i! of gradation, etc. :Other advantages include the ease of controlling the entire machine forming device, and furthermore, the black image is expressed separately from other 74-colors without color mixing, making pure black friendship possible. .

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

So, secondly, the digital method is low cost and high efficiency.
) +: Considerations are being made to obtain color office copies of 1°1 image quality. For example, θ,) Improvements in image processing methods and apparatus including color original reading, color separation, color ghost removal, enlargement, reduction, etc.

■ Improvements in the method and device for writing image signals onto the image forming body.

(2) Improvements in recording methods and devices including charging, development, transfer, constant n, cleaning, etc. to the image forming body.

■ Image forming process “1” including image processing, writing, and recording.
Improved Seth control mechanism.

However, none of these can be said to be sufficient, and further reforms are desired.

y In particular, improvements to obtain high image quality in item 11q are insufficient, and for this purpose, in addition to the improvements in each of the above items [1], development of materials such as developers and image forming bodies suitable for color office copying is required. [Means for solving the problem] [Invention!] [': 1] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a compact and low-cost device, excellent operability and high efficiency, and a system that can always stably produce high-quality color office copies. An object of the present invention is to provide a type color image forming apparatus.

[Structure of the invention]

The above objects include a means for reading a color original and color-separating the obtained optical information into image information of at least two different wavelength components, a means for converting the image information into an image signal, and a means for converting the image signal into an image signal. means for converting into a digital signal;
means for color-separating the digital signal based on predetermined color information and outputting it as a color signal, means for converting the color signal into an optical signal, and transferring the optical signal onto a uniformly charged image forming member. Quiet? A means for forming an IX image and a developing means for developing the electrostatic image with a thin layer of a developer containing fine particle toner are applied, and the writing and development are repeated by the number of color signals to form a monochromatic or forming a multicolor toner image;
This can be accomplished by a color image forming device that transfers the monochrome or multicolor toner image onto a transfer material.

The above purpose is to scan a color original and convert the obtained optical information into at least two different wavelengths C11,%.
/J-V Ichi 帛荻 4＼ -11
Goods High Teeth Prayer Button No ↓ Pull! converting the image signal into an image signal, converting the image signal into a digital signal, performing color separation on the digital signal based on predetermined color information, outputting it as a plurality of color signals, and converting the color signal into an optical signal. writing the optical signal on a uniformly charged image forming member to form an electrostatic image, and developing the electrostatic image with a thin layer of developer containing fine particle toner and carrier according to the color signal;
This is achieved by a color image forming method in which writing and development are repeated as many times as the number of color signals to form a toner image on an image forming body, and the toner image is transferred to a transfer material.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the color-separated image information is red and cyan image information, and the color-separated color signals are blue, red, and black signals.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least the second and subsequent development in the development that is repeated for the number of color signals is non-contact development.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least uniform charging, writing, and development are performed every rotation of the image forming body, and the image forming body is rotated by the number of color signals to form a surface on the image forming body. to form a monochrome or multicolor toner image.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, color image formation from optical scanning of the color document to transfer of the multicolor toner image is processed in real time.

[Detailed description of the invention]

The basic configuration of the color image forming apparatus of the present invention will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a general configuration of a color image forming apparatus and a control system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an image forming process using the apparatus.

FIG. 1 shows a color image forming apparatus having the following configuration as a representative example. First, a color document is separated into two colors, red and cyan, by a color separation means, sent to a COD image sensor, etc., photoelectrically converted, converted into a digital signal by an A/D converter, and then converted into a digital signal by a color separation mechanism. The color signals are separated into three color signals.

These color signals are written onto the image forming body through a writing device using a semiconductor laser to form an electrostatic image, which is developed by a developer corresponding to the color signal to form a color toner image. The above process is repeated for the number of color signals to form a monochrome toner image or a multicolor toner image in which the toner images of each color are superimposed on the image forming body, and this monochrome or multicolor toner image is transferred onto a transfer material and fixed. to obtain a color image.

In FIG. 1, the CPU 1 is controlled by the operation section circuit (304).
By pressing the copy button on the operation panel connected to the main body control CPU 2, the original reading section A is driven under the control of the optical drive CPU 2 connected to the main body control CPU 2 through serial communication.

First, a document 82 on a document table 81 is optically scanned by an optical system. This optical system includes a carriage 84 provided with fluorescent lamps 85 and 86 and a reflecting mirror 87, and a mirror 89.
and 89', and the carriage 84 and the movable mirror unit 88 are moved on the slide rail 83 by a stepping motor 90 at speeds of 6V and 1/2V, respectively. In this way, the optical information obtained by illuminating the document 82 with the fluorescent lamps 85 and 86 is transmitted to the reflection mirror 87 and the v-mirrors 89 and 8.
9' to the optical information conversion unit 100.

As the fluorescent lamps 85 and 86, commercially available warm white fluorescent lamps are used to prevent emphasis or attenuation of specific colors depending on the light source during optical scanning of color originals, and a high frequency power source of approximately 40 KIIz is used to prevent flickering. The tube wall is kept at a constant temperature or warmed up using a heater using a POSISTOR.

In addition, standard white plates 9 are installed on the back side of both ends of the platen glass 81.
7 and 98 are provided. This is for optically scanning the standard white plate to normalize image signals, which will be described later.

Next, the optical information conversion unit 10 of the image reading section A
0 is a lens 101, a prism 102, a gicroic mirror 103, a CCD 104 for red light, and a C for cyan light.
In the CD 105, the CCD 104, and the substrates 106 and 107 for the CCD 105, the optical information derived from the optical system is focused by the lens 101, and the optical information derived from the optical system is focused by the lens 101, and the guichroic mirror 103 is placed in the prism 102.
The colors are separated into red optical information and cyan optical information by the color separation means provided with the CCDIQ4 and CCD.
An image is formed on each light receiving surface 105, and an image signal is output.

The image signals output from the CCD 104 and CCD 105 are processed by a signal processing device that performs A/D conversion, calculation, color separation, binarization, etc., which will be described later, and the color-separated color signals are sent to the writing section B. Output.

In the writing section B, the image forming body 12 is first drawn by a laser beam modulated by the color signal or by a polygon mirror 112 which is rotated by a motor 110 when the power is turned on.
G is scanned.

A laser beam index sensor (19g) for detecting the start of beam scanning, which will be described later, when the scanning is started.
(see FIG. 12), and modulation of the beam by a first color signal (for example, a blue signal) is started. The modulated beam goes up to the Hinorai 2u121, to which high voltage is sent from the high voltage power supply 1 (323), and is uniformly charged.
This image forming member 120 is scanned.

An electrostatic image corresponding to the first color signal (for example, a blue signal) is formed on the image forming body 12G by the main scanning by the laser beam and the sub scanning by the rotation of the image forming body 120.

This electrostatic image is generated by a developing device 12 containing, for example, blue toner, to which a bias voltage is applied from a high voltage power source 2 (241a).
3 to form a blue toner image on the image forming body 120. Note that toner replenishment of the developing device 123 is performed by the CPU at any time.
The toner is controlled by the toner replenishment SDI (313). This blue toner image is moved as the image forming body 120 rotates with the cleaning blade 127 released, and after being uniformly charged by the charger 121, the first color signal is applied to the blue toner image. In the same manner as in the case, an electrostatic image is formed based on a second color signal (for example, a red signal), and is developed by the developer 124 containing red toner to which a bias voltage is also applied from the high voltage power supply 2 (241b). A red toner image is formed in accordance with the blue toner image. Next, in the same manner as in the case of the first color signal and the second color signal, the static iTf is determined based on the third color signal (black signal).
The developing device 125 is filled with black toner, in which an image is formed and a bias voltage is applied from the high voltage power supply 2 (241c).
Developed in the same manner as the previous time, a black toner image is formed in accordance with the blue toner image and red toner image, and a multicolor toner image is obtained. Note that although a three-color multicolor toner image is described here, it may be a two-color or single-color toner image.

The developing units 123, 124, 125 are connected to the high power source 2 (
24La.

It is preferable that the toner is caused to fly toward the image forming body 120 under the application of alternating current and direct current bias voltages from b and c) for non-contact development and reversal development. Note that the developing device 12
Toner replenishment to S D 4 and 125 is performed by toner replenishment S D 2 (
314) and S D 3 (315).

The thus obtained multicolor toner image is placed on a transfer material P fed from a paper feeder 141 via a feed roll 142 and a timing roll 143 in synchronization with the rotation of the image forming body 120, and is transferred to a high voltage power source 3 (324). Transferred by the transfer pole 130 to which high pressure is applied from the separation pole 131
separated by The transfer material P separated by the separation pole 131 is conveyed to a fixing device 132 whose temperature is controlled to a desired temperature by a microcomputer CPUI, where it is fixed, and the paper is ejected to obtain a color image.

The image forming drum 120 after the transfer is cleaned by the cleaning device a 12 B and prepared for the next image formation.

In the cleaning device 126, a blade 127
In order to make it easier to collect the toner cleaned by the blade 127, a direct ME? A metal roll 128 to which 1X pressure is applied is placed without contacting the image forming body. Further, the pressure tube of the blade 127 is released when cleaning is completed, but an auxiliary cleaning roller 129 is further provided to remove unnecessary toner left behind when the blade 127 is released.
By rotating and pressing in the opposite direction, the unnecessary toner is sufficiently cleaned.

1 sword To 1'l< * D IIOn'l
−? 12 iTi lch G2 m
e 8 big >M IL re ah oj:
This is the basic configuration when forming a color image using 1 m, and its details will be further explained below.

FIG. 3(a) shows a side view of the optical information exchange unit 100 incorporated into the image reading section A. The unit 100 includes an imaging lens 101 and a prism 10.
2a, 102b, a color separation gicchroic mirror 103 formed on the joint surface of these prisms, and a red separated light LR and a cyan separated light Lc obtained by color-separating the scanning light by the dichroic mirror 103; CCD 104 and CCD that receive light and convert it into photoelectric
It has 105 and other elements.

For example, the CCDs 104 and 105 have approximately 5,000 fine particles (approximately 7 μm) within a sensor size tox of 50 mm.
Width) Consists of a row of closely arranged light receiving elements.

It is essential that the separated lights LR and Lc obtained by color-separating the optical information from the original image pixel by pixel are simultaneously received by the light receiving elements at corresponding positions of the CCDs 104 and 105. This is because if the above requirements are not met, color matching for each pixel will not be possible, and color reproduction of the resulting color image will not be possible. Therefore, the imaging lens 101. Prisms 102a, 102b, glaucroic mirror 103. Each element such as the CCDs 104 and 105 must be optically precisely constructed and designed so as not to cause distortion due to changes in the external environment, mechanical vibrations, etc.

In the present invention, in order to satisfy the above requirements, each of the above elements is configured as follows.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3(a), prisms 102a and 102b including a guichroic mirror 103 and CCDs 104 and 1 fixed to substrates 106 and 107.
05 are integrally fixed via a fixing member Kl (K2) by a method such as adhesion. For example, in the case of adhesion, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG.
At the same time, glue 1 and 2 to two fixing members and integrate them, and attach the tip surfaces of 1 and 2 to the fixing member with a CCD 104.
Prisms 102a and 102b and c c 6104 and 105 are bonded to the left and right ends (upper and lower ends in the drawing) of the light-receiving surfaces of and 105 via 1 and 2 to the fixing member.
It is structured to integrate.

Further, the left end surfaces of the prisms 102a and 102b in the drawing are tightly fixed by abutting against the right end surface in the drawing of the imaging lens lot. As a method of closely fixing, for example, the support member 109a of the lens 101 and the support member I of the prisms 102a and 102b are fixed to the main body 109 of the device with screws P3.
Q8a and 108b are fixed with screws Pl and P2. Further, the lens 101 further includes a support member 109.
By fixing the lens holder 29b to a with screws P4, the lens holder 29b is integrally fixed. Note that precise optical positioning using an adjustment tool is required in the curve to which each element is fixed by the adhesive and screw fixing described above.

In this way, the optical information conversion unit 100 installed in the color image forming apparatus of the present invention does not suffer from structural distortion due to temperature changes, mechanical vibrations, etc., and as a result, two types of color separation into red and cyan are produced. Color separation information of 2 CCs
It is read in complete synchronization with D 104 and 105.

For reference, FIG. 4(a) shows the document scanning light source 85.
An example of the spectral characteristics of and 86 is shown, and the horizontal axis is the wavelength (nm
), and the vertical axis represents relative intensity (%).

Further, FIG. 4(b) shows an example of the spectral characteristics of the guichroic mirror 103, which is an example of color separation means, where the horizontal axis represents wavelength (nm) and the vertical axis represents transmittance (%). ing. Additionally, FIG. 4(c) shows an example of the spectral characteristics of the CCDs 104 and 105, with the horizontal axis representing wavelength (nm) and the vertical axis representing relative sensitivity (%). Thus CCD 10
After the R (red) and Cy (cyan) image signals obtained by photoelectric conversion by 4 and 105 are digitized by an A/D converter, a color separation circuit based on the following color separation principle,
Other color selection circuits, q binarization circuits, etc. are passed through to the scraping section B.
output as a color signal to modulate the writing B semiconductor laser.

That is, the color separation (color separation into three color signals from two colors) is performed based on the following idea.

Figure 5 schematically shows the spectral reflection characteristics of the color components of the color chart, in which Figure A shows the spectral reflection characteristics of achromatic colors, Figure B shows the spectral reflection characteristics of blue, and Figure 5 shows the spectral reflection characteristics of the color components of the color chart. C shows red spectral reflection characteristics. The horizontal axis is the wavelength (nm
), and the vertical axis is relative sensitivity (%).

Now, the level of the red signal R that has been photoelectrically converted by the CCD 104 and the CCD 105 and normalized to white is expressed in VR.
, when the level of the cyan signal Cy is VC, by creating a coordinate system from the level VR1VC of each of these signals, the colors of blue, red, and black are separated based on the created color separation map. I can do it. In addition, when determining the coordinate axes, it is necessary to consider the following points.

(I) In order to be able to express halftones, the concept of reflectance (reflection density) of the original 82, which corresponds to the luminance signal of the television signal, is adopted.

(■), Color difference (including hue and saturation) of red, cyan, etc.
Introduce the concept of

Therefore, the following may be used as the luminance signal information (for example, a 5-bit digital signal) and the color difference signal information (also a 5-bit digital signal).

Luminance signal information - VR + VC (1) However, 0 ≦ VR ≦ 1.0 (2
)0 ≦ vC≦ 1.0 (
3) O≦VR+VC≦2.0 (4)V
The sum of R and VC (VI?+VC) corresponds to the black level (-0) to the white level (=2.0), and all colors exist in the range from 0 to 2.0.

Color difference signal information = V R / (V R + V C) or V
C/(VR+VC) (5) In the case of achromatic color, the red bell V included in the overall level (VR+VC)
The ratio of R and cyan levels VC is constant. Therefore, VR/(VR+VC)=VC/(V[l+VC)=0.
5 (6) becomes.

On the other hand, in the case of chromatic colors, for red colors, 0.5
< VR/(VR+VC) ≦ 1.0 (
7) 0≦VC/(VR+VC)<0.5 (8
) For cyan colors, 0 ≦vR/(VR+vC) < 0.5 (9)
0.5 < vc/(vl++vc) < 1.0
It can be expressed as (10).

Therefore, the coordinate axis is "(V R + y C) and l?/
<VR+VC) or (VI?+VC) and V
By using a coordinate system having two axes of C/(V R + V C), chromatic colors (red and cyan) and achromatic colors can be clearly separated just by level comparison processing.

In Fig. 6, the vertical axis shows the luminance signal component (Vl? half VC).
, and the color difference signal component V C,/(V R+
The coordinate system when taking V C) is shown.

If V C/(V R+ V C) is used as the color difference signal component, the area smaller than 0.5 is reddish lt, 0.5.
A region larger than 1-1 becomes cyan-based cy.

Achromatic colors exist in the vicinity of color difference signal information=0.5 and in areas with little luminance signal information.

FIG. 7 shows a specific example of a color separation map in which colors are classified according to such a color separation method. Color separation map is Tl
An OM table is used and the illustrated example shows an example divided into 32x32 blocks.

Therefore 1. The number of bits for the second ROM table is 5 bits for the row address and 5 bits for the column address.
Bits are used. This ROM table stores quantized density corresponding values obtained from the reflection density of the original.

FIG. 8 is a system diagram showing an example of a color separation circuit 150 and a color selection circuit 160 for realizing such color separation.

A red signal R and a cyan signal cy before color separation into three colors are supplied to the terminals 150a and 150b, and the arithmetic processing circuit 1
At step 51, processes such as gradation conversion and γ correction are executed. The data after the arithmetic processing is used as an address signal for the memory 152 in which the arithmetic result of (V R + V C) for obtaining luminance signal data is stored.
It is used as an address signal for the memory 153 in which the calculation result of the color difference signal data VC/CVR+VC) is stored.

The respective outputs of these memories 152 and 153 are used as address signals for memories 154 to 156, which will be described later.

The memories 154 to 156 use a data table 157 in which data of the color separation map shown in FIG. 7 is stored for each color. Memory 154 is for green signal B, and memory 1
55 is for the red signal R, and memory 156 is for the black signal BK.

As is clear from the color separation map shown in FIG. 7, by detecting the levels of the red signal R and the cyan signal cy, three color signals B, R of blue, red and black are extracted from the color information signal of the color document. , BK can be separated and output.

The predetermined color signals read from each of the memories 154 to 156 are supplied to a color selection circuit 160.

Each selection circuit 160 has buffer circuits 161 to 163, respectively, and the color signals obtained from each of them are outputted from AND gates 165 to 163.
167, and only necessary color signals are selectively output. The output passes through the OR gate 168 to the binarization circuit 1
The signal is outputted to 70, and further inputted to the writing section B through an interface circuit etc. to modulate the semiconductor laser.

Color separation circuit 150 and color selection circuit 1 shown in FIG. 8 above
60 example, ROM table 1 for color separation
57 consists of a memory (B) 154, a memory (R) 155, and a memory (BK) 156.
As shown in the figure, the memory (blue) 154 and the memory (red) 155 may be combined into a chromatic color memory (B, R) 158, and the output may be configured to be output to buffers 161 and 162, in which case the memory This can contribute to cost reduction.

FIG. 1θ is a system diagram showing an example of the binarization circuit 170.

In the same figure, a threshold table 171 includes a main scanning counter 172 that counts write clocks, a sub-scanning counter 173 that counts horizontal dosing signals, and predetermined threshold data based on the count values of these counters 172 and 173. Output matrix (ROM configuration) 174
and has.

If the document to be read is a line drawing, the threshold data is
Data of a constant threshold value corresponding to the concentration is used. On the other hand, when the original is a photographic image, binarization using the dither method is preferable, so in that case, the dither matrix should be used as the threshold data. About three types of dither matrices are prepared depending on the density of the original, and these are selected depending on the density of the original.

The image data output from the color selection circuit 160 is compared with predetermined threshold data obtained from a threshold table 171 in a binarization circuit (comparison circuit) 170, and is divided into two pixels for each pixel.
Valued.

Note that it is also possible to perform enlargement/reduction processing on the original image data before performing the binarization processing.

Enlargement/reduction processing in the main scanning direction is performed by electrical signal processing, and enlargement/reduction processing in the sub-scanning direction is performed by CCD104.10.
CCD 104°10 with constant exposure time of 5.
5 or by changing the moving speed of the image information.

An image processing circuit is provided for enlarging/reducing processing in the main scanning direction. Although detailed explanation thereof will be omitted, an interpolation method is used for enlarging and reducing.

Interpolation is an image processing method that attempts to obtain enlarged or reduced images by increasing or thinning data related to a pair of adjacent original image data based on the level of the image data. be.

For example, when enlarging an original image twice, as shown in FIG. 11, an intermediate level Sl is calculated for the original image levels DI and D2 between two points, and this level Sl and the original image level D1. D2 is used as image data after enlargement processing, that is, as interpolation data S.

Enlargement/reduction is processed in real time. Therefore, the above-mentioned interpolation data is stored in advance in a ROM or the like, and the interpolation data S is addressed using a pair of original image data or the like.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing the device of the writing section B at 190.
191 is a laser driving circuit, 191 is a semiconductor laser, 192 is a collimating lens that converts the beam from the laser 191 into parallel light, 193 and 196 are cylindrical lenses for correcting the color of the polygon mirror 112, and 195 is a scanning device for scanning by the polygon mirror 112. This is an f-θ lens for angle correction. 120 is an image forming body scanned by the beam, 1
97 is a reflecting mirror, and 198 is a laser beam index sensor.

FIG. 13 shows a peripheral circuit of the writing section B. A semiconductor laser 191 is provided with a drive circuit 190, and the above-mentioned binary data is supplied to this drive circuit 190 as a modulation signal, and this modulation signal causes the laser to emit light. The beam is internally modulated.

The laser driving circuit 190 is controlled by a control signal from the timing circuit 183 so that it is in a driving state only in the horizontal and vertical effective area sections. Further, the semiconductor laser 191 is provided with a light amount monitor 189, and a signal indicating the amount of light of the laser beam is fed back to the circuit 190, and when the amount of light exceeds a predetermined amount, the driving of the semiconductor laser 191 is controlled to be stopped. Ru.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an improved drive circuit that can control the light amount of the semiconductor laser 191 with high performance. In the figure, 200 is a photodiode for monitoring the light amount from the semiconductor laser 191, and 201 is the photodiode 200.
an I/V converter that converts the current output from the
02 is an A/D converter for digitizing the converted voltage, CPUI is a microcomputer for controlling the main unit as shown in FIG. It has a built-in program to control the amount of light.

204 is the next A/
This is a latch that temporarily stores the digital value given to the D converter 205, 190 is a laser drive circuit, and 207 is an OR circuit.

The procedure for controlling the amount of laser beam will be described below with reference to the apparatus shown in FIG. 14 and the flowchart shown in FIG. 15.

When the striking laser drive circuit 190 causes a current to flow through the semiconductor laser 191 to oscillate a laser beam, the monitor diode 200 detects the photocurrent, which is connected to the I/V.
The converter 201 changes it into a voltage. The obtained analog voltage value is converted to a digital voltage by the A/D converter 202 and
Input to PU1. The CPU 1 includes a semiconductor laser 19.
A program is built in that allows the laser beam from 1 to reach the appropriate light intensity with a quick rise.

Therefore, based on the monitor voltage digitized by the A/D converter 202, it is immediately determined whether the laser beam has an appropriate amount of light. By the way, in the apparatus shown in FIG. 14, a reference value P1 that is close to but below the appropriate light amount is set, and when it is determined that the amount is less than the reference value PI, a correction voltage value △ is added to the digitized monitor voltage ■. A specific voltage value A is added as V. If the reference value Pi is exceeded but less than the appropriate light amount, another specific voltage value B is added as a correction voltage value △V, and if the appropriate light amount range is exceeded, the other specific voltage value B is subtracted. That's what I do. Note that the specified value A of the corrected voltage value △■.

There is a relationship of A>B>O between 8.

The appropriate voltage V' thus obtained after being corrected by the necessary correction voltage value △V is converted into an analog voltage by the D/A converter 205, and is manually inputted to the laser drive circuit 190 to cause the semiconductor laser 191 to oscillate at an appropriate light intensity with a fast rise. can be done.

As described above, the color-specific modulated laser beams whose light amounts are efficiently controlled according to the CPU program are sent to the image forming body 12.
0 to form an electrostatic image, and color image formation is performed using a plurality of developing devices each containing a different color toner.

As described above, each color signal is written on the image forming body 120 to form a color-specific electrostatic image, and the color-specific electrostatic image is developed by a plurality of corresponding developing devices to form each color. A multicolor toner image consisting of toner images is formed. The multicolor toner image is required to have each color toner image well aligned and have a clear tone, and in order to achieve these requirements, each developer requires appropriate structure, arrangement, and control, and the equipment needs to be properly structured, arranged, and controlled. Compactness is required to avoid increasing size and complexity. Therefore, the developing means C incorporated in the color image forming apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing the specific structure of the developing means C incorporated in the color image forming apparatus of the present invention, in which the first developing device 123, the second developing device 124, and the third developing device 125 are arranged in one housing. That is, it is housed integrally and compactly within the garage 210. The garage 210 is moved left and right by rotating the handle 221 in the direction of the arrow. That is, if the handle is rotated counterclockwise, the garage 21G will rotate between the rollers 222 and 223, which have their rotation axes at the lower end of the garage.
The image forming member 224 is slid on the main body 224 by the tension of the spring 238, and is moved in the direction of the arrow F, and is brought into contact with the image forming member 120 via an abutment member (not shown), so that development is possible.

Further, by rotating the handle 221 clockwise against the spring 238, the garage 210 is moved in the direction of arrow G and separated from the image forming body 120, and is placed in a non-developing state.

The left and right movement of the garage 210 is guided by a shaft 225a fixed to the main body of the device via an i/w 225b.

Further, each developing device moves in the direction of the arrow in the garage 210 to a non-developing state, and then each developing device moves to its respective developing tray 2.
Together with 26, 227 and 228, they are pulled out to the front (towards the top of the drawing) for toner replenishment and other necessary maintenance and inspection. Each developing tray serves as a partition between each developing device, and a guide shaft 229 fixed to the garage 20+
a, 229b, 230a, 230b, 231a.

Each developing device can be taken out independently by simply pulling out each developing tray (preferably a handle is provided on the developing tray) via 231b. Moreover, by adopting such a configuration, each developing unit is made compact, and the operation of attaching and detaching them is made extremely easy.

Next, since each developing unit has the same configuration in FIG. 16, the internal configuration will be explained focusing on the first developing unit 123 as a representative.

232a is a supply toner storage chamber, and 233a is a packet which is rotated in the direction of the arrow to stir the toner and supply the toner to the next toner supply roller 234a. 23
5a and 236a are agitators that agitate and mix the developer supplied with toner from the toner replenishment roller 234a, and they rotate in opposite arrow directions to fully agitate and mix the developer, homogenize it, and develop it. It has important functions such as imparting the triboelectric charge of m required to the toner. Therefore, the present invention has the configurations shown in FIGS. 17(a) (perspective view) and 17(b) (front view).

In the figure, shafts 2351a and 2361a rotating in opposite directions have stirring blades 2352a, 2353a,
2354a and 2362a, 2363a, 2364
A and the like share the opposing stirring area, but are arranged alternately so as not to collide during rotation. When agitated using an agitator with such a configuration, the developer is mixed with the shafts 2351a and 236.
Since the mixture is moved and stirred in the direction of 1a and the direction perpendicular to these directions, it is sufficiently mixed and triboelectrically charged. The configuration of this agitator is common to each developing device, and the obtained developer is supplied to the next developing roll 237a.
7a is a magnet roll 2372a with 12 N and S poles rotating in the direction of the arrow and a sleeve 23 rotating in the opposite direction.
71a, and due to their interaction, the sleeve 2
A developer layer is formed on the surface of 371a and transported to the development area.

The developer layer is regulated by a developer layer thickness regulating member 240a elastically pressed against the sleeve 2371a.
It is assumed to be a thin layer of 1000 μm.

On the other hand, a bias voltage is applied to the sleeve 2371a from an AC and DC bias power supply 241a integrally connected to the garage 210 during development, and the toner flies from the thin developer layer toward the image forming body 120. The electrostatic image on the image forming member is developed in a non-contact manner.

By the way, the layer thickness regulating member 240 for forming the thin layer
Since it is necessary for a to be evenly pressed against the surface of the sleeve 2371a in the longitudinal direction to form a uniform thin layer, it is desirable that the following requirements be satisfied.

FIGS. 18A and 18B are diagrams for explaining how to arrange the layer thickness regulating member 240a. This regulating member 240a basically uses an elastic member, and uses a relatively large particle diameter (5 to 40 μm) carrier and a small particle diameter (1 to 15 μm) as the developer.
It is used to form a thin layer of a two-component developer consisting of toner (μm). As the material of the layer thickness regulating member 240a, a phosphor bronze plate or a rubber material with a hardness of 55 to 85 degrees is used,
For example, a phosphor bronze plate having a thickness of 0.01 to 1 mm may be used alone, or a phosphor bronze plate may be laminated with, for example, a rubber plate having a thickness of 0.1 to 5 mm, either only at the press-contact portion or on the whole.

A preferred example is a phosphor bronze plate with a thickness of 1 mm and a polyurethane resin plate with a rubber hardness of 75° and a thickness of 0.5 mm. Further, the layer thickness regulating member 240
A is elastically pressed against the sleeve 2371a, but a gap is formed by the presence of the carrier in the two-component developer, and the developer on the sleeve 2371a is regulated by this gap.

The amount of developer supplied to the gap is controlled by the layer thickness regulating member 2.
It depends on the size of the wedge-shaped region 242a formed by extending the length Q from the pressure contact point of the regulating member 240a to the sleeve 2371a, or the distance h) between the extended tip of the regulating member 240a and the surface of the sleeve 2371a. That is, in order to smoothly supply the developer into the gap, the presence of a wedge-shaped area of an appropriate size is essential. Here, the layer thickness regulating member 240a
The length is usually about 0.5 to 2 times the radius of the sleeve 2361a, and the extension of the regulating member for forming the wedge-shaped region is preferably about 0.5 to 2 mm.

Note that each of the developing units (123, 124, 125,) is equipped with a sponge roll and 2 for scraping off the developer layer after development.
45a, 245b, and 245c are provided.

This is because the developer layer after development is a developer layer after the toner has been consumed and cannot be used for the next development, so the development is performed using a flexible sponge roll that does not damage the sleeve surface. By scraping off the agent layer, it is refreshed and good development is maintained.

The image forming body is rotated three times, and the first
, the multicolor toner images of blue, red, and black obtained by development by the second and third developing devices, respectively, are transferred by the transfer device 130 to the transfer material I, which is fed at the same timing from the paper feeding device. It is electrostatically transferred and separated by one separation pole 131 and separation claw 250 in FIG.

Transfer material P from the image forming body 120 by the separation claw 250
The separation is performed by a software operated by signals from C and P
The separating claw 250 is moved as shown in the arrow through the nod 252, the lever 253c that connects the noid 252 with the l end 253b of its shaft 253a, the l flange 254 that engages with the flange 233C1, etc. image forming body 1
This is accomplished by pressing on 20.

That is, when the solenoid 252 is reversely driven, the shaft rod 25
3a is moved downward in the drawing by electromagnetic force, and therefore the first collar 233c is rotated in the direction of the arrow around the shaft 253d. Lever 25 that engages with lever 253c at the same time
4 is rotated about the sleeve 256 against the spring 258, and the separation claw 250 connected to the lever 254 by a shaft 257 is rotated about the shaft 251 in the direction of the arrow to separate the elephant forming body 120.
is pressed against.

The thus separated transfer material P is transferred to the fixing device 132 in FIG.
The image is heated and fixed and the paper is ejected. The fixing device 132 is in the housing 2
a Teflon-coated heat roller 261 with a built-in heater 262; and a pinch roller 263 having a surface layer of silicone rubber pressed against the heat roller 261 by the tension of a spring 265.
, a cleaning roller 264 that is pressed against the heat roller 261, an upper roller 266 for discharging paper, a lower roller 267, and the like. Here, the transfer material "■" conveyed after separation is introduced via the entrance guide 268, and is introduced into the heat roller 268.
The paper is heated and fixed while being sandwiched between the paper sheet 2 and the pinch roller 263, and is prevented from being wrapped around the heat roll 261 and the pinch roller 263 by the separating claws 269 and 270.
6 and 267, and are conveyed and discharged.

The temperature of the heat roll is detected by a temperature detection element 27 such as a thermistor.
1, and is controlled by a control signal from the CPU 1 to a temperature range suitable for, for example, an OPC.

Reference numeral 272 is a jam detector, which uses an actuator 273 to detect the presence or absence of a jam. When a jam occurs, the CPU
Take measures such as stopping the device via I.

The image forming body 120 after the transfer material P has been separated is cleaned by a cleaning device 126 shown in FIG. 127 is a cleaning blade device, 282 is a node board 281
The holding member 283 that holds the holding member 282 supports the holding member 282.
This is a screw rotatably supported by the holding member 284 (bottom on the page). The node plate 281 is an image forming body after the multicolor toner image is transferred. The cleaning operation is carried out by being pressed against the collar 286, and one end of the blade 286 is stretched by a spring 287.
This is achieved by rotating at 85.

Reference numeral 288 is a rotatable metal roller to which a DC voltage is applied. - The roller rotates in the direction of the arrow, and a voltage of about 100 V is applied with a bias polarity opposite to that of the toner to remove the residual toner.The material thereof is preferably stainless steel or the like.

Further, reference numeral 129 denotes an auxiliary cleaning roller made of sponge, which removes the image forming body 1 after the blade 281 finishes its cleaning operation.
Immediately after being separated from the blade 281, it is rotated about the shaft 291 and pressed against the image forming body 120 to clean the toner left behind by the blade 281, and the cleaned toner flows down the guide plate 292 and is struck. By vibrating the guide plate with the roll 293, it is discharged to the discharge screw conveyor 289.

By configuring the cleaning device 132 as described above,
When a developer containing the above-mentioned fine particle toner is used for the purpose of high image quality, it is possible to exhibit an extremely effective cleaning effect.

In this way, the residual toner is sufficiently removed from the image forming body 12.
0 is ready for the next image formation.

The above is a detailed explanation of the color image forming apparatus of the present invention.
The overall control mechanism of the entire nuclear device will be explained below with reference to FIG. 21 and circuit diagrams of other parts. In FIG. 21, as described above, the optical information from the color original 82 is transmitted to the guichroic mirror 103, and the color separation information LR of R (red) consisting of transmitted light and the color separation information Lc of Cy (cyan) consisting of reflected light. The signals are decomposed into CCD 104 and CCD 105, and R and Cy image signals are output, respectively.

FIG. 22 shows the relationship between the image signals R, Cy and various timing signals. The horizontal effective area signal (H-VALID) (C in the same figure) corresponds to the maximum original reading width W of COD 104.105, and the same The image signals R and Cy shown in FIGS. F and G are read out in synchronization with the synchronous clock CLK (E in the same figure) from the counter clock circuit 299 in FIG.

These image signals R and Cy are supplied to the A/D converter 145 in FIG. 21 via a normalizing amplifier (not shown), thereby being converted into digital signals of a predetermined number of bits.

Shading correction should be performed during A/D conversion. Therefore, a memory 146 for shading correction is prepared, and one line of white image data is extracted from outside the image reading area, stored in memory, and used as data for shading correction.

For this reason, the memory 146 is read out in synchronization with the clock of the CCD@motion pulse generation circuit 147.

A clock circuit 299 is provided in the seller circuit 147.

The timing of the memory 146 is regulated by an index signal for starting scanning from an index sensor 199 in FIG. 21, which is supplied to a generating circuit 147, and a control signal from the CPU 2.

The digital color image signal is supplied to the next stage color separation circuit 150, where it is separated into a plurality of color signals necessary for color image recording.

In the above example, it is a simple recording device that records a color image in three colors: blue, B, red, R, and black, BK.
In the color separation circuit [50, these three color signals B, R, B
It will be separated into K.

Color signals B, R, BK are ghost canceller 149
The next ghost removal process is performed to cancel ghost signals generated in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.

That is, in order to remove color ghosts that occur during multicolor image capturing (color separation), it is preferable to take the following steps.

■ At the time of color separation, a color code (color specification information) that specifies the color is added to the upper or lower part of the density data.

■ Color-related processing (for example, color ghost processing) is performed based on color codes.

■ Processing related to image data is basically performed on density information.

■ Color ghost processing creates a color pattern from the color code of the pixel of interest and its surrounding pixels, and determines the color code of the pixel of interest based on this color pattern.

To do this, a color code (color designation information) representing each color is added to the density correspondence value (density information). Then, these density information and color designation information are combined into image data for each pixel. For example, when considering red and blue as chromatic colors,
The color codes are defined as follows: white = (1, 1) = IX2 + 1 = 3, black = (0, 0) = O + O = 0, red = (1, 0) = lX2 + O = 2, blue = (o, ri = O + 1 = 1). Then, the density corresponding value having the value D in Fig. 7 changes as follows (conventional) (invention) OD (black) D → 2D (red) ID (blue).For example, in the black memory, Data is written in the T-shape in the form OX (X = 0 to F), but "30" and a white code corresponding value are written in areas other than the T-shape.

FIG. 36 is a diagram showing the storage state of memory for each color gamut. (A) shows the storage state of the black memory, (B) shows the storage state of the red memory, and (C) shows the storage state of the blue memory. Among the data in the figure, X is density data (value corresponding to a degree). Note that the order of the color designation information and the density information may be reversed.

Let's talk about color ghost processing in detail.Note 1: First, we need to investigate the relationship between the color appearance of a pixel and its surrounding pixels, and the actual color of the pixel of interest, and then determine how a specific color appears. This method uniquely determines the color of a pixel (color pattern method). As an example! If we look at the color appearance of the dimension 1x7, that is, the pixel of interest and the three surrounding pixels,
Scan and see how the colors come out! 234567 Confession Ilt When it becomes blue black red white, the blue of the pixel of interest (fourth pixel) is made black. Therefore, for example, if the blue color at this time is "18", this processing changes the data to "08". An example of this J-Uni color pattern is the combination shown in FIG. 37.

In general, if N colors (including white) are judged from M pixels, it is only necessary to have N color patterns. Therefore,
For example, N=2. If M=3, there are 8 pieces, N=3. M=5
Then, 243 color patterns are sufficient. At this time, it is preferable that the number of M is small, but usually M=
A value of 5 to 7 is sufficient. The larger the value of M, the larger the image of the ghost claw can be corrected, but normally M = 5 and 1
It is possible to correct the ghost of two pixels by setting M=7. Furthermore, when M=3, the line may become thin during ghost correction, which is not very preferable. In the above process, after ghost correction, it is necessary to set the density data to 0 for pixels whose color has changed from data other than white to white.

Next, the color ghost processing will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 33, where the same content as in FIG. 8 is given the same reference numeral.

As already explained based on FIG. 8, the pre-separated ROM
154, red separation ROM 155, black separation ROM 15
Density data (LA degree correspondence values) for each color gamut are independently stored in the ROM 6, and a color code for specifying a color is further stored in each of these ROMs.

These ROMs 154 to 156 store dummy data (value 0) at addresses other than their respective areas. Then, it is output from the latch 500.501 (V R+ V
C) When data, V C / (V R + V C) data is commonly input as an address to these color separation ROMs 154 to 156, the image data stored at the address specified by the address is output. . These color separation r(OMs 154 to 156 each output image data according to the input address, but only one of the three outputs has meaning.
ROM 152 for luminance signal data in FIG. ROM 153 for color difference signal data and T' (OM 1
54 to 156 may be constituted by one ROM.

In this way, the image data output from each color @ROM 154 to 156 is separated into a color code for specifying a color and density data, which are then processed separately.

The color code enters the color ghost removal circuit 149 via the first synthesis circuit 504, and the density data enters the color ghost removal circuit 149 via the second synthesis circuit 503. The color ghost removal circuit 149 receives the input color code and density data and performs a ghost removal operation in the main scanning direction to convert the color code that should become a ghost into a color code of another color (a color code that matches the surrounding color). and in the sub-scanning direction (details will be described later), the color code and density data from which ghosts have been removed are output.

The color code and density data output from the color ghost removal circuit 149 are latched into a latch 506.

Among the latched data, the color code enters the first decoder 507 and is demodulated into four color designation signals: black, red, blue, and full output. On the other hand, the separately applied color selection signals (B 1 , B 2 , R signals) enter the second decoder 508 and are similarly demodulated into four color designation signals of black, red, blue, and total output. These color designation signals enter the OR gate 509 with designation signals of the same color, and are output from these OR gates 509 as a black select signal, a red select signal, a blue select signal, and a full output select signal, respectively.

The selection signal for each color output from the OR gate 509 enters the density signal separation circuit 510. On the other hand, the density data latched by the latch 506 also enters the density signal separation circuit 51O, and the density signal separation circuit 510 receives these signals, selects and outputs the density data of each color (details will be described later).
. Then, the density data outputted from the density signal separation circuit 510 is compared with the threshold value outputted from the threshold value circuit 148 by the subsequent comparator 160, and converted into binary data. This binarized data will be output as image data.

Note that multivalue processing is not limited to binary conversion, but also ternary conversion,
It is possible to perform 4-value conversion, etc.

FIG. 34 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration example of the color ghost removal circuit 149. The circuit shown in the figure is designed to remove color ghosts in both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. The color code (2 bits) enters the first shift register 520 and is shifted by the data clock. The shift register 520 outputs 2×7 (bit) parallel data obtained by delaying the 2-bit color code by a maximum of 7 bits. This parallel data enters a ghost removal ROM 521 that removes ghosts in the main scanning direction. The ghost removal It OM 521 performs ghost removal processing using a color pattern method. That is,! For the ×7 color pattern, the color of the center pixel of interest and the 3 before and after it
The color code of the pixel of interest is converted into a color code that does not cause color ghosts based on the color of the pixel.

The color code that has been subjected to ghost removal processing in the main scanning direction in this manner is latched by the latch 522. The density data (4 bits) is stored in the second 5-bit shift register 5.
23, is converted into serial data by the data clock, and is latched into latch 522.

On the other hand, a separately output l-line signal is counted by a 6-line counter 524, and a signal specifying an l-line memory, which will be described later, is output from the 6-line counter 524. Then, the output of the 6-line counter 524 (3 bits)
enters the decoder 525 and is demodulated. decoder 525
Of the six 1-line memory selection signals (hereinafter referred to as memory select signals) output from the gate G
, ~G8 and l line memories M1 to M8, and the other set is input to gates Gll to GIIl+G! 1 to Gta, and other sets are input to the data selector 526.

The color code and density data latched by the latch 522 pass through a gate selected by the output of the decoder 525. Now, assuming that the l line memo 9M1 is selected, the density data of the signal passing through the gate G1 is! The line memo is stored sequentially in 9 blocks. At this time, an address (13 bits) is given to the l line memo 9 and l, indicating the storage destination address. On the other hand, the color code passing through gate G enters gate Gll, and the density data enters gate G, . These G IIIG
11 whose opening and closing are controlled by the output of the decoder 525, but since they are open when the l line memo 9M1 is selected, the color code and density data pass through these GIIIGt+. G.

The output of Gtl enters the data selector 526, and the output of the gate Gtl is output as is as concentration data.

The color code (14 bits) for each line outputted from the data selector 526 is input as an address into the ghost removal ROM 527 in the sub-scanning direction, and color ghost correction of the target pixel in the sub-scanning direction is then performed. As a result, the color code output from the ghost removal ROM 527 has been subjected to color ghost correction in both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. The color code subjected to this color ghost correction is once latched to the latch 52 along with the density data output from the gate G2+.
After being latched to 8, it is output. In the above description, the case where the 1-line memory 9M is selected is taken as an example, but the same applies even when any other 1-line memory is selected.

Six lines of density data are stored in the 1-line memories M1 to M6 and read out and processed as needed. Since one actual image has a capacity of several hundred lines, it cannot be processed using the number of line memories shown in the figure. Therefore, an overlap operation is performed in which the last stored 1-line memory is replaced with new density data.

FIG. 35 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration example of the concentration signal separation circuit 510. Density data D output from latch 528 (see FIG. 37). -D is commonly input to data selectors DS, ~DS, provided corresponding to black, blue, red, and all outputs. On the other hand, the color code and color select signal are sent to the decoder 50? , 50g1 is input and demodulated. Here, the correspondence relationship between the color code, color select signal, and color is as follows.

(a) Color code 00 black G1 blue lO red 11 white (b) Color selection signal 00 black 01 blue lO red l 1 Full output The demodulated signals output from the decoders 507 and 5 oil are output from a common output terminal. The output signals (for example, the 0 output terminal of the decoder 507 and the decoder 50
The O output terminal of g) is input to the OR gate G31-033. Then, the logical sum outputs of these OR gates G, -03g are respectively sent to the data selector I)S.

~DS, is used as an enable signal. However, all output terminals of the decoder 508 are directly connected to the data cell node D S 4.

In the circuit configured as described above, when a color is specified by either a color code or an external one-color signal, the corresponding color select signal of one of the decoders 507 and 50111 becomes "0". Became or Gate G
a+-G 32 to predetermined Dex 1 Nokta D S
r~D S4 is enabled (however,
DS, is enabled directly from the output of decoder 508). Density data is output from the enabled data cell node and given to the subsequent comparator 160 (see FIG. 33).

In addition, when all four data sensor outputs are high impedance, the output result is set to "0" for each signal line by the pull-down resistor 529 for CM QS.
” is set to be fixed.

With the mechanism of the color ghost removal device as described above, problematic color ghosts can be removed extremely effectively.

Here, as shown in FIG. 23, the main scanning direction with respect to the original 82 means that the CCD 104 is
105 line direction (horizontal scanning direction), and the sub-scanning direction is a direction perpendicular to the lines of CCDs 104 and 105 (vertical scanning direction).

The color signals B, R, and BK after ghost removal are selected by the color selection circuit 160 in FIG. 21.

This is because, as mentioned above, an image forming process is adopted in which one color image is developed per rotation of the image forming body 120, and development is performed in synchronization with the rotation of the image forming body 120. While the containers 123 to 125 are selected,
A color signal corresponding to the selected developer is sent to the color selection circuit 160.
will be selected in

Selection signals Gl-G3 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) for color signals are sent from the CPU 2 (second microcomputer). The output states of the selection signals G1 to G3 differ depending on the case of three-color recording, that is, the normal recording mode, and the case of monochrome recording, that is, the color-specified recording mode.

Note that the separation process of separating color signals from a color original into three color signals is executed every rotation of the image forming body 120.

The principle of color separation described above is based on a color separation map in which 5-bit density data corresponding to the reflection density of a color original is stored, as previously explained in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. The configuration of a specific color separation circuit based on the principle of color separation, which is separated into blue, red and black, is as already explained with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

Furthermore, the mechanism for removing color ghosts generated during the color separation has already been explained based on FIGS. 33 to 37.

This extremely specific and clear circuit configuration enables faithful color reproduction and the formation of clear color images.

Figure 24 shows 3-color mode, Figure 25 shows single-color mode (
Image formation process and gate signal (Gl
, G2. G3) is a muchart that shows the relationship with

In the three-color mode as shown in FIG. 24, the gate signals G1 to G3 supplied to the AND gates 165 to 167 in FIGS. 8 and 9 correspond to the respective color signals separated into three colors, and Three-phase gate signals G1-G3 synchronized with the rotation of the motor 120 are formed (FIG. 24G-[). At the same time, the developing bias shown in FIG. 123-125.

As a result, the exposure process I~■ for each color (F in the same figure)
Thereafter, exposure and development processing steps are sequentially performed.

On the other hand, in the case of a monochromatic color mode as shown in FIG. 25, a single designated image forming process is performed. Therefore, the three selection signals G1-03 are obtained in the same phase regardless of the designated color signal (G-I in the same figure).

The example shown in FIG. 25 is a case where red is specified.

At the same time, a developing bias is supplied only to the corresponding developing device 124 (D in the figure), and this becomes in operation. Therefore, since only the developing device 124 containing red toner (developer) is driven, an image is recorded in red regardless of the color information of the color original l.

Even when specifying another color (black or blue), the image forming process is the same, so a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

Next, the color signals outputted through the color separation circuit 150, the main/sub color ghost canceling circuit 149, and the color selection circuit 160 in FIG. The signal is input to the enlargement/reduction circuit explained in FIG. 11, binarized, and then output to the interface circuit.

The interface circuit 295 in FIG. 21 is composed of a first interface 2951 that receives binary data, and a second interface 2952 that receives binary data sent from this interface.

The first interface 2951 receives horizontal and vertical valid area signals (II-VALI) from the timing circuit 296.
D).

(,V-VALID) is supplied from the counter clock circuit 299 at a predetermined frequency (in this example, 6M
1lz) clock is supplied. Furthermore, a CCD drive clock is supplied. As a result, binary data is sent to the second interface 2952 in synchronization with the CCD drive clock only during the period when the horizontal and vertical effective area signals are generated.
It will be sent to

The counter clock circuit 299 is designed to be synchronized with an index signal (described later) that indicates the start position of the laser beam scan, but this is achieved by synchronizing the timing of sending binary data with the rotation of the polygon motor. This is to obtain an image that does not exist.

The second interface 1952 is an interface for selecting the binary data sent from the first interface 1951 and other image data and sending it to the writing section B side.

Other image data refers to the following image data.

11 - Test pattern circuit 997 #) et al.1n^ phase, non-test pattern image data; second, patch image data obtained from the toner density control patch circuit 298; third, patch image data obtained from the printer control circuit 294. This is the image and character data obtained.

The test pattern image data is used when inspecting image processing, and the patch image data for toner density detection is used during patch processing.

Both the test pattern circuit 297 and the patch circuit 298 are driven based on the clock of the counter clock circuit 299, and thereby the first interface 295
The timing is adjusted with the binary data sent from 1.

The binary data output from the second interface 2952 will be used by the writing section B as a modulation signal for the laser beam.

The writing section B is as previously explained with reference to FIGS. 12 to 15, and especially in FIGS. 14 and 1.
In the case of having the light 1 control system shown in FIG. 5, the semiconductor laser 191 has the advantage of fast startup and high-speed recording.

Next, all of the above-mentioned units and circuits in the color image forming apparatus of the present invention are controlled by the CPUI and CPU2. Therefore, first, the CPU 2 will be explained below. CPU2
is a microcomputer for optical drive control, and various information signals are exchanged with the first microcomputer CPU1 for controlling the main body through serial communication. Also, the first
The optical scanning start signal sent from the second microcomputer CPUI is directly supplied to the interrupt terminal of the second microcomputer CPU2.

The second microcomputer CPU2 generates various command signals in synchronization with a clock of a predetermined frequency (12 MHz) obtained from the reference clock circuit 332.

The second microcomputer CPU2 detects data for shading correction, sends a command signal for storing this to the shading correction memory 146, and also sends a command signal for density selection to the threshold table 14g. The selection signal and the color selection signal during color recording are sent to the color selection circuit 1.
60.

The second microcomputer CPU2 further outputs the following control signals.

First, a control signal for turning on and off the drive power of the CCDs 104 and 105 is supplied to the power supply control circuit S thereof.

Second, for the lighting control circuit 301 for the light source (such as a fluorescent lamp) 85 and 86 for irradiating the document 82 with the necessary light,
A predetermined control signal is supplied.

Third, a control signal is also supplied to a drive circuit 302 that drives a stepping motor 90 for moving the CCDs 104 and 105.

Fourthly, a control signal is also supplied to the control circuit 303 to the light amount stabilizing heater (not shown) of the fluorescent lamps 85 and 86.

Note that data indicating the light amount information of the optical unit, the fluorescent lamps 85 and 86, and the home position are input to the second microcomputer CPU2.

The first microcomputer CPUI is mainly for controlling the main body of the color image forming apparatus;
The input/output system of the apparatus main body will be explained below based on the drawings.

The operation section circuit 304 allows magnification specification through the operation panel.
Various input data such as recording position designation and recording color designation are input, and their contents are displayed. As the display means, an element such as an LED or a liquid crystal display is used.

The paper size detection circuit 305 is used to detect and display the size of the cassette paper loaded in the tray, or to automatically select the paper size according to the size of the document.

The rotational position of the drum 120, which is an image forming member, is detected by the drum index sensor 306, and the timing of the electrostatic processing process is controlled by the index signal.

A cassette zero sheet detection sensor 307 detects whether there are no sheets in the cassette. Manual feed zero detection sensor 3
Similarly, in step 08, the presence or absence of paper for manual feeding in the manual feeding mode is detected.

The toner density detection sensor 309 detects the density of the toner on the drum 120 or after fixing, and if the toner density is lower than the reference value, the toner replenishment solenoid 313
-315 are driven and controlled as necessary.

In addition, the three remaining toner amount detection sensors 310 to 312 detect the toner storage chambers 232 in each of the developing units 123 to 125.
a.

The remaining amount of toner in 232b and 232c is detected individually, and when the toner runs out, a
(not shown) is controlled so that the display elements (not shown) are lit.

The temporary stop sensor 316 detects whether paper is correctly fed from the cassette to the second paper feed roller (not shown) during use of the color copying machine, and temporarily stops paper feeding by the first paper feed roller. It is for.

Contrary to the above, the paper ejection sensor 317 is used to determine whether or not the fixed paper is correctly ejected to the outside.

Manual feed sensor 318 is used to detect whether manual feed mode is selected.

The sensor output obtained from each sensor as described above is taken into the first microcomputer CPU l, and necessary data is displayed on the operation/display unit 304, and the driving state of the color copying machine is controlled as desired. be done.

In the case of a color copying machine, motor 3 [9] for blue and red development
In addition, a motor 320 exclusively for black is provided, and these are all controlled by command signals from the first microcomputer CPU1. Similarly, the drive state of the main motor (drum motor) 321 is controlled by a PLL-controlled drive circuit 322, and the drive state of this drive circuit 322 is also controlled by a control signal from the first microcomputer CPUI. That will happen.

During color development, it is necessary to apply a predetermined high voltage to a developing device or the like during development. Therefore, a high voltage power source 323 for charging and a high voltage power source 241 for developing (a, b) are used.

C) A high-voltage power source 324 for transfer and separation, and a high-voltage power source 325 for the metal roller 288 for the toner receiver are provided, and a predetermined high voltage is applied to them when necessary.

In addition, 326 is the pressure contact of the cleaning auxiliary roller 290.
327 is a solenoid for driving the first feeding g-drive, 328 is a solenoid for driving the second paper feeding roller, and 330 is a solenoid for driving the cleaning blade I node plate 281 and the cleaning auxiliary roller 129. This is a motor for releasing crimping. Furthermore, 329 is a driving solenoid that controls on/off of the separation claw.

The second paper feed roller is used to send out the paper conveyed by the first paper feed roller at an appropriate timing.

Fusing heater 262 is controlled by fusing heater on/off circuit 331. Also, fixing heat 11-ru 2
The surface temperature of 61 is monitored by a thermistor 271. 300 is a clock circuit (approximately 12M!Iz).

A non-volatile memory 333 attached to the first microcomputer CI) U1 stores the initial setting value, the count of the number of copies per copy, the total count, etc. during the image forming process, and stores the count of the number of copies per copy and the total count during the image forming process of the initial setting value. When restarting copying after copying has been interrupted due to an unforeseen accident, the copying operation can be continued from the count before the accident.

In this way, the first and second microcomputers CP
The UI and CPU 2 execute various controls necessary for color image processing according to a predetermined sequence.

Next, a series of processes in color image formation will be explained in detail with reference to the time charts of FIGS. 26 and 27.

In the color image forming apparatus of the present invention, full color (three colors)
In addition to recording, a predetermined image readout area can be recorded in a specified color (single color) from the outside.
First, full color recording will be explained with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 26, section F1 indicates the section from when the main power of the apparatus is turned on until when the copy button is operated. Section F2 is a section for pre-rotation processing of the image forming body 120 (hereinafter referred to as drum). Section I is a blue development section, and section ■
are the four red development sections, and the section ■ is the black development section. The section ■ is a section for post-rotation processing.

Further, the numbers shown in the figure indicate the count value of a drum counter or the count value of another counter such as a pre-rotation counter which will be described later.

When the main power supply 322 is turned on, the main motor such as the drum motor 321 rotates for a predetermined period of time, and when the copy button is operated, the main motor rotates again (Fig. 26C) and rotates the index element attached to the drum. When the drum index sensor 306 detects this, the drum counter is cleared (see A and B in the figure).

Subsequent processing operations are executed based on the count value of this drum counter. The lengths and times of sections (1) to (2) are equal, and in this example, the count value is 778 and the drum 120 makes one revolution.

When the pre-rotation section F2 is reached, charging of the drum 120 is started (D in the figure). Drum charging continues until just before post-rotation (see section ■).

In the pre-rotation section F2, the surface transfer lamp 128 is turned on for a certain period of time (until the middle of the blue development section 1) from approximately the middle point, and pre-processing for color development is executed.

When entering the development section from blue to black, magnetic rolls 237 provided in the developing devices 123 to 125 are applied to the corresponding sections.
2(a, b, c) are rotated, and the developing bias 241(a, b, C) is also started up in synchronization with these rotation timings (FK in the same figure).

The cleaning blade 281 is pressed in synchronization with the rise of the drum index signal in section
The toner adhering to 20 is removed (as shown in the figure), and the removal is carried out at a predetermined point in the blue development period (M).
Even with this toner removal, some toner may remain on the drum, and the toner may scatter when the blade is released. Therefore, the cleaning roller 290 starts operating a little later than the start of the blade release, so that the cleaning roller 290 starts operating at a timing slightly delayed from the start of the blade release. The amount of remaining toner is removed (N in the same figure).
.

Immediately before the blue development period I, the first paper feed roller 142 rotates and the recording paper is conveyed to the second paper feed roller 143 side (FIG. 0). The first paper feed roller 142 is provided to convey the paper in the cassette, and the paper conveyed by the first paper feed roller 142 is transferred to the drum 120 by driving the second paper feed roller 143. transported to the side. The transport timing is the black development period ■ (P in the figure). The paper feeding state by the first paper feeding roller 142 is determined by the primary stop sensor 316.
The second paper feed roller 143 is driven, and the sensor output becomes zero when all the recording paper passes through (S in the figure).

The transfer process is executed with a slight delay from the drive of the second paper feed roller 143, and in synchronization with this, the solenoid that drives the paper separation claw 250 is turned on to prevent the paper from wrapping around the drum 120 during transfer. (Q in the same figure)
.

After the recording paper is conveyed from the second paper feed, the development and fixing processes are completed, and the paper discharge sensor 317 detects the paper discharge state of the paper after fixing (T in the figure).

In the case of color recording, toner density detection is performed for each development process. The density detection timing is determined by the count value of each detection counter for blue to black (U2 to U4 in the same figure)
. Both of these counters are reset based on the count value of the drum counter, and the blue counter is reset when the count value of the drum counter is 707, and the toner density is detected when the count value after reset is 600.

Similarly, the red counter and black counter are also reset at 707.

Here, the toner density is detected with reference to a certain specific image area. Therefore, a patch signal for density detection (for example, an image signal corresponding to an 8 x 16 mm size image area) shown in FIG. R) in the figure is output, and the image density of that specific area is detected.

The previous rotation counter is cleared at the copy-on timing, and when the count value reaches 1266,
The pre-rotation process ends (tJ1 in the figure).

When the main 7iiQ S is turned on, the polygon mirror 194
The polygon motor 110 that drives the polygon mirror 194 is also driven at the same time, so that the polygon mirror 194 is always driven to rotate at a constant speed (FIG. 3).

Image data necessary for image recording is sent out at the following timing. In other words, the video gate is set to "l" in synchronization with the start of counting of the U2 blue counter, and is set to "0' just before the black development process ends (W in the same figure).
Image data is sent to the writing section B only during the period when the video gate is "1".

The vertical valid area signal (V-VALID) is sent out in each writing step so that it remains valid for a certain period of time in the sub-scanning direction (a period until the count value reaches 528) (Y in the figure).

Note that a second microcomputer CPU2 for controlling the optical system is connected from the first microcomputer CPU1 on the main body side.
At the same time a copy signal is sent to the side (AA in the same figure)
, a start signal for optical scanning is output. This optical scanning signal enters the start state only at the falling edge from "1" to "0" (BB in the same figure).

In addition, when the image reading section A is configured to move the optical system consisting of the fluorescent lamp 85° 86 and the V mirrors 89 and 89', the home position signal indicating the home position of this optical system is transmitted to each developing image. The data is sent to the second microcomputer CPU2 for each processing step, and sent from the second microcomputer CPU2 to the first microcomputer CPU1 for performing various image forming operations (CC in the figure).

Further, a ready signal, which is emitted when the light source for irradiating the original is normal, is sent to the CPUI on the first microcomputer side in synchronization with the home position signal (DD in the figure).

The above is a timing chart showing an outline of full color recording.

When recording an image in an externally specified color, image processing is executed at the timing shown in FIG. 27. That is, since the image is formed in a single color, color matching is not necessary, and the first copy is started at the same time as copying is turned on, and the next second copy is continuously copied regardless of the drum index signal. In the image processing step shown in FIG. 27, the image is recorded in red.

Next, a control program for executing such processing will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. 38 and subsequent figures.

For convenience of explanation, a flowchart for realizing a general processing operation for color g2 green in the entire apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 38.

In FIG. 38, 600 is a flowchart showing an example of a control program stored in the first microcomputer CPUI<7)rtOM memory (not shown).

First, when the main power is turned on, this control program operates to transition to a mode in which the initial state of device processing operation is achieved. Therefore, after the device is initialized (step 601), the drum 120 is cued up. (Step 602). This cueing process refers to a rotation control process in which the drum 120 reaches a predetermined rotational position using an index signal obtained from an indexing element provided on the drum.

Next, warm-up processing such as fixing processing and lighting of the light source (step 603), manual data processing such as color specification and number of copies specified from the scanning/display unit (step 604), and temperature control in the heater for fixing are performed. Control processing (
Step 605) and idling jam processing such as copy waiting and jamming (step 606) are executed in this order.

Whether or not these warm-up processes are completed is determined in the next step 607. If the warm-up processes are not completed, the process returns to step 603 and the same process is executed again, and the warm-up processes are completed. Occasionally, a check is made to see if a copy button provided on the operation/display section has been operated, and if no copy operation has been performed, the process returns to step 604 and enters a standby state for input data (step 608).

When the copy button is operated, various input information such as color specification, density specification, paper size specification, etc. input on the operation/display side is serially transmitted from the first microcomputer CPU1 side to the second microcomputer CPUQ side. At the same time as the data is transmitted (step 609), the copy mode is specified as single color (hereinafter referred to as 1-scan copy), 3-color (hereinafter referred to as multi-color), or 2-color (hereinafter referred to as 2-scan copy). ) (step 610).

■When performing a scan copy, the 1 scan copy processing routine (subroutine configuration) in step 620 is called, and when performing a 2 or 3 scan copy, a 2 or 3 scan copy processing routine configured as a subroutine is called (step 660). ).

When the processing of these subroutines is executed and the process returns to the main routine again, paper size, density processing, fixing heater processing, and operation 1 notation jam processing are performed (steps 611 to 613), and then it is determined whether or not copying has been completed ( In step 614), if the copying is not completed, the process returns to step 610, and if the copying is completed, the process returns to the manual data processing step 604, and similar processing steps are executed.

Figure 39 is! 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of scan copy processing.

When the l scan copy routine is called, the one copy and number flags are checked (step 621).

This flag is set each time the recording paper is conveyed to the second paper feed roller. If the one-copy count flag is not set, the process moves to step 625. When the flag is set, data for one copy is processed. (Step 622).

When the number of copies does not reach the preset number of copies (set number), the process moves to step 625, a paper feeding and conveyance processing step, but when the number of copies matches the set number, the end flag for the number of copies is set. (step 624).

When the paper feeding and conveyance processing is completed, the high voltage power supply 241a is applied to the writing processing of the laser 191 and the developing units 123 to 125.

Processes 241b and 241c are executed (step 62
6,627).

After determining the presence or absence of such processing, development processing is performed (steps 628 to 636). In the development processing step, the timing of each development start is detected.

In the case of one scan copy, development processing is executed only for the designated color, but for the sake of explanation, we will explain the case where red is designated. In that case, the start timing of each development process should be determined regardless of the color designation.

For this reason, first, the red development processing start timing is determined, and when it matches the red development start timing, the presence or absence of the red copy flag (actually, this is based on manual specification on the operation/display section) is checked. When the red FP flag is set, red development is started (steps 628 to 630).

When this development process is finished 4", the next step is to start the bluish and black development process, but since the specified color is only red, the Ilt and black development steps are skipped in this example. Then, the development off timing in step 637 is determined. If it is the development off timing, the development process is turned off (steps 637 and 638), and the presence or absence of a reverse copy is determined, and a reverse copy is specified. If so, set the register inversion bit, otherwise reset the register inversion bit (step 640).
~641).

Next, when the number of copies does not match the number of copies set, the end flag is not 1, so in this case, it is determined whether the optical scanning system is at the home position (step 645). , step 646, the start flag for the next copy sequence is set.

Then, the scan start output timing of the optical system is detected (step 647), and when it is the output timing, a scan start signal is sent to the second microcomputer side, and a timer that adjusts the writing timing of the laser beam is activated. (In this example, lomse
c timer) is restarted (steps 648, 64
9).

When the optical system scans from the home position to the end of the document (writing start position), the writing start state is entered.

On the other hand, if the timer restarts, the vertical effective area signal (
V-VALID) is set, and the corresponding counter is cleared (steps 650 and 651). As a result, the image based on the red signal becomes the write mode, and based on this, the red color separation image is converted into an electrostatic latent image, and development processing is executed.

Once the counter is cleared, it is then determined whether the end flag is l (step 652).

Then, when the end flag is 1 (step 65
2) A post-rotation process is executed, and a cue process for the drum 120 is performed (step 654).

Then, return to the main routine.

Similar processing is performed when a color other than red is specified. If blue is specified, steps 631 to 633
When the process of steps 634 to 636 is executed and black, that is, the normal monochrome recording mode is specified, the processes of steps 634 to 636 are executed.

As described above, until the copy operation is completed,
Scan copy processing routine 620, paper size and copy density processing routine 611, fixing heater control processing routine 612, and operating jam processing routine 613
Each processing step is executed repeatedly.

FIG. 40 shows an example of a control program when a 2 or 3 scan copy sequence is called.

2 or 3 When the scan copy routine is called,
The processing steps from determining the flag status of the number of copies to setting the end flag are the same as the one scan copy sequence (steps 661 to 664).
. Next, the presence or absence of copy mode is determined (step 66).
5) In the copy mode, when the optical scanning system is at the home position, the color signal to be scanned next is transmitted to the second microcomputer side (steps 666 and 667), and the color development processing routine start timing is determined. If it is the time to start the color development processing routine, the processing routine flag is set (steps 66g', 669).

If the copy mode is not in effect, or if the optical scanning system is not in the home position, the process proceeds to step 668.

When the processing routine flag is set, the state of the pre-rotation flag is checked, and if the flag is l, the pre-rotation process is executed (steps 670, 671), and then,
The process moves to a processing routine corresponding to each color.

Therefore, first the blue routine flag is checked and
If the flag is 1, blue sequence processing is performed (steps 672, 673). Similarly below,
The red and black color processing routines are sequentially determined while checking the respective flags (steps 674 to 677).

Therefore, in the case of multi-color, each of these color processing routines are used, but in the case of 2-scan copy,
Only the specified color processing routines are processed.

When the color processing sequence is completed, the transfer flag is checked, and when the transfer flag is set, the state of the end flag is determined after the transfer and the cleaning process of the drum 120 are performed, and when the copy end flag is set, When the post-rotation flag is 1, a drum post-rotation process and a drum cueing process, which are copy post-processing, are executed (steps 678 to 682).

By the way, when the color processing routine flag is set,
A color processing identification routine 700 shown in FIG. 41 is called.

Therefore, first, the color being scanned is determined (step 701). First, a scan related to blue is executed, so in that case, it is assumed that there is no red flag, and if the red flag is set and the black flag is also set, the red processing routine flag is set. will be set (steps 702, 703, 705). If the black flag is not set, the blue transfer flag is set (step 704).

If the red flag is not set, the black processing routine flag is set, and then the transfer flag is set (steps 708, 709).

When the color during the step changes to red, the presence or absence of the black flag is checked. If the flag is set, the process moves to step 708, but if the flag is not set, it is determined whether there is an end flag. , if that flag is not set, a flag for the next color processing routine, the blue processing routine, is set (steps 710, 711).
).

If black scanning is in progress and the end flag is set, the process returns to the 2nd or 3rd scan processing routine, but if not, the flag for blue processing, which is the next processing scan, is checked, and if that flag is present, At step 711, a flag for the blue processing routine is set.

If the flag is not set, the process returns to step 705 and the flag for the red color processing routine is set.

The reason why the color identification processing routine was designed this way is because there may be two or three colors specified, so that it can be processed no matter what color is specified. This is because it is necessary to execute color processing while checking the specified color each time.

By the way, in 2 or 3 scan copy mode,
By rotating the ram 120 two or three times, electrostatic images corresponding to each color are overwritten to form a predetermined color image into an electrostatic latent image, and then a fixing process is executed. Therefore, in such a copy mode, the registration relationship between the previously developed image and the electrostatic image to be overwritten this time is very important. This is because poor registration will significantly deteriorate the quality of the recorded color image.

The quality of the registration depends on whether the scan start position of the drum for each color is always at a predetermined position.

Therefore, in the present invention, a drum scan control routine is provided to constantly monitor the drum scan start position.

FIG. 42 shows an example of such a control routine.

The rotational position of drum 120 is determined by sensing an indexing element associated with drum 120. This is because if the passage of the index element is detected using optical or electromagnetic means, the rotational position of the drum 120 can be detected at all times.

When this index signal is detected, the above-mentioned control routine, which is an index interrupt routine, is called and the control program is started. When the index interrupt starts, interrupts other than the index signal are prohibited, and the presence or absence of an optical scan prohibition flag is checked (steps 801 and 802).

This flag is only used when scanning the optical system is not possible.
Therefore, when it is not l, the copy mode is checked, and when it is in the copy mode, the write timing is set after the scan start signal is transmitted from the first microcomputer CPUI to the second microcomputer Ct'tJ2 side. The timer used for timing is restarted (steps 803-805).

The second microcomputer CPU2 receives the scan start signal and sends out a command to start scanning the optical system.

As described above, if the optical scan is started in synchronization with the index signal output every rotation of the drum 120, the initial rotational position of the drum 120 can always be made to coincide with the scan start timing of the optical system.

Now, when the timer restarts, the vertical effective area signal (V
-VALID) is set, and at the same time, the start counter of the vertical valid area signal (V-VALID) is cleared (steps 806, 807). This start counter is used to set the effective reading area in the secondary direction.

When these processes are completed, the presence or absence of 2 or 3 scan copy mode is checked, and if this copy mode is selected, the start of pre-rotation processing is checked, and if it is pre-rotation processing, the flag is set, and then the drum counter is set. is cleared.

Thereafter, the inhibited state of interrupts other than index interrupts is released, and the index interrupt processing routine ends (steps 808 to 812).

In addition, when the optical scan prohibition flag is set,
The process moves to step 808, but since it is not in copy mode in this state, the process moves to step 811.

FIG. 43 shows an example in which a timer interrupt processing routine 830 is used to synchronize write timing.

When this interrupt processing starts, the vertical effective area signal (
The vertical valid area signal (V-VALID) is checked, and when this flag is set, the vertical valid area signal (V-VALID) is checked.
It is checked whether the count value of the counter ID) matches the count value at the start of laser writing.
If they match, the vertical effective area signal (v −VAL
After the vertical valid area signal (V-VALI) is output
D) flag is reset (steps 831 to 83)
4), proceed to the next step.

If the flag of the vertical effective area signal (V-VALID) is not set or if the count value of the counter of the vertical effective area signal (V-4ALID) does not match the count value of the laser writing start, immediately proceed to step 835. move on.

In step 835, it is checked whether the count value of the drum counter (driven in synchronization with the index signal) matches the count value of the prohibition counter used to indicate index interrupt prohibition. Sometimes, the index interrupt flag is reset and the index interrupt is disabled (steps 836, 837).The reason why the index interrupt is disabled is due to external noise that jumps at a timing other than the rising or falling edge of the index signal. This is to prevent the timing from shifting and the registration from deteriorating.

When the index interrupt is released, the counter of the vertical valid range signal (V-VALID) is incremented, processing other than registration is executed, and the process returns to the main routine (steps 833 and 83).
9).

The control program described above relates to the first microcomputer CPUI.

Next, the control program for the second microcomputer CPU2 will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. 44 and subsequent figures. The second microcomputer CPU2 is mainly used to drive and control the optical system.

FIG. 44 shows a flowchart of the main routine of the optical system. When this control program starts, the second
The CPU provided in the microcomputer CPU2 is initialized, and the memory is cleared.
Next, a home vision search of the optical system is started, and then a timer for measuring warm-up is started, and warm-up is started (step 901).
~904).

If warming-up is to start, a check is made to see if warming-up is complete; if not, a check is made to see if the warming-up time has arrived, and if warming-up is not completed even after the time has elapsed, a trouble is displayed. (step 905~
．． 907).

When the warming-up is completed, the warming-up timer is stopped, and at the same time, the light source 85,86 (such as a fluorescent light) that illuminates the document 82 is turned off (
Steps 908, 906).

Next, the presence or absence of the copy mode is checked, and if the copy mode is selected, the light sources 85 and 86 are turned on, and the amount of light reflected from the document 82 is monitored, and the light i
If A is insufficient, a trouble message is displayed, and if there is no abnormality on the monitor, the l knobee flag is set, the lnoday signal is sent to the second microcomputer CI), and the optical scanning is initialized (steps 910 to 910). 915).

When the initialization of optical scanning is completed, check the pulse count check flag, and if the flag is set, check the forward movement of the optical system! ] During ti-adic operation, the above-mentioned pulse counter indicates whether the optical system has advanced by a predetermined distance! - Judge the value based on the value (steps 916 to 91g).

If the count value mentioned above is not reached, the pulse interval time is set, and then the excitation pattern is set and the current value is set to a predetermined value. After that, reset the pulse count check flag and return to step 916 (steps 919 to 922).
.

When the predetermined number of pulses are counted, the optical system has moved forward to the maximum movement position in the sub-scanning direction, so in this case, the movement of the optical system is completed and the forward movement flag is reset (step 923).゜924).

Retraction of the optical system is determined in step 917, and when in the retraction mode, the number of pulses set in the above and open frame is checked, and if not, the pulse interval time is set, and after the excitation pattern is set, step 917 is performed. Proceed to 922 (steps 930-932).

When the set number of pulses is reached, the retraction (return scanning) of the optical system is completed, and in conjunction with this, a home position signal is transmitted to the first microcomputer CPU1 side, and then the copy mode is determined again. This copy mode determination is a step to determine whether or not to perform continuous copying.
l+! i. In the case of copying, the light source 135.86 is turned off, and then the process returns to step 910. In the case of continuous copying, the process returns to step 912.
(Steps 933-936).

FIG. 45 is an example of an optical system drive control program 950, in which when the writing start timer interrupt processing routine starts, the excitation pattern is switched to the drive circuit 302 of the pulse motor 90 that drives the optical system. As the signal is sent, the current value to the pulse motor 90 is switched (steps 951 and 952), then a timer is set, the pulse count value is incremented, and then a flag for pulse count check is set. By doing so, the control routine returns to the main routine (steps 953 to 955).

Further, FIG. 46 shows an example of a scan start interrupt processing program 960 that is executed when a start signal for scanning start is sent from the first microcomputer side and a scan start interrupt processing routine is called.

When the scan start interrupt process starts, the ready state is determined. If the device is not in the ready state, a display indicating trouble is displayed. If the device is in the ready state, the excitation pattern and current value are output after the timer count value is set. (Steps 961 to 965), and then a ready flag and a pulse count check flag are respectively set (Steps 966 and 967). l(When the pulse count flag is set, the process exits from this processing routine and returns to the main routine.

The above is the overall control mechanism of the color image forming apparatus of the present invention, and based on this control mechanism, the entire process from reading to final color image formation is controlled in real time, so that image formation can be performed with high efficiency.

Next, in the color image forming apparatus having the above configuration, since a color image is formed by transferring and fixing a multicolor toner image formed by a digital method onto the image forming body, the multicolor toner image is formed by forming the multicolor toner image. It is required that the toner images of each color are independently clear without being mixed with each other. Further, each color toner image is composed of fine dot images of 50 to 80 μm, and each dot image is required to have sufficient resolution. Therefore, in the present invention, the developer and developing method used to meet the above requirements are configured as follows.

[Developer]

The developer used in the present invention is a two-component developer consisting of a toner and a carrier because it has advantages such as easy control of triboelectric charging of the toner, excellent developability, and the ability to impart any color to the toner. is used.

(Toner) Toner, which is a component of the two-component developer, is usually prepared by mixing an appropriate amount of a coloring agent, a charge control agent, and, if necessary, a release agent, etc. in a binder resin, melting it, kneading it, cooling it, and then pulverizing it. ,
It is obtained by classifying the particles to a desired particle size. Examples of the binder resin include polyester resin, styrene/acrylic resin, and the like.

The polyester resin is obtained by polycondensation of alcohol and carboxylic acid, and the alcohols used include, for example, ethylene glycol, diethyl nonino glycol, triethyl non glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, and 1,3- Propyl non-glycol, 1
．． 4-butanediol, neopentyl glycol, 1.
Diols such as 4-butynediol, 1,4-bis(hydroxymethyl)cyclohexane, and etherified bisphenols such as bisphenol Δ, hydrogenated bisferronol Δ, polyoxyethylinonated bisphenol A1, polyoxypropyl nonylated bisphenol A, etc. and other dihydric alcohols.

In addition, examples of carboxylic acids include maltuic acid, fumaric acid, mesaconic acid, citraconic acid, itaconic acid, glutaconic acid, phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid,
Cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid,
Cepatic acid, malonic acid 1. Name 11 of these acid anhydrides, lower alkyl esters, Lif 1/inic acid dimers, and other divalent organic acids.

As the polyester resin preferably used in the present invention, it is also suitable to use a polymer containing a component of the above-mentioned bifunctional or higher polyfunctional monomer. Examples of trivalent or higher polyhydric alcohol monomers that are such polyfunctional monomers include sorbitol, 1.2.3.6-hexanetetrol, 1.4-sorbitan, pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, Tripentaerythritol, sucrose, 1.2.4-butanetriol, 1.2.5
-Pentanetriol, glycerol, 2-methylpropanetriol, 2-methyl-1,2,4-butanetriol, trimethylolethane, trimethylolpropane, 1,3,5-trihydroxymethylbenzene, and others. . In addition, examples of trivalent or higher polyvalent carboxylic acid monomers include l;2,4-benzenetricarboxylic acid, 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid, 1;
, 2.4-cyclohexanetricarboxylic acid, 2°5.7
-naphthalenetricarboxylic acid, 1,2.4-butanetricarboxylic acid, 1.2.5-hexanetricarboxylic acid, 1
．． 3-dicarboxyl-2-methyl-2-methylenecarboxypropane, tetra(methylenecarboxyl)methane, 1,2,7.8-octanetetracarboxylic acid, embol triconic acid, and anhydrides of these acids, etc. can be mentioned.

The above-mentioned styrene/acrylic resin contains, for example, the α,β-unsaturated ethylenic monomer described in JP-A-50-134652 as a constituent unit, and has a weight average molecular ffi (Mw). A resin having a ratio (Mw/Mn) of 3.5 or more can be used.

Specific examples of α,β-unsaturated ethylenic monomers include styrene, 0-methylstyrene, m-methylstyrene, p-methylstyrene, α-methylstyrene, p-
Ethylstyrene, 2,4-methylstyrene, p-n-
Butylstyrene, p-tert-butylstyrene, p-
n-hexylstyrene, p-n-octylstyrene, p
-n-nonylstyrene, p-n-decylstyrene, pn
- Aromatic vinyl monomers such as dodecylstyrene, p-methoxystyrene, p-phenylstyrene, p-chlorostyrene, 3,4-dichlorostyrene; e.g. methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate , isobutyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, n-octyl acrylate, dodecyl acrylate, lauryl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, stearyl acrylate, 2-chloroethyl acrylate, phenyl acrylate, methyl α-chloroacrylate, etc. Acrylic esters; methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, n-methacrylate
Butyl, isobutyl methacrylate, methacrylic acid n
- Methacrylate esters such as ocdel, dodecyl methacrylate, lauryl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, stearyl methacrylate, phenyl methacrylate, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate vinyl halides such as vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, vinyl bromide, and vinyl fluoride; vinyl esters such as vinyl acetate, vinyl pionate, vinyl benzoate, and vinyl butyrate; and others.

Next, examples of the colorant to be mixed into the binder resin of the toner include DuPont Oil Red (C, I).

NO, 26105), Rose Bengal (C, 1, NO,
45435), C11 Pigment Red 84 (C,1,
NO, 58210), C, I Pigment Red 84 (C
, 1, NO, 6G745), C, I Pigment Red 7
7 (C, 1, NO, 65300), C, 1, Pigment Red 12a (C, I.

NO, 71140), C, 1, Pigment Red 149
(C,1,NO,71137),C,! , Pigment Red 178 (C, 1, NO, 71155), C.

! , Pigment Red 190 (C, 1, NO, 7114
There are red pigments such as 0).

Also, for example, aniline blue (C, 1, NO, 50405
), Calco oil blue (C, 1, NO, azoic
Blue3), Ultramarine Blue (C, 1, NO,
77103), methylene blue chloride (C,1,N
o, 52015), phthalone anine blue (C, 1, N
O, 74160), C, 1, Pigment Blue 24 (C
There are blue pigments such as C,1, Pigment Blue 60 (C,1, NO, 69800), and C,1 Pigment Blue 63 (C,1, NO, 73Q15).

Furthermore, carbon black (C, 1, NO, 77266
), aniline black (C, 1, NO, 50440),
Fernex Black (C, 1, NO, 77266)
Lamp black (C, 1, NO.

77266), and these blue, red, or black pigments are binder trees II! 1 per 100 parts by weight
~20 parts by weight is contained.

Furthermore, a charge control agent is required to control the triboelectric charging properties of the toner, and for black toner, a conventionally known general charge control agent may be used, but for chromatic toner such as red or blue, the toner A charge control agent that is white, colorless, or close to color is selected so that it does not adversely affect the color tone.

Such charge control agents include, for example, JP-A-59-8874.
5, JP-A-59-88743, JP-A-59-79256
, JP-A-59-78362, JP-A-59-228259
, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 59-124344, Japanese Patent Application No. 1988-124344.
No. 21654 (negative charge control agent) and JP-A-51-
9456, JP-A-59-204851. JP-A-59-2
04850 and JP-A-59-177571 (positive charge control agent). Such a charge control agent is used in an amount of 0 to 5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the binder resin of the toner.
Contains parts by weight.

Next, a release agent is used if necessary to prevent the toner from offsetting to the fixing roller and from adhering to the carrier.

Examples of such mold release agents include polyolefins, fatty acid metal salts, fatty acid esters, partially saponified fatty acid esters,
Examples include higher fatty acids, higher alcohols 6, liquid or solid paraffin waxes, amide waxes, polyhydric alcohol esters, silicone varnishes, and aliphatic fluorocarbons.

The above mold release agents can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of the polyolefin include polypropylene,
JIS K resin such as polyethylene and polybutene
The softening point when measured by the ring and ball method specified in 2531-1960 is 80 to 180 °C, preferably 100 to 16
It is at 0°C. Examples of the fatty acid metal salts include maleic acid and metal salts such as zinc, magnesium, and calcium; stearic acid and zinc, cadmium, barium, lead,
Metal salts with iron, nickel, cobalt, copper, aluminum, magnesium, etc.; Dibasic lead stearate; Kinuta salts with oleic acid and zinc, magnesium, iron, cobalt, copper, lead, calcium, etc.; Valmitic acid and Metal salts with aluminum, calcium, etc.: Lead caprylate: Lead cabroate:
Calcium linoleate; metal salts of lysyllic acid and zinc, cadmium, etc., and mixtures thereof. Examples of the fatty acid ester include ethyl maleate, butyl maleate, methyl stearate, cetyl valmitate, and ethylene glycol montanate. Examples of the partially saponified fatty acid ester include partially saponified calcium esters of montanic acid.

Examples of higher fatty acids listed in ms include dodecanoic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, valmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, ricinoleic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, ceracoleic acid, etc., and mixtures thereof. be able to. Examples of the higher alcohol include dodecyl alcohol, lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, palmidyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, aracyl alcohol, and behenyl alcohol. Examples of the paraffin wax include natural paraffin, micro wax, and synthetic wax. Examples include paraffin and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

! Examples of the amide wax described in lq include stearic acid amide, oleic acid amide, valmitic acid amide, lauric acid amide, behenic acid amide, methylene bis stearamide, and non-bis stearamide. Examples of the polyhydric alcohol esters listed in Item 11 include glycerol noninostearate, glycerin lysyllate, glycerin monobehenate, sorbitan monostear 1 note, glycol monostear 1 note, sorbitan triolate, and the like. It will be done. Examples of the silicone varnish include methyl silicone varnish, phenyl silicone varnish, and the like.

! Examples of the aliphatic fluorocarbons listed in jq include low-IR compounds of ethylene tetrafluoride and propylene hexafluoride, and fluorine-containing surfactants described in JP-A-53-124428.

The amount of these mold release agents used is 100% of the binder resin.
The amount is 1 to 10 parts by weight.

When the toner is a chromatic toner, a colorant having a specific resistance in the range of 104 to 1015 Ωcm is selected because the colorant affects the performance of the toner, for example, the amount of charge of the toner. Furthermore, since it also affects, for example, charge controllability, it is necessary to appropriately select the charge control agent and its addition amount.

The toner obtained in this way has a specific resistance of t in order to obtain high image quality.
o"Ωcm or more, preferably 10110cm or more, more preferably 10"Ωcm or more, and the weight average particle size is 6 to 20
The toner is preferably a micro-particle toner having a particle diameter of .mu.m, and is suitable for non-contact development with a thin developer layer, which will be described later.

(Carrier) The carrier, which is another component of the two-component developer, is prepared by using magnetic particles, preferably spherical magnetic particles as a core material, and applying a resin solution to the core material by dip coating or spray coating. A coated carrier is used by drying the carrier, or by forming a thin layer of resin by a spray drying method or the like.

The magnetic material serving as the core material includes substances that are strongly magnetized in the direction of a magnetic field, such as metals such as iron, nickel, and cobalt, and elements that exhibit ferromagnetism such as iron, cobalt, and nickel, including ferrite and magnetite. or alloys that do not contain ferromagnetic substances but become ferromagnetic through appropriate heat treatment, such as manganese-copper-aluminum or manganese-copper-
A Heuszler alloy containing manganese such as tin and copper, chromium dioxide, or the like is used, and ferrite is preferably used from the viewpoint of toner transportability, durability, developability, etc.

As for the characteristics of the core material, the specific resistance is lXl0'~txi
o"Ωcm, more preferably 1 x 10' to l x
10"9cm saturation magnetization is preferably 10 to 40 emu/g, preferably 15 to 30 emu/g. LOe
The magnetization of the core material decreases below mu/g, resulting in poor conveyance and low image density. When it exceeds 40 emu/g, the carrier density on the sleeve decreases, development efficiency decreases, and image density decreases. Furthermore, it becomes difficult to form a thin layer.

The coercive force is preferably in the range of 0.1 to too Oe, particularly 10 to 700e. If it is less than 0.10e, the magnetization of the carrier will reverse quickly, resulting in a decrease in transportability. 1000
If it is more than e, the transportability becomes large and carrier scattering tends to occur.

Further, the specific gravity of the core material is 4.0 to 5.5, particularly 4.2 to 5.5.
0 is preferred. If it is less than 4.0, the carrier will be light and will be easily scattered. If it is more than 5.5, the conveyance property will deteriorate.

The porosity is preferably 1-10%. If it is less than 1%, the sintering temperature will be high, the time will be long, and the cost will be high. If it is 105 or more, the strength will be low and the durability of the carrier will be poor.

Examples of the coating resin include styrene-acrylic resin, silicone resin, fluororesin, acrylic resin, polyester resin, epoxy resin, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate copolymer, and nitrogen-containing resin. Inorganic materials such as glass and ceramics can also be used.

Usually, a resin is used that is soluble in a solvent and can be formed into a film by spray coating, impregnation treatment with a solution, or the like. The thickness of these coatings is 0.1 to 10 μm, preferably 0.3 to 3 μm, and may be set to a value that provides sufficient insulation and stable characteristics.

In addition, when a resin-coated carrier is used, even if the carrier has a small particle size, it has good fluidity, so even if the layer thickness is regulated by the thin layer forming member, a uniform developer layer can be formed on the developer transport carrier. Furthermore, since the mold release agent is good, toner does not film on the carrier even when subjected to strong pressure. The carrier thus obtained has a specific resistance of 10" Ωcm or more, preferably IO Ωcm or more, more preferably 1014 Ωcm or more, and preferably has a weight average particle size of usually 20 to 60 μm. It is desirable to have the following relational expression between the particle size (8 μm) and carrier magnetization (emu/cm 3 ).

Formula 30 ≦ M ≦ -8R± 150 However, 10
≦R≦150, preferably 20≦R≦60, and the measurements are carried out under the application of a magnetic field of 1000 oersteds.

Next, the developer of the present invention combines the carrier and toner.
It is obtained by mixing i+, but the mixing ratio varies depending on the particle size, ie, surface area ratio, of the carrier and toner, and in particular, the larger the carrier, the smaller the toner mixing ratio. For example, the total area of toner in a medium volume developer S
Ratio of total area SC of carriers to T S T/S
It is preferable that C=0.5 to 2, and the weight ratio is 5 to 20 parts by weight of toner per 100 parts by weight of carrier. !
The range is ＜.

Note that the particle size of the toner and carrier referred to in the present invention, or '
Ti average particle diameter is the weight average particle diameter, and the weight ratio is 1''-4
The particle size is a value measured with a Coulter Counter (manufactured by Coulter). In addition, the specific resistance of the particles is 0.5
After placing the packed particles in a container with a cross-sectional area of 0ci' and tapping, a load of IkB/cm'' was applied on the packed particles to a thickness of about 1mm, and 10cm was placed between the load and the bottom electrode.
Generate an electric field of ~105 V/am and determine from the value of the current flowing at that time.

[Development method]

In the present invention, a two-component developer is used as described above, and the toner is developed under an oscillating electric field by applying an alternating current bias while the image forming member and the developer layer are not in contact with each other when no developing bias is applied. is caused to fly and selectively adhere to the static surface of the image forming body for development.

By using such a non-contact developing method, when a multicolor toner image consisting of a blue toner image, a red toner image, a black toner image, etc. is formed by performing development multiple times on the image forming body,
This has the advantage that the previous toner image is not damaged by subsequent development, and thin layer development is possible.

In the developing method of the present invention, preferably the developer is configured as described above, the developing area (the image forming body and the sleeve face each other, and the transported toner applies electrostatic force to the image forming body). The thickness is 2000 μm in the area where it can be transferred
or less, preferably 1000 μm or less, more preferably 1
The developer layer is thinner than ever, from 0 to 500 .mu.m, preferably from 10 to 400 .mu.m, and the gap between the image forming body and the sleeve is made small for development. Even if the bonding force between the carrier and toner of the developer used therein is weak, or the bonding force between the carrier and the sleeve is weak, since the developer layer is extremely thin, it will not adhere sufficiently to the sleeve. There is no chance of toner scattering or the like.

As mentioned above, since the developer layer is made thin and the gap between the image forming body and the sleeve can be made small, the voltage of the developing bias required to form the oscillating electric field for making the toner fly can be lowered. Be able to do it. Therefore, there is an advantage that not only the toner scattering is reduced from this point of view, but also leakage discharge due to the developing bias from the sleeve surface is suppressed. Furthermore, when the gap between the image forming body and the sleeve is made smaller, the electric field strength formed in the developing area by the latent image becomes larger, and as a result, subtle changes in gradation and fine patterns cannot be developed well. I start to jiggle.

Generally, if the thin frame is made thinner, the amount of toner conveyed to the development area will be reduced, and the amount of development will be reduced.

In order to increase the conveyance amount, it is effective to rotate the sleeve at high speed. However, when the linear velocity ratio between the image forming body and the sleeve becomes 1:1G, the velocity component of the developed toner that is parallel to the latent image surface becomes large, and the development becomes directional and the image quality deteriorates. .

Therefore, as the lower limit of the thin layer, it is necessary that the toner adheres to the sleeve surface at a density of at least 0.4 mg/Cm2. In general, it is necessary to satisfy the following condition: 1VsL/Vd+≦lO, where the linear velocity of the sleeve is VS(2, the linear velocity of the image forming member is Vd1, and the amount of toner in the thin layer on the sleeve is ML).

Considering the development efficiency, it is preferable to set it to 1 or U≦8, and furthermore, from the experimental facts, lp and ML
It was found that it is more preferable that ≧0.5+++g/c+n”1%l≦5.

The ratio of toner to carrier in the developer at this time is preferably such that the ratio of the total surface area of toner to carrier in a unit volume is 0.5 to 2, as described above.

By setting the above conditions, the toner in the thin layer can be efficiently developed, the developability is stable, and good image quality can be obtained.

The means for forming the thin developer layer is to remove impurities such as dust, fibers, paper powder, or aggregates of toner or carrier contained in the developer, and to form a thin developer layer that is elastically light with respect to the sleeve. A thin layer forming member consisting of a press-contact plate that is press-contacted is preferably used.

This thin layer forming member forms a thin layer by allowing the developer to pass between the sleeve and the elastic plate using an elastic plate that is pressed so that the tip thereof faces upstream of rotation of the sleeve. Regarding the structure of such an elastic plate, first
As explained in FIGS. 8a and 8b, with further reference to FIG.
The relationship with the amount of developer adhering to surface a will be explained with reference to the graph in FIG.

It can be seen from the figure that when the gap exceeds a certain value, the amount of developer on the sleeve is stable against these changes.

In this stable state, the toner necessary for the development mentioned above can be sufficiently transported.

Other experiments have shown that the layer thickness changes little and that other parameters have little effect on the appearance of this stable state.

Therefore, when the gap at the tip is set to 0.08 mm or more, a constant amount of toner can be stably conveyed despite variations in mounting precision and mechanical precision. Furthermore, the gap at the tip is O,
A thickness of 1 mm or more is preferable because it increases stability.

Of course, it is not desirable to make the gap between the tips unnecessarily large5, and it has been observed that when the gap is increased to 5 mm or more, the uniformity of the developer layer deteriorates.

Next, the developer layer made into a thin layer as described above is transported to a development area and the electrostatic image on the image forming body is developed without contact. It is based on the following formulas (a) and (b).

Here, Vs (2 is the linear velocity of the sleeve mm/sec,
n is the number of magnetic poles of the magnetic roll, ωm is the rotational angular velocity of the magnetic roll, h' is the height of the magnetic brush, Vd is the linear velocity of the image forming member, and mt is the amount of toner deposited per unit area of the sleeve. V sQ, ωm is positive when it is in the same direction as the movement of the image forming body.

Further, the height of the magnetic brush refers to the average height of the magnetic brush on the sleeve, which stands on top of the magnetic pole in the sleeve. Specifically, the linear velocity Vsρ of the sleeve is 50~
500mm/sec, the number of magnetic poles n of the magnetic roll is 4 to 2
01 The rotational angular velocity ωm of the magnetic roll is 30 to 200 rad
ian/sea, the height h' of the magnetic brush is 50~50
Linear velocity V dmm/see of 0 ums image forming body is 30
~500. Toner adhesion per unit area of sleeve ffi
mt is 0.2 to 1.0 mg/Cm". These relationships serve as a guideline for achieving preferable development, but the gap d between the image forming body and the sleeve, the magnitude of the bias voltage, etc. Preferred development conditions taking such factors into consideration are shown by the following formula.

vp-p formula 5 ≦ ≦ 50 [KV/m
m) d-h' where vp-p is the AC bias peak-to-peak voltage (KV)
, d represents the distance (μm) between the image forming member and the sleeve, and h' represents the maximum height of the magnetic brush (μm). The maximum height of the magnetic brush refers to the maximum height of the magnetic brush that stands on the magnetic pole in the sleeve.

Next, in the developing method of the present invention, since image formation is performed digitally, an electrostatic image is formed by a dot-shaped optical signal, and a so-called inversion is performed in which toner is attached to the portion where the electric charge has been erased by the optical signal. It is considered to be a developing method. The principle of such a reversal development method is shown in FIG.

Figure 29 shows the change in surface potential of the image forming body in the reversal development method, where PH is the exposed area of the image forming body, DA
DUP indicates the increase in potential caused by the adhesion of toner T to the exposed area PH in the first development. For the sake of explanation, the polarity of the electrostatic image is assumed to be negative.

(2) The image forming body is uniformly charged by a charger and has a constant negative surface potential E.

(2) A first image exposure is applied using an exposure source such as a laser, a cathode ray tube, or an LED, and the potential of the exposed portion PH decreases according to the amount of light.

(2) The electrostatic image thus formed is developed by a developing device to which a negative bias approximately equal to the surface potential E of the unexposed area is applied. As a result, the negatively charged toner T1 adheres to the exposed portion PH, which has a relatively low potential, and a first toner image is formed. The area where this toner image is formed is negatively charged toner T.

Although the potential increases by DUP due to the adhesion, the potential does not normally become the same as that of the unexposed area DA.

■ Next, the surface of the image forming body on which the first toner image has been formed is charged a second time by a charger, and as a result, the toner T
Regardless of the presence or absence of , a uniform surface potential E is obtained.

(2) A second image exposure is performed on the surface of this image forming body to form an electrostatic image.

(2) In the same manner as in (2) above, a charged toner, toner T, of a color different from that of toner T1 is developed to obtain a second toner image.

As described above, when forming a multicolor toner image consisting of toner images of each color on an image forming body, thin layer development is possible using fine particle toner without causing damage to the toner image, and high quality The above-mentioned non-contact reversal development is considered to be advantageous because it allows color images to be obtained. However, even in the above-described developing method, problems such as damage to the toner image or insufficient density of the toner image may occur depending on the conditions.

Therefore, in order to obtain a more preferable color image, it is preferable to pay attention to the following points during development.

That is, as development is repeated, ■ Use toners with larger charge amounts in order.

■ Gradually reduce the amplitude of the electric field strength of the AC component of the developing bias.

(2) It is preferable to employ methods such as sequentially increasing the frequency of the alternating current component of the developing bias, either alone or in any combination.

In other words, the obi? Toner particles with a larger tt amount are more easily affected by the electric field.

Therefore, if highly charged toner particles adhere to the image forming member during initial development, these toner particles may return to the sleeve during subsequent development. (2) is to prevent the toner particles used in the previous stage from returning to the sleeve during the later stage development by using small toner particles of the band mff1 in the initial development.

Method (2) is a method in which the electric field strength is successively reduced as development is repeated (that is, as development progresses to later stages), thereby preventing the toner particles already attached to the image forming member from returning. Specific methods for reducing the electric field strength include a method in which the voltage of the alternating current component is gradually lowered, and a method in which the gap d between the image forming member and the sleeve is made wider as the developing stage progresses. Further, (2) is a method in which the frequency of the alternating current component is sequentially increased as development is repeated to prevent the toner particles already attached to the image forming body from returning.

Although these methods (■■■) are effective when used alone, they are even more effective when used in combination, for example, by sequentially increasing the toner charge amount and gradually decreasing the alternating current bias as development is repeated. Further, when the above three methods are adopted, appropriate image density or color balance can be maintained by adjusting the DC bias respectively.

Next, as the image forming body used in the color image forming apparatus of the present invention, since a semiconductor laser is used in the writing section C, a photoreceptor having a wavelength range that absorbs the laser beam is preferably used. Such image forming bodies include functionally separated organic photoreceptors or amorphous silicon germanium-based inorganic photoreceptors having a carrier generation layer containing a carrier generation substance and a carrier transport layer containing a carrier transport substance. The functionally separated organic photoreceptor preferably has the layer structure shown in FIGS. 30(a) and 30(b), for example. In this layer configuration, a carrier generation layer 401 is provided on a conductive support 400 via an intermediate layer 403 if necessary, and a carrier transport layer 402 is provided on the carrier generation layer 401.

As the carrier generating substance contained in the carrier generating layer 401, a phthalocyanine pigment, a polycyclic quinone pigment, or a bisazo pigment is used.

First, phthalocyanine pigments that can be used in the present invention include metal phthalocyanines and metal-free phthalocyanines, and metals of metal phthalocyanines include copper, silver, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, cadmium, barium, mercury, aluminum, gallium, indium,
Lanthanum, neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, ditane, tin, hafnium, lead, thorium, vanadium, antimony chromium, molybdenum, uranium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, rhodium , palladium, osmium, and platinum.

Moreover, instead of a metal atom, the central nucleus of the phthalocyanine may be a metal halide having a valence of 3 or more. However, steel, cobalt, lead, and zinc are generally preferred as the metal atoms. By the way, phthalocyanine pigments have α, β, γ, δ, ε,
π, τ, τ', η, η', χ and other types with different characteristics depending on the crystal type are known, but in the present invention, a semiconductor laser with an emission range of 780 μm has an absorption wavelength range. , and has a relatively large specific resistance and excellent electrophotographic performance. Such phthalocyanine pigments include metal-free phthalocyanine pigments, and ε
, π, τ, τ', η, η', χ or similar crystal forms are selected.

Examples of polycyclic quinone pigments useful in the present invention include the following general formulas 〇) to (III) and the following compounds belonging to each of these general formulas.

General formula (■): Next, examples of bisazo pigments particularly useful for semiconductor lasers include the following general formulas (II/) to (V) and the following compounds belonging to each of these general formulas.

General formula (■); Next, as the carrier transport substance contained in the carrier transport layer, the following general formula (■), general formula (■), and the following compounds belonging to each of these general formulas are listed. General formula (■): '(-) Next, when forming the photosensitive layer of the organic photoreceptor, the carrier generation layer 401 can be provided by the following method. can.

(a) A method in which a carrier-generating substance is dissolved in a suitable solvent and a diluted solution is applied, or a binder is added thereto and mixed and dissolved.

(b) A method in which a carrier-generating substance is made into fine particles in a dispersion medium using a ball mill, a homomixer, etc., and a binder is added as necessary to mix and disperse the obtained dispersion, and the resulting dispersion is applied.

Dispersing the particles under the action of ultrasound in these methods allows for homogeneous dispersion.

Solvents or dispersion media used to form the carrier generation layer include n-butylamine, diethylamine, ethylenediamine, isopropanolamine, triethanolamine, triethylenediamine, N,N-dimethylformamide, acetone, methylethylketone, cyclohexanone, and benzene. , toluene, xylene, chloroform, l,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, dimethyl sulfoxide, and the like.

When a binder is used to form a carrier generation layer or a carrier transport layer, any binder can be used, but in particular, a polymer that is hydrophobic, has a high dielectric constant, and has the ability to form an electrically insulating film. Polymers are preferred. Examples of such polymers include, but are not limited to, the following.

a) Polycarbonate b) Polyester C) Methacrylic resin d) Acrylic resin e) Polyvinyl chloride f) Polyvinylidene chloride g) Polystyrene h) Polyvinyl acetate i) Styrene-butadiene, copolymer j) Vinylidene chloride-acrylonitrile copolymer Coalescence k) Vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer Q) Vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic anhydride copolymer m) Silicone resin n) Silicone-alkyd resin 0) Phenol-formaldehyde resin p) Styrene-
Alkyd resin q) Poly-N-vinylcarbazole r) Polyvinyl butyral These binders can be used alone or in a mixture of two or more. The ratio of the carrier generating substance to the binder is 10 to 600% by weight, preferably 50 to 400% by weight, and the proportion of the carrier transporting substance is 10 to 50% by weight.
It is preferable to set it to 0% by weight.

The thickness of the carrier generation layer 401 thus formed is preferably 0.01 to 20 μm, more preferably 0.05 to 5 μm. The thickness of the carrier transport layer is 2 to 100 μm, preferably 5 to 30 μm.

When a photosensitive layer is formed by dispersing a carrier-generating substance, the carrier-generating substance is preferably in the form of powder having an average particle size of 2 μm or less, preferably 1 μm or less. In other words, if the particle size is too large, dispersion in the layer will be poor, and some of the particles will protrude from the surface, resulting in poor surface smoothness. In some cases, electrical discharge may occur at the protruding parts of the particles, or Toner particles are attached and it's toner! Illumination development is likely to occur. As a carrier-generating substance, it is sensitive to long wavelength light (~7QOnm).The generation of thermally excited carriers in the carrier-generating substance neutralizes the surface charge, and the particle size of the carrier-generating substance decreases. The larger the number, the greater the neutralizing effect.8 Furthermore, in order to improve the electrophotographic properties of the two-layer photosensitive layer, an organic amine is added in a mole amount less than twice that of the carrier-generating substance. be added.

As primary amines, there are
/ethanolamine, ethylenediamine, isopropylamine, octylamine, methylamine, ethylamine, cyclohexylamine, tert-butylamine, 5
Examples include ec-butylamine, n-butylamine, n-amylamine, propylamine, n-hebutylamine, etc., and examples of secondary amines include jetanolamine, diethylamine, piperinone, di-n-propylamine, dimethylamine, di- Examples include amylamine, diethylamine, didodecylamine, di-1-butylamine, di-1-amylamine, di-octylamine, di-cyclohexylamine, di-amylamine, di-n-butylamine, di-isopropylamine, jetanolamine, etc. ,
Examples of the tertiary amine include tripropylamine, triethylamine, n-)butylamine, triamylamine, and triethanolamine, and heterocyclic amines such as pyridine and piperidine are also used. Furthermore, instead of the above-mentioned organic amines, organic cationic compounds such as organic ammonium salts may be used.

The mole number of these organic amines or organic ammonium salts is 2.0 times or less than that of the carrier-generating substance, preferably 0.2
It is possible to add up to twice the number of moles, but if the amount added is moderate, when a coating liquid of carrier-generating substance is prepared, the carrier-generating substance is held in a dispersed state in the coating liquid and dissolved. It is possible to maintain its crystalline form without causing any damage, and it also improves photosensitivity, dark decay, and potential stability during repeated use.

If the above addition m of amine or organic ammonium salt is 2.
If the number of moles exceeds 0, problems with odor may occur when forming the carrier-generating layer of the photoreceptor with the coating solution, the surface becomes sticky after the coating dries, and furthermore, the carrier-generating substance may be dissolved and its crystals may be removed. This causes problems such as changing the state.

Furthermore, the photosensitive layer may contain two or more types of electron-accepting substances. Examples of electron-accepting substances that can be used here include succinic anhydride, maleic anhydride, dibromo succinic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, tetrachlorophthalic anhydride, tetrabromo phthalic anhydride, 3
-Nitrophthalic anhydride, 4-nitrophthalic anhydride, pyromellitic anhydride, mellitic anhydride, tetracyanoethylene, tetracyanoquinodimethane, 0-dinitrobenzene, m-dinitrobenzene, 1,3.5-trinitrobenzene , varanitrobenzonitrile, picryl chloride, quinone chlorimide, chloranil, brumanil, dichlorodicyanobarabenzoquinone, anthraquinone, dinitroanthraquinone, 9-fluorenylidene, [dicyanomethylene malonodinitrile], polynitro-9-fluorenylidene [dicyano methylenemalonodinitrile], picric acid, 0-nitrobenzoic acid, p-nitrobenzoic acid, 3.5-dinitrobenzoic acid, pentafluorobenzoic acid, 5-nitrosalcylic acid, 3.5-dinitrobenzoic acid, phthalic acid , mellitic acid, and other compounds with high electron affinity. Further, the addition ratio of the electron-accepting substance is carrier-generating substance:electron-accepting substance in a weight ratio of 100:0.01 to 200, preferably to
o: o, t~100.

The support l on which the photosensitive layer is to be provided is a metal plate, a metal drum, or a conductive thin layer made of a conductive polymer, a conductive compound such as indium oxide, or a metal such as aluminum, palladium, or gold, which is coated or vapor-deposited. , a material provided on a substrate such as paper or plastic film by means such as lamination or the like is used. The intermediate layer that functions as an adhesive layer or a barrier layer may be a high molecular weight polymer as explained above as the binder resin, an organic polymer substance such as polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl formal, polyvinyl alcohol, ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, or the like. A material made of aluminum oxide or the like is used.

All of the organic photoreceptors thus obtained not only have excellent electrophotographic performance but also exhibit high sensitivity when exposed to semiconductor lasers.

Next, the amorphous silicon germanium-based inorganic photoreceptor is preferably of a functionally separated type having a carrier generation layer and a carrier transport layer, similar to the case of the organic photoreceptor.

An example of a photoreceptor having the configuration shown in FIGS. 31(a) and 31(b) is shown.

The layer structure in FIG. 31(a) is a
-91Ge:H carrier generation layer 406, a-
A carrier transport layer 407 of Si:c:H is further provided with a surface modification layer 408 of a-S i:C:I-1 thereon. FIG. 31(B) has a structure in which the carrier generation layer 406 and the carrier transport layer 407 of FIG. 31(A) are provided vertically oppositely.

Here, the carrier generation layer 406 is formed by a semiconductor laser beam (
It has a function of exhibiting high sensitivity characteristics by absorbing light emission (maximum emission: 780 μm), and its thickness is 1 to 10 μm.

Further, the carrier transport layer 407 has potential holding and carrier transport functions, and has a thickness of 10 to 30 μm.

In addition, the surface modification layer 408 improves the surface potential characteristics of this photoreceptor, maintains the potential characteristics over a long period of time, maintains environmental resistance (prevents the influence of humidity, atmosphere, and chemical species generated by corona discharge),
It has functions such as improved mechanical strength and printing durability due to increased surface hardness due to improved bonding energy due to carbon content, improved heat resistance when using photoreceptors, and improved thermal transferability (especially adhesive transferability). However, it functions as a surface modification layer, so to speak.

The thickness of this a-SiC:H layer 4 is 400 to 500.
It is assumed to be 0A.

The content of C in the carrier transport layer 407 is 10 to ao
atomic%, and C in the surface modified layer 408
The content is 20 to ao atomic%. In order to prevent carrier injection from the support 405 and maintain a sufficient surface potential, for example, a-SiC:Hla-9iO:
A charge blocking layer of H or a-SiN:H can be provided. In this case, it is preferable to exhibit N-type conductivity due to inclusion of a Group VA element in the periodic table, or P-type conductivity due to inclusion of a Group IA element.

The thickness of the blocking layer is 4oOp: ~2
μm, and the C10 or N content in the layer is 5 to 30
It is assumed to be atomic%. Further, the carrier generation layer 40
The atomic % ratio of Si and Ge in 6 is 0.9:
0.1-0.4: The range is 0.6. Furthermore, one or more intermediate layers may be provided between each of the layers to smoothen the movement of the carrier. The amorphous germanium photoreceptor may be manufactured by any known method such as a glow discharge method, a sputtering method, an ion beam noting method, or a swallowing method, but it is preferably manufactured by a glow discharge method.

Any of the various photoreceptors described above can be suitably incorporated as a drum-shaped image forming member in the color image forming apparatus of the present invention.

〔Example〕

EXAMPLES The present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to Examples, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

(Example 1) Optical information conversion unit shown in Fig. 3, color separation system shown in Figs. 6.7 and 8, semiconductor [writing device using hoop] shown in Figs. 12.14 and 15, developing device shown in Figs. 16.17 and 18. Apparatus, No. 19 rIvI Cleani: Nog Apparatus, No. 20
Using the color image forming apparatus shown in Fig. 1 incorporating the fixing device shown in the figure and the overall control mechanism of the apparatus shown in Fig. 21, according to the image forming process shown in Fig. 26, and under the production conditions shown in Tables 1 to 3 below. A three-color image of blue, red and black was formed.

The apparatus used an image forming drum having the following configuration and a two-component developer consisting of toner and carrier.

Image forming body: surface? Xt purified 150mmφ, 0 on the l drum
．． An intermediate layer of poly-p-hydroxystyrene resin with a thickness of 2 μm was provided, and 0.8 parts by weight of Compound Example (V-15) as a carrier-generating substance and 0.0 parts by weight of dihexylammonium chloride as a substance for improving repeatability were provided on the intermediate layer. .0
6 parts by weight, polycarbonate resin (Panlite L-
1250 (manufactured by Ondai Kasei Co., Ltd.) in 100 parts by weight of 1,2-dichloroethane, a dispersion solution prepared by mixing and dispersing it was coated and dried to form a carrier generation layer with a thickness of 0.2 μm. .

Next, a solution prepared by dissolving 0 parts by weight of Compound Example (Vl-30) to 13.2 parts by weight of the polycarbonate resin as a carrier transport substance in 100 parts by weight of 1,2-dichloroethane was placed on the carrier generation layer. 25 minutes after application and drying
A carrier transport layer having a thickness of μm was formed to obtain the photoreceptor of this example.

Color toner (blue toner, red toner and black toner): polyester as binder (U
-120P1 (manufactured by Kao Soap Company)), 100 parts by weight of phthalocyanine blue (manufactured by Hilton Davis Chemical Company, C, 1, Pigment Blue 15) as a coloring agent,
(C, 1, No, 74160) 5 parts by weight and 4 parts of low molecular weight polypropylene (660P, manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Co., Ltd.) as a mold release agent.
Part by weight and 2 parts of an oxynaphthoic acid derivative (Bontron E-82, manufactured by Orient Chemical Co., Ltd.) as a charge control agent were thoroughly mixed in a ball mill for 5 hours, and then heated at 150°C.
The mixture was kneaded using two rolls. Then, after being allowed to cool naturally, the mixture was coarsely pulverized using a cutter mill, further finely pulverized using a pulverizer using a di-sotho air stream, and further dispersed using an air classifier to obtain a blue toner having a weight average particle size of 1O15 μm. In addition, perylene scarlet (C, 1, Pigment Red 1) is used as a coloring agent.
90, manufactured by Sun Chemical Co., Ltd.) (C, [, No, 71140
) was used to obtain a red toner in the same manner as the blue toner.

Furthermore, a black toner was obtained in the same manner as the blue toner except that 10 parts by weight of carbon black (Mogal, manufactured by Cabot Corporation) was used as a colorant and no charge control agent was added.

Carrier: Cu-Z with an average particle size of 40 μm and a particle size range of 10 to 80 μm
The core is n-type ferrite particles, and the surface is 1.2 μm thick.
A coated carrier was obtained by forming a thick resin coating layer of methyl methacrylate styrene copolymer.

Developer: 10 parts by weight of toner was mixed with 90 parts by weight of the carrier, and 0.4 parts by weight of colloidal silica (Aerosil R-812) was externally added as a fluidizing agent to obtain a developer.

Margins below Table 1 Table 2 Continuously make 200 3-color copies of r'f, red, and black at a copying speed of 10 pages per minute on A4 size under condition F as shown in Table 2.
Although created 0 times, all images had high resolution (4 lines/conventional or higher), high density (black image 1.0 or higher), blue and red images 0.8 or higher, and excellent images with fog 0.2 or lower. was gotten.

(Example 2) The following image forming body was used in place of the photoreceptor of Example 1, and the 26th
A copy of the red image was made in the same manner as in Example I except that the three-color copy shown in the figure was replaced with the single-color copy shown in FIG. 27, and the red image copy was repeated 5,000 times at a copying speed of 10 sheets per minute.

As a result, as in Example 1, a stable red color image was obtained from beginning to end.

Image forming body: ! AQ was vaporized on the surface of a 00 um thick polyester film to make it conductive, and 0.8 parts by weight of the following metal-free phthalocyanine (crystalline type) as a carrier generating substance and 1.6 parts by weight of the polycarbonate resin were added. 1.
A dispersion prepared by mixing and dispersing in 100 parts by weight of 2-dichloroethane was coated and dried to form a carrier generation layer of 0.3 μml'J.

Next, 10.0 parts by weight of Compound Example (■-9) as a carrier transport substance and 13.2 parts by weight of the polycarbonate resin were added to 10.0 parts by weight of 1.2-dichloroethane on the carrier generation layer.
A solution containing 0 parts by weight was applied and dried to form a carrier transport layer with a thickness of 23 μm, thereby obtaining the photoreceptor of this example.

The above explanation has been made using a color image forming apparatus as an example in which a color document is separated into two colors, red and cyan, and a color separation mechanism separates the color signals into three color signals, blue, red, and black. For example, as shown in Figure 32, a color original is separated into three colors, red (R), green (G), and blue (B), using a color separation filter, and then photoelectrically converted using three COD image sensors. After, shading correction,
After arithmetic processing such as ghost cancellation is performed, yellow (Y) table, magenta (M) table, cyan (C
) table, Y, M through the black (BK) table
,C.

The colors are separated into four colors of BK, and the color signal selected by color selection is written into the binarized aftertaste forming body, Y, M,
It is also possible to develop a full-color image forming apparatus by using four developing devices containing toners of C and BK colors. Furthermore, in some cases, color originals may be printed in R, G, B
, ND, N, and D filters to separate the colors into four colors, each of which undergoes photoelectric conversion using four CODs, and then A/D conversion.
It is also possible to provide a color image forming apparatus that binarizes and writes the obtained digital signal without color separation, and performs four-color development of Y, M, C, and BK to form a full-color image.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the color image forming apparatus of the present invention, the apparatus is compact and therefore low in cost, and has excellent operability since all process steps are controlled in real time. In addition, high-quality office color copies can be easily obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view explaining the basic configuration of a color image forming apparatus, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the image forming process, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an optical information exchange unit, and FIG. 4 is a light source, A graph showing the spectral characteristics of a guicroic mirror for color separation and a COD image sensor, Fig. 5 is a graph showing the spectral reflection characteristics of the color components of the color chart, Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the coordinate system for color separation, FIG. 7 is a color separation map diagram based on the coordinate system of FIG. 6. 8 and 9 are color separation and color selection circuit diagrams, and FIG. 10 is a binarization circuit diagram.
Figure 11 is a graph for obtaining interpolated data during enlargement, Figure 12
13 is a sectional view of the writing device, FIG. 13 is a writing peripheral circuit diagram, FIG. 14 is an improved writing circuit diagram, and FIG. 15 is a flowchart of light amount control in the writing circuit of FIG. 14. Also, FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the developing device, and FIG. 17 is a sectional view of the developing device.
The figures are a perspective view and a front view of the agitation device of the developing device shown in Fig. 16, Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view explaining the arrangement of the developer layer regulating member on the developing roll, and Fig. 19 shows separation and cleaning of the separating claw. The sectional view to be explained, FIG. 20, is a sectional view of the fixing device. Also, FIG. 21 is a circuit diagram explaining the overall control mechanism of the entire apparatus, and FIG. 22 is a time chart explaining the relationship between the image signals R, Cy and the timing signal 31, and the exposure and exposure in the 23rd color mode and monochromatic color mode. 5 is a time chart illustrating the relationship between development and gate signals. 26 and 27 are time charts explaining a series of processing in the color image forming process, and FIG. 28 shows the relationship between the gap between the tip of the developer layer regulating member and the sleeve and the amount of developer. , Figure 29 is a process diagram showing changes in surface potential of an image forming body in a reversal development method, Figure 30 is a cross-sectional view showing the layer structure of an organic photoreceptor, and Figure 31 is an amorphous silicon gel manilam photoreceptor. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the layer structure of FIG. In general, FIG. 32 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a reading section of a four-color Y, M, C, and BK color image forming apparatus, and FIG.
34 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration example of the color ghost removal circuit, FIG. 35 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration example of the density signal separation circuit,
FIG. 36 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of density data for each color gamut,
Figure 37 is a diagram showing an example of a color pattern, Figures 38 to 4
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the control program Durham controlled by the first and second microcomputers. FIG. 47 is a sectional view of a reading device of a known digital color image device, FIG. 48 is a color separation map diagram when color signals are obtained by the reading device of FIG. 47, and FIG. 49 is a diagram of another known digital color image. 50 is a system block diagram of another known digital color image forming apparatus, and FIG. 51 is a color separation map diagram used in the apparatus shown in FIG. 50. 82... Original 84... Carriage 8
5.86... Light source 87.89.89', 117... Reflection mirror 90.
...Stepping motor 97.98...Mark white plate 100...Optical information conversion unit 102...Blizzard 11 103...Dike "1" Mirror 104.105...COD image sensor A...Read Part 110... Motor r3... Fortune-telling part!12... Polygon mirror 121... Charger 1
23.124, 125...Developer 126...Cleaning device 127...Binode device 128...Transfer surface charger 129...Cleaning auxiliary roller 130...Transfer device 131...Separation Vessel 1
32... Fixed mark unit 151... Arithmetic processing unit 152-V R1-Vc memory 154, 155, 156... Data memory 157...
・ROM table 158...if coloring data memory 161, 162, 163...buffer 165,! 66
．． 167...and gate 168...or gate
170...Binarization circuit 172.173...Main and sub-scanning counters 174...Threshold value "Im 1"
90...Laser drive circuit 191...Semiconductor l noser 193, 196...Series: Nodrical [Nones 198
... A: Nodex sensor 200... Photodiode 201... l/V converter 202... Δ/I) converter 204... Latch 205... D/A converter 210...- Gal
Noge 221... Handle 226, 227, 228... Each developer tray 233a,
233b, 233cm Toner replenishment packet 23
5a, 235b, 235c, 236a, 236)
), 236cm a stirrer 237a, 237b, 2
31c -- Developing rolls 2371a, 2371b,
2311cm・Sleeve 2372a, 2372b,
2372cm・-Magnetic rolls 240a, 240b,
240cm=layer thickness regulating members 245a, 245b, 245
c...Sponge roll for scraping off the developer layer after development 250...Separation claw (after transfer) 252...Solenoid 253c...No. 254...No. 21
Flange 258... Spring 261... Heat roller for constant n 263... Binge roller 266.
267... Ejection roller 269.270... Separation claw for fixing 271... Thermistor 272... Jam detection sensor 281... Blu node plate 289... Eccentric cam 294... Print control circuit 295.295
1.2952...Interface 296...Tie mini knob circuit 297...Test pattern circuit 298...Patch circuit 299...Counter clock circuit 300...Hanakun clock 301...Fluorescent lamp lighting circuit 302... ...Stepping motor 9G drive circuit 304
...Operation unit drive circuit 305...Paper size detection (-path 306...Drum index sensor 307...Cassette zero sheet detection sensor 308...Manual feed zero sheet detection sensor 309...Toner concentration detection Sensors 310, 311, 312... Remaining toner amount detection sensor 313, 314, 315... Each toner replenishment drive solenoid 316... - Next stop sensor 317...
Paper ejection sensor 31g...Manual feed sensor 319,3
20...Developing motor 321...Main motor 323, 324, 241, 325...Various high voltage electric whales 401.406...Carrier generation layer 402.407...Carrier transport layer 403...Intermediate Layer 404...Photosensitive layer 4
00,. 405...Support 408...Protective layer 500, 501, 506,522,508...Latch 503,504...Composition circuit 507,508,525...Decoder 510...Concentration signal separation circuit 520.523...Shift I no register 52! , 527
...Ghost removal ROM 524...6 line counter 526...Dekse 1 nokta 529...Pull down resistor 60Q, 620.66Q, 700, 800, 830, 9
00,950.960°・・・Flowchart 1・

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) means for optically scanning a color original and color-separating the obtained optical information into image information of at least two different wavelength components; means for converting the image information into an image signal;
means for converting the image signal into a digital signal; means for color-separating the digital signal based on predetermined color information and outputting it as a color signal; means for converting the color signal into an optical signal; means for forming a written electrostatic image on a similarly charged imaging member; and developing means for developing said electrostatic image with a thin layer of developer containing particulate toner; A color image forming apparatus characterized in that a monochrome or multicolor toner image is repeatedly formed on the image forming member several times, and the monochrome or multicolor toner image is transferred to a transfer material. (2) The color image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two types of image information are red and cyan image information, and the color signals to be separated are blue, red, and black signals. . (3) Optically scan a color original, color separate the obtained optical information into image information of at least two different wavelength components, photoelectrically convert the image information into an image signal, and convert the image signal into a digital image. convert the digital signal into a signal, perform color separation on the digital signal based on predetermined color information, output it as a plurality of color signals, convert the color signal into an optical signal, and convert the optical signal into a uniformly charged image. A written electrostatic image is formed on the forming body, the electrostatic image is developed with a thin layer of a developer containing fine particle toner and carrier according to the color signal, and the writing and development are repeated for the number of color signals to form an image. A color image forming method comprising forming a toner image on a forming body and transferring the toner image to a transfer material. (4) The color image forming method according to claim 3, wherein at least the second and subsequent development in the development that is repeated for the number of color signals is non-contact development. (5) At least uniform charging, writing, and development are performed every rotation of the image forming body, and the image forming body is rotated by the number of color signals to form a monochrome or multicolor toner image on the image forming body. A color image forming method according to claim 3 or 4. (6) The color image forming method according to claim 3, wherein color image formation from optical scanning of the color document to transfer of the multicolor toner image is processed in real time.