Image writing apparatus and record display medium

• US 20040056942A1
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E Ink Corporation (E Ink Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 6,882,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/111
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/385 characterised by selective supply of electric current or selective application of magnetism to a printing or impression-transfer material B41J2/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4076 printing on rewritable, bistable "electronic paper" by a focused electric or magnetic field

Abstract

The present invention provides an image writing apparatus capable of sequentially writing images into plural record display media at a high speed with high reliability in displaying the written images, and the record display media used for the image writing apparatus. Each of the record display media can be used repeatedly by rewriting. The image writing apparatus has: a conveyor section which conveys a record display medium including a display layer on which an image is displayed in a non-volatile manner, in which the display layer sandwiched between opposed electrodes; a contact section which electrically contacts the electrodes of the record display medium; and a writing section which writes an image into the display layer of the record display medium, the electrodes of which are contacted by the contact section.

Claims

1. An image writing apparatus comprising:

a conveyor section which conveys a record display medium including a display layer on which an image is displayed in a non-volatile manner, the display layer sandwiched between opposed electrodes;

a contact section which electrically contacts the electrodes of the record display medium; and

a writing section which writes an image into the display layer of the record display medium, the electrodes of which are contacted by the contact section.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a position control section which adjusts position of the record display medium being conveyed by the conveyor section, before the contact section contacts the electrodes.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge section which discharges the record display medium in which the image has been written into the display layer, to a predetermined discharge position.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electrodes are matrix electrodes including scanning electrodes and data electrodes opposed to each other with the display layer interposed therebetween, and

the writing section applies a voltage based on a signal expressing an image to the contact section, to write the image on pixels formed of arbitrary intersections between the scanning electrodes and the data electrodes.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a record display medium stopper section which stops the record display medium conveyed by the conveyor section, to be kept stationary at a position where the electrodes of the record display medium contacts the contact section; and

a voltage application section which applies a predetermined voltage to the contact section contacting the electrodes, wherein

the record display medium is made by sandwiching, in addition to the display layer, an optical switching layer between the electrodes, the optical switching layer having resistance which changes depending on irradiation of light, and

the writing section irradiates light expressing an image onto the optical switching layer of the record display medium whose electrodes are contacted by the contact section, to write an image into the display layer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a correction section which corrects curling of the record display medium stopped at the position where the electrodes of the record display medium contacts the contact section by the record display medium, before the light is irradiated onto the optical switching layer from the writing section.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a tray which contains a plurality of record display media having the optical switching layer facing upward, wherein

the voltage application section applies the voltage to the contact section which contacts the electrodes of uppermost one of the record display media contained in the tray, and

the writing section has an image forming optical system to focus light, forming an image, and irradiates the optical switching layer of the uppermost one record display medium contacting the contact section, with light expressing the image and focused by the optical system.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a tray which contains a plurality of record display media having the optical switching layer facing downward, wherein

the voltage application section applies the voltage to the contact section which contacts the electrodes of lowermost one of the record display media contained in the tray, and

the writing section has an image forming optical system to focus light, forming an image, and irradiates the optical switching layer of the lowermost one record display medium contacting the contact section, with light expressing the image and focused by the optical system.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a tray which contains plural record display media each having the optical switching layer facing upward, wherein

the voltage application section applies the voltage to the contact section which contacts the electrodes of uppermost one of the record display media contained in the tray, and

the writing section has an optical system, which irradiates light having directivity and irradiates the light having the directivity and expressing an image, onto the optical switching layer of the uppermost one record display medium contacting the contact section, from the optical system.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the record display medium is made by forming the electrodes respectively on inner surfaces of the pair of opposed substrates, and has at least two contact terminals on an outer surface of one of the pair of substrates, the contact terminals electrically conducted to the electrodes.

11. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the record display medium is made by forming the electrodes respectively on inner surfaces of the pair of opposed substrates, and has at least two contact terminals respectively on outer surfaces of the pair of substrates, the contact terminals electrically conducted to the electrodes formed on the inner surfaces of the opposed substrate.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the record display medium has the contact terminals at a side end in a rear side in a conveyance direction in which the record display medium is conveyed by the conveyor section, on one or respectively on both of the outer surfaces.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the record display medium has the contact terminals at a side end in a rear side in a conveyance direction in which the record display medium is conveyed by the conveyor section, on one or respectively on both of the outer surfaces.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the record display medium has the contact terminals respectively at laterally symmetrical positions in a rear side in a conveyance direction in which the record display medium is conveyed by the conveyor section, on one or respectively on both of the outer surfaces.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the record display medium has the contact terminals respectively at laterally symmetrical positions in a rear side in a conveyance direction in which the record display medium is conveyed by the conveyor section, on one or respectively on both of the outer surfaces.

16. A record display medium comprising:

electrodes respectively formed on a pair of opposed substrates;

a display layer which displays an image; and

an optical switching layer having resistance which changes depending on irradiation of light, wherein

the display layer and the optical switching layer are stacked between the electrodes, and

at least two contact terminals electrically conducted to the electrodes are provided on an outer surface of one of the pair of substrates.

18. The medium according to claim 16, wherein the contact terminals are provided at positions close to an end, on one edge of the outer surface of the one of the pair of substrates or the outer surfaces of the pair of substrates respectively.

20. The medium according to claim 16, wherein the contact terminals are provided at symmetrical positions close to an end, on two opposed edges of the outer surface of the one of the pair of substrates or the outer surfaces of the pair of substrates respectively.

17. A record display medium comprising:

electrodes respectively formed on a pair of opposed substrates;

a display layer which displays an image; and

an optical switching layer having resistance which changes depending on irradiation of light, wherein

the display layer and the optical switching layer are stacked between the electrodes, and

at least two contact terminals electrically conducted to the electrodes formed in the inner surfaces of the opposed substrates are provided respectively on outer surfaces of the pair of substrates.

19. The medium according to claim 17, wherein the contact terminals are provided at positions close to an end, on one edge of the outer surface of the one of the pair of substrates or the outer surfaces of the pair of substrates respectively.

21. The medium according to claim 17, wherein the contact terminals are provided at symmetrical positions close to an end, on two opposed edges of the outer surface of the one of the pair of substrates or the outer surfaces of the pair of substrates respectively.