JPH06301315A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the scale of a device, to facilitate operation for the decolorization of copying paper and to improve convenience in the case of recycling the copying paper by providing a decolorizing device combined with a fixing device used both for decolorizing and fixing. CONSTITUTION:By turning on a toner decolorizing key, an exclusive paper feeding device is selected and the copying paper inside is fed to pass through the decolorizing device combined with the fixing device 25. In such a case, the toner of the copied image on the copying paper is decolorized by light irradiation and heat radiation through a light emitting means 25a and a reflector 25b in the device 25. Thereafter, the copying paper makes a U-turn and is carried to a paper refeeding device and housed. Then, the paper is fed again to perform copying and passes through the device 25 after copying is performed by a developing device 2. In such a case, the image is fixed by the heat radiation by the light emitting means 25a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for making a copy by using an erasable toner and erasing the toner of a copy image on a copy paper after the copying.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a recent copying method, an example has been proposed in which the toner of a copied image on a copy paper is erased when it is not needed. In this proposal, a color erasing toner is used for copying, and then a color erasing device is used to erase the toner of the copied image when the copied image is unnecessary. As a decolorizable toner, one of cyanine dyes (IR820B: represented by the following [Chemical Formula 1]) and an organic element ammonium salt (for example, tetrabutylammonium) are used instead of carbon black, which is a dye conventionally added to toner.・ Butyltriphenylborate) is mixed as a medium.

[0003]

[Chemical 1]

When this decoloring toner is used, a blue copy image is drawn on plain paper. After that, when the color of the copied image is erased, the color of the copied image is erased by irradiating the copy surface with near infrared light while erasing the copied image. A halogen lamp, a light emitting diode (LED), or a semiconductor laser (LD) is used as the light emitting body containing near infrared light.

[0005]

However, in the image forming apparatus of the above-mentioned conventional example, when the currently used decoloring toner is used, the decoloring is performed at a speed substantially equal to that of the current copying apparatus. Requires a light emission amount of several hundred watts. Furthermore, by dissolving the resin in the decolorizing toner,
One of the cyanine dyes that are uniformly dispersed in the resin (I
In order to further activate the reaction between R820B) and the organic element ammonium salt to increase the decoloring rate, a sufficient amount of heat due to heat radiation of about several hundred watts is required.

Therefore, when the decoloring device and the copying machine are constructed as separate devices, the light emitting parts are provided respectively, the device scale increases, the power consumption increases, the cost increases, and the operation is increased. There is a drawback that it becomes complicated.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and is equipped with an eraser / fixer that also serves as an eraser / fixer to reduce the size of the apparatus and to reduce the copy paper size. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that facilitates erasing operation and improves the convenience of reusing copy paper.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a first developing device for accommodating decoloring toner and a light emitting means for decoloring and fixing. A decoloring device / fixing device for carrying out the above, a second developing device accommodating a conventional toner to be fixed on the copying paper by the decoloring device / fixing device, and a copying paper copied by the decoloring toner. A sheet feeding device, a re-feeding device for storing the erased copy paper, and a transport mechanism for transporting the copy paper. When passing through the decoloring device / fixing device, the light emitting means acts to erase the toner of the copied image, and thereafter the operation of the light emitting means is stopped.
In addition, the erased copy paper is transported to the re-feeding device through the transport mechanism.

The decoloring device includes a light-transmitting roller having a light emitting means for irradiating light and heat radiation therein, a reflecting plate for guiding the light irradiation and heat radiation in one direction, and a pressure contact with the roller. It is configured to include a pressure roller that conveys copy paper.

[0010]

With the above construction, in the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when the copy paper after being fed from the paper feeding device by the toner erasing instruction passes through the erasing device / fixing device, the light from the light emitting means is emitted. Irradiation and thermal radiation erase the toner in the copied image. After that, the light irradiation and heat radiation by the light emitting means are stopped, and the decolorized copy paper is conveyed to the re-feeding device through the conveying mechanism. Since the device is equipped with a decoloring device and a fixing device that also perform decoloring and fixing, the device scale is reduced, and the operation of decoloring copy paper is facilitated and the convenience of reusing copy paper is improved. The property is improved.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of an embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing the main parts in FIG. 1 and 2, this apparatus includes an erasing device 1 that also has a registration function, a developing device 2 that stores a conventional black toner, and a developing device 2 that rotates to move the developing device 2 toward or away from a photoconductor M. The cam 3 and the developing device 4 containing decoloring toner
And a cam 5 that makes the photoconductor M approach or depart from the photoconductor M.

Further, this apparatus has a fixing device 6, a switching claw 7 for conveying the copy sheet for re-feeding or discharging it to the outside of the apparatus, and a re-feeding sheet for re-feeding the copy sheet. It has a sheet feeding device 8. The sheet re-feeding device 8 includes a switching claw 9, a calling roller 10, a turn belt 11, and a conveyor belt 12. Also, in this device,
Paper feeding device 13 for storing and supplying plain paper
And a dedicated paper feeding device 14 for feeding a copy paper copied using decoloring toner. The decoloring device 1 includes a light emitting means 15, a roller 16, and a reflecting plate 17 shown in FIG.
And a pressure roller 18. The operation unit (not shown) is provided with a toner erasing key for erasing the color of the erasing toner and an erasing toner selecting key for instructing a processing operation of the developing device 2 containing the erasing toner. .

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the structure of the erasing device 1 with a partial cross section. In FIG. 3, the decoloring device 1 has a light emitting means 15, a roller 16, a reflecting plate 17 for concentrating the light emitted from the light emitting means 15 in one direction, and a pressure roller 18. The light emitting means 15 has a near-infrared wavelength (820n
Use the halogen lamp of m). The roller 16 is a member that transmits light irradiation and heat radiation from the light emitting means 15, for example,
A transparent heat resistant glass material or a transparent heat resistant resin material is used. The reflection plate 17 collects light irradiation and heat radiation of the light emitting means 15 in one direction. The pressure roller 18 presses the core material 18 a with a coil spring S to form a nip in the roller 16.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing another structural example of the decoloring device 1 together with a partial cross section. 4, in this example, the reflector 17 of the decolorizer 1 of FIG. 3 is provided inside the roller 16, while the reflector 17a is provided outside the roller 16.
Are arranged. Others are the same as the configuration of FIG. Figure 5
FIG. 6 is a front view showing another example of the configuration of the decolorizer 1 together with a partial cross section. 5, in this example, rollers 16a and 16b are added to the roller 16 of the decoloring device 1 of FIG. Others are the same as the configuration of FIG.

Next, the operation of this configuration will be described. 1 and 2, in the case of the double-sided copy mode,
When the copy paper is conveyed to the re-feeding device 8, the calling roller 1
0 descends, contacts the copy sheet, and is fed to the turn belt 11. The copy paper is turned over, conveyed by the conveyor belt, and then stopped at the re-feed position to prepare for double-sided copying. In the U-turn mode, the copy paper is conveyed to the re-feeding device 8 side. In this case, the calling roller 10 does not descend, but the switching claw 9 descends. Then, after being conveyed along the switching claw 9 by the conveyor belt 12 without being inverted, it is stopped at the re-feeding position to prepare for the next copying.

A toner decoloring key (not shown) is turned on.
Then, the dedicated paper feeding device 14 that stores the copy paper copied with the decoloring toner is selected. Next, when a color-erasing toner selection key (not shown) is turned on (ON), the developing device 2 for storing the black toner is removed from the photoconductor M by the rotation of the cam 3. At the same time, by the rotation of the cam 5, the developing device 4 containing the decoloring toner is brought close to the photoconductor M and is set to the developable state.

The decoloring device 1 shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 is downsized as the same supply source for performing light irradiation and heat radiation. Further, the pressure roller 18 is pressed against the roller 16 so that the copy paper is brought into close contact with the roller 16 and good heat conduction is obtained. The roller 16 covers the outer periphery of the cylindrical member with a transparent release material that sufficiently transmits radiant heat and irradiation light. As a method for coating the release material, a Teflon-based resin is formed into a tube shape and covered with a roller. This prevents offset of copy paper passing through this nip. Moreover, wrapping jams are effectively prevented.

Next, the operation of erasing the toner of the copied image using the erasing toner and then performing the conventional copying will be described. FIG. 6 is a flow chart in the case where the toner of the copied image is erased and the conventional copying is performed. The light emitting means 15 in the decoloring device 1 provided in front of the copying process path is provided corresponding to the copying surface of the copying paper stored in the dedicated paper feeding device 14 with the decoloring toner. When the toner erasing key in the operation unit (not shown) is turned on (ON), the dedicated paper feeding device 14 is selected to start feeding the copy paper (steps (S) 10 to 16). When the leading edge of the copy paper passes the registration sensor 24, the light emitting means 15 is turned on, and the decoloring of the toner of the copied image using the decoloring toner is started (steps 17 and 18).

Further, the light emitting means 15 is turned off after the trailing edge of the copy paper passes through the erasing device 1 (steps 19 and 2).
0). On the erased copy paper, a conventional normal copy is performed (step 21). As a method of selecting the dedicated sheet feeding device 14, there is a method of presetting a sheet feeding position and starting a sheet feeding from this sheet feeding position when a toner erasing key (not shown) is turned on. Further, a detection unit is provided in the dedicated paper feeding device 14, and this detection and the toner erasing key are turned on (O
In the case of N), there is a method of starting paper feeding from this paper feeding position. A method of directly detecting the presence / absence of a copy image of the decoloring toner and performing it in conjunction with it can be considered, but there are problems in reading accuracy and cost.

Next, the case where the decoloring device is provided in the middle of the fixing process will be described. FIG. 7 is a side view showing the configuration when the decoloring device is provided in the fixing process. In FIG. 7, in this example, the erasing device 19 is provided between the fixing device 6 and the paper discharge roller 23. The decoloring device 19 includes a light reflecting plate 20 and a light emitting means 21 using a halogen lamp. A guide plate 22 of a light transmitting member is arranged in the opening of the light reflecting plate 20. In this case, sufficient heat is radiated in advance by the fixing device 6, and the erasing device 19 performs erasing after the temperature of the erasing toner on the copy paper has risen. Therefore, erasing is effectively performed.

Next, the operation of the configuration shown in FIG. 7 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure in this operation. In FIG. 8, first, when the toner erasing key of the operation unit (not shown) is turned on (ON), the dedicated paper feeding device 14 is selected and the copy paper copied with the erasing toner inside is fed ( Steps 30-35). In this case, the switching claw 7 for making the U-turn of the copy paper is switched upward. Further, the switching claw 9 moves down. The color of the copy image is erased by the decoloring device 19 (steps 36 to 42). After that, a U-turn is made and the sheet is conveyed to the sheet re-feeding device for copying (steps 43 to 45). When the copy paper after copying passes the erasing device 19, the light emitting means 21 is not turned on. That is, the copy paper is sent to the outside.

Next, the case where the decoloring device and the fixing device are provided in combination will be described. FIG. 9 is a side view showing a configuration in the case where the decoloring device and the fixing device are provided in combination. In FIG. 9, a decoloring device / fixing device 25 is provided in the fixing device 6.
The decolorizer / fixer 25 includes a light emitting means 25a, a reflection plate 25b, a roller 25c, and a pressure roller 25d.

In this structure, the dedicated sheet feeding device 14 is selected by turning on (ON) the toner erasing key on the operation unit (not shown), the copying paper inside is fed, and the erasing device / fixing device 25 is operated. Pass through. In this case, the copied image on the copy paper, that is, the toner on the copy paper is erased by light irradiation and heat radiation through the light emitting means 25a and the reflection plate 25b provided in the decolorizer / fixer 25. After that, the copy paper makes a U-turn, is conveyed to the re-feeding device 8 and is stored therein. Then, the paper is fed again for copying.
In this case, when the toner erasing key is turned on, the developing device 2 containing the conventional black toner is selected. After the copying is performed by the developing device 2, the erasing device / fixing device 2 is selected.
Pass 5. During this passage, fixing is performed by heat radiation of the light emitting means 25a. In this way, the erasing device / fixing device 25 performs erasing and fixing.

[0024]

As is apparent from the above description, in the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when the copy paper after being fed from the paper feeding device by the toner erasing instruction passes through the erasing device and fixing device. Toner decoloration of a copied image is performed by light irradiation and heat radiation from the light emitting means. After that, the light irradiation and heat radiation by the light emitting means are stopped, and the decolorized copy paper is conveyed to the re-feeding device through the conveying mechanism. In other words, since the device is equipped with an eraser / fixer that also combines erasing and fixing, the device scale is reduced, the operation of erasing copy paper is facilitated, and the convenience of reusing copy paper is improved. Has the effect of improving.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a configuration of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a main part in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a part of the configuration of the decolorizer in FIG. 1 together with a side surface.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing another example of the configuration of the decolorizer in FIG. 1 together with a side surface.

5 is a front view showing a part of another example of the configuration of the decolorizer in FIG. 1 together with the side surface.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart in the case of performing normal copying by erasing the color of the copied image in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a configuration in the case where an erasing device is provided in a fixing process in the embodiment.

8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the operation of the configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing the configuration in the case where the decoloring device and the fixing device are provided in a combined manner in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Decoloring device 2, 4 Developing device 6 Fixing device 8 Refeeding device 13 Paper feeding device 14 Special paper feeding device 15 Light emitting means 17 Reflecting plate 18 Pressure roller

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A first developing device for storing decoloring toner,
An eraser / fixer for erasing and fixing with a light emitting means, and a second developer containing a conventional toner to be fixed on copy paper by the eraser / fixer. , A paper feeding device for storing copy paper copied by decoloring toner,
It has a re-feeding device for storing the erased copy paper and a transport mechanism for transporting the copy paper, and the copy paper after being fed from the paper feed device according to the toner erasing instruction also serves as the eraser and fixing device. When passing through the container, the light emitting means acts to erase the toner of the copy image, after which the operation of the light emitting means is stopped, and the erased copy paper is fed to the refeeding device. An image forming apparatus that conveys the image through the conveying mechanism. 2. The color erasing device includes a light-transmissive roller having a light emitting means for internally irradiating light and heat, a reflector for guiding light irradiation and heat radiation in one direction, and the roller. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure roller that presses and conveys the copy paper.