JPH07175383A - Method of removing image forming material from image holder and device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely separate a transfer paper from a peeling member by executing a peeling process in such a manner that time is shifted in regions, divided into at least two in a direction orthogonally crossed with the carrying direction of the transfer paper. CONSTITUTION:Peeling rollers 41a and 41b are arranged so as to come into contact with the regions A and B divided so as to be different each other in the direction orthogonally crossed with the carrying direction of the transfer paper. Moreover, the peeling rollers 46a and 47a are arranged to hold/carry the region A' of the transfer paper while the carrying rollers 46a and 47b are arranged so as to hold/carry the region B' of the transfer paper. Then, the peeling process is executed in such a manner that the time is shifted in the regions A and B divided into at least two in the direction orthogonally crossed with the carrying direction of the transfer paper. Therefore, in each peeling process, the region of a part of the transfer paper comes into contact with the peeling member and the other region is carried as it is without sticking to the peeling member, so that the leading edge of the transfer paper is easily removed from the surface of the peeling member and the transfer paper can be surely separated therefrom.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image carrier for removing an image forming substance from an image carrier to which an image forming substance is stably attached by an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, a printing machine or the like. Of the image forming substance removing device of
Specifically, a peeling member having an adhesive force larger than the adhesive force between the surface of the image carrier and the image forming substance is attached to the surface of the image carrier. Method for removing an image-forming substance from an image-bearing member, wherein the image-bearing member and the peeling member are separated from each other after contacting at least the image-forming substance on the surface, and the image-forming substance is peeled from the surface. And its device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are known various image forming substance removing methods and devices for removing an image forming substance such as toner from a sheet as a recorded image carrier. For example, as one using a solvent, JP-A-1-10
In Japanese Patent No. 1576, a sheet on which toner is attached is immersed in a soluble solvent of a toner resin and ultrasonic vibration is applied to the sheet.
A method for removing an image-forming substance is disclosed in which the toner dissolved in a solvent is released from the paper surface. In addition, JP-A-4-3003
In Japanese Patent Publication No. 95, a solvent is attached to a printed portion of waste paper by a method such as dipping, spraying or coating to dissolve the toner,
An image forming substance removing method is disclosed in which the dissolved toner is removed by a method such as washing, air suction, contact with an adsorbent, mechanical peeling or electrostatic adsorption.

On the other hand, as one not using a solvent, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-255195, a heat-meltable ink or a heat-meltable ink placed on a printed material coated with a release agent on a support by an electrophotographic method or a thermal transfer method is used. A method for removing an image forming substance in which toner is adhered to the ink peeling member to remove the toner by stacking the ink peeling member on the printed body, passing the ink between the heating roller and the pressure roller, cooling the toner, and peeling off the ink peeling member. Is disclosed. Further, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 4-64472, at least an endless sheet having a heat-melting resin on the surface, a heat roller and a cooling roller for supporting and rotating the endless sheet, and a paper having a release treatment on its surface (erasable paper) There is disclosed an eraser including a pressing roller that presses against a softened or melted heat-melting resin, and a drive unit that moves these in conjunction with each other. In addition, JP-A-4-8
Japanese Patent No. 2983 discloses two rollers provided in parallel, which rotate in pressure contact with each other and pass paper through a pressure contact point.
A heater for heating at least one of the rollers of the book, a scraping tool for separating the paper passing through the pressure contact portion from the roller, and a peeling device for removing the image-forming substance adhering to the roller from the roller An image forming material removal device is disclosed.

By the way, when the above-mentioned solvent-free method and apparatus are used to remove an image-forming substance from a recorded image carrier on which an image is recorded on an ordinary paper having paper fibers exposed on the surface, for example, Since the image-forming substance is firmly fixed to the fibers on the surface of the image-holding member by fusing the image-forming substance containing a heat-meltable resin as a main component to the image-holding member in the fixing step of the electrophotographic method, When the image-forming substance is removed, the paper fibers on the surface are peeled off together with the image-forming substance and the paper quality is damaged.
In particular, in order to improve the removability of the image-forming substance, when heat or pressure is applied to the ink peeling member, the endless sheet or the roller, depending on various conditions, the space between the image-forming substance and the image carrier may be reversed. In some cases, the fixability of the above is increased, which makes removal difficult.

Therefore, the present applicant has previously proposed that the recorded image carrier contains water as a destabilizing agent, an aqueous solution containing a surfactant, an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble polymer, and a surfactant and a water-soluble polymer. Containing at least one kind of water or aqueous solution selected from the group consisting of aqueous solutions containing, and interposing a peeling member, heat-bonding or pressure-bonding the image-forming substance to the peeling member to peel it from the image carrier. An image forming substance removing method has been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 4-255).
916). According to this, only the image-forming substance can be removed without relatively damaging the paper quality of the image carrier.

[0006]

However, in the method for removing an image-forming substance from an image carrier proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 4-255916, an image in which the delaminating member holds the destabilizing agent is used. After contacting the image-forming substance on the surface of the holding member with the image-forming substance, there is a possibility that the image holding member and the peeling member cannot be reliably separated. The difficulty of separating the peeling member and the image carrier is described in the above-mentioned JP-A-2-255.
It may be accompanied even in the case of the image forming substance removing apparatus proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 195.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is a method for removing an image-forming substance from an image carrier capable of reliably separating the image carrier from the peeling member, and It is to provide the device.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention of claim 1 relates to an image-forming substance adhered to the surface of an image carrier, wherein the surface and the image-forming substance are separated from each other. A peeling member having an adhesive force larger than the adhesive force is brought into contact with at least the image forming substance on the surface on the surface side to which the image forming substance is attached, and then the image holding member and the peeling member are separated. In the method of removing an image-forming substance from an image carrier, which comprises a peeling step of peeling the image-forming substance from the surface, a region divided into at least two in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the image carrier is It is characterized in that the peeling step is carried out at different times.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a peeling member which has an adhesion force with respect to an image forming substance adhered to the surface of the image holding member, which is greater than the adhesion force between the surface and the image forming substance.
Peeling for separating the image holding member from the peeling member by contacting at least the image forming substance on the surface on the surface side to which the image forming substance is attached, and peeling the image forming substance from the surface. In the apparatus for removing an image-forming substance from an image carrier, which is provided with a means, the peeling member is provided with time for at least two regions in which the peeling device is divided in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the image carrier. It is characterized by being configured so as to be in contact with each other by shifting.

According to a third aspect of the invention, in the apparatus for removing an image forming substance from the image carrier according to the second aspect, at least two peeling members are arranged at intervals in the transport direction of the image carrier. It is characterized in that different peeling members are brought into contact with regions divided into the same number as the peeling members in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the image carrier.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the apparatus for removing an image forming substance from an image carrier according to the third aspect in which a peeling roller is used as the peeling member, the image carrier is conveyed coaxially with each peeling roller. It is characterized in that the conveying rollers for forming the same are integrally formed.

[0012]

According to the invention of claim 1, in the peeling step, the peeling member, which is brought into contact with at least the image forming substance on the surface of the image holding member on the surface side where the image forming substance is adhered, is changed to the image forming substance. On the other hand, by having an adhesive force larger than the adhesive force between the surface and the image forming substance, when the peeling member is brought into contact with the surface and then the peeling member and the image carrier are separated, The image-forming substance can be reliably separated from the image carrier and adhered only to the peeling member. Here, when the peeling member simultaneously contacts the entire region of the tip of the image carrier, the tip of the image carrier may be difficult to be separated while being attached to the peeling member. Therefore, in the present invention, the peeling step is performed with a time lag with respect to the area divided into at least two in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the image carrier. As a result, in each peeling step, a part of the image carrier comes into contact with the peeling member and the other regions are conveyed as they are without adhering to the peeling member. It becomes easy for the tip of the to separate from the surface of the peeling member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, by the peeling means, on the surface side of the image carrier on which the image-forming substance is adhered,
At least the peeling member that is brought into contact with the image-forming substance on the surface has an adhesive force to the image-forming substance that is greater than the adhesive force between the surface and the image-forming substance, so that the peeling member is attached to the surface. When the peeling member and the image carrier are separated after the contact, the image forming substance can be surely separated from the image carrier and adhered only to the peeling member. Then, the peeling member is brought into contact with the region divided into at least two in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the image carrier at a different time so that the image carrier of each image peels at each peeling. Since a part of the area comes into contact with the peeling member and the other area is conveyed as it is without adhering to the peeling member, the tip portion of the image carrier easily separates from the surface of the peeling member. .

According to the invention of claim 3, at least two peeling members arranged at intervals in the conveying direction of the image carrier are divided into the same number as the peeling members in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the image carrier. The contact is made with respect to the area. As a result, each peeling member comes into contact with a partial region of the image carrier, and the other regions of the image carrier are conveyed as they are without adhering to the peeling member. The tip of the image carrier easily separates from the surface of the peeling member. Moreover, since the peeling members are brought into contact with different regions of the image carrier, the image forming substance can be peeled off and removed from the entire surface of the image carrier.

In the invention of claim 4, at least two peeling rollers arranged at intervals in the conveying direction of the image carrier are divided into the same number as the peeling rollers in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the image carrier. The contact is made with respect to the area.
As a result, each peeling roller comes into contact with a partial region of the image carrier, and the other regions of the image carrier are conveyed as they are without adhering to the peeling roller. Further, since the conveying roller integrally formed coaxially with each peeling roller can convey the other region of the image holding body that does not adhere to the peeling roller, the leading end portion of the image holding body is the peeling roller. It becomes easier to separate from the surface.

[0016]

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the image holding method for removing a heat-melting toner (hereinafter, referred to as a toner) as an image forming substance from a transfer paper as an image holding member on which an image is formed by a transfer type electrophotographic copying machine. An embodiment applied to a device for removing an image forming substance from a body (hereinafter referred to as a toner removing device) will be described.

First, an outline of the toner removing device according to the embodiment will be described. In FIG. 1, the toner removing device includes a paper feeding unit (not shown) for feeding the transfer paper 10 with the surface on which the toner image is formed facing down, and a liquid feeding device for transferring the transfer paper 10 fed from the paper feeding unit. Liquid supply unit 3 for supplying
0, a toner peeling unit 40 as a peeling unit that peels the toner from the transfer paper 10 to which the liquid is supplied, a drying unit (not shown) that dries the transfer paper 10 from which the toner has been removed, and a discharging unit. And a paper receiving unit (not shown) for receiving the transfer paper 10.

The liquid supply unit 30 supplies a liquid 31 such as water or an aqueous solution containing a surfactant in order to improve the permeability to the transfer paper 10 to the transfer paper 10, and contains the liquid. The liquid container 32, the coating roller 33 which is provided so as to be partially submerged in the liquid in the liquid container 32, scoops up the liquid by rotation and supplies it to the toner image surface of the transfer paper 10, and sandwiches the paper transport path. A regulating roller 3 as a paper regulating member provided so as to face the coating roller 33.
4 and.

The toner peeling unit 40 includes a pair of peeling rollers 41a and 41b as peeling members, and a backup roller 42a for sandwiching the transfer paper 10 under pressure between the peeling rollers and applying heat from the back surface of the transfer paper 10. , B, cleaning rollers 43a, 43b for removing the toner on the surface of the peeling roller for cleaning, and guide plates 44 provided above and below so as to guide the transfer paper 10.

Further, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 2, the peeling rollers 41a and 41b are in contact with the areas A and B which are divided differently from each other in the direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of the transfer paper 10. It is arranged. However, in this embodiment,
An overlapping portion of areas A and B is provided in the central portion of the transfer paper 10 by a width Δl.

The peeling rollers 41a and 41b have a surface layer 4 formed of a predetermined material on the hollow shafts 45a and 45b, respectively.
It has a structure in which 11a, 11b and base materials 412a, 4b for holding the surface layer are laminated. As the material of the surface layers 411a and 411, a material having an adhesive force larger than the adhesive force between the surface of the transfer paper 10 and the toner to the softened toner T is used. For example, polyethylene terephthalate (PE
T) or the like can be used. In addition, the base material 412a,
As the material of b, a good heat conductor such as aluminum or iron is used. Silicone rubber or the like may be interposed between the surface layers 411a, b and the base materials 412a, b.

Further, the backup rollers 42a, 42b
Are releasable surface layers 421a and 421 on the hollow shafts 45a and 45b, respectively, and a base material 422 holding the surface layers.
It has a structure in which a and b are laminated. Surface layer 421a,
As the material of b, silicone rubber, Teflon tube, or the like can be used. Further, as the material of the base materials 422a, 422, a good heat conductor such as aluminum or iron is used. Between the surface layers 421a, b and the base materials 422a, b,
Silicone rubber or the like may be interposed. Further, iron, stainless steel or the like can be used as the material of the cleaning rollers 43a and 43b.

The backup rollers 42a, 42b are also provided.
Conveyance rollers 46a and 46b are integrally formed coaxially with, and conveyance rollers 47a and 47b are integrally formed coaxially with the peeling rollers 41a and 41b. As shown in FIG. 2, the peeling roller 46
a and 47a hold and convey the area A'of the transfer paper 10, while conveyance rollers 46b and 47b move the transfer paper 10 to the area A '.
The area B ′ is held and conveyed. The conveying rollers 46a, b, 47a, b are formed of thin base materials 422a, 422a on the shaft bodies 45a, b, respectively.
b, 412a, b on the surface layer 461a, b, 471a,
b, and the base materials 422a, b, 412 holding the surface layer.
bearing materials 462a, b, 472a that rotate and slide with a, b,
It has a structure in which b is laminated. The surface layer 461a,
It is preferable that b, 471a, and b are formed of rubber, sponge, or the like to which the toner T is hard to adhere. In addition, the bearing material 4
62a, b, 472a, b uses a heat insulating material for the surface layer 4
The temperatures of the surfaces of 61a, b, 471a, and 61b are set to 70 ° C. or lower, so that the temperature of the surfaces does not reach the toner softening start temperature (glass transition point).

A bearing 4 is provided at the end of each of the shafts 45a, 45b.
8a and 8b are attached. The bearings 48a and 48b attached to the lower rollers are supported by the body side plate 60, and the bearings 48a and 48a attached to the upper rollers.
b is a pressure spring 49 provided between the main body side plate 60 and
It is urged downward by a and b, and the upper roller is pressed against the lower roller with a predetermined pressure. Shaft 45a of the lower roller,
A drive gear 61 for meshing with a drive gear (not shown) of a drive unit on the main body side to transmit a drive force is provided at one end of b.
Is attached. The upper roller is in pressure contact with the lower roller and is driven thereby.

Further, in the shafts 45a and 45b corresponding to the peeling rollers 41a and 41b, a heater 50b for heating and softening the toner T fixed to the transfer paper 10 is built-in. The heater 50b causes the peeling roller 41
The surface layers 411a and 411b of a and b are controlled and heated to around 85 ° C. In addition, the backup roller 42
In the shafts 45a and 45b corresponding to a and b, the transfer paper 1
A heater 50b that heats and softens the toner T fixed to 0 from the back surface of the transfer paper 10 is built in. With this heater 50b, the backup rollers 42a, 42b
The surface layers 421a and 421b are heated to about 105 ° C.

In the above structure, the transfer paper 10 sent from the paper supply unit 20 is supplied with the liquid uniformly on the toner image surface by the liquid supply unit 30, and the toner peeling unit 4 is provided.
Sent to 0. In the toner peeling unit 40, first, the area A of the transfer paper 10 is nipped and conveyed between the first pair of the peeling roller 41a and the backup roller 42a. Then, the toner adhered to the area A of the transfer paper 10 is softened by the heating from the heater 50a, and the peeling roller 4
It adheres to the surface of 1a. At this time, the surface temperature of the other area A ′ of the transfer paper 10 is maintained below the toner softening start temperature,
In addition, a pair of transport rollers 46a on the surface of which the toner does not easily adhere,
It is carried while being held by 47a. Then, the transfer paper 10 is separated from the surface of the peeling roller 41a.
At the time of this separation, the toner T adhering to the surface of the peeling roller 41a is peeled off from the transfer paper 10, whereby the transfer paper 1
The toner is removed from the area A of 0.

Next, the area B of the transfer paper 10 is nipped and conveyed between the peeling roller 41b and the backup roller 42b of the second set. Then, the toner adhered to the region B of the transfer paper 10 is softened by the heating from the heater 50b and adheres to the surface of the peeling roller 41b. At this time, the other area B ′ of the transfer paper 10 is nipped and conveyed by the pair of conveyance rollers 46b and 47b. Then, the transfer paper 10 is separated from the surface of the peeling roller 41b. At the time of this separation, the toner T adhering to the surface of the peeling roller 41b is peeled off from the transfer paper 10, whereby the toner is removed from the area B of the transfer paper 10. The transfer paper 10 from which the toner T is removed from the entire surface is sent to the next drying unit to be dried, and is discharged to the paper receiving unit.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the peeling process is performed with a time lag on the areas A and B which are divided into two in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the transfer paper 10.
That is, the area A of the transfer paper 10 is covered by the first peeling roller 41a.
Then, the toner T is peeled off and removed, and the toner T is peeled off and removed from the region B of the transfer paper 10 by the second peeling roller 41b. As described above, in each peeling process, almost half the area of the transfer paper 10 comes into contact with the surface of the peeling roller, and the other areas are conveyed as they are without adhering to the peeling roller. The tip of the paper 10 is easily separated from the surface of the peeling roller, and the paper can be reliably separated.

Further, since the overlapping portions are provided in the areas A and B of the transfer paper 10, no unpeeled area is generated.

Further, since the liquid is supplied to the transfer paper 10 to which the toner adheres and the liquid is permeated into the interface of the transfer paper 10 with the toner, the toner is peeled off, so that the toner can be removed without damaging the paper fiber. Can be removed.

In the above embodiment, the peeling roller or the like is used as two.
Although three sets are provided, three or more sets may be provided. FIG. 4 shows the peeling roller 41, the backup roller 42, and the conveying roller 4.
A modified example in which 5 sets of 6 and 47 (subscripts a to e) are provided is shown. The transfer paper 10 is divided into five regions in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and the peeling rollers 41a to 41e are in contact with the respective regions. Also in this case, in order to surely prevent the generation of the unpeeled area, an overlapping portion may be provided at the boundary between the areas to be peeled.

In each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to a transfer paper 10 on which an image is formed by a transfer type electrophotographic copying machine.
However, the present invention can also be applied to an image carrier such as another recording paper used in another image forming apparatus such as a paper such as a facsimile, a printer and a printing machine. Further, the present invention is not limited to an image carrier having a fibrous structure, but can be applied to other image carriers capable of forming an image. The image carrier to which the present invention can be applied may be, for example, a laminate in which the surface layer of a base sheet such as a plastic layer is a material layer such as paper.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the toner on the transfer paper 10 is peeled off after the liquid 31 as the destabilizing agent is applied to the transfer paper 10 has been described.
The same effect can be obtained even when 1 is not applied to the transfer paper 10.

[0034]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the peeling step is performed with a time lag on the area divided into at least two in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the image carrier. In the peeling step, a part of the image carrier comes into contact with the peeling member, and the other region is conveyed as it is without adhering to the peeling member. There is an effect that it becomes easy to separate from the surface of the peeling member and the image carrier can be reliably separated from the peeling member.

According to the invention of claim 2, the peeling member is brought into contact with the region divided into at least two in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the image carrier at a time-shifted position, so that each peeling is performed. At this time, a part of the image carrier comes into contact with the peeling member and the other region is conveyed as it is without adhering to the peeling member. There is an effect that the image carrier can be easily separated from the surface of the member, and the image carrier can be reliably separated from the separating member.

According to the invention of claim 3, at least two peeling members arranged at intervals in the carrying direction of the image carrier are arranged so that they are different from each other in a direction orthogonal to the carrying direction of the image carrier. By bringing the same number of regions as the peeling member into contact, each peeling member comes into contact with a partial region of the image carrier, and the other regions are conveyed as they are without adhering to the peeling member. Therefore, there is an effect that the tip of the image holding body is easily separated from the surface of the peeling member, and the image holding body can be reliably separated from the peeling member.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the area of the image holding member that does not adhere to the peeling rollers is conveyed by the conveying roller integrally formed coaxially with each of the peeling rollers. The tip of the holding body is easily separated from the surface of the peeling roller, and the image holding body can be reliably separated from the peeling roller.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a liquid supply unit and a toner peeling unit of a toner removing device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of each roller of the toner peeling unit.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the rotation axis of each roller on the downstream side of the toner peeling unit.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of each roller of a toner peeling unit according to a modification.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Transfer Paper 30 Liquid Supply Unit 40 Toner Peeling Unit 41a, b Peeling Roller 42a, b Backup Roller 43a, b Cleaning Roller 44 Guide Plate 45a, b Shaft Body 46a, b Conveying Roller 47a, b Conveying Roller T Toner

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image forming substance adhered to a peeling member having an adhesive force larger than an adhesive force between the surface of the image carrier and the image forming substance adhered to the surface of the image carrier. From an image holding member having a peeling step of separating the image holding member and the peeling member and peeling the image forming material from the surface after contacting at least the image forming substance on the surface on the surface side. In the method for removing an image-forming substance, the peeling step is performed for a region divided into at least two in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the image carrier, and the peeling process is performed with a time shift. Image forming material removal method. 2. An image forming substance adhered to a peeling member having an adhesive force larger than an adhesive force between the surface of the image carrier and the image forming substance adhered to the surface of the image carrier. An image carrier provided with a peeling unit that separates the image carrier from the peeling member after contacting at least the image forming substance on the surface on the surface side, and peels the image forming substance from the surface. In the apparatus for removing an image-forming substance, the peeling means is configured to bring the peeling member into contact with the region divided into at least two in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the image carrier with a time shift. An apparatus for removing an image forming substance from an image carrier, which is characterized in that. 3. An area in which at least two peeling members are arranged at intervals in the carrying direction of the image carrier, and the same number of the peeling members is divided in a direction orthogonal to the carrying direction of the image carrier. 3. The apparatus for removing an image-forming substance from an image carrier according to claim 2, wherein different peeling members are brought into contact with each other. 4. The image forming substance removing device for an image carrier according to claim 3, wherein a peeling roller is used as the peeling member, and a transporting roller for transporting the image bearing body is integrally formed coaxially with each peeling roller. An apparatus for removing an image forming substance from an image carrier, which is characterized in that.