JP2001010165A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form a new good image by securely erasing an image even when the image is already formed on a recording medium on which images can be formed repeatedly. SOLUTION: A recording medium 10 carried by a paper feed roller 23 is heated while passing through a heating roller 25b and heating roller 25c on a heating mechanism 25 and its surface is smoothed. Then the recording medium 10 is cooled gradually by a slow cooling section 26b of a cooling mechanism 26, and while being carried at the given speed by a pair of resist rollers 26c, the recording medium is quenched by a cooling fan 26d. Thus an image formed on the recording medium 10 is securely erased. Then the recording medium 10 is heated by a heat-sensitive head 27 and quenched to form the given image.

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 capable of forming and erasing an image on a sheet-shaped recording medium in which a predetermined image is formed by coloring under heat control. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Paper sheets are generally used as a recording medium for recording various kinds of information in a visualized state.
An image as information is formed on paper sheets by ink, toner, or the like. Such paper sheets have the advantages that they are inexpensive, can be easily processed into any size, and are easy to handle because they are lightweight. However, there is a problem that an image formed on a sheet by ink, toner, or the like is not easy to correct or erase, and is deteriorated by the correction or the like, so that it cannot be used repeatedly for a long time. . Further, recording a large amount of information requires a large amount of paper sheets, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of protection of forest resources.

[0003] Paper sheets on which images have been formed cannot be used repeatedly, and are therefore recycled. To recycle and obtain new paper sheets,
Unnecessary paper sheets need to be collected and pulverized, and then bleached to be regenerated, which makes the operation difficult.

[0004] Sheet-shaped recording media have been developed which use a substance which develops a color for such paper sheets by heat control. Such a recording medium is usually
It is constituted by providing a color forming layer on a film-like base material. The color-forming layer is colored, for example, by being heated to a predetermined temperature and rapidly cooled to maintain a color-developed state. Further, the color development state is eliminated by gradually cooling the color development layer after being heated to a predetermined temperature. Then, an image is formed by selectively coloring a predetermined area in the coloring layer.

[0005] In such a recording medium, since the coloring layer can be repeatedly erased by erasing, the information image can be easily corrected and erased, and can be repeatedly used stably for a long period of time. As a result, the use of paper sheets can be suppressed, and forest resources and the like can be protected, which is preferable.

JP-A-5-262013 discloses an image forming apparatus for a recording medium which can be used repeatedly as described above. In this image forming apparatus,
A heating head for erasing an image formed on the color-forming layer and a thermal head for forming an image on the color-forming layer are arranged close to the same platen roller.

[0007]

In such an image forming apparatus, a recording medium to be used is heated to a predetermined temperature and then slowly cooled, so that the coloring state of the coloring layer is eliminated. In addition, since the heating element head for erasing and the thermal head for image formation are arranged close to each other, there is a possibility that the coloring layer of the recording medium cannot be sufficiently cooled. As described above, when a new image is formed on a recording medium in a state where the image is not securely erased on the recording medium, fog or the like occurs, and a good image cannot be obtained.

Further, in a sheet-shaped recording medium in which the coloring layer can repeatedly form a color, there is a possibility that folds, wrinkles, irregularities, etc. may occur on the surface of the recording medium due to repeated use. As described above, if folds, wrinkles, and the like are generated on the surface of the recording medium, the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-262013 can form a good image on the recording medium. There is also a problem that can not be.

An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium on which an image can be repeatedly formed even if the image is formed on the recording medium. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of forming a new good image in a state where the image forming apparatus is securely erased. It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of forming a good image by eliminating wrinkles and the like even if the recording medium has wrinkles and the like.

[0010]

The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is heated to a predetermined temperature and rapidly cooled to be in a color-developed state, and is heated to a predetermined temperature and slowly cooled to be in a color-developed state. An image forming apparatus for a recording medium in the form of a sheet that is eliminated, a heating mechanism that heats the recording medium conveyed in a predetermined direction, a cooling mechanism that rapidly cools the heated recording medium after slowly cooling it, The recording medium transported in a state cooled by the cooling mechanism is provided with a thermal head for forming an image by heating a predetermined area and rapidly cooling the recording medium.

The heating mechanism has a heating roller whose surface is heated to a predetermined temperature, and a pressure roller against which the heating roller is pressed. The recording medium passes between the heating roller and the pressure roller. It is supposed to.

The cooling mechanism includes a slow cooling unit that slowly cools the recording medium heated by the heating mechanism over a predetermined distance, and a cooling fan that rapidly cools the recording medium cooled by the slow cooling unit. And

The cooling mechanism is provided with a pair of registration rollers for conveying the recording medium at a predetermined speed between the slow cooling section and the cooling fan.

[0014] Between the cooling mechanism and the thermal head, a recording medium conveyed from the cooling mechanism to the thermal head is brought into contact with the recording medium.
A guide member is provided for preventing the cooling air of the cooling fan from flowing around the thermal head.

Only one of the heating mechanism and the cooling mechanism and the thermal head can be selectively operated.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a recording medium used in the image forming apparatus of the present invention.
Is a cross-sectional view of the main part. The recording medium 10 has a thickness of 160 μm, which is the same thickness as paper used in a printer, a copying machine, and the like, and has a bending rigidity similar to that of ordinary paper. The size of the recording medium 10 is, for example, the same as that of standardized A4 size paper.

The recording medium is, for example, a base film 11 made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and formed into a film having a thickness of 70 μm.
A color-forming layer 13 laminated on 1 through an adhesive layer 12;
A transparent protective layer 15 laminated on the color forming layer 13 with an adhesive layer 14 interposed therebetween is provided.

The base film 11 is colored white by mixing a white pigment. The base film 11
Is not limited to the configuration colored as described above, and may be configured to be transparent without mixing a pigment.

The color forming layer 13 is made of a leuco dye. Coloring layer 1 composed of leuco dye
No. 3 is heated to a predetermined coloring temperature, for example, 70 ° C. or higher, and rapidly cooled, so that the heated portion develops a color and keeps its coloring state even after being rapidly cooled. The coloring state of the coloring layer may be about the heating temperature for coloring described above, for example, 8 degrees.
After heating to about 0 ° C., the mixture is gradually cooled to return to a transparent state.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention used for forming and erasing an image on the recording medium 10 having such a configuration. The image forming apparatus 20 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped housing 21 and a paper feed cassette 22 provided on one side of the housing 21. Paper cassette 22
Inside, the sheet-shaped recording media 10 are accommodated in a stacked state with the respective protective layers 15 facing upward. The paper cassette 22 is provided in the housing 2.
1 is attached to and detached from the housing 21 by sliding in a horizontal direction with respect to a paper feed port 21 a provided on one side surface of the housing 1.

A paper feed cassette 22 is provided in the housing 21.
There is provided a pickup roller 23 which comes into contact with the uppermost recording medium 10 accommodated therein and supplies the recording medium 10 into the housing 21. Pickup roller 2
The recording medium 10 conveyed inside the housing 21 by 3 is conveyed in the housing 21 in the horizontal direction, and is provided on the side opposite to the side of the housing 21 provided with the paper feed cassette 22. The paper is discharged to the outside of the housing 21 by a pair of paper discharge rollers 24. Discharge roller 2
The recording medium 10 discharged from the housing 21 at 4 is
It is placed on a paper discharge tray 28 provided on the side surface of the housing 21.

Inside the housing 21, a heating mechanism 25 for heating the recording medium 10 conveyed by the pickup roller 22 along the conveying direction of the recording medium 10 from a side portion close to the pickup roller 22, A cooling mechanism 26 for cooling the medium 10 and a thermal head 27 for forming a predetermined image on the recording medium 10 are provided in this order.

The heating mechanism 25 is provided for erasing the formed image when an image is formed on the recording medium 10. The heating mechanism 25 heats the recording medium 10 conveyed by the pickup roller 23. Guide 25a, and a heating roller 25b and a pressure roller 25c which are arranged in a vertically pressed state so that the recording medium 10 guided by the guide 25a passes therethrough. I have. The pressure roller 25c disposed on the lower side is formed in a cylindrical shape by, for example, a silicone resin, and is orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 10.

Above the pressure roller 25c, a heating roller 25b is disposed in a parallel state in which the heating roller 25b is pressed over substantially the entire length of the pressure roller 25c. Heating roller 25b
Is, for example, formed in a cylindrical shape by an aluminum plate having a thickness of 2 mm.
A heater 25d constituted by a halogen lamp is arranged.

The heating roller 25b is integrated with a heater 25d disposed therein, and is urged by a spring or the like so that a load of, for example, 2 kg is applied to the lower pressure roller. . The surface of the heating roller 25b is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 25d.

The heating mechanism 25 is provided with a temperature sensor 25e for detecting the surface temperature of the heating roller 25b, and the output of the temperature sensor 25e is supplied to the temperature control circuit 25f. The temperature control circuit 25f
The heater 25d in the heating roller 25b is controlled, and the heating roller 25b is controlled by a temperature control circuit 25f.
Is turned on and off by the temperature sensor 2
The surface temperature of the heating roller 25 detected at 5e is controlled to be, for example, 80 ° C.

The recording medium 10 conveyed by the pickup roller 23 is heated to a predetermined temperature in a pressurized state while passing between the heating roller 25b and the pressure roller 25c, and is supplied to the cooling mechanism 26. You.

The cooling mechanism 26 has a transport guide 2 for holding the recording medium 10 supplied from the heating mechanism 25 in a horizontal state.
The recording medium 10 is conveyed in a horizontal direction over an appropriate distance by the conveyance guide 26a. The space above the transport guide 26a is used to gradually cool the recording medium 10.
6b.

The cooling mechanism 26 is provided with a pair of registration rollers 26c for keeping the recording medium 10 cooled slowly by the slow cooling section 26b at a predetermined conveying speed. The pair of registration rollers 26c are vertically opposed to each other in a state perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 10, and the recording medium 10 passing between the two registration rollers 26c is
It is conveyed at a predetermined speed.

The recording medium 1 is moved to the registration roller 26c.
A cooling fan 26d for rapidly cooling the recording medium 10 conveyed at a predetermined speed by the registration roller 26c is provided on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of 0. The cooling fan 26d is disposed above the transport area of the recording medium 10 transported by the registration rollers 26c, and blows cooling air to the transported recording medium 10.

The cooling fan 26d is disposed close to the upper registration roller 26c. Therefore, the cooling air blown from the cooling fan 26d flows into the slow cooling portion 26b by the pair of registration rollers 26c. That has been suppressed.

A thermal head 27 is provided between the cooling fan 26d and the paper discharge roller 24. The heat-sensitive head 27 can instantaneously heat a small area of the recording medium 10 to, for example, a temperature of 70 ° C., so that a desired small area can be selectively heated. Heat capacity is small. In the coloring layer 13 of the recording medium 10, the heated region is immediately cooled immediately after the instantaneous heating of the thermal head 27 is eliminated.
Such a thermal head 27 has the same configuration as a thermal head for thermal recording paper, for example. The coloring layer 13 of the recording medium 10 heated and quenched by the heat-sensitive head 27 develops a color and maintains the state. The thermal head 27 selectively heats and rapidly cools a small area of the coloring layer 13 of the recording medium 10 while sliding in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction with respect to the recording medium 10 to be transported. As a result, a predetermined image is recorded on the recording medium 1.
0 is formed.

Between the cooling fan 26d and the thermal head 27 side, the thermal head 2 is cooled by the cooling fan 26d.
A guide member 26e is provided for abutting and positioning the recording medium 10 conveyed to the recording medium 7. This guide member 26
"e" prevents the cooling air blown out from the cooling fan 26d from flowing around the thermal head 27.

As described above, the recording medium 10 on which an image has been formed by the thermal head 27 is
7, the paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 28.

FIG. 4 shows the housing 2 of the image forming apparatus 20.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which a paper feed cassette 22 is removed from a position 1; A control panel 21b is provided on the side of the housing 21 where the paper feed port 21a is provided. The control panel 21b includes a heater 2 provided in the heating mechanism 25.
An adjustment dial 21c for finely adjusting the heating temperature of 5d, the rotation speed of the cooling fan 26d provided in the cooling mechanism 26, the heating temperature of the thermal head 27, and the like is provided.

The image forming apparatus 20 configured as described above forms a predetermined image on the recording medium 10 based on, for example, a print signal from a host computer. Is output, the pickup roller 23 is rotated, and the uppermost recording medium 10 stored in the paper feed cassette 22 is supplied to the heating mechanism 25. Recording medium 10
Is transported to the heating mechanism 25 with the coloring layer 13 covered with the protective layer 15 facing upward.

The recording medium 10 is guided by a carry-in guide 25a and is conveyed between a heating roller 25b and a pressure roller 25c. Then, while passing between the heating roller 25b and the pressure roller 25c, the coloring layer 13 of the recording medium 10 is heated to a predetermined temperature of, for example, 80 ° C. by the heating roller 25b heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 25d. Pressurized while being heated.

Heating roller 25b and pressure roller 25c
Is transported along the transport guide 26a of the cooling mechanism 26, and while passing through the slow cooling section 26b on the transport guide 26a, the recording medium heated by the heating row at 25b. The ten color forming layers 13 are slowly cooled. In the slow cooling unit 26b, for example, 80
The recording medium 10 heated to a temperature of about 45 ° C. is cooled to a temperature of about 45 ° C.

The recording medium 10 cooled in the slow cooling section 26b
Is supplied between the pair of registration rollers 26c and passes between the two registration rollers 26c. The recording medium 10 passing between the pair of registration rollers 26c is
6c, at a predetermined transport speed, the cooling fan 26d
Is transported in the lower area. Then, while passing through the area below the cooling fan 26d, the recording medium 10
It is rapidly cooled by the cooling air blown from d.
The recording medium 10 cooled to a temperature of about 45 ° C. in the slow cooling unit 26b is rapidly cooled to, for example, 30 ° C. or less by directly blowing cooling air from a cooling fan 26d.

As described above, the recording medium 10 heated by the heating mechanism 25 to a temperature at which the coloring layer 13 can develop color.
However, after being cooled relatively slowly by the slow cooling unit 26b of the cooling mechanism 26, it is rapidly cooled by the cooling fan 26d, so that there is no danger that the heated coloring layer 13 is rapidly cooled to maintain the coloring state. . Therefore, even if the coloring layer 13 of the recording medium 10 is in a colored state from the beginning, the coloring layer 13 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heating mechanism 25 and is gradually cooled.
After being slowly cooled by the cooling fan 26d, the color-developed portion is reliably erased and becomes transparent.

The region where the cooling air is blown from the cooling fan 26d is moved by the resist roller 26c to the slow cooling section 26.
b, the cooling air is gradually cooled by the cooling section 26b.
Is prevented from flowing into the inside. Therefore, there is no possibility that the recording medium 10 passing through the slow cooling unit 26b is rapidly cooled. Further, the guide member 26e provided between the cooling fan 26d and the thermal head 27 allows the thermal head 27
The cooling air blown from the cooling fan 26d is suppressed from flowing around the heat-sensitive head 2d.
There is no danger that the heating temperature by 7 will decrease.

The recording medium 10 cooled rapidly by the cooling fan 26d is supplied to the thermal head 27 while being pressed and positioned by the guide member 26e. Thermal head 2
7, the area of the recording medium 10 is instantaneously
It is rapidly cooled after being heated. As a result, the portion of the coloring layer 13 of the recording medium 10 in which the thermal head 27 has been instantaneously heated and rapidly cooled is brought into a coloring state.

The thermal head 27 transports the recording medium 1 based on a print signal from a host computer.
By repeating the selective heating and quenching over the entire area of 0, a predetermined area in the color forming layer 13 of the recording medium 10 is colored, whereby a predetermined image is formed on the recording medium 10. After being heated, the recording medium 10 is once cooled slowly and rapidly cooled, so that the color-forming layer 13 is in a state where color is not reliably formed.
Therefore, the formed image is excellent without fogging or the like.

The recording medium 10 on which a predetermined image is formed is
The paper is discharged onto a paper discharge tray 28 by a pair of paper discharge rollers 24.

In such an image forming apparatus 20, since the recording medium 10 is heated while being pressurized by the heating roller 25b provided with the heater 25e inside, the recording medium 10 is reliably heated over the entirety. Will be. Then, the heated recording medium 10 is moved to the slow cooling unit 26b.
After being cooled slowly by the cooling fan 26d, the recording medium 10
Cooling is ensured by the time it reaches 7. Therefore, even if the recording medium 10 is transported at a high speed, a desired image can be reliably formed by the thermal head 27, and a good image can be formed at a high speed. Further, the recording medium 10 conveyed to the thermal head 27 is in a cooled state without fail, and the operation of the thermal head 27 is
There is no danger of instability due to the heat of the air.

Since the recording medium 10 is heated while being pressed by the heating roller 25b and the pressing roller 25c, even if the surface of the recording medium 10 has folds, wrinkles, irregularities, etc. Folds and the like are eliminated and smoothing is performed. Then, an image is formed by the thermal head 27 on the recording medium 10 thus smoothed, so that a good image is formed on the recording medium 10. In addition, since the recording medium 10 is smoothed in this way, the recording medium 10 includes a pair of registration rollers 26c.
And when the paper passes between the pair of paper discharge rollers 24, there is no risk of jamming.

The heating temperature of the recording medium 10 by the heating roller 25 may be about 80 ° C. at which the coloring layer 13 of the recording medium 10 becomes colored, but in the case where the recording medium 10 is in a moisture absorbing state. Or the recording medium 10
In the case where many wrinkles or the like occur, the temperature may be set to a high temperature of, for example, about 150 ° C. When the recording medium 10 is set to such a high temperature, the evaporation of the moisture in the recording medium 10 in the moisture absorbing state can be promoted, and even if the recording medium 10 has many wrinkles, the heating roller 25b and the pressure roller 25c The heating by pressurizing allows the recording medium 10 to be reliably smoothed. This allows
The recording medium 10 can be stably conveyed, and instantaneous heating of a predetermined area of the recording medium 10 by the thermal head 27 can be stably performed.

The temperature of the thermal head 27 that is heated to cause the coloring layer 13 of the recording medium 10 to be colored may be any temperature at which the coloring layer 13 can reliably develop color. Therefore, if the temperature is set to a relatively low temperature, the energy saving effect is enhanced. However, if the heating temperature of the thermal head 27 is set low, the image formed by coloring the coloring layer 13 is erased at a relatively low temperature. Therefore, when the environmental temperature of the recording medium 10 on which the image is formed is high, there is a possibility that the coloring of the coloring layer 13 is eliminated and the image is erased. For example, when the recording medium 10 on which the image is formed is stored in an automobile in summer, the heating temperature for forming the image must be set to 100 to prevent the coloring state of the coloring layer 13 from being eliminated. ° C., it is necessary to prevent the image from being erased even by such a temperature, but when the recording medium 10 is stored at room temperature, the heating temperature when forming the image is: The temperature may be about 50 to 100 ° C, particularly 70 to 80 ° C.

A pair of registration rollers 26c provided between the slow cooling portion 26b of the cooling mechanism 26 and the cooling fan 26d
Means that the cooling air from the cooling fan 26d is gradually cooled
In this way, the pair of registration rollers 26c are paired with the pair of heating rollers 25b.
Further, since the recording medium 10 is provided between the pressure roller 25c and the pair of paper discharge rollers 24, the size of the recording medium 10 is smaller than the distance between the heating roller 25b and the pressure roller 25c and the paper discharge roller 24. Even if it is, the recording medium 10 is separated by a pair of registration rollers 26c.
It can be transported reliably. Then, the recording medium 10 having a small size is reliably conveyed by the registration rollers 26c, thereby preventing occurrence of jitter in an image formed on the recording medium 10 and forming a good image.

The cooling fan 26d, which cools the recording medium 10 slowly after cooling, is lightweight, and can surely rapidly cool each recording medium 10 even when a plurality of recording mediums 10 are conveyed continuously. I can do it. Therefore,
It is not necessary to use a heavy metal roll to rapidly cool the recording medium 10, and the entire apparatus can be reduced in weight. When the metal roll is used, the temperature of the metal roll may increase due to the continuous conveyance of the recording medium 10, and the recording medium 10 may not be reliably cooled. By using, the recording medium 10 that is continuously conveyed can also be rapidly cooled.

In such an image forming apparatus 20, the recording medium 10 having the color-forming layer 13 of various sizes and thicknesses and various materials can be used.
When the size or the like is changed, fine adjustment of the heating temperature of the heating roller 25b, the number of rotations of the cooling fan 26d, the heating temperature of the thermal head 27, and the like is performed by the adjusting dial 21c provided on the control panel 21b. Can be.
Therefore, an appropriate heating and cooling state can be set according to the size of the recording medium 10, the material of the coloring layer 13, and the like.

The adjustment dial 21c provided on the control panel 21b is not limited to a configuration in which the heating temperature of the heating roller 25b, the number of rotations of the cooling fan 26d, the heating temperature of the thermal head 27, and the like can be individually adjusted. For example, the heating temperature by the heating roller 25b and the cooling fan 2
The rotation speed of 6d may be linked. Normal,
When the heating temperature of the recording medium 10 by the heating roller 25b is increased, the recording medium 10 is heated to a high temperature. Therefore, when the recording medium 10 is rapidly cooled by the cooling fan 26d, it is necessary to increase the rotation speed of the cooling fan 26d. As described above, the temperature of the heating roller 25a and the rotation speed of the cooling fan 26d are linked to increase the rotation speed of the cooling anxiety 26d when the heating temperature of the heating roller 25a is increased. Is improved.

Further, in such an image forming apparatus 20, only the thermal head 27 may be operated without operating the heating mechanism 25 and the cooling mechanism 26. In this case, for example, in the case of a new recording medium 10 that is not used at all for image formation, the image does not need to be erased, and no wrinkles or folds are generated. Further, only the thermal head 27 is operated without operating the cooling mechanism 26. Thereby, the heating mechanism 25 and the cooling mechanism 2 that are not used
6 can be eliminated. Further, it is not necessary to wait until the heating roller 25b reaches a predetermined temperature, and the image forming operation can be performed at the same time when the power is turned on. In this case, the thermal head 2
Switch for operating only the control panel 21b on the control panel 21b.
, The operability is improved.

Further, on the contrary, in order to only erase the image formed on the recording medium 10, the heating mechanism 25 and the cooling mechanism 26 may be operated without operating the thermal head 27. For example, when the recording medium 10 that has been repeatedly used is discarded, the image formed on the recording medium 10 can be erased by operating only the heating mechanism 25 and the cooling mechanism 26. In this case, operability is improved by providing a switch on the control panel 21b for operating only the heating mechanism 25 and the cooling mechanism 26 without operating the thermal head 27.

Further, the image forming apparatus 20 of the present embodiment
Then, when erasing an image formed on the recording medium 10 that is discarded, the cover image may be formed by the thermal head 27 so as to cover the entire area where the image to be erased is formed. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the image 10 a is formed on the recording medium 10, even if the image 10 a is erased by the heating mechanism 25 and the cooling mechanism 26, the coloring layer 13 on the recording medium 10 is removed.
As shown in FIG. 5B, the image 10
a may not be completely erased, or may be in a state where the erased image can be read due to the reflection of light. However, as shown in FIG. By forming the cover image 10b that covers the recording medium 10, the image 10a formed on the recording medium 10 can be brought into a state where the image 10a cannot be completely read.

As described above, according to the cover image 10b,
By covering the image, for example, even when an image or the like is formed on the recording medium 10 with a writing instrument such as a pencil, the image is also simultaneously covered with the cover image 10b, Leakage of information can be reliably prevented. In addition, since the image on the recording medium 10 is completely erased, there is no need to chemically decompose the coloring layer 13 of the recording medium 10 with a chemical, which is excellent in workability and safety.

In this case, the heating mechanism 25 and the cooling mechanism 26 may not be operated, and a switch for forming the cover image 10b may be provided on the control panel 21b. .

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the image forming apparatus 20 of the present invention. In the image forming apparatus 20, a paper feed tray 29 is provided instead of the paper feed cassette 22 that is detachable from the housing 21. The paper feed tray 29 extends obliquely upward with respect to the paper feed port 21 a of the housing 21, and one or a plurality of recording media 10
Are placed in a vertically stacked state. The lower side of the recording medium 10 on the paper feed tray 29 is inserted into the paper feed port 21a.

On the lower side of the paper feed tray 29 facing the paper feed port 21a, the lower side of the recording medium 10 to be placed is urged upward in the paper feed port 21a. A pressing plate 29a is provided.

Below the pickup roller 23 provided inside the housing 21, there is provided a separating plate 21e urged toward the pickup roller 23. The plurality of recording media 10 are separated from the housing 2 by a pickup roller 23.
1, the recording medium 10 positioned at the top
The other recording medium 10 is not conveyed.

In the image forming apparatus 20, similarly to the image forming apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 2, the recording medium 10 supplied into the housing 21 by the pickup roller 23 uses the heating roller 25 b of the heating mechanism 25 and the pressure roller After being pressurized while being heated by 25c, and then slowly cooled by the slow cooling section 26b of the cooling section 26, while being conveyed at a predetermined conveying speed by the registration roller 26c, it is rapidly cooled by the cooling fan 26d, and further thereafter. Then, a predetermined image is formed by the thermal head 27, and is discharged to the outside of the housing 21 by the discharge roller 24.

When the image forming apparatus 20 is controlled by a control signal from a host computer, programs and data necessary for the control are installed on a floppy disk, CD-ROM, MO disk, DVD, or the like. It may be. Further, the entire image forming apparatus 20 may be incorporated as a part of a digital copying machine. Further, the control of the image forming apparatus is not limited to a configuration in which the control is performed by an external control signal.
0 may be controlled by the control means provided for the control signal.

[0063]

According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention,
In a recording medium on which an image can be repeatedly formed, even if the image is formed, a new good image can be formed in a state where the image is securely erased. In addition, even if wrinkles and the like occur on the recording medium, the wrinkles and the like can be eliminated, so that a good image can be formed on the recording medium. Further, when the recording medium is discarded, the image formed on the recording medium can be made unreadable. In addition, in the image forming apparatus of the present invention, by providing the cooling mechanism with the registration roller, even a relatively small-sized recording medium can be used without any trouble.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a recording medium used in an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part of the recording medium.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the image forming apparatus.

FIGS. 5A to 5C are perspective views each showing a change in status of a recording medium in the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another example of the embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Recording medium 11 Base film 12 Adhesive layer 13 Coloring layer 14 Adhesive layer 15 Protective layer 20 Image forming apparatus 21 Housing 21a Paper feed port 21b Control panel 21c Adjustment dial 22 Paper feed cassette 23 Paper feed roller 24 Paper discharge roller Reference Signs List 25 heating mechanism 25b heating roller 25c pressure roller 25d heater 26 cooling mechanism 26a transport guide 26b slow cooling unit 26c registration roller 26d cooling fan 26e guide member 27 thermal head 28 paper ejection tray

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Kokazu Kamei 22-22, Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Sharp Corporation (72) Inventor Hideki Onishi 22-22, Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (72) Inventor Hiroshi Masada 22-22, Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka F-term in Sharp Corporation (reference) 2C061 AQ04 AS02 AS15 GG03 GG17 GG22

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A sheet-shaped image for a recording medium in which a colored state is formed by being heated to a predetermined temperature and rapidly cooled, and a colored state is eliminated by being heated to a predetermined temperature and gradually cooled. A heating mechanism for heating the recording medium conveyed in a predetermined direction, a cooling mechanism for gently cooling the heated recording medium after gradual cooling, and a conveying mechanism for cooling the recording medium while being cooled by the cooling mechanism. An image forming apparatus comprising: a heat-sensitive head that forms an image by heating a predetermined area of the recording medium and rapidly cooling the predetermined area. 2. The heating mechanism has a heating roller whose surface is heated to a predetermined temperature, and a pressure roller against which the heating roller is pressed, and a recording medium is disposed between the heating roller and the pressure roller. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to pass through. 3. The cooling mechanism gradually cools the recording medium heated by the heating mechanism while conveying the recording medium over a predetermined distance, and rapidly cools the recording medium cooled by the slow cooling unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling fan. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cooling mechanism includes a pair of registration rollers for conveying the recording medium at a predetermined speed between the cooling unit and the cooling fan. 5. A guide for contacting a recording medium conveyed from the cooling mechanism to the thermal head between the cooling mechanism and the thermal head to prevent the cooling air of the cooling fan from flowing around the thermal head. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a member. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein only one of the heating mechanism and the cooling mechanism and the thermal head can be selectively operated.