JP2010032672A - Recycling method of sheet-shaped member face panel for reuse and recycling method of apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow an apparent quality and functional quality of an exterior member of a used apparatus to be equal to that of a new component efficiently without increasing an environmental load. <P>SOLUTION: A sheet-shaped member 301 is attached to the surface of a paper-feeding tray 302 constituting an image forming apparatus to permit the reuse. The sheet-shaped member 301 is composed of an opaque material which has a compatibility with a material for forming the paper-feeding tray 302, and in which the surface of the paper-feeding tray 302 to which the sheet-shaped member 301 is attached is not transparent, and the sheet-shaped member 301 has the same friction coefficient as the surface of the paper-feeding tray 302. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a reuse sheet-like member exterior panel regeneration method and apparatus regeneration method, and in particular, a reuse sheet-like member that can be reused on a surface of an exterior member that constitutes an appliance, and a reuse sheet. The present invention relates to a method for regenerating an exterior panel using a member, and a method for regenerating a device including the method for regenerating the exterior panel.

  In recent years, there has been a demand for effective use of used copiers, multifunction machines, and printers in order to effectively use resources. As a method of effectively using used products, reuse (reuse) used products as products again, and recycling used as materials and fuel to return used products to their raw materials and produce new parts Has been done.

  With regard to the reuse of parts mounted on used equipment, although the reuse of functional parts such as motors and electronic parts is progressing today, the exterior members are subject to discoloration that occurs over time while using the equipment. Reuse is difficult due to scratches and dirt that occur during collection. If the exterior member is discolored or scratched, the appearance quality of the equipment will be impaired, and if the exterior member that also serves as a guide for transporting paper such as originals or paper is scratched, It is difficult to reuse the exterior member of a used device because it is caught in a scratch and is removed from the transfer path and the transfer quality of the device is impaired.

  Currently, when reusing the exterior member, cleaning and washing are performed. Although it is possible to remove dirt generated during use and collection by this recycling method, it takes a lot of man-hours for the work, and if the exterior member is discolored or scratched during use of the equipment, it can be cleaned and washed. It cannot be restored to its original state.

  To solve this problem, it is possible to restore the appearance of the exterior member that has undergone discoloration or scratches to its original state by painting or repairing, but in order to perform painting or repairing, it is necessary to perform cleaning or cleaning work in advance. Yes, more man-hours are required than painting and repair work itself. In addition, material recycling may be hindered by coating, which may increase the environmental load, and this is a reversal of activities to reduce / reuse resources by reusing / reusing resources.

  Regarding the reuse of image forming apparatuses, there are the following applications. In Patent Document 1, a new decal is pasted so as to cover the decal that has already been pasted when the exterior member is reused by providing multistage recesses in the exterior member of the device. Configuration equipment has been proposed. According to this, when remanufacturing a machine that has been used once, it is possible to efficiently regenerate the exterior quality of the exterior member as if it were new by pasting a new decal from the top without peeling off the already decal. Can do.

  In Patent Document 2, when a colorless transparent film having a thickness of about 0.05 mm is pasted on the entire exterior surface portion of the exterior cover base, the peel strength between the exterior cover and the transparent film is, for example, It is described that the transparent film, the adhesive to be applied for laminating the transparent film, and the material of the exterior cover substrate that are compatible with each other are adjusted to such an extent that can be easily peeled off. ing.

Further, in Patent Document 3, in a recyclable article having a first part and a second part joined to the part via an adhesive, the first part and the second part are mutually compatible. It is composed of a soluble thermoplastic resin and uses an adhesive having the property of reducing the adhesive force to the first component by applying at least one of heat and electromagnetic waves to the adhesive as the adhesive. Is listed
JP 2006-64936 A JP 2000-66607 A, JP-A-10-119169

  By the way, some of the exterior covers not only form the exterior of the device but also have a specific function based on the surface characteristics. For example, if the contact surface of the paper feed tray or paper discharge tray with the paper does not have a predetermined coefficient of friction with the paper, paper jam or slip may occur. In such a case, simply pasting a new decal, film or the like as in Patent Document 1 will cause problems such as paper jams and poor conveyance.

  Also, if the film stuck on the exterior cover has an adhesive strength that can be easily peeled off by hand as in Patent Document 2, the above-described paper feed tray or waste paper is attached to the end of the film. When the paper is slid at a high frequency like a paper tray, the film is peeled off and hinders the conveyance of the paper.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and is a reuse sheet that can efficiently make the appearance quality and functional quality of the exterior member of a used device equivalent to a new part without increasing the environmental load. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for regenerating a member exterior panel and a method for regenerating a device.

  The invention of claim 1 is a sheet-like member for reuse, wherein the sheet-like member for reuse is attached to the surface of the exterior member constituting the device and makes the panel member reusable, and the material for forming the exterior member; It is made of an opaque material that is compatible and does not allow the surface of the attached exterior member to pass through.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the sheet-like member for reuse, wherein the material forming the panel member is ABS resin or PS resin.

  The invention of claim 3 is the sheet-like member for reuse according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coefficient of friction with paper is the same as that of the member to be adhered.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for regenerating an exterior member, wherein the reuse sheet-like member according to any one of the first to third aspects is affixed to the surface of a target exterior member among the exterior members constituting the exterior of the device. It is.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the method for regenerating an exterior member according to the fourth aspect, the panel member to which the sheet-like member is attached is an exterior member of at least one of a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray. To do.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the method for regenerating an exterior member according to the fifth aspect, the sheet-like member is affixed across a surface adjacent to a sheet contact surface of the exterior member to which the sheet-like member is affixed. It is characterized by.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention is a device recycling method comprising the exterior member recycling method according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects.

  According to the present invention, since it is compatible with the adherend member, it is not necessary to remove the sheet-like member during the regeneration process of the regenerated exterior member, which facilitates the regeneration process and reduces man-hours. And the deterioration of the properties of the recycled material can be suppressed. In addition, since the sheet-like member is opaque and obscures the entire adherend surface of the exterior member, discoloration and scratches occurring on the exterior panel can be concealed when the exterior panel to be reused is collected, The appearance quality of the exterior panel can be made to be in the same state as before the discoloration or scratches occur.

  Embodiments as the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  The apparatus reproduction method according to the present invention will be described below. First, an image forming apparatus as a device to be reproduced will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus. In the image forming apparatus 100, an intermediate transfer unit is disposed at substantially the center thereof, and the intermediate transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer belt 10 that is an endless belt. The intermediate transfer belt 10 is wound around three support rollers 14 to 16 and is driven to rotate clockwise. An intermediate transfer member cleaning unit 17 for removing residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 10 after image transfer is disposed on the left of the second support roller 15.

  The intermediate transfer belt 10 between the first support roller 14 and the second support roller 15 has black (K), yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) along the moving direction. The image forming device 20 including a photosensitive unit 40, a charger unit 18, a developing unit, and a cleaning unit for each color is disposed. The image forming device 20 includes an IC tag and is detachable from the image forming apparatus main body. It is installed.

  A writing unit 21 that irradiates a laser beam for forming an image on each photosensitive drum of each color photosensitive unit is disposed above the image forming device 20. A secondary transfer unit 22 is disposed below the intermediate transfer belt 10, and the secondary transfer unit 22 spans a secondary transfer belt 24, which is an endless belt, between two rollers 23. Is pushed up and pressed against the third support roller 16. A fixing unit 25 for fixing the transfer image on the sheet is disposed on the side of the 22nd transfer unit 22 and the sheet on which the toner image is transferred is fed. The fixing unit 25 is a unit in which a heating and pressure roller 27 is pressed against a fixing belt 26 which is an endless belt. Below the secondary transfer unit 22 and the fixing unit 25, there is disposed a sheet reversing unit 28 that feeds a sheet immediately after an image is formed on the front surface and reverses the front and back to record an image on the back surface.

  An automatic document feeder (hereinafter referred to as ADF) 130 is mounted on the upper part of the image forming apparatus 100, and this ADF 130 is connected to the image forming apparatus 100 via a hinge (not shown) and can be opened and closed with respect to the image forming apparatus 100. It has become. When the start switch of the operation unit is pressed, if there is a document on the document feeding table 30 of the ADF 130, it is conveyed onto the contact glass 32. When there is no document on the ADF 130, the scanner of the image reading unit 120 is driven to read and scan the first carriage 33 and the second carriage 34 in order to read a manually placed document on the contact glass 32. Then, light is emitted from the light source on the first carriage 33 to the contact glass, and the reflected light from the document surface is reflected by the first mirror on the first carriage 33 toward the second carriage 34, and on the second carriage 34. The image is reflected on the mirror 36 and imaged on the CCD 36 as a reading sensor through the imaging lens 35. Based on the image signal obtained by the reading sensor 36, K, Y, M, and C color recording data are generated.

  Further, when the start switch is pressed, the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 10 is started, the image forming preparation of each unit of the image forming apparatus 20 is started, and the image forming sequence of each color image is started. Thus, an exposure laser modulated based on each color recording data is projected onto the photosensitive drum for each color, and each color toner image is superimposed and transferred as a single image on the intermediate transfer belt 10 by each color image forming process. When the leading edge of the toner image enters the secondary transfer unit 22, the sheet is sent to the secondary transfer unit 22 at a timing so that the leading edge enters the secondary transfer unit 22 at the same time. The upper toner image is transferred to the paper. The sheet on which the toner image has moved is sent to the fixing unit 25 where the toner image is fixed on the sheet.

  Note that the above-described sheet is driven by selectively rotating one of the sheet feeding rollers 42 of the sheet feeding tray 44 disposed in the sheet feeding unit 110, and the sheet is fed from one of the sheet feeding trays 44 provided in multiple stages in the sheet feeding unit 43. The separation roller 45 separates only one sheet, puts it in the conveyance roller unit 46, conveys it by the conveyance roller 47, guides it to the conveyance roller unit 48 in the image forming apparatus 100, and moves it to the registration roller 49 of the conveyance roller unit 48. After being abutted and stopped, it is sent out to the secondary transfer unit 22 at the timing described above. Paper can also be fed by inserting paper on the manual feed tray 51. When the user is inserting paper onto the manual feed tray 51, the image forming apparatus 100 drives the paper feed roller 50 to separate one sheet of the manual feed tray 51 and pulls it into the manual paper feed path 53. Stop against the roller 49. The manual feed tray 51 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the image forming apparatus main body.

  The sheet discharged after receiving the fixing process by the fixing unit 25 is guided to the discharge roller 56 by the switching claw 55 and stacked on the discharge tray 57. Alternatively, the sheet is guided to the sheet reversing unit 28 by the switching claw 55, reversed there and led again to the transfer position, and the image is recorded also on the back surface, and then discharged onto the paper discharge tray 57 by the discharge roller 56.

  On the other hand, the residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 10 after the image transfer is removed by the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 17 to prepare for image formation again.

  Next, the reuse sheet-like member according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the sheet-like member according to the example. A reuse sheet-like member (hereinafter simply referred to as a sheet-like member 201) is formed to have a predetermined thickness (for example, a thickness of about 0.1 mm). The sheet-like member 201 is composed of “plus cover PS poppy 25FL”. This “plus cover PS poppy 25FL” is compatible with the ABS material and PS material used as the exterior member, and if the weight ratio with the exterior member is within 1%, together with the exterior member Can be melted and recycled.

  In this example, the surface shape of the sheet-like member 201 is embossed or sandblasted on the surface of the sheet-like member 201 so that the coefficient of friction with the sheet or document is the same as that of the exterior member 202 to which the sheet-like member 201 is attached. It is roughened by processing, matting, and processing into a textured shape, a satin shape, or other shapes. This prevents paper jams and slips that occur due to the friction coefficient of the sheet-like member 201 and the original exterior member 202 being different during paper conveyance.

  Further, the sheet-like member 201 is formed opaque. For this reason, the sheet-like member 201 can cover the surface state of the exterior member 202, for example, dirt and scratches. Moreover, if the sheet-like member 201 is made the same color as the exterior member 202, the sheet-like member 201 is not conspicuous by being integrated with a portion to which another sheet-like member is not attached.

  When the sheet-like member 201 configured as described above is affixed to the exterior member 202 at the time of recycling processing of the equipment collected from the market, the exterior member 202 is deteriorated in appearance quality and conveyance quality due to discoloration and scratches. Even in this case, the sheet-like member 201 covers the entire surface of the exterior member 202, and the appearance quality and the conveyance quality can be brought into a state before discoloration and scratches are generated. Since the sheet-like member 201 is compatible with the exterior member 202, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the characteristics of the recycled material even when the regeneration process is performed together with the exterior member 202.

  The type of the exterior member to which the sheet-like member 201 is affixed, the specific shape and structure thereof, the affixing method, and the like are arbitrary, and are appropriately changed during implementation.

  Next, a method for regenerating the exterior member will be specifically described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a method for recycling the exterior member according to the embodiment. This example is directed to a paper feed unit 303 having a paper feed tray 302 formed of a resin exterior panel. At the time of reuse processing of equipment collected from the market, the sheet-like member 301 is attached so as to cover the entire sheet conveying surface 302a of the sheet feeding tray 302.

  In equipment collected from the market, discoloration, scratches, and dirt are concentrated on the upper surface and front surface of the exterior cover, so the sheet-like member 301 is applied only to the necessary portions on the upper surface and front surface of the exterior cover of the device. It is supposed to be. Thus, the sheet-like member cost and work man-hours are suppressed without attaching the sheet-like member 301 to the entire exterior cover, and the sheet-like member 301 can be reused at a low cost.

  Further, in this example, the sheet-like member 301 is pasted to the end surface 302 b adjacent to the paper transport surface 302 a of the paper feed tray 302. It is desirable that the amount of wraparound at this time be 1/2 or more of the total length b of the end surface 302b adjacent to the sheet conveying surface 302a. In this example, it is possible to prevent the paper being conveyed from being caught on the edge of the affixed sheet-like member, thereby preventing the paper from being conveyed, and the sheet-like member from being peeled off from deteriorating the appearance.

  When the manual feed tray 51 has a mechanism that can be opened and closed with respect to the image forming apparatus main body as in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, there are no movable parts around the opening / closing axis or around the connecting part between the outer cover and the outer cover. By not attaching the sheet-like member, it is possible to prevent the sheet-like member from being peeled off or torn due to frequent opening and closing operations of the user.

  The sheet-like member 301 is preferably an adhesive, an adhesive, or a double-sided adhesive sheet in which an adhesive layer is provided on each surface of the sheet-like member. The adhesive force is such that it cannot be easily peeled off even when the guide of the paper feed unit 303 slides on the sheet-like member 301 that is adhered to the paper feed tray 302 by means of the means. Is supposed to hold.

  As described above, when the equipment collected from the market is recycled, the sheet-like member 301 is pasted on the paper feed tray 302, and the paper feed tray 302 is deteriorated in appearance quality or transport quality due to discoloration or scratches. Even if it exists, since the sheet-like member 301 covers the paper feed tray 302, the appearance quality and the conveyance quality can be set to a state equivalent to the state before discoloration or scratches occur. Further, since the sheet-like member 301 is compatible with the paper feed tray 302, it is possible to prevent the characteristics of the recycled material from being deteriorated even when the recycling process is performed together with the paper feed tray 302.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a method for regenerating an exterior member according to another embodiment. In this example, the paper discharge unit 403 including the resin discharge tray 402 is reproduced. At the time of reuse processing of equipment collected from the market, the sheet-like member 401 is pasted so as to cover the entire sheet conveying surface of the discharge tray 402.

  In this example, the sheet-like member 401 is attached so as to wrap around to a surface 402 b adjacent to the paper transport surface 402 a other than the paper transport surface 402 a of the paper discharge tray 402. At this time, the amount of wrapping around the end surface 402b of the paper discharge tray 402 is set to be 1/2 or more of the total length d of the end surface 402b adjacent to the sheet conveying surface 402a. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the paper being conveyed from being caught on the end of the sheet-like member 401 and thereby prevent the paper from being conveyed, or the sheet-like member 401 from being peeled off to impair the appearance.

  Further, the sheet-like member 401 is preferably an adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive, or a double-sided adhesive sheet in which an adhesive layer is provided on each surface of the sheet-like member. Adhering to the paper discharge tray 402 by a non-adhesive means, such that the guide or the like of the paper discharge tray 402 slides on the sheet-like member 401 affixed on the paper discharge tray 402 is not easily peeled off. It shall have power.

  As described above, when the equipment collected from the market is recycled, when the sheet-like member 401 is attached to the paper discharge tray 402, the appearance quality or the transport quality is impaired due to discoloration or scratches. Even in such a case, since the sheet-like member 401 covers the entire side surface of the paper discharge tray 402, the appearance quality and the conveyance quality can be set to a state equivalent to the state before discoloration or scratches occur. Further, since the sheet-like member 401 is compatible with the paper discharge tray 402, it is possible to prevent the characteristics of the recycled material from being deteriorated even when the reproduction processing is performed together with the paper discharge tray 402.

  Next, other examples will be described. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a method for regenerating an exterior member according to another example. In this example, the ADF 503 including the paper feed tray 502 is targeted. When the equipment collected from the market is reused, the sheet-like member 401 is attached so as to cover the entire sheet conveyance surface 502 a of the sheet discharge tray 502 and the end surface 502 b adjacent to the sheet feed tray 502. At this time, the amount of wrap around the end surface 502b is set to be 1/2 or more of the total length f of the end surface 502b. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the paper being conveyed from being caught on the end portion of the sheet-like member, thereby preventing the paper from being conveyed, and the sheet-like member from being peeled off from deteriorating the appearance.

  In the equipment collected from the market, since the discharge tray 502 is intensively discolored, scratched, or soiled on the front surface thereof, the sheet-like member 501 is attached to only the necessary portions on the upper surface or front surface of the discharge tray 502. By pasting on, the cost of parts and the number of work steps can be reduced.

  When the paper feed tray 502 has a mechanism that can be opened and closed, a sheet-like member is not pasted around the movable part that is the axis of opening and closing and around the connecting part between the exterior cover and the exterior cover, and the user frequently performs opening and closing operations. It is desirable to prevent the sheet-like member from being peeled off or torn.

  The sheet-like member 501 is preferably an adhesive, an adhesive, or a double-sided adhesive sheet in which an adhesive layer is provided on each surface of the sheet-like member, and preferably does not affect the characteristics of the recycled material during the regeneration process of the exterior member. The adhesive force is maintained so that it does not easily peel off even if the guide 504 of the ADF 503 slides on the sheet-like member 501 attached on the paper feed tray 502. ing.

  As described above, the sheet-like member is formed to a predetermined thickness (thickness of about 0.1 mm), and the sheet-like member 501 is generally an ABS material or PS that is used for an exterior member of many devices. Since it is a material, it is preferable to form the sheet-like member 501 using “plus cover PS poppy 25FL” as a material. The “plus cover PS poppy 25FL” has compatibility with the ABS material and the PS material, and can be recycled together with the exterior member when the weight ratio to the exterior member is within 1%.

  The surface shape of the sheet-like member 501 is embossed or sandblasted on the surface of the sheet-like member 501 so that the friction coefficient with the paper is the same as the initial friction coefficient of the exterior member before the sheet-like member is attached. It is preferable to form a rough surface by matting and processing it into a textured shape, a satin-finished shape, or other shapes. When paper is transported, the sheet-like member and the original exterior member have different friction coefficients, causing paper jams and slips. It is prevented from occurring.

  As described above, when the equipment collected from the market is recycled, when the sheet-like member 501 is attached to the paper feed tray 502, the paper feed tray 502 is deteriorated in appearance quality or transport quality due to discoloration or scratches. Even in such a case, since the sheet-like member 501 covers the paper feed tray 502, the appearance quality and the conveyance quality can be set to a state equivalent to the state before discoloration and scratches are generated. Furthermore, since the sheet-like member 501 is compatible with the paper feed tray 502, it is possible to prevent the characteristics of the recycled material from being deteriorated even when the recycling process is performed together with the paper feed tray 502.

  In addition, the specific shape and structure of the sheet-like member shown in each embodiment, the attaching method, etc. are arbitrary, and various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the matters described in the claims upon implementation. It is.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows typically the structure of the sheet-like member which concerns on an Example. It is a perspective view which shows the reproduction | regenerating method of the exterior member which concerns on an Example. It is a perspective view which shows the reproduction | regenerating method of the exterior member which concerns on another example. It is a perspective view which shows the reproduction | regenerating method of the exterior member which concerns on the other example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Intermediate transfer belts 14-16 Support roller 17 Intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 18 Charger unit 20 Image forming device 21 Unit 22 Secondary transfer unit 23 Roller 24 Secondary transfer belt 25 Fixing unit 26 Fixing belt 27 Pressure roller 28 Sheet reversing unit 30 Document feeder 32 Contact glass 33 First carriage 34 Second carriage 35 Imaging lens 36 Sensor 40 Photosensitive unit 42 Paper feed roller 43 Paper feed unit 44 Paper feed tray 45 Separating roller 46 Transport roller unit 47 Transport roller 48 Transport Roller unit 49 Registration roller 50 Paper feed roller 51 Tray 53 Paper feed path 55 Switching claw 56 Paper discharge roller 57 Paper discharge tray 100 Image forming apparatus 110 Paper feed unit 120 Unit 130 Automatic document feeder (ADF)
201 Sheet member (Reuse sheet member)
202 exterior member 301 sheet-like member (sheet-like member for reuse)
302 Paper feed tray 302a Paper conveyance surface 302b End face 303 Paper feed unit 401 Sheet-like member (reuse sheet-like member)
402 Paper discharge tray 402a Paper transport surface 402b End surface 403 Paper discharge unit 403 Paper discharge tray 501 Sheet-like member (reuse sheet-like member)
502 Paper feed tray 502a Paper conveyance surface 502b End surface 504 Guide

Claims (7)

  Reusable sheet-like member that is pasted on the surface of an exterior member that constitutes a device and that allows the panel member to be reused. The sheet member is compatible with the material forming the exterior member and the surface of the exterior member that is pasted is transparent. A sheet-like member for reuse, which is made of a non-opaque material.   2. The sheet-like member for reuse according to claim 1, wherein the material forming the panel member is ABS resin or PS resin.   The reuse sheet-like member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coefficient of friction with paper is the same as that of the member to be adhered.   A recycling method for an exterior member, comprising: attaching the reuse sheet-like member according to claim 1 to a surface of a target exterior member among exterior members constituting an exterior of the device.   5. The method for regenerating an exterior member according to claim 4, wherein the panel member to which the sheet-like member is attached is an exterior member of at least one of a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray.   6. The method for regenerating an exterior member according to claim 5, wherein the sheet-like member is attached over a surface adjacent to a sheet contact surface of the exterior member to which the sheet-like member is attached. A device recycling method comprising the exterior member recycling method according to claim 5.