JP2012099360A - Reformer and post-processing device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reformer in which the length of plasma discharge can be controlled reliably without using a thick roller as an electrode roller, and to provide an image forming device equipped with the reformer, and a post-processing device of the image forming device.SOLUTION: A reformer 100 comprises a conveyance means 11 for conveying a work piece S in a predetermined direction, a discharge electrode roller 51 which generates plasma toward the processed surface of the work piece S conveyed by the conveyance means 11 in the predetermined direction, and a counter electrode 52 which is arranged to face the discharge electrode roller 51 via the conveyance means 11 and generates plasma between the discharge electrode roller 51 and itself, in which the processed surface is reformed by the plasma. The discharge electrode roller 51 has a uniform thickness and has a length longer than the length of the work piece S intersecting the conveyance direction perpendicularly. The length of plasma discharge for the work piece S is controlled by the length of the counter electrode 52.

Description

  The present invention provides an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, or the like, in which plasma is brought into contact with a processing surface of a sheet-like workpiece formed by image formation or the like to modify the surface. The present invention relates to a reforming apparatus to be performed, an image forming apparatus including the reforming apparatus, and a post-processing apparatus of the image forming apparatus.

  Conventionally, various techniques for modifying the surface of a workpiece such as a resin film by bringing plasma into contact with the workpiece have been proposed (see, for example, “Patent Document 1” to “Patent Document 5”), In the Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-132446, the applicant of the present application has also proposed a technique for modifying the surface of a recording medium before ink jet printing with plasma. Various techniques using plasma for fixing an ink image have also been proposed (see, for example, “Patent Document 6” to “Patent Document 8”).

  In such technologies using plasma, a configuration is known in which plasma is brought into contact while moving a workpiece (for example, refer to “Patent Document 3” to “Patent Document 8”). It is possible to improve the uniformity of contact. In order to further improve the uniformity, it is possible to arrange a plurality of electrodes for generating plasma in the moving direction of the workpiece and to configure the electrodes in a roller shape so as to rotate along the moving direction of the workpiece. desirable. As a result, deterioration in the surface portion of the electrode due to generation of plasma is dispersed on the peripheral surface of the electrode, and particularly when the electrode is placed in contact with the workpiece, it adheres to the workpiece. Even if the dirt is transferred to the electrode, the dirt is dispersed on the peripheral surface of the electrode. Therefore, there is an advantage that the plasma generation performance by the electrode is maintained with time.

  FIG. 10 shows an example of a configuration in which plasma is brought into contact while moving the above-described workpiece. In the drawing, a sheet as a workpiece is conveyed between an electrode and a conveying belt in the direction of an arrow in the figure. A high-voltage power supply is connected to the electrodes, and the conveyor belt uses an insulator whose base is made of polyimide or the like, and a glass plate, a counter electrode, and an insulator are sequentially disposed below the conveyor belt. In this configuration, when a high voltage is applied to the electrode from the high-voltage power source, a discharge (atmospheric pressure plasma discharge, dielectric barrier discharge) occurs between the counter electrode and plasma due to creeping discharge is formed. Since the plasma due to the creeping discharge has a large contact area with the processed surface of the sheet, the occurrence of unevenness during the modification of the processed surface is suppressed, and the uniformity of the modification is ensured with high accuracy.

Japanese Patent No. 3897863 JP-A-10-78682 Japanese Patent No. 3870605 JP 2001-64421 A JP 2008-12919 A JP 2007-106105 A JP 2008-296526 A JP 2008-297506 A

  Post-treatment of coating materials such as varnish to increase the added value by protecting the surface and providing visual effects such as glazing and matting to the image formed by copying machine etc. May be applied. In this case, the image-formed product is put into a varnish coater called, for example, a varnish coater, and the coating material is applied to the surface. However, there are many portions having water repellency on the image-formed surface of the image-formed product. As a result, the varnish was repelled and the coating material could not be applied uniformly over the entire surface. The cause of this is considered to be due to the influence of wax contained in toner particles used for image formation, silicon oil used for a fixing device of a copying machine, and the like.

  As a result of numerous experiments conducted by the present inventors to solve the above-mentioned problems, the surface modification using the plasma described above forms the components in the air and the components contained in the image formation itself. It has been found that the various hydrophilic functional groups and the like formed on the surface to be processed increase the surface energy, make the water-repellent part hydrophilic, and allow the coating material to be applied. This surface modification is suitably achieved by the above-described plasma treatment by creeping discharge. If good creeping discharge is not performed, the plasma is not uniformly applied to the image forming surface, causing discharge unevenness, and the image forming surface. It has been found that a part having water repellency remains and the coating material is not uniformly applied, and a good image formed product cannot be obtained.

  An example of an apparatus for generating the plasma described above is shown in FIG. This device has an electrode roller connected to a high-voltage power supply, a grounded counter electrode, and a dielectric belt that runs between both electrodes, and a step is provided on the electrode roller to control the discharge length of plasma discharge. The discharge is not generated in the small diameter portion of the electrode roller that is not in contact with the dielectric belt, and the plasma discharge length is controlled to generate the plasma discharge in a range shorter than the width of the counter electrode.

  However, in order to achieve the above-described configuration, it is necessary to provide a sufficient level difference in the electrode roller, so that a thick roller must be used as the electrode roller. This increases the reactance that becomes a load, and the load capacity of the high-voltage power source. There is a problem that the cost is increased because the size must be increased. If the thickness of the electrode roller is reduced to solve this problem, a large step portion cannot be secured and the plasma discharge length cannot be controlled. Further, if there is a stepped portion on the dielectric belt, there is a problem that the dielectric belt is deteriorated at an early stage due to contact with the corner portion of the stepped portion.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems and brings plasma into contact with the processing surface of a sheet-like workpiece formed by image formation in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a printer. A reforming device having a roller-like electrode that rotates along the direction of movement of the work piece, and the plasma discharge length is ensured without using a thick roller as the electrode roller. It is an object of the present invention to provide a reforming apparatus capable of controlling the image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus including the reforming apparatus, and a post-processing apparatus for the image forming apparatus.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a conveying unit that conveys a sheet-like workpiece in a predetermined direction and a workpiece surface of the workpiece that is conveyed in the predetermined direction by the conveying unit are arranged in contact with each other. A discharge electrode roller that generates plasma toward the surface to be processed, and a counter electrode that is disposed opposite to the discharge electrode roller via the transport means and generates the plasma between the discharge electrode roller; A reforming device that modifies the surface to be processed by the plasma, wherein the discharge electrode roller has a uniform thickness and a length that is longer than a length perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the workpiece. The plasma discharge length for the workpiece is controlled by the length of the counter electrode.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the reformer according to the first aspect, the counter electrode further includes insulating members at both ends thereof.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the reformer according to the first aspect, the counter electrode is further inclined so that both ends thereof are gradually separated from the conveying means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the reforming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the work surface modified by the plasma is further processed by the modification. It has a processing means.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the reforming apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the detachable apparatus is attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus, and the workpiece on which the image has been formed in the image forming apparatus. A post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing, wherein the processing surface of the workpiece on which the image has been formed is modified by the reforming apparatus.

  An invention according to claim 6 is an image having the reforming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processing surface of the workpiece on which an image has been formed is modified by the reforming apparatus. It is a forming apparatus.

  According to the present invention, the plasma discharge length can be reliably controlled even when a discharge electrode roller having a uniform thickness is used, and a relatively small load capacity can be used as a high-voltage power supply, thereby preventing an increase in cost. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a stepped portion, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the conveying means.

It is a schematic front view of the reformer which can apply one embodiment of the present invention. It is the general | schematic enlarged front view which showed a mode that the plasma by creeping discharge contacted to a to-be-processed object from each discharge electrode roller with which the reforming apparatus which employ | adopted one Embodiment of this invention was equipped. 1 is a schematic front view of an image forming apparatus that is an example of an apparatus that outputs a workpiece to be modified in a reforming apparatus that employs an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view illustrating a state in which a workpiece output from the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3 is modified by the modifying apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of an image forming apparatus having a configuration similar to that of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 3 and a post-processing apparatus including a reforming apparatus that employs an embodiment of the present invention mounted on the image forming apparatus. 1 is a schematic front view illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus including a reforming apparatus that employs an embodiment of the present invention. It is the general | schematic front view which expanded a part of reforming apparatus provided with the process means. It is a partial schematic side view of the reformer showing one embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial schematic side view of the reformer which shows the modification of one Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic for demonstrating the plasma output by the creeping discharge used for the modification | reformation process of this invention. It is a partial schematic side view of the conventional reformer.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a stand-alone reformer to which an embodiment of the present invention can be applied. The reformer 100 is a sheet-like, in other words, a sheet-like sheet, in addition to plain paper and coated paper generally used for copying and printing, as well as resin films including OHP sheets, cards, cardboard, cardboard, envelopes, etc. It is possible to modify the work surface which is the surface of the work S. At least a part of the processed surface to be modified by the reformer 100 is water-repellent, and the main purpose of modification by the reformer 100 is to make the water-repellent processed surface hydrophilic by modification. is there. Further, the reforming apparatus 100 performs reforming so that the modified workpiece S can be used for processing made possible by reforming, for example, varnish coating.

  The reformer 100 includes the reforming unit 10 that performs the above-described reforming, the main body 99 that houses the reforming unit 10, the exhaust as exhaust means that is provided in the main body 99 and exhausts the air in the main body 99 to the outside of the main body 99. An exhaust unit 20 that is a device, a feeding unit 30 that is a feeding device that feeds the workpiece S from the outside of the main body 99 toward the reforming unit 10, and the reforming unit 10 that is provided outside the main body 99. For starting the reforming by supplying the workpiece S to the reforming unit 10 from the stacking unit 40 and the feeding unit 30 as a stacking unit that loads the modified workpiece S in the above process An operation panel (not shown) for performing the above is provided.

  The reforming unit 10 transports the workpiece S fed from the feeding unit 30 toward the stacking unit 40 while reforming the workpiece S, and the workpiece S transported by the transport unit 11. It has a modifying means 50 for modifying the work surface.

  The conveying means 11 serves as a workpiece conveying member that rotates counterclockwise in the drawing in order to convey the workpiece S fed from the feeding unit 30 toward the stacking unit 40 while modifying the workpiece S. Conveying belt 12 which is an endless belt, driving roller 13 which is a driving member around which the conveying belt 12 is wound, tension rollers 14 and 15 which stretch the conveying belt 12 together with the driving roller 13, and driving which rotationally drives the driving roller 13 A driving means 17 having a motor 16 as a source is included.

  The conveyor belt 12 has a width larger than the width of the workpiece S of the maximum size (A4 horizontal size in this embodiment) that is reformed by the reformer 100 in the width direction that is the paper surface direction in FIG. For example, it is made of an insulator such as polyimide. The surface layer has a substantially insulating resistance value.

  The driving roller 13 is rotationally driven by the driving means 17 to rotationally drive the conveying belt 12 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. The motor 16 is variable in rotation speed, and the rotation speed of the conveyor belt 12 is also variable according to this. The conveyor belt 12 rotates at a maximum speed of about 500 mm / sec. The tension rollers 14 and 15 are driven to rotate by the conveyance belt 12 that is rotationally driven by the driving roller 13.

  The tension roller 14 functions as a tension roller as a pressure member that applies a predetermined tension suitable for transporting the workpiece S to the transport belt 12 and prevents the transport belt 12 from being bent. Thus, the conveying belt 12 is smoothly moved to suppress modification unevenness and the deflection due to the movement of the conveying belt 12 is suppressed. However, other rollers around the conveying belt 12 such as the tension roller 15 are tensioned. It may be a roller. However, the tension roller is not essential.

  The conveyor belt 12 is substantially horizontal in a portion stretched between the stretching roller 15 and the driving roller 13, and conveys the workpiece S on the upper surface of this portion. The driving roller 13 and the stretching rollers 14 and 15 around which the conveyance belt 12 is wound are grounded, and thereby electrostatic charging of the belt as an insulator can be suppressed.

  The reforming means 50 is applied to the conveyor belt 12 in a portion stretched between the stretching roller 15 and the driving roller 13 so as to face the processing surface of the workpiece S conveyed by the conveying belt 12. A discharge electrode roller 51, which is a roller-shaped discharge electrode that is disposed oppositely and that forms plasma for contacting the work surface and modifying the work surface toward the work surface; And a counter electrode portion 53 having a counter electrode 52 as a counter electrode for generating plasma with the discharge electrode roller 51.

  Further, the reforming means 50 includes a support member 54 that rotatably supports the discharge electrode roller 51, a pressing spring 55 that urges the discharge electrode roller 51 toward the transport belt 12 and the counter electrode portion 53, and a plasma for generating plasma. A high voltage power source 56 for applying a voltage to the discharge electrode roller 51 is provided.

  Each of the discharge electrode rollers 51 is a metal roller having the same shape, and a plurality of the discharge electrode rollers 51 are provided along the moving direction of the conveying belt 12 in a portion stretched between the stretching roller 15 and the driving roller 13. Each discharge electrode roller 51 extends in the width direction of the conveyor belt 12, and is arranged so that each rotation center axis is located on the same straight line parallel to the moving surface of the conveyor belt 12. Each discharge electrode roller 51 has substantially the same length as the width of the conveyor belt 12 and the metal portion is exposed in the illustrated example, but may be configured to be covered with a dielectric or an insulator. .

  As shown in FIG. 2, the counter electrode portion 53 covers the upper surface of the counter electrode 52 and supports the lower surface of the transport belt 12 in addition to the counter electrode 52 and functions as an insulating layer of the counter electrode 52. 57, an insulator 58 that supports the counter electrode 52 and the glass plate 57 from below. The counter electrode 52 formed of an aluminum flat plate is grounded, and is disposed so as to include a region where a plurality of discharge electrode rollers 51 are disposed in the moving direction of the transport belt 12 and the direction perpendicular thereto. ing.

  Here, a detailed configuration of the counter electrode unit 53 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8 (the glass plate 57 is not shown), the discharge electrode roller 51 has a uniform thickness and the length is the width of the workpiece S having the maximum size (A4 horizontal size in this embodiment). It is formed longer than the conveyor belt 12 having a larger width, and both ends thereof are rotatably supported by conductive bearings 25. The counter electrode 52 is disposed opposite to the discharge electrode roller 51 via the conveying belt 12 constituting the conveying means 11, and the length (the length in the paper width direction) of the counter electrode 52 is a region of plasma generated by discharge described later, that is, plasma. The discharge length is controlled. In this embodiment, the length is set such that plasma discharge is performed on the entire surface of the A4 landscape paper.

  In addition, on both sides of the counter electrode 52, insulating members 26 made of, for example, polyacetal resin and having relatively high hardness are disposed. By providing this insulating member 26, discharge at both upper ends of the counter electrode 52 indicated by symbol A in FIG. 8 is prevented, and adverse effects on the paper and deterioration of the counter electrode 52 are prevented. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 27 denotes a belt slip prevention member for preventing the conveyance belt 12 from being biased.

  The support member 54 is provided in each discharge electrode roller 51 and rotatably supports a shaft portion that forms the rotation center of the discharge electrode roller 51, and each bearing is in contact with the vertical direction, that is, the conveyance belt 12 and the counter electrode portion 53. And a conductive bearing support member (not shown) having a long hole (not shown) extending in the same direction and slidably supported in the separating direction. Conductive grease is applied between the bearing 25 and the bearing support member. Even if the bearing 25 slides with respect to the bearing support member through the long hole, the bearing support member and the discharge electrode roller 51 are interposed via the bearing 25. Thus, the continuity is kept good.

  The pressing spring 55 urges the discharge electrode roller 51 toward the transport belt 12 and the counter electrode portion 53 via the bearing 25, and the discharge electrode roller 51 is transported by the transport belt 12 or the workpiece S being transported thereby. Contact the work surface. As a result, each discharge electrode roller 51 is rotated along with the movement of the conveyor belt 12 or the workpiece surface of the workpiece S being conveyed thereby. By this rotation, the uneven wear due to the discharge of each discharge electrode roller 51 is reduced.

  The high-voltage power source 56 boosts a pulse from an AC power source with a transformer and outputs a high-voltage pulse. The high-voltage power source 56 is electrically connected to the bearing support member and is connected to each discharge electrode roller via the bearing support member and each bearing 25. A pulsed high voltage corresponding to 500 W output is applied to 51. Each pressing spring 55 is also kept at the same potential as the bearing support member, each bearing 25, and each discharge electrode roller 51.

  In the reforming means 50 having the above-described configuration, a high voltage is applied to each discharge electrode roller 51 by the high-voltage power source 56 to cause discharge between the counter electrode 52 and plasma is formed toward the counter electrode 52. The This discharge is called atmospheric pressure plasma discharge or dielectric barrier discharge. When discharge is performed to form plasma, the conductive substrate of the transport belt 12 also functions as a counter electrode, in other words, a counter electrode. In this respect, it can be said that the conveyor belt 12 also constitutes the counter electrode portion 53.

  When the transport belt 12 has a two-layer structure of metal and insulating material, it functions as a counter electrode, so that the transport belt 12 or the workpiece S transported by the transport belt 12 from the discharge electrode roller 51 as shown in FIG. A plasma due to creeping discharge is formed toward the surface. The function of the conveyor belt 12 as a counter electrode has the advantage that a creeping discharge is generated satisfactorily, and the advantage that the loss of energy is reduced because the distance between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode approaches, and discharge and plasma are easily generated. is there. In order to cause the above-described creeping discharge, the counter electrode side needs to be covered with a dielectric or an insulator. Further, when the workpiece S includes a conductive substance, the discharge electrode roller 51 may be covered with an insulator in order to avoid local discharge concentration.

  A plurality of discharge electrode rollers 51 are arranged along the moving direction of the conveyor belt 12, and each discharge electrode roller 51 rotates with the conveyor belt 12 or the workpiece surface of the workpiece S being conveyed thereby. This also improves the uniformity of the modification of the surface to be processed because the surface discharge and the site where plasma is formed change. The number of discharge electrode rollers 51 is not limited to four as illustrated, and is appropriately set so that energy loss is suppressed while ensuring the uniformity of the modification of the surface to be processed. The length in the moving direction of the conveyor belt 12 in the portion stretched between the stretching roller 15 and the driving roller 13 is the discharge electrode roller 51 regardless of the length of the workpiece S in the same direction. As long as it is longer than the length in the same direction of the region where the creeping discharge or plasma reforming action works.

  The voltage applied to each discharge electrode roller 51 by the high-voltage power supply 56 is set to a magnitude sufficient to generate plasma due to the above-described creeping discharge. Further, the density of energy given to the work surface by the plasma generated by the applied voltage is such that the work piece S is transported by the transport belt 12, and the work surface is opposed to all the discharge electrode rollers 51, that is, due to creeping discharge. The size is such that the modification of the surface to be processed is completed when it passes through the range affected by the plasma and does not become larger than the size necessary for the modification.

  When the workpiece S passes through the modifying means 50, the workpiece S is a group such as various hydrophilic functional groups formed by the components in the air or components contained in the workpiece S itself by the discharge and plasma described above. Is formed on the surface to be processed to increase the surface energy. For example, when the surface to be processed includes a portion having water repellency, the surface to be processed is modified by making the portion hydrophilic.

  Since the responsiveness from the voltage application to the discharge electrode rollers 51 by the high-voltage power source 56 to the start of discharge or the formation of plasma is as high as several milliseconds, the workpiece S between each discharge electrode roller 51 and the conveyor belt 12 is high. In the state where the conveyor belt 12 is exposed without the presence of the surface, each discharge electrode roller by the high-voltage power source 56 is appropriately timed so that creeping discharge or plasma does not act on the area where the conveyor belt 12 is exposed. You may comprise so that the voltage application to 51 may be stopped. As a result, there are advantages such as suppression of energy consumption and suppression of deterioration of the conveyor belt 12. In this case, it is desirable that the voltage can be individually applied to and stopped from each discharge electrode roller 51.

  With the above-described configuration, the plasma discharge length can be reliably controlled even when the discharge electrode roller 51 having a uniform thickness is used, and a high-voltage power source 56 having a relatively small load capacity can be used, thereby preventing an increase in cost. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a stepped portion, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the conveyor belt 12. Further, by providing the insulating member 26 at both ends of the counter electrode 52, it is possible to prevent excessive discharge, and it is possible to prevent adverse effects on the paper and the deterioration of the counter electrode 52.

  Even when workpieces S having various types of thickness are conveyed, the discharge electrode roller 51 is biased in the direction in which the discharge electrode roller 51 contacts the counter electrode 52 by the biasing force of the pressing spring 55. As a result, the contact between the discharge electrode roller 51 and the workpiece S is satisfactorily performed, so that plasma is formed by a good creeping discharge, and the surface of the workpiece S is uniformly surface-modified, and thereafter Even if a coating material or the like is coated, a good image formed product can be obtained.

  The exhaust unit 20 exhausts air in the main body 99 to the outside of the main body 99 and performs ventilation, thereby exhausting gas products such as ozone and heat generated by plasma due to creeping discharge. The exhaust unit 20 includes an air flow forming unit 22 including a fan 21 as an air flow forming unit that forms an air flow for performing such exhaust, and an air flow in the main body 99 formed by the fan 21. 99 has a purifying unit 23 for removing components that can be given to the environment if exhausted as it is outside the main body 99 such as ozone in the air before the air in the air 99 reaches the air flow forming unit 22.

The purifying unit 23 includes a plurality of ozone filters 24 as a first filter using an MgO ₂ catalyst and a plurality of ozone filters 25 as a second filter using an activated carbon fiber catalyst along an air flow path. have. The purification unit 23 may include other filters or the like that remove components other than ozone in accordance with the gas product generated in the main body 99.

  The feeding unit 30 is disposed outside the main body 99 and feeds a plurality of workpieces S loaded thereon and the workpieces S loaded on the tray 31 toward the reforming unit 10 one by one. A feed means (not shown) and a tip aligning roller which is disposed in the main body 99 and abuts on the conveyor belt 12 by its own weight and rotates following the conveyor belt 12 so as to align the tip position of the workpiece S fed by the feeder means. 32.

  The stacking unit 40 includes a stacking tray 41 that is disposed outside the main body 99 and can stack a large number of workpieces S modified by the reforming unit 10. The workpieces S loaded on the stacking tray 41 are subjected to processing made possible by the modification. For example, if the surface to be processed is water-repellent before modification, the varnish will be repelled and gloss unevenness will occur even if varnish is applied, but the water-repellent part will be made hydrophilic by modification. As a result, the varnish conforms to the entire surface to be processed, and uneven gloss is prevented or suppressed, improving the texture and improving the durability.

  Thus, by modifying the workpiece S by the reformer 100, the workpiece S is processed satisfactorily, and the value of the workpiece S in the market is improved. The reforming apparatus 100 is configured to reform a large amount of the workpieces S at a time by reforming the workpieces S while being conveyed. Here, the workpiece S to be modified by the reforming apparatus 100 is not particularly limited, but as the workpiece S, for example, an output product on which image formation has been performed by an image forming apparatus can be used. .

  FIG. 9 shows a modification of the above-described embodiment. This modification is different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 only in that the counter electrode 28 is used instead of the counter electrode 52 and the insulating member 26 is not used, and the other configurations are the same. .

  The counter electrode 28 is made of the same material as the counter electrode 52, and has inclined portions 28 a that are inclined so as to be gradually separated from the conveying belt 12 at both ends thereof. The inclined portion 28a is formed so that the inclination angle α is about 20 degrees or less. Even with this configuration, it is possible to prevent excessive discharge without using the insulating member 26, and it is possible to obtain the same effects as the above-described embodiment. Note that if the inclination angle α is too large, excessive discharge occurs, which may cause problems.

  There are various types of image forming apparatuses. For example, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, and a multi-function machine of these types, an image is formed by the image forming apparatus. Thus, processing is performed in which a recording medium such as plain paper exhibits water repellency. That is, when the toner is a wax-containing toner containing wax such as solid paraffin, the wax component in the toner exudes to the surface of the toner image when the toner image formed by the toner is fixed on the recording medium. An output product in which the image portion exhibits water repellency is formed. Further, even when the toner is not a wax-containing toner, when the image forming apparatus has a fixing device that fixes the image on the recording medium, the recording medium and the image are prevented from adhering to the fixing device side. Alternatively, in order to alleviate, when a water-repellent release agent such as silicone oil is applied to the recording medium or the image, an output product that exhibits water repellency on the surface of the recording medium is formed. In addition, when the output product of the image forming apparatus itself is made of resin, it may have water repellency at the time when the output product is produced by manufacturing.

  In such an output product, at least a part of the surface exhibits water repellency. Therefore, when processing that requires hydrophilicity is performed, the surface needs to be modified to have hydrophilicity. That is, the output product is a workpiece S having a workpiece surface to be modified by the reformer 100. An image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 3 will be described as an example of an apparatus that uses a workpiece S having a workpiece surface as an output.

  The image forming apparatus 200 shown in the figure is a complex machine of a color laser copying machine and a printer, but may be other image forming apparatuses such as other types of copying machines, facsimile machines, printers, and these multifunction machines. Good. The image forming apparatus 200 performs an image forming process based on image data of a document read by the image forming apparatus 200 or an image signal corresponding to image information received from the outside by a communication unit 192 described later. The image forming apparatus 200 forms an image using a plain paper generally used for copying or the like as well as an OHP sheet, a card, a cardboard, a postcard or other thick paper, an envelope, or the like as a sheet-like recording medium. Can be an output that can be a workpiece S requiring surface modification.

  The image forming apparatus 200 is a cylindrical photosensitive drum that is a latent image carrier as an image carrier capable of forming an image as an image corresponding to each color separated into yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. A tandem system in which 70Y, 70M, 70C, and 70BK are arranged in parallel is adopted.

  The photosensitive drums 70Y, 70M, 70C, and 70BK are rotatably supported by a frame (not shown) of the main body 199 of the image forming apparatus 200, and move in the A1 direction, which is the moving direction of the transfer belt 111 as a transfer medium that is an image carrier. They are arranged in this order from the upstream side. Y, M, C, and BK added after the numerals of the respective symbols indicate members for yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.

  Each of the photosensitive drums 70Y, 70M, 70C, and 70BK is an image forming unit 160Y that is an image forming station for forming yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BK) images. It is provided in 160M, 160C, and 160BK. The photosensitive drums 70Y, 70M, 70C, and 70BK are on the outer peripheral surface side of the transfer belt 111 as an intermediate transfer member that is an endless belt disposed slightly above the central portion inside the main body 199, that is, on the image forming surface side. Is located.

  The transfer belt 111 is movable in the direction of the arrow A1 while facing the photosensitive drums 70Y, 70M, 70C, and 70BK. The visible image, that is, the toner image formed on each of the photoconductive drums 70Y, 70M, 70C, and 70BK is respectively superimposed and transferred onto the transfer belt 111 that moves in the direction of the arrow A1, and then transferred to the recording medium and the transfer medium. It is designed to be batch transferred onto paper. Illustration of the transfer paper is omitted.

  In the superimposing transfer to the transfer belt 111, the toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 70Y, 70M, 70C, and 70BK are transferred to the same position on the transfer belt 111 while the transfer belt 111 moves in the A1 direction. As described above, voltage application by primary transfer rollers 112Y, 112M, 112C, and 112BK disposed at positions facing the respective photoconductive drums 70Y, 70M, 70C, and 70BK across the transfer belt 111 from the upstream side in the A1 direction. The timing is shifted toward the downstream side.

  The image forming apparatus 200 is disposed in the main body 199 so as to face four image forming units 160Y, 160M, 160C, and 160BK and the respective photosensitive drums 70Y, 70M, 70C, and 70BK. A transfer belt unit 110 as an intermediate transfer unit provided, and abutted against the transfer belt 111 disposed opposite to the transfer belt 111 and rotated in the same direction as the transfer belt 111 at an abutting position on the transfer belt 111 to move endlessly. A secondary transfer unit 176 as a secondary transfer device that includes a secondary transfer belt 105 that is a paper transfer belt as a transfer member that transfers and transfers a toner image on the transfer belt 111 to transfer paper, and an image forming unit Exposure as a latent image forming means arranged facing the upper side of 160Y, 160M, 160C, 160BK And a light scanning unit 108 is a location serving optical writing unit.

  The image forming apparatus 200 also feeds paper in a main body 199 as a paper feed cassette capable of stacking a large number of transfer sheets transported between the photosensitive drums 70Y, 70M, 70C, and 70BK and the transfer belt 111. The sheet feeding device 161, which is a mechanism, and the transfer sheet conveyed from the sheet feeding device 161 are transferred at a predetermined timing in accordance with the toner image formation timing by the image forming units 160Y, 160M, 160C, and 160BK. And a registration roller 104 that is fed out between 111 and the secondary transfer belt 105.

  The image forming apparatus 200 also discharges the fixing device 106 as a belt fixing type fixing unit for fixing the toner image onto the transfer paper onto which the toner image has been transferred, and the fixed transfer paper to the outside of the main body 199. The main body 199 includes a paper discharge roller 107 as a pair of paper discharge rollers and a paper discharge tray 117 on which transfer paper discharged from the main body 199 by the discharge roller 107 is stacked.

  Above the main body 199, a reading device 114 that is a scanner that reads an image of a document, and an automatic document feeder (so-called ADF) 115 that is disposed above the reading device 114 and feeds the document to the reading device 114 are disposed. Has been. An exhaust unit 120 serving as an exhaust unit that exhausts the air in the main body 199 to the outside of the main body 199 is disposed at the lowermost portion of the main body 199. A CPU for controlling the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 200 based on a detection result by the detection unit, a control unit 191 including a memory, and a communication unit 192 for receiving image information for image formation from the outside are provided. .

  The sheet feeding device 161 accommodates a plurality of transfer papers in a state where a plurality of transfer papers are stacked, and is arranged in multiple stages below the main body 199. The sheet feeding device 161 is configured to feed the transfer paper toward the registration roller 104 at a predetermined timing. The transfer paper sent from the sheet feeding device 161 passes through the paper feeding path, and the registration roller 104. To be sandwiched between the rollers of the registration rollers 104.

  The fixing device 106 includes a belt unit 162, a pressure roller 163 pressed against the belt unit 162, and the like. The belt unit 162 includes an endless fixing belt 164, a fixing roller 165 that moves the fixing belt 164 endlessly, and a heating roller 166 that has the fixing belt 164 wrapped around the fixing roller 165 and has a heat source (not shown) inside. have.

  The fixing device 106 transfers the toner image carried by the action of heat and pressure by passing the transfer paper carrying the toner image between the belt unit 162 and the pressure roller 163 so as to be sandwiched between the fixing portions. Fixes on the surface of the paper. The fixing device 106 employs an oilless fixing method that does not use a release agent such as silicon oil.

  The exhaust unit 120 exhausts the air in the main body 199 to the outside of the main body 199 and performs ventilation, thereby exhausting gas products such as ozone and heat generated by the image formation. The exhaust unit 120 includes an air flow forming unit 122 including a fan 121 as an air flow forming unit that forms an air flow for performing such exhaust, and an air flow in the main body 199 formed by the fan 121. And a purifying unit 123 that removes components that can be given to the environment when exhausted as it is outside the main body 199, such as ozone in the air that takes the air in 199 to reach the air flow forming unit 122.

  The communication unit 192 can be connected to a PC, a telephone line, the Internet, or the like that inputs image information for image formation to the image forming apparatus 100, and various post-processing devices that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus 100 can form images. When attached to the apparatus 100, various information is then exchanged with the processing apparatus.

  The image forming units 160Y, 160M, 160C, and 160BK will be described as a representative of the configuration of the image forming unit 160Y including the photosensitive drum 70Y. Since the configurations of the other image forming units are substantially the same, in the following description, for the sake of convenience, the reference numerals corresponding to the reference numerals assigned to the configuration of the image forming unit 160Y are used as the configurations of the other image forming units. Or omitted, and detailed description will be omitted as appropriate.

  The image forming unit 160Y provided with the photoconductive drum 70Y includes a primary transfer roller 112Y and a drum cleaning device as a cleaning unit around the photoconductive drum 70Y along a moving direction that is counterclockwise in the drawing. It has a certain cleaning device 170Y, a neutralizing device provided with a neutralizing lamp (not shown) as a neutralizing unit, a charging device 190Y as a charging unit, and a developing device 180Y as a developing unit as a developing unit as a developing unit. .

  The optical scanning device 108 modulates light based on light information converted in accordance with image information into a region between a charging region where the charging device 190Y faces the photosensitive drum 70Y and a developing region where the developing device 180Y faces. The deflected laser beam L is irradiated while scanning, the surface to be scanned of the photosensitive drum 70Y after being charged by the charging device 190Y is exposed by spot irradiation, and a visible image is formed as a yellow toner image by the developing device 180Y. The electrostatic latent image to be converted is written according to the image information.

  The developing device 180Y includes a developing roller 181Y disposed in close proximity to the photosensitive drum 70Y, a doctor blade (not shown) that regulates the developer on the developing roller 181Y to a certain height, and agitates the developer. A conveying screw (not shown) for supplying developer to the developing roller 181Y, a toner bottle (not shown) containing yellow toner, which is a dry and wax-containing toner, a developing case (not shown) containing these, a DC component developing And a bias applying means (not shown) for applying a bias to the developing roller.

  The developer in the developing case is a two-component developer containing a magnetic carrier and a yellow toner. The developer is supplied and supplied with yellow toner from a toner bottle, and is supplied by a transport screw. The toner and developer are agitated and mixed while being agitated and conveyed, frictionally charged, and supplied to and carried by the developing roller 181Y.

An operation and the like of the image forming apparatus 200 configured as described above will be described.
As the photosensitive drum 70Y rotates, the surface is uniformly negatively charged by the charging device 190Y. An electrostatic latent image corresponding to the yellow color is formed by exposure scanning of the laser beam L from the optical scanning device 108. This electrostatic latent image is developed with the yellow toner in the developer by the developing device 180Y, and the yellow toner image obtained by the development is primarily transferred to the transfer belt 111 that moves in the A1 direction by the primary transfer roller 112Y. The residual toner that has been transferred and remains after the transfer is removed by the cleaning device 170Y. Next, the residual charge is removed by the static eliminator and used for the next static elimination and charging by the charging device 190Y.

  Similarly, toner images of the respective colors are formed on the other photosensitive drums 70M, 70C, and 70BK, and the formed toner images of the respective colors are transferred in the direction of arrow A1 by the primary transfer rollers 112M, 112C, and 112BK. The primary transfer is sequentially performed at the same position on 111. The toner image superimposed on the transfer belt 111 moves to the secondary transfer nip, which is the position facing the secondary transfer belt 105, as the transfer belt 111 rotates in the A1 direction, closely contacts the transfer paper, and is subjected to secondary transfer. Secondary transfer is performed on the transfer paper by the action of bias and nip pressure, and a full-color image is formed on the transfer paper.

  The transfer paper conveyed between the transfer belt 111 and the secondary transfer belt 105 is fed out and fed from the sheet feeding device 161, and the leading end portion of the toner image on the transfer belt 111 is subjected to secondary transfer by the registration roller 104. It is sent out at a timing facing the belt 105.

  When the transfer paper carries the toner images of all the colors collectively transferred, the transfer paper is conveyed by the secondary transfer unit 176, specifically, by the rotation of the secondary transfer belt 105 and enters the fixing device 106, and the pressure roller When passing through the fixing portion between 163 and the belt unit 162, the toner image carried by the action of heat and pressure is fixed, and the full-color image is fixed on the transfer paper.

  During this fixing, the wax contained in the toner particles constituting the toner image oozes out on the surface of the toner image, and the toner image surface is coated with a water-repellent film having releasability so that the toner image is fixed. The adhesion to the belt 164 is prevented or suppressed. The fixed transfer paper that has passed through the fixing device 106 is stacked on a paper discharge tray 117 via a paper discharge roller 107.

  The transfer paper that has been stacked on the paper discharge tray 117 and has been subjected to image formation by the image forming apparatus 200 becomes an output product of the image forming apparatus 200. This output has water repellency on the surface mainly in the region where the toner image is formed. In order to satisfactorily perform processing that requires hydrophilicity to the output material, it is necessary to perform modification to make the water-repellent portion hydrophilic by using the surface of the output material as a processing surface prior to processing.

  Even when the fixing device 106 is an oil application type in which a water-repellent release agent such as silicon oil is applied to the fixing belt 164, the release agent applied to the fixing belt 164 is transferred to the transfer paper. Therefore, the surface of the output product has water repellency, and it is necessary to perform modification to make the surface including the releasability hydrophilic with the surface to be modified.

  Therefore, in order to modify the surface of the output object using the above-described stand-alone type reformer 100, the output object is a workpiece S having the surface including the surface of the toner image as the workpiece surface. 4, the output product stacked on the paper discharge tray 117 is set as the workpiece S on the feeding unit 30, and the workpiece from the feeding unit 30 to the reforming unit 10 is operated by operating the operation panel. S feeding will be started.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the reformer is not a stand-alone type, and the post-processed post-processing is performed on the image-formed output product in the image forming apparatus 200, which is detachable from the image forming apparatus 200. The processing device 195 may be provided. The reforming device provided in the post-processing device 195 performs communication with the communication unit 192 while omitting the feeding unit 30 excluding the tip aligning roller 32 as compared with the above-described reforming device 100. A communication unit 92 is provided, and the operation panel can be omitted. In the image forming apparatus 200, the paper discharge tray 117 is omitted as compared with the above-described configuration.

  When the post-processing device 195 is attached to the image forming apparatus 200, the communication unit 92 can communicate with the communication unit 192. When the image forming apparatus 200 is started in the image forming apparatus 200, the post-processing apparatus 195 is notified to that effect from the communication unit 192 to the communication unit 92, the reforming unit 10 and the exhaust unit 20 start operating, The output material discharged from the image forming apparatus 200 by the paper roller 107 enters between the leading edge aligning roller 32 and the conveying belt 12 as a workpiece, and the reforming unit 10 performs the reforming.

  At this time, the image formation speed in the image forming apparatus 200 is input from the communication unit 192 to the communication unit 92, and the rotation speed of the motor 16 is adjusted so that the rotation speed of the transport belt 12 matches the image formation speed. Thereby, in the post-processing device 195, the workpiece is quickly reformed without causing the workpiece to jam. Other operations are as described above.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the reformer 100 may be provided in the image forming apparatus 200 itself. In this case, as shown in the figure, the reforming unit 10 is incorporated in the fixing device 106, the fixing belt 164 is shared with the conveying belt 12, the exhaust unit 120 is shared with the exhaust unit 20, and the sheet feeding device 161. Is shared with the feeding unit 30, and the paper discharge tray 117 is shared with the stacking unit 40. In this way, if the image forming apparatus 200 includes the reforming apparatus 100, and an output product on which an image has been formed is a workpiece in the reforming apparatus 100, the reforming apparatus 100 modifies the processing surface. By sharing these, the number of parts is reduced, and there is an advantage in cost reduction and size reduction.

  These various reforming apparatuses 100 may have a processing means for performing processing that has been made possible by the modification on the workpiece surface that has been modified by modifying the workpiece. Since the reforming apparatus 100 has a function of modifying the processing surface having water repellency to hydrophilicity, as the processing means, the coating property is low on the water-repellent surface and coating is performed on the hydrophilic surface. A varnish coater that coats varnish with high properties can be mentioned. As an example in which the reforming apparatus 100 has a varnish coater as the processing means, FIG. 7 shows a configuration example in which the reforming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 or 6 has a varnish coater 60 as a processing apparatus as the processing means.

  The varnish coater 60 is a storage unit 61 that stores liquid varnish, a first roller 62 that is partially immersed in the storage unit 61, a first roller 62 that contacts the first roller 62, and a varnish is applied from the first roller 62. The varnish is applied from the second roller 63 in contact with the second roller 63 and the second roller 63, and the varnish applied from the second roller 63 is applied to the workpiece conveyed by the conveying belt 12. A third roller 64, a fan 65 as a drying means for drying the varnish applied to the workpiece, and an ultraviolet irradiation light source for an ultraviolet curable UV varnish. The third roller 64 is rotated with the conveyance belt 12 or the workpiece conveyed thereby, the second roller 63 is rotated with the third roller, and the first roller 62 is rotated with the second roller 63. To go around. The coating method of the varnish is not limited to coating with a roller, and a coating means capable of patterning in a variable manner such as an ink jet method may be used.

  According to the reforming apparatus 100 having such a configuration, a series of processes for performing processing that has been made possible by reforming as well as reforming are continuously performed. Further, by drying the varnish with the fan 65, it is possible to prevent or suppress the varnish from being transferred to the workpieces stacked on the stacking tray 41, and the processing surface due to the varnish appears early.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and the present invention described in the claims is not specifically limited by the above description. Various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the above.

  An image forming apparatus having a reforming apparatus to which the present invention is applied or an image forming apparatus for forming an output product to be processed by the reforming apparatus to which the present invention is applied is a so-called tandem method as shown in FIG. Instead of the image forming apparatus, a so-called one-drum type image forming apparatus that sequentially forms toner images of each color on a single photosensitive drum and sequentially superimposes the color toner images to obtain a color image may be used. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to a color image forming apparatus but also to a monochrome image forming apparatus. In any type of image forming apparatus, each color toner image may be directly transferred onto a transfer sheet or the like without using an intermediate transfer member. However, in the image forming apparatus using the wax-containing toner, the water repellency is higher when the toner images are superposed for obtaining a color image, etc., so that the effect of the modification is high.

  The post-processing apparatus having the reforming apparatus to which the present invention is applied may have a function of aligning workpieces that are reformed and output. The stapling function is preferably provided so as to staple the workpiece having the processing means as described above and processed by the processing means.

  The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely a list of the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. Absent.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Conveyance means 26 Insulating member 28,52 Counter electrode 51 Discharge electrode roller 100 Reforming apparatus 195 Post-processing apparatus 200 Image forming apparatus S Workpiece

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the reforming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the detachable apparatus is attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus, and the workpiece on which the image is formed in the image forming apparatus. A post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing, wherein the processing surface of the workpiece on which the image has been formed is modified by the reforming apparatus.

Claims (6)

A conveying means for conveying a sheet-like workpiece in a predetermined direction, and a plasma arranged in contact with the workpiece surface of the workpiece being conveyed in the predetermined direction by the conveying means toward the workpiece surface A discharge electrode roller for generating the plasma, and a counter electrode disposed opposite to the discharge electrode roller via the conveying means to generate the plasma between the discharge electrode roller, A reformer that performs reforming,
The discharge electrode roller has a uniform thickness and a length that is longer than the length orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the workpiece. The length of the counter electrode controls the plasma discharge length for the workpiece. The reformer characterized by performing. The reformer according to claim 1, wherein
The reformer is characterized in that the counter electrode has insulating members at both ends thereof. The reformer according to claim 1, wherein
The reformer is characterized in that both ends of the counter electrode are inclined so as to be gradually separated from the conveying means. The reformer according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A reforming apparatus comprising processing means for performing a process made possible by the modification on the work surface modified by the plasma.   6. A post-processing apparatus comprising the reforming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the post-processing apparatus is detachable from an image forming apparatus and performs post-processing of the workpiece on which an image has been formed in the image forming apparatus. The post-processing apparatus is characterized in that the processing surface of the workpiece on which the image has been formed is modified in the reforming apparatus.   An image forming apparatus comprising the reforming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing surface of the workpiece on which an image has been formed is modified by the reforming apparatus.

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