JP2012153097A - Processing agent coating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a processing agent coating device configured to apply a processing agent to the coating area of a recording medium of various sizes, neither too much nor too little.SOLUTION: The processing agent coating device 3 includes: a processing agent supply part 6; a coating roller 4 that turns in contact with the supply part 6; and a counter roller 5 that turns in contact with the coating roller. The processing agent supply part and the coating roller are fixedly positioned, and the counter roller can be moved in an axial direction and set at any position with reference to the coating roller. By moving the counter roller in the axial direction, the width of the recording medium which is held between the rollers and to which the processing agent can be applied, can be arbitrarily set. The counter roller is positioned, thereafter, the recording medium 2 is held between the coating roller 4 and the counter roller 5 and conveyed, and then, the processing agent is applied to one side of the recording medium 2.

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing agent coating apparatus that enhances the utility of image formation by printing by applying a processing agent to a recording medium as pre-processing or post-processing of image formation by a printing means. In particular, the present invention relates to a treatment agent coating apparatus that can apply a treatment agent to recording media of various sizes without excess or deficiency of the application region.

  Ink jet recording apparatuses have rapidly become popular in recent years because they can record on various recording media at high speed. On the other hand, higher quality images and better drying and fixing properties are required. In order to meet such demands, an ink jet recording apparatus is proposed in which a pre-processing unit that applies a processing agent to a recording medium prior to ink jet recording or a post-processing unit that applies a processing agent to a recording medium after ink jet recording is proposed. ing.

  Patent Document 1 below discloses an image forming apparatus that can arbitrarily switch the coating conditions of a processing liquid to be applied to a recording medium, and can form a good image by reducing processing liquid unevenness. Yes. According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7 of this document, the application rollers 150 </ b> A to 150 </ b> D are brought into contact with the surface of the recording paper 12 sucked and conveyed by the suction drum 110, so that the processing liquid is applied to the surface of the recording paper 12. Can be applied. A plurality of coating rollers 150 </ b> A to 150 </ b> D having different widths are prepared and can be replaced by a turret 154. Further, the suction force of the suction drum 110 is controlled along the transport direction, and the suction force is weakened immediately before the application roller comes into contact. As a result, the processing liquid can be applied in a width corresponding to the recording paper 12, and the processing liquid can be applied without unevenness.

  Patent Document 2 below discloses an ink jet recording apparatus including an application unit that supplies a pretreatment agent to a predetermined range of an application roller that applies a pretreatment agent to a recording medium. According to the present invention, in order to supply the treatment agent to a predetermined range divided in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium according to the size (width) of the recording medium, the application roller and the opposing surface are opposed thereto. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as treatment agent remaining on the roller or scattering of the remaining treatment agent.

JP 2009-286049 A JP 2010-158673 A

  However, according to the invention described in each of the above-mentioned patent documents, it is effective only for a recording medium of a fixed size that is assumed in advance, and the apparatus becomes complicated when trying to support recording media of various sizes. There was a problem of becoming. Such a problem becomes a problem not only in an ink jet recording apparatus but also in a pre-processing apparatus or a post-processing apparatus that is widely and generally attached to a printing apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and is a process for pre-processing or post-processing of a recording medium by applying a processing agent to the recording medium provided in the pre-process or post-process of the image forming unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide an agent coating apparatus that can apply a treatment agent to not only a standard size recording medium but also various sizes of recording media without excess or deficiency of a coating area.

The processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 1 transports in a transporting direction perpendicular to the width direction of the recording medium, with the coating member coating the processing medium on the recording medium and the recording medium sandwiched between the coating members. In a treatment agent coating apparatus comprising: a treatment agent application unit having at least a facing member; and a treatment agent supply unit that supplies a treatment agent to the application member.
In order to be able to change the coating width of the processing agent on the recording medium, any one of the constituent members of the processing agent coating section and the processing agent supply section is made different depending on the width direction and the transport direction of the recording medium. It is characterized in that it can be moved relatively within a defined plane.

The treatment agent coating apparatus according to claim 2 is the treatment agent application apparatus according to claim 1,
A coating roller as the coating member, a counter roller as the counter member,
At least one of the coating roller, the counter roller, and the processing agent supply unit is configured to transfer the processing agent from the coating roller to the recording medium in accordance with the dimension in the width direction of the recording medium. And it is comprised so that it may move relatively along the axial direction of the said opposing roller.

The treatment agent coating apparatus according to claim 3 is the treatment agent application apparatus according to claim 1,
A coating roller as the coating member, a counter roller as the counter member,
An intermediate transfer roller for transferring the processing agent supplied from the processing agent supply unit to the application roller is provided as a constituent member of the processing agent application unit between the processing agent supply unit and the application roller.
Of the coating roller, the counter roller, the processing agent supply unit, and the intermediate transfer roller, the processing agent is transferred from the coating roller to the recording medium in accordance with the dimension in the width direction of the recording medium. At least one is characterized in that it is configured to move relatively along the axial direction of the application roller, the opposing roller, and the intermediate transfer roller.

The treatment agent coating apparatus according to claim 4 is the treatment agent application apparatus according to claim 1,
A coating roller as the coating member, a counter roller as the counter member,
In order to control the area where the processing agent adheres to the coating roller in accordance with the dimension in the width direction of the recording medium, the width at which the processing agent from the processing agent supply unit is transferred to the coating roller can be arbitrarily set. The treatment agent supply unit and the treatment agent application unit including the application roller are configured to be relatively movable.

The processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 5 is the processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 4,
The treatment agent supply unit has a length in the width direction that differs depending on a position in the conveyance direction, and the application roller is disposed such that an axial direction thereof coincides with the width direction, and the treatment agent supply unit and the treatment agent supply unit The application member is characterized by being relatively movable in the transport direction.

The processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 6 is the processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 4,
The treatment agent supply unit and the application roller are relatively rotatable in a plane defined by a width direction and a conveyance direction.

The processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 7 is the processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 1,
A coating roller as the coating member, a counter roller as the counter member,
At least one of the application roller and the counter roller includes a dividing roller that is divided in the axial direction and is movable in the axial direction, and the dividing roller is moved in the axial direction according to the width of the recording medium. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the treatment agent is applied to the recording medium with an application width corresponding to the width.

The processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 8 is the processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 1,
A coating roller as the coating member, a counter roller as the counter member,
An intermediate transfer roller for transferring the processing agent supplied from the processing agent supply unit to the application roller is provided as a constituent member of the processing agent application unit between the processing agent supply unit and the application roller.
At least one of the application roller, the counter roller, and the intermediate transfer roller is provided with a division roller that is divided in the axial direction and movable in the axial direction, and the division roller is arranged according to the width of the recording medium. By moving in the axial direction, the treatment agent is applied to the recording medium with an application width corresponding to the width.

  According to the processing agent coating apparatus recited in claim 1, at least one of the constituent members of the processing agent coating unit including at least the coating member and the opposing member, and the processing agent supply unit is recorded on the other. By relatively moving within the plane defined by the width direction and the conveyance direction of the medium, the application width of the processing agent on the recording medium can be arbitrarily set / changed. Thus, the treatment agent can be applied without excess or deficiency of the application region.

  According to the processing agent coating apparatus described in claim 2, it is structurally simple to relatively move at least one of the coating roller, the opposing roller, and the processing agent supply unit along the axial direction of each roller. With the configuration capable of quick operation, the processing agent is transferred from the coating roller to the recording medium according to the width of the recording medium, and the effect of the invention of claim 1 can be achieved.

  According to the processing agent coating apparatus recited in claim 3, at least one of the coating roller, the opposing roller, the processing agent supply unit, and the intermediate transfer roller is relatively moved along the axial direction of each roller. The processing agent can be transferred from the coating roller to the recording medium according to the width of the recording medium with the structure that is structurally simple and capable of rapid operation, and the effect of the invention of claim 1 can be achieved. it can.

  In addition, by providing the intermediate transfer roller, it is possible to cope with the case where there is a problem in arrangement of the constituent members in which the processing agent supply unit is not provided in the vicinity of the application roller. In addition, since the application roller and the intermediate transfer roller do not have excessive contact between the peripheral surfaces of the rollers and excessive friction does not occur, the transfer state of the processing agent from the intermediate transfer roller to the application roller is good. Further, if there is no intermediate transfer roller, the force applied to the coating roller from the processing agent supply unit may be applied to the recording medium as it is, which may affect the coating of the processing agent. Is prevented from applying excessive force.

  Further, when there is no intermediate transfer roller and the application roller is configured to directly supply the processing agent from the processing agent supply unit, when the configuration is such that the application roller is moved, the processing agent that contacts the moving application roller. There may be structural constraints on the supply section. For example, when the treatment agent supply unit has a structure in which the application roller is immersed in the treatment agent stored in the tank, the treatment agent supply unit is complicated so that the application roller immersed in the treatment agent can move. Therefore, it is difficult to adopt such a tank structure treatment agent supply unit. However, if an intermediate transfer roller that receives the supply of the processing agent from the processing agent supply unit is provided as in claim 3, the processing agent supply unit is allowed to move the application roller even when the application roller is moved. Therefore, it can be adopted without any problem even in the treatment agent supply section having a tank structure.

  According to the processing agent coating apparatus recited in claim 4, the processing agent supply unit and the processing agent application unit including the application roller are relatively moved so that the processing agent from the processing agent supply unit is transferred to the application roller. By arbitrarily setting the width, the area where the processing agent adheres to the coating roller is controlled in accordance with the width of the recording medium, and thereby the effect of the first aspect of the invention can be achieved. Also, the dimensions of the apparatus in the axial direction can be reduced as a whole as compared with the case where the application roller, the opposing roller, other components of the processing agent application unit, and the processing agent supply unit are moved in the axial direction of the roller.

  According to the processing agent coating apparatus described in claim 5, if the processing agent supply unit and the coating member are moved relative to each other in the transport direction, the width of the processing agent supply unit varies depending on the position in the transport direction. The width for applying the treatment agent to the roller can be arbitrarily set, and thereby the same effect as that of the invention of claim 4 can be achieved.

  According to the processing agent coating apparatus described in claim 6, if the processing agent supply unit and the application roller are relatively rotated within the conveyance plane of the recording medium, the processing agent is supplied to the application roller by the processing agent supply unit. The width to be applied can be arbitrarily set, and thereby the same effect as that of the invention of claim 4 can be achieved.

  According to the processing agent application apparatus of the seventh aspect, the application roller or the opposing roller can be adjusted to the width of the recording medium by moving the dividing roller in the axial direction. The treatment agent can be applied with a wide application width, and the effect of the invention of claim 1 can be achieved.

  According to the processing agent application apparatus of the eighth aspect, the application roller, the opposing roller, or the intermediate transfer roller can be adjusted to the width of the recording medium by moving the dividing roller in the axial direction. On the other hand, the treatment agent can be applied with an application width corresponding to the width, and the effect of the invention of claim 1 can be achieved.

It is a whole block diagram of 1st Embodiment. It is a front view of the processing agent coating device in a 1st embodiment. It is a side view of the processing agent coating apparatus in 1st Embodiment, (a) is a partial view which shows the case where a large size recording medium is processed, (b) is the case where a small size recording medium is processed, respectively. It is a front view of the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a side view of the processing agent coating apparatus in 2nd Embodiment, (a) is a partial diagram which each shows the case where a large sized recording medium is processed, and (b) the case where a small sized recording medium is processed. It is a side view of the processing agent coating apparatus in 3rd Embodiment, (a) is a partial diagram which each shows the case where a large size recording medium is processed, and (b) the case where a small size recording medium is processed. It is a side view of the processing agent coating apparatus in 4th Embodiment, (a) is a partial diagram which each shows the case where a large size recording medium is processed, and (b) each processes the case where a small size recording medium is processed. It is a side view of the processing agent coating apparatus in 5th Embodiment, (a) is a partial view which shows the case where a large size recording medium is processed, (b) is the case where a small size recording medium is processed, respectively. It is a front view of the modification of embodiment. It is a front view of the processing agent coating apparatus in 6th Embodiment. It is the top view which made the conveyance direction of the processing agent coating device in 6th Embodiment match the up-down direction in the figure. It is the top view which made the conveyance direction of the processing agent coating device in 7th Embodiment correspond to the up-down direction in the figure. It is the top view which matched the conveyance direction of the processing agent coating device in 8th Embodiment to the up-down direction in the figure. It is the top view which made the conveyance direction of the processing agent coating device in 9th Embodiment correspond to the up-down direction in the figure. It is a side view of the processing agent coating apparatus in 10th Embodiment, (a) is a partial view which shows the case where a large size recording medium is processed, (b) is the case where a small size recording medium is processed, respectively. It is sectional drawing which shows the division | segmentation structure and moving means of an opposing roller in the processing agent coating device of 10th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the division | segmentation structure and moving means of an opposing roller in the processing agent application | coating apparatus of 11th Embodiment, Comprising: (a) is the figure seen from the gaze of the horizontal direction orthogonal to an axis | shaft, (b) is parallel to an axis | shaft. It is the figure seen from the direction. It is a side view of the processing agent application device in the twelfth embodiment, (a) is a partial diagram showing a case where a large size recording medium is processed, and (b) is a partial diagram showing a case where a small size recording medium is processed.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The processing agent coating apparatus of each embodiment described below is a unit provided in an image forming apparatus such as an ink jet apparatus, and by applying a processing agent to a recording medium on which an image is formed before image formation, For example, it is an apparatus for realizing a higher quality image and realizing desirable properties such as good drying and fixing properties. The processing agent coating apparatus of each of these embodiments applies the processing agent to be applied to the recording medium by changing the relative positional relationship and the like of the constituent members for applying the processing agent to the recording medium. The width can be arbitrarily changed, so that the treatment agent can be applied to not only the recording medium of a fixed size but also the recording medium of various sizes without excess or deficiency of the application area.
It should be noted that in the description of each embodiment, portions of the same function that substantially correspond between the embodiments are basically the same in the specification and drawings for the sake of simplicity, regardless of differences in the embodiments. The description will be made with reference to the same reference numerals.

1. 1st Embodiment (FIGS. 1-4)
FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of an ink jet recording apparatus 1 as an image forming apparatus having the processing agent coating apparatus of the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the recording medium 2 is transported along a transport path R <b> 1 indicated by an arrow, and is sent to a treatment agent coating apparatus 3 that is a pretreatment unit. As will be described in detail later, the processing agent coating apparatus 3 is a coating roller 4 serving as a coating member that coats the recording medium 2 and a counter member that transports the recording medium 2 sandwiched between the coating roller 4. A processing agent application unit including an opposing roller 5 is provided, and a processing agent supply unit 6 that supplies the processing agent to the application roller 4 is further provided. The processing agent supply unit 6 is supplied with the processing agent 9 from the storage unit 8 via the supply pipe 7 by the pump P. The recording medium 2 is conveyed by being sandwiched between the application roller 4 and the counter roller 5 in the processing agent application device 3, and the processing agent is applied to one side (the lower surface in the figure) which becomes the printing surface. Thereafter, the recording medium 2 is transported along the transport path indicated by the arrow R2 and reversed, and passes below the ink jet head 10 as the image forming means with the surface coated with the treatment agent 9 facing upward. An image is formed with the ink ejected from the ink 10 and discharged.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the treatment agent coating apparatus 3 of the first embodiment includes a controller 11 that controls the entire apparatus. An operation unit 12 is connected to the controller 11, and a user instruction is input from the operation unit 12. In accordance with an instruction input from the operation unit 12 and a program and control data stored in advance in the storage unit of the controller 11, the controller 11 controls the processing agent coating device 3, the inkjet head 10, and other control targets (not shown). Control is performed by giving a control signal S as indicated by an arrow. The details will be described in the section of each embodiment. Among the constituent parts of the processing agent coating apparatus 3, the controller 11 is controlled by the coating roller 4, the opposing roller 5, and an intermediate transfer not shown in FIG. A roller, a processing agent supply unit 6, and a pump P for supplying the processing agent 9 to the processing agent supply unit 6.

  2 and 3 are views showing the processing agent coating apparatus 3 having the same structure and function as the processing agent coating apparatus 3 described in FIG. 1, and the structure and the corresponding reference numerals shown in FIG. The operation will be described again. Note that each component of the processing agent coating apparatus 3 and the recording medium 2 are in contact with each other, and there is actually no gap between them during operation. However, in FIG. In order to make it easy to grasp, there is a gap between them. The same applies to FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, and 18 showing other embodiments to be described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the processing agent coating apparatus 3 has a processing agent application unit. The treatment agent application section is composed of an opposing roller 5 and an application roller 4 which are arranged horizontally with their axes parallel to each other and rotate substantially in contact with each other. The opposing roller 5 and the application roller 4 have substantially the same outer diameter, and the axial length thereof is also substantially the same. In the present embodiment, the application roller 4 is a driving roller and the opposing roller 5 is a driven roller, but the opposite may be possible. Although the outer diameters of the opposing roller 5 and the application roller 4 are substantially the same, the application roller 4 may have a larger diameter as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in this embodiment, the counter roller 5 can move in the axial direction. Although the means for moving is not particularly shown, the intended quick operation can be obtained by a simple configuration using, for example, a guide means for guiding the shaft and an arbitrary actuator for linearly moving the shaft. Thereby, the position of the opposing roller 5 can be changed relative to the coating roller 4 and the processing agent supply unit 6 that do not move in the axial direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 3A, the application roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 can be set in a state where they are in contact with each other over the entire length in the axial direction. Also, as shown in FIG. The roller 5 can be set in a state where the positional relationship of the rollers 5 is shifted in the axial direction and both rollers are in contact with each other by about 2/3 of the total length in the axial direction. Since the movement of the opposing roller 5 in the axial direction can be performed continuously and steplessly, the adjustment of the contact length in the axial direction of the facing roller 5 and the application roller 4 can also be performed continuously and steplessly.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the treatment agent coating apparatus 3 has a treatment agent supply unit 6. The treatment agent supply unit 6 is an elongated rectangular plate-like member having a length equivalent to the axial length of the application roller 4. The processing agent supply unit 6 is made of a porous material and can be impregnated and held with the processing agent. The processing agent supply unit 6 is supplied with the processing agent from the processing agent storage unit 8 through the supply pipe 7. The treatment agent supply unit 6 is disposed below the application roller 4 with the longitudinal direction thereof aligned with the axial direction of the application roller 4, and the application roller 4 is in contact with the upper surface thereof. In the present embodiment, since the application roller 4 and the processing agent supply unit 6 do not move, the positional relationship between them does not change.

Next, the operation of the treatment agent coating apparatus 3 will be described.
2 and 3, the application roller 4 can be supplied to the peripheral surface of the coating roller 4 by rotating in contact with the processing agent supply unit 6. 3A and 3B, the width direction of the recording medium 2 coincides with the axial direction of both rollers parallel to the paper surface, and the recording medium 2 is interposed between the coating roller 4 and the opposing roller 5. It is fed and conveyed by both rollers in a conveying direction perpendicular to the paper surface perpendicular to the width direction, and the treatment agent 9 is applied to one surface (the lower surface in FIGS. 2 and 3) in the meantime.

  FIG. 3A shows a case where a relatively large size (width) of the recording medium 2 is processed. Both ends of the coating roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 having the same axial length are aligned with each other, and both rollers are pivoted. The direction is set to be in contact with the entire length. In this case, it is possible to process the recording medium 2 having a relatively large width equal to the axial length of the rollers 4 and 5.

  FIG. 3B shows a case where the recording medium 2 having a relatively small size (width) is processed. The counter roller 5 is moved in the axial direction, and the positional relationship between the application roller 4 and the counter roller 5 is set in the axial direction. The two rollers 4 and 5 are set so as to be in contact with each other by about 2/3 of the total axial length. In this case, it is possible to process the recording medium 2 having a relatively small width equal to the axial length of contact between the rollers 4 and 5.

  According to this embodiment, the recording medium 2 is supplied between the rollers 4 and 5 on the basis of the end portion where the right end edge of the coating roller 4 and the processing agent supply unit 6 is aligned with the right end portion in the drawing.

  According to this embodiment, the axial movement of the opposing roller 5 can be performed continuously or in a stepless manner. Therefore, the contact length in the axial direction of the opposing roller 5 and the coating roller 4 can be adjusted continuously and in a stepless manner. The Accordingly, the width dimension of the recording medium 2 that can be processed by the processing agent coating apparatus 3 is limited only to the maximum dimension, and any recording medium 2 having a smaller width can be used.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, after processing the recording medium 2 having a large width in the previous process and then processing the recording medium 2 having a small width in the subsequent process, the processing agent 9 in the previous process remains on the coating roller 4. Even in this case, since the application roller 4 and the counter roller 5 are in contact with each other at a width corresponding to the width of the recording medium 2 in the post process, the processing agent 9 of the pre process adheres to the counter roller 5 in the post process. There is no.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, the processing agent supply part 6 was made into the rectangular plate-shaped member comprised from a porous material and impregnating and holding a processing agent. However, the application roller 4 and the processing agent supply unit 6 of this embodiment do not move relative to each other, and the positional relationship does not change. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to provide a processing agent supply unit 60 in which the processing agent 9 is accommodated in the container, and the coating roller 4 is rotatably immersed in the processing agent 9.

2. Second Embodiment (FIG. 5)
FIG. 5 is a structural diagram of the treatment agent coating apparatus 3 according to the second embodiment. In the following, the description will focus on the configuration and operational effects different from those of the first embodiment, and the description of the first embodiment will be incorporated within the scope consistent with the description of the present embodiment for other configurations and operational effects. And

  In this processing agent application device 3, the application roller 4 can move in the axial direction, and the positions of the opposing roller 5 and the processing agent supply unit 6 are fixed. Accordingly, the position of the application roller 4 can be changed relative to the counter roller 5 and the processing agent supply unit 6 that do not move in the axial direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 5A, the application roller 4 can be set to be in contact with both the processing agent supply unit 6 and the opposing roller 5 over the entire length in the axial direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the application roller 4 can be set to a state in which only about 2/3 of the total length in the axial direction is in contact with the processing agent supply unit 6 and the counter roller 5.

  FIG. 5A shows a case where a relatively large size (width) of the recording medium 2 is processed. Both ends of the coating roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 having the same axial length are aligned with each other. 5 is set to be in contact with the entire length in the axial direction. In this case, it is possible to process the recording medium 2 having a relatively large width equal to the axial length of the rollers 4 and 5.

  FIG. 5B shows an example of processing a recording medium 2 having a relatively small size (width). The application roller 4 is moved in the axial direction to supply the application roller 4, the counter roller 5, and the processing agent. The positional relationship with the part 6 is shifted in the axial direction, and the coating roller 4 is set in a state where it contacts the opposing roller 5 and the processing agent supply part 6 by about 2/3 of the total length in the axial direction. In this case, it is possible to process the recording medium 2 having a relatively small width equal to the axial length of contact between the rollers 4 and 5.

  According to the present embodiment, the recording medium 2 is supplied between the rollers 4 and 5 on the basis of the end portion where the right end edge is aligned with the right end portion of the processing agent supply portion 6 in the drawing.

3. Third Embodiment (FIG. 6)
FIG. 6 is a structural diagram of the treatment agent coating apparatus 3 according to the third embodiment. In the following, description will be made with a focus on configurations and operational effects different from the respective embodiments, and the descriptions of the respective embodiments will be incorporated within the scope consistent with the description of the present embodiment for the other configurations, operational effects, and the like. And

  In this processing agent coating apparatus 3, the processing agent supply unit 6 can move along the axial direction of the coating roller 4 and the counter roller 5, and the positions of the coating roller 4 and the counter roller 5 are fixed. . Thereby, the processing agent supply part 6 can change a position relatively with respect to the axial direction of both the rollers 4 and 5 with respect to the application roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 which do not move. That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, the processing agent supply unit 6 can be set to be in contact with the entire length of the application roller 4. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the processing agent supply unit 6 can be set in a state of contacting only about 2/3 of the total length of the application roller 4 in the axial direction.

  FIG. 6A shows a case where a relatively large size (width) of the recording medium 2 is processed, and both ends of the coating roller 4 and the processing agent supply unit 6 having the same axial length are aligned with each other. 4 and the processing agent supply unit 6 are set in a state where they contact each other over the entire length in the axial direction. In this case, the recording medium 2 having a relatively large width equal to the axial length of the application roller 4 can be processed.

  FIG. 6B shows a case where the recording medium 2 having a relatively small size (width) is processed. The processing agent supply unit 6 is moved in the axial direction, and the positional relationship with the application roller 4 is shifted in the axial direction. The treatment agent supply unit 6 is set in contact with only about 2/3 of the entire length of the coating roller 4 in the axial direction. In this case, it is possible to process the recording medium 2 having a relatively small width equal to the length in the axial direction in which the application roller 4 and the processing agent supply unit 6 are in contact.

  According to this embodiment, the recording medium 2 is supplied between the rollers 4 and 5 on the basis of the end portion where the right end edge of the coating roller 4 and the counter roller 5 is aligned with the right end portion in the drawing.

4). Fourth embodiment (FIG. 7)
FIG. 7 is a structural diagram of the processing agent coating apparatus 3 according to the fourth embodiment. In the following, description will be made with a focus on configurations and operational effects different from the respective embodiments, and the descriptions of the respective embodiments will be incorporated within the scope consistent with the description of the present embodiment for the other configurations, operational effects, and the like. And

  In this processing agent coating apparatus 3, the coating roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 whose positions in the axial direction coincide with each other along the axial direction of the rollers 4 and 5 with respect to the processing agent supply unit 6 whose position is fixed. You can move together. Thereby, the application roller 4 can change a position relatively with respect to the axial direction of both the rollers 4 and 5 with respect to the processing agent supply part 6 which does not move. That is, as shown in FIG. 7A, the application roller 4 can be set in a state of contacting the treatment agent supply unit 6 with respect to the entire length thereof. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the application roller 4 can be set to be in contact with the processing agent supply unit 6 only about 2/3 of the total length in the axial direction.

  FIG. 7A shows a case where a relatively large size (width) of the recording medium 2 is processed, so that the axial position of the coating roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 having the same length in the axial direction coincide with each other. Further, the coating roller 4 is set in a state of being in contact with the processing agent supply unit 6 over the entire length in the axial direction. In this case, the recording medium 2 having a relatively large width equal to the axial length of the application roller 4 can be processed.

  FIG. 7B shows a case where a relatively small size (width) of the recording medium 2 is processed, and the coating roller 4 and the counter roller 5 arranged so that the positions in the axial direction coincide with each other are supplied with a processing agent. It is moved in the axial direction with respect to the portion 6, and is set so that only about 2/3 of the total length of the coating roller 4 in the axial direction is in contact with the processing agent supply portion 6. In this case, it is possible to process the recording medium 2 having a relatively small width equal to the length in the axial direction in which the application roller 4 and the processing agent supply unit 6 are in contact.

  According to the present embodiment, the recording medium 2 is supplied between the rollers 4 and 5 on the basis of the end portion where the right end edge is aligned with the right end portion of the processing agent supply portion 6 in the drawing.

5. Fifth embodiment (FIG. 8)
FIG. 8 is a structural diagram of the treatment agent coating apparatus 3 according to the fifth embodiment. In the following, description will be made with a focus on configurations and operational effects different from the respective embodiments, and the descriptions of the respective embodiments will be incorporated within the scope consistent with the description of the present embodiment for the other configurations, operational effects, and the like. And

  In this processing agent coating apparatus 3, the coating roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 having the same axial length are aligned in the axial position, and the coating roller 4 has the axial length as a processing agent supply unit. The application roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 are symmetrically opposite to each other along the axial direction of the rollers 4 and 5 with respect to the processing agent supply unit 6 whose position is fixed, with the state brought into contact with the reference numeral 6 as a reference position. You can move with. Thereby, the application roller 4 can change the position relative to the processing agent supply unit 6 that does not move relative to the axial direction, and can also change the position relative to the opposing roller 5 relative to the axial direction.

  FIG. 8A shows a case where a relatively large size (width) recording medium 2 is processed so that the axial position of the coating roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 having the same length in the axial direction coincide with each other. Further, the coating roller 4 is set in a state of being in contact with the processing agent supply unit 6 over the entire length in the axial direction. In this case, the recording medium 2 having a relatively large width equal to the axial length of the application roller 4 can be processed.

  FIG. 8B shows a case where the recording medium 2 having a relatively small size (width) is processed. From the reference position shown in FIG. 8A, the application roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 are moved along the axial direction. By moving in directions opposite to each other, only a part of the region of the coating roller 4 that has received the coating of the processing agent from the processing agent supply unit 6 comes into contact with the counter roller 5, in this case, A recording medium 2 having a relatively small width equal to the length in the axial direction in which the coating roller 4 and the counter roller 5 are in contact can be processed.

  According to the present embodiment, as can be understood from FIGS. 8A and 8B, the application roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 move in a symmetrical manner with respect to the center line C of the treatment agent supply unit 6. In order to adjust the width of the recording medium 2 sandwiched between the rollers 4 and 5, the recording medium 2 is supplied between the rollers 4 and 5 with a center reference that aligns the center line C with the center line C of the processing agent supply unit 6. Will be.

6). Modified example (FIG. 9)
FIG. 9 is a structural diagram of a modification of each embodiment described above. In this modification, an intermediate transfer roller that transfers the processing agent supplied from the processing agent supply unit 6 to the application roller 4 as another component of the processing agent application unit between the processing agent supply unit 6 and the application roller 4. 15 is provided. In each of the embodiments described above, the application width of the processing agent on the recording medium 2 is adjusted by moving the opposing roller 5, the application roller 4, and the processing agent supply unit 6 with respect to the other. Accordingly, by moving the intermediate transfer roller 15 in the axial direction with respect to the opposing roller 5, the application roller 4, and the processing agent supply unit 6, it is possible to obtain the same effects as in the above embodiments.

  Further, by providing the intermediate transfer roller 15, it is possible to deal with a case where there is a problem in arrangement of components in which the processing agent supply unit 6 is not provided in the vicinity of the application roller 4. In addition, since the application roller 4 and the intermediate transfer roller 15 have no unreasonable contact between the peripheral surfaces of the rollers 4 and 15 and excessive friction does not occur, the treatment agent from the intermediate transfer roller 15 to the application roller 4 is not affected. The transfer state is good. Further, if the intermediate transfer roller 15 is not provided, the force applied to the application roller 4 from the processing agent supply unit 6 may be transmitted to the recording medium 2 as it is and may adversely affect the application of the processing agent 9. If there is the roller 15, this acts as a buffer material to prevent an excessive force from being applied to the recording medium 2.

  Further, in the case where the intermediate transfer roller 15 is not provided and the coating roller 4 is configured to be directly supplied with the processing agent from the processing agent supply unit 6, the second to fourth embodiments for moving the coating roller 4 or the processing agent supply unit 6 are performed. In the case of the configuration as shown in the form (FIGS. 5 to 7), instead of the processing agent supply unit 6 that contacts the moving application roller 4, a tank that stores the processing agent 9 as shown in FIG. It is difficult to adopt a structure in which the treatment agent supply unit 60 is provided and the coating roller 4 is immersed therein. This is because in order to allow the application roller 4 immersed in the treatment agent 9 to move, a complicated structure that allows the application roller 4 to move is required on the treatment agent supply unit 60 side. However, if the intermediate transfer roller 15 for receiving the treatment agent supplied from the treatment agent supply unit 6 and transferring it to the application roller 4 is provided as in this modification, the treatment agent supply unit can be used even when the application roller 4 is moved. Since a complicated structure for allowing the movement of the application roller 4 is not required, the processing agent supply unit 60 having a tank structure as shown in FIG. 4 can be employed without any problem.

7). Sixth embodiment (FIGS. 10 and 11)
FIG. 10 is a front view of the treatment agent coating apparatus 3 according to the sixth embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a plan view in which the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2 is corrected in the vertical direction in the drawing and the counter roller 5 is omitted. In the following, description will be made with a focus on configurations and operational effects different from the respective embodiments, and the descriptions of the respective embodiments will be incorporated within the scope consistent with the description of the present embodiment for the other configurations, operational effects, and the like. And

  In this embodiment, in order to control the area where the processing agent 9 adheres to the application roller 4 (hereinafter referred to as the adhesion area A) in accordance with the width of the recording medium 2, the processing agent supply unit 6 and the application roller 4 are controlled. The contact width of the coating roller 4 with respect to the treatment agent supply unit 6 can be arbitrarily set by making the coating roller 4 relatively movable in various modes other than the movement of the coating roller 4 in the axial direction. To do.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the treatment agent supply unit 6 a in the treatment agent application apparatus 3 of the present embodiment has a length in the width direction of the recording medium 2 continuously depending on a position in the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2. It has a different structure. That is, the processing agent supply section 6a is a porous flat plate material impregnated and held with the processing agent, but its planar shape is such that the upper base and the lower side parallel to the width direction of the recording medium 2 are shown in FIG. The trapezoid has a bottom and is symmetric about a center line C parallel to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the coating roller 4 has the treatment agent supply unit 6 a so that its axial direction is parallel to the width direction (that is, the upper and lower bases of the trapezoidal treatment agent supply unit 6 a). It arrange | positions in the position which contacts the upper surface of.

  The processing agent supply unit 6a is movable in the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2 with respect to the application roller 4 and the counter roller 5 (not shown) whose positions are fixed.

  Therefore, if the processing agent supply unit 6a is moved in the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2 with respect to the application roller 4, the width of the processing agent supply unit 6a that contacts the application roller 4 changes. The application width of the processing agent transferred to the application roller 4 can be arbitrarily set based on the center. That is, the size in the width direction of the adhesion area A of the treatment agent 9 on the application roller 4 can be set according to the width of the recording medium 2.

  FIG. 11A shows a case in which a recording medium 2 having a size (width) that is relatively smaller than a recording medium 2 having a maximum size (width) that can be processed is processed. By moving the processing agent supply unit 6a so as to be located at substantially the center of the coating roller 4, an area that does not contact the processing agent supply unit 6 is generated at both ends of the coating roller 4 by about 20% of the total length in the axial direction. ing. According to the width of the adhesion area A obtained in this case, the recording medium 2 having a width of about 60% of the axial length of the application roller 4 can be processed.

  FIG. 11B shows a case where the recording medium 2 having a relatively large size (width) is processed as compared with the case of FIG. 11A, in which the application roller 4 is below the trapezoid of the processing agent supply unit 6a. By moving the processing agent supply unit 6a so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the bottom, an area that does not contact the processing agent supply unit 6 is generated at both ends of the coating roller 4 by about 10% of the total length in the axial direction. ing. According to the width of the adhesion area A obtained in this case, the recording medium 2 having a width of about 80% of the axial length of the application roller 4 can be processed.

  According to this embodiment, since the movement of the processing agent supply unit 6 in the transport direction can be performed continuously or steplessly, the adjustment of the contact length with the processing agent supply unit 6 in the axial direction of the application roller 4 is also continuously performed. The width of the adhesion area A can be set arbitrarily. Accordingly, the width dimension of the recording medium 2 that can be processed by the processing agent coating apparatus 3 is limited only to the maximum dimension, and any recording medium 2 having a smaller width can be used.

  According to this embodiment, compared with the case where the application roller 4, the opposing roller 5, and the processing agent supply unit 6a are moved in the axial direction of the roller, the overall size of the apparatus in the axial direction can be reduced to be compact. In addition, by setting the shape of the treatment agent supply unit 6a in various ways, the manner and range of change in the treatment agent application width when the application roller 4 is moved along the transport direction are set in various ways. Can do.

According to the present embodiment, as can be understood from FIG. 11, the recording medium 2 is disposed between the coating roller 4 and the opposing roller 5 with the center reference that matches the center line C at the center of the processing agent supply unit 6a in the drawing. Will be supplied.
In the above description, the application roller 4 and the processing agent supply unit 6a are in direct contact, but an intermediate transfer roller 15 may be provided between the application roller 4 and the processing agent supply unit 6a. In this case, the application roller 4 and the intermediate transfer roller 15 are in contact with each other over the entire axial length, and the relative positional relationship thereof does not change, and both the rollers 4 and 15 are simultaneously conveyed with respect to the processing agent supply unit 6a. Move relative to. As a result, the contact width of the intermediate transfer roller 15 with respect to the processing agent supply unit 6a is arbitrarily set, and the processing agent applied to the intermediate transfer roller 15 is transferred to the application roller 4 with the same width.

8). Seventh embodiment (FIG. 12)
FIG. 12 is a front view of the processing agent coating apparatus 3 according to the seventh embodiment. In the following, description will be made with a focus on configurations and operational effects different from the respective embodiments, and the descriptions of the respective embodiments will be incorporated within the scope consistent with the description of the present embodiment for the other configurations, operational effects, and the like. And

  This embodiment is different from the sixth embodiment in the shape of the treatment agent supply unit 6b. As in the sixth embodiment, the processing agent supply unit 6b of the present embodiment is a porous flat trapezoidal plate material that is impregnated and held with the processing agent. However, as shown in FIG. In plan view, the right side is parallel to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2 and is therefore orthogonal to the upper and lower bases, and the left side is inclined with respect to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2. It has a trapezoidal shape.

  According to this embodiment, if the processing agent supply unit 6b is moved along the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2 (that is, the direction parallel to the right side of the processing agent supply unit 6b), the processing agent that contacts the application roller 4 is used. The width of the supply unit 6b changes continuously. For this reason, since the left end of the treatment agent adhesion area A to the application roller 4 moves, the application width of the treatment agent on the application roller 4 can be arbitrarily set.

  According to this embodiment, in the adhesion area A of the processing agent 9 to the application roller 4, the right end in the figure does not move, and the left end in the figure moves according to the position of the processing agent supply unit 6 in the transport direction. The recording medium 2 is supplied between the rollers 4 and 5 on the basis of the end portion where the right end edge of the processing agent supply portion 6b is aligned with the right side in the drawing.

9. Eighth embodiment (FIG. 13)
FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the processing agent coating apparatus 3 according to the eighth embodiment, in which the conveying direction of the recording medium 2 is set to the vertical direction in the figure and the counter roller 5 is omitted. In the following, description will be made with a focus on configurations and operational effects different from the respective embodiments, and the descriptions of the respective embodiments will be incorporated within the scope consistent with the description of the present embodiment for the other configurations, operational effects, and the like. And

  In the present embodiment, in order to control the adhesion area A where the processing agent adheres to the coating roller 4 in accordance with the width of the recording medium 2, the processing is performed within a plane defined by the width direction and the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2. It is characterized in that the agent supply part 6c is rotatable relative to the application roller 4.

  The treatment agent supply unit 6c of this embodiment is a porous plate material impregnated and held with a treatment agent, as in the seventh embodiment. However, as shown in FIG. The length of the roller 4 is slightly smaller than the length in the axial direction, and the length in the short direction is slightly smaller than the diameter of the application roller 4. The rectangular processing agent supply unit 6c is axially supported by the center of the longitudinal direction of the application roller 4 with a fulcrum 17 and is defined by the width direction and the conveyance direction. It is possible to rotate relative to the application roller 4 in the transport plane.

  According to this embodiment, by rotating the processing agent supply unit 6c, the width of the processing agent supply unit 6 in contact with the application roller 4 is continuously changed. For example, if the longitudinal direction of the processing agent supply unit 6c and the axial direction of the application roller 4 are matched, the contact width between the processing agent supply unit 6c and the application roller 4 is the maximum dimension equal to the longitudinal direction of the processing agent supply unit 6c. Become. Further, if the longitudinal direction of the processing agent supply unit 6c is orthogonal to the axial direction of the application roller 4, the contact width between the processing agent supply unit 6c and the application roller 4 is the same as the short direction of the processing agent supply unit 6c. It becomes a dimension. In this way, if the processing agent supply unit 6c is rotated to fix the position at a desired angle with respect to the application roller 4, the adhesion area A where the processing agent adheres to the application roller 4 corresponds to the width of the recording medium 2. And can be set arbitrarily.

  According to this embodiment, the adhesion area A of the treatment agent 9 to the application roller 4 is symmetrical to the left and right with respect to the axial center of the application roller 4 that coincides with the fulcrum 17 of the treatment agent supply unit 6c. Can be set to vary continuously. Accordingly, regarding the supply of the recording medium 2, the fulcrum 17 of the processing agent supply unit 6c or the center of the coating roller 4 in the axial direction is used as a reference, and the recording medium 2 is located between the rollers 4 and 5 with the center reference aligned with the center line. Will be supplied.

  In the present embodiment, the application roller 4 is stationary and the processing agent supply unit 6 is rotated with respect to this. However, the processing agent supply unit 6 is stationary and the application roller 4 is not moved. It is good also as a structure to rotate.

10. Ninth embodiment (FIG. 14)
FIG. 14 is a plan view illustrating the processing agent coating apparatus 3 according to the ninth embodiment in which the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2 is set to the vertical direction in the drawing and the counter roller 5 is omitted. In the following, description will be made with a focus on configurations and operational effects different from the respective embodiments, and the descriptions of the respective embodiments will be incorporated within the scope consistent with the description of the present embodiment for the other configurations, operational effects, and the like. And

  In the present embodiment, in order to control the adhesion area A where the processing agent adheres to the coating roller 4 in accordance with the width of the recording medium 2, the width is defined by the width direction and the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2 as in the eighth embodiment. The processing agent supply unit 6d is rotatable relative to the application roller 4 in the plane.

  The processing agent supply unit 6d of the present embodiment is a porous plate material that is impregnated and held with the processing agent 9 as in the eighth embodiment, but its outer shape is the axial direction of the application roller 4 as shown in FIG. Basic shape is a rectangle consisting of a long side that is slightly smaller than the length of the coating roller 4 and a short side that is about three times as long as the diameter of the application roller 4, and the long side and the short side of the rectangle are continuous with a curve. It is said that. In the vicinity of one end portion of the coating roller 4 in the axial direction, the processing agent supply unit 6d is pivotally supported by the other long side and short side corners with a fulcrum 18, and is defined by the width direction and the conveyance direction. In the transport plane of the recording medium 2, it can rotate relative to the application roller 4.

  According to this embodiment, by rotating the processing agent supply unit 6d, the width of the processing agent supply unit 6d in contact with the application roller 4 is continuously changed. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, if the long side of the processing agent supply unit 6d and the axial direction of the application roller 4 are matched, the contact width between the processing agent supply unit 6d and the application roller 4 is the same as that of the processing agent supply unit 6d. The maximum dimension is equal to the longitudinal direction. If the processing agent supply unit 6d is rotated counterclockwise in the figure from this state, the contact width between the processing agent supply unit 6d and the application roller 4 is gradually gradually reduced from the state shown in FIG. At the position rotated 90 degrees, the minimum dimension is equal to the short side of the treatment agent supply unit 6d. Thus, if the processing agent supply unit 6d is rotated and the position is fixed at a desired angle with respect to the application roller 4, the width of the adhesion area A where the processing agent adheres to the application roller 4 is set to the width of the recording medium 2. It can be arbitrarily set corresponding to.

  According to the present embodiment, the region A where the treatment agent 9 adheres to the application roller 4 is stationary at the right end in the figure where the fulcrum 18 is located, and the left end in the figure moves according to the rotation of the treatment agent supply unit 6d. Therefore, the recording medium 2 is supplied between the rollers 4 and 5 on the basis of the end portion that aligns the right end edge with the right side of the processing agent supply portion 6d in the drawing.

  In the present embodiment, the application roller 4 is fixed and the processing agent supply unit 6d is rotated with respect to the application roller 4. However, the processing agent supply unit 6d is fixed and the application roller 4 is not moved. It is good also as a structure to rotate.

11. Tenth embodiment (FIGS. 15 and 16)
FIG. 15 is a side view of the treatment agent coating apparatus 3 according to the tenth embodiment, and FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a divided structure or a moving structure of the treatment agent application apparatus 3. In the following, description will be made with a focus on configurations and operational effects different from the respective embodiments, and the descriptions of the respective embodiments will be incorporated within the scope consistent with the description of the present embodiment for the other configurations, operational effects, and the like. And

  As shown in FIG. 15, the processing agent application unit of the present embodiment has an application roller 4 that rotates in contact with the processing agent supply unit 6, and the application roller 4 has substantially the same axial dimension and outer shape. And a counter roller 50 that rotates in contact with the roller. Here, the counter roller 50 in the present embodiment is configured such that one half of the right side in the drawing is an integral base roller 50a, and the other half on the left side is equally divided into four in the axial direction. The divided roller 50b is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the base roller 50a has a rod-shaped shaft 51, each divided roller 50b has a cylindrical shaft 52, and the shafts 51 and 52 of the base roller 50a and each divided roller 50b are These are combined in a state of being inserted in a nested manner so as to be slidable in the axial direction. Each shaft 52 of each divided roller 50b can be freely moved in the axial direction by an actuator (not shown). Therefore, if the necessary shaft 52 of the dividing roller 50b is moved outward according to the number of the dividing rollers 50b to be moved, the other dividing rollers 50b outside the dividing roller 50b are also moved outward. Can be moved to.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 15 (a), if four divided rollers 50b are continuously arranged without a gap and are adjacent to the base roller 50a, the opposing roller 50 comes into contact with the coating roller 4 in its entire length. Further, as shown in FIG. 15B, if a part or all of the divided rollers 50b (three in the figure) are moved to the retracted position outside in the axial direction not facing the application roller 4, the facing roller 50 Is in contact with the coating roller 4 with the remaining length, that is, the total length of the base roller 50a and the one split roller 50b in the axial direction.

Accordingly, by moving at least a part of the dividing roller 50b according to the width of the recording medium 2 to be processed, a state satisfying the following conditions (1) and (2) can be obtained.
The width of the recording medium 2 ≧ the length of the opposing roller 50 in the axial direction (1)
The width of the recording medium 2 ≧ the distance between the facing roller 50 and the recording medium 2 (2)

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the axial dimension of the opposing roller 50 can be changed in a number of stages according to the number of the division rollers 50b. Therefore, the contact length of the opposing roller 50 and the application roller 4 in the axial direction is changed. You can also adjust the height in multiple steps. Therefore, it is possible to apply the treatment agent to not only a standard size recording medium but also various sizes of recording media without excessive or insufficient coating width.

  According to this embodiment, after processing the recording medium 2 having a large width in the previous process (in the case of FIG. 15A), processing the recording medium 2 having a narrow width in the subsequent process (in FIG. 15B). In this case, even if the processing agent in the previous process remains on the application roller 4, the counter roller 50 contacts the application roller 4 with a width corresponding to the width of the paper in the subsequent process. In the process, the processing agent of the previous process does not adhere to the facing roller 50.

  According to the present embodiment, since the application roller 4 does not move, the processing agent supply unit 6 may be made of a porous material and impregnated and hold the processing agent, or the processing agent may be placed in the tank shown in FIG. The stored type processing agent supply unit 60 may be used.

  According to the present embodiment, the recording medium 2 is supplied between the rollers 4 and 50 on the basis of the end portion where the right end edge of the coating roller 4 and the counter roller 50 is aligned with the right end portion in the drawing. However, if the central portion of the opposing roller 50 is used as a reference, the recording medium 2 can be supplied on the basis of the center if both sides thereof are constituted by a plurality of individually movable dividing rollers 50b.

  This embodiment can also be applied to a processing agent coating apparatus having the intermediate transfer roller 15 shown in FIG.

12 Modified example (FIG. 17)
FIG. 17 is a view showing a modification of the division structure of the opposing roller 50 and the moving means in the treatment agent coating apparatus 3 of the tenth embodiment, and (a) is seen in a horizontal line of sight orthogonal to the axis of the roller. The figure which shows 1 unit of the division | segmentation roller 50c and a moving member, (b) is the figure seen by the line of sight parallel to an axis | shaft, Comprising: It is the figure which can see the one division | segmentation roller 50c and the three movement members 53. In the following, description will be made with a focus on configurations and operational effects different from those of the 10th embodiment, and the descriptions of the 10th embodiment will be incorporated within the scope consistent with the description of the present embodiment for other configurations and operational effects. And

  As shown in FIG. 17A, each of the plurality of divided rollers 50c constituting at least a part of the opposing roller 50 has a circumferential groove 54 on the outer peripheral surface at the center in the axial direction. A movable member 53 that is movable in the axial direction is engaged with each circumferential groove 54 of 50c. The opposing roller 50 includes a plurality of sets of such divided rollers 50c and moving members 53. FIG. 7B shows three sets of the split roller 50c and the moving member 53, but only one split roller 50c appears because the line of sight is from the axial direction.

  According to the present embodiment, the length of the opposing roller 50 can be adjusted by arbitrarily moving each of the divided rollers 50c by driving the moving member 53 in the axial direction with an actuator (not shown) as necessary. Further, according to the tenth embodiment, in order to drive each of the divided rollers 50b, an exquisite structure in which the cylindrical shafts 51 and 52 are slidably assembled is necessary. The object can be achieved with a simpler structure in which each of the divided rollers 50c is moved along the common axis 55. Since the counter roller 50 only needs to have a function of pressing the recording medium 2 against the application roller 4, the circumferential groove 54 provided in each divided roller 50c of the modified example does not cause any inconvenience, and the tenth embodiment. The same effect can be obtained.

13. Eleventh embodiment (FIG. 18)
FIG. 18 is a side view of the treatment agent coating apparatus 3 according to the eleventh embodiment.
In the following, description will be made with a focus on configurations and operational effects different from the respective embodiments, and the descriptions of the respective embodiments will be incorporated within the scope consistent with the description of the present embodiment for the other configurations, operational effects, and the like. And

In the tenth embodiment described above and shown in FIG. 15, a part of the opposed roller 50 is constituted by a plurality of divided rollers 50b, and the desired number of divided rollers 50b are moved to the retracted position so as to face each other. The width of the recording medium 2 that can be nipped and conveyed by the roller 50 and the application roller 4 is set. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the opposing roller 5 is composed of a single roller whose position is fixed, and the application roller 40 is composed of one base roller 40a and a plurality of divided rollers 40b as in the tenth embodiment. The dividing roller 40b is moved as necessary in the same manner as in the tenth embodiment. Also according to this embodiment, the same effect as that of the tenth embodiment can be obtained. However, since the dividing roller 40b of the application roller 40 is of a type that moves, the processing agent supply unit 6 that is made of a porous material and impregnates and holds the processing agent is suitable.
In this embodiment, if the intermediate transfer roller 15 as described with reference to FIG. 9 is provided, a tank type processing liquid supply unit 60 as shown in FIG. The roller 15 may be configured to be immersed and rotated in the processing liquid 9 in the processing liquid supply unit 60. Further, in the present embodiment, when the intermediate transfer roller 15 as described with reference to FIG. 9 is provided, the intermediate transfer roller 15 may have a divided structure as described above.

  While various embodiments and modifications thereof have been described above, in the present invention, the principle of image formation is not limited to the ink jet system of the above-described embodiment. The material, form, etc. of the recording medium 2 are also the same. For example, normal paper, plastic sheets, metal sheets, and the like can be used as the recording medium, and the form thereof may be either a sheet form or a roll form. Furthermore, the processing agent coating apparatus of the present invention is not necessarily configured integrally with the image forming apparatus, and is a single apparatus in that the processing agent is added to the surface of the recording medium 2 for a predetermined purpose. Can also be effective. Furthermore, the treatment agent coating apparatus of the present invention is a pretreatment apparatus for applying a treatment agent to a recording medium before image formation, but can also be used as a post-treatment apparatus for applying a treatment agent to a recording medium after image formation. Can do. The purpose and effect of the pre-processing and post-processing are not particularly limited. For example, in the case of image formation using ink, the pre-processing includes a process for accelerating the penetration of ink into the recording medium and a fixing effect for adhering ink. The post-processing includes a process for enhancing the ink fixing effect by subsequent heating, and a process for giving gloss to the recording medium. Moreover, as a processing agent, the solid and the solid thing which can be apply | coated are included.

  In the embodiments described above, the application roller and the counter roller have been described as the application member and the counter member, respectively. However, as the coating member and the opposing member constituting the present invention, not only the rotating roller as described in the embodiment but also a conveyor belt device in which an endless belt is wound around at least a pair of pulleys can be adopted. It is. Also in this case, the application member and the opposing member made of the conveyance belt are moved relative to each other, thereby adjusting the width of contact between the two conveyance belts and adjusting the application width of the processing agent according to the width of the recording medium. It can be configured.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inkjet recording device as an image forming apparatus 2 ... Recording medium 3 ... Treatment agent coating device 4, 40 ... Application roller which comprises a processing agent application part 5,50 ... Opposing member which comprises a processing agent application part Counter roller 6, 6a to 6d, 60 ... Processing agent supply unit 10 ... Inkjet head 11 ... Controller 15 ... Intermediate transfer roller 40b, 50b, 50c constituting dividing agent application unit ... Dividing roller 53 ... Moving member of dividing roller

Claims (8)

A treatment agent application unit having at least a coating member that applies a treatment agent to a recording medium; and a counter member that sandwiches the recording medium between the coating member and conveys the recording medium in a conveyance direction orthogonal to the width direction of the recording medium; In a treatment agent coating apparatus comprising a treatment agent supply unit for supplying a treatment agent to an application member,
In order to be able to change the coating width of the processing agent on the recording medium, any one of the constituent members of the processing agent coating section and the processing agent supply section is made different depending on the width direction and the transport direction of the recording medium. A treatment agent coating apparatus characterized by being configured to move relatively within a defined plane. A coating roller as the coating member, a counter roller as the counter member,
At least one of the coating roller, the counter roller, and the processing agent supply unit is configured to transfer the processing agent from the coating roller to the recording medium in accordance with the dimension in the width direction of the recording medium. The treatment agent coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the treatment agent coating apparatus is configured to move relatively along an axial direction of the opposed roller. A coating roller as the coating member, a counter roller as the counter member,
An intermediate transfer roller for transferring the processing agent supplied from the processing agent supply unit to the application roller is provided as a constituent member of the processing agent application unit between the processing agent supply unit and the application roller.
Of the coating roller, the counter roller, the processing agent supply unit, and the intermediate transfer roller, the processing agent is transferred from the coating roller to the recording medium in accordance with the dimension in the width direction of the recording medium. at least one of the application roller and the counter roller and the intermediate transfer roller treatment agent applying device according to claim 1, wherein along the axial direction, characterized in that it is configured for relative movement. A coating roller as the coating member, a counter roller as the counter member,
In order to control the area where the processing agent adheres to the coating roller in accordance with the dimension in the width direction of the recording medium, the width at which the processing agent from the processing agent supply unit is transferred to the coating roller can be arbitrarily set. The processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing agent supply unit and the processing agent application unit including the application roller are configured to be relatively movable. The treatment agent supply unit has a length in the width direction that differs depending on a position in the conveyance direction, and the application roller is disposed such that an axial direction thereof coincides with the width direction, and the treatment agent supply unit and the treatment agent supply unit The treatment agent coating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the coating member is relatively movable in the transport direction. The processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processing agent supply unit and the application roller are relatively rotatable in a plane defined by a width direction and a conveyance direction. A coating roller as the coating member, a counter roller as the counter member,
At least one of the application roller and the counter roller includes a dividing roller that is divided in the axial direction and is movable in the axial direction, and the dividing roller is moved in the axial direction according to the width of the recording medium. The processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing agent is applied to the recording medium with an application width corresponding to the width. A coating roller as the coating member, a counter roller as the counter member,
An intermediate transfer roller for transferring the processing agent supplied from the processing agent supply unit to the application roller is provided as a constituent member of the processing agent application unit between the processing agent supply unit and the application roller.
At least one of the application roller, the counter roller, and the intermediate transfer roller is provided with a division roller that is divided in the axial direction and movable in the axial direction, and the division roller is arranged according to the width of the recording medium. 2. The processing agent coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing agent is applied to the recording medium with an application width corresponding to the width by moving in the axial direction.

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