JP2830536B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for developing and fixing a latent image of a document formed on a photosensitive recording medium (for example, microcapsule paper and color developing paper).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus using a photosensitive recording medium of this kind, a microcapsule paper on which a latent image of a document is formed and a developing paper are superposed and inserted into a pressure developing means.
The latent image on the microcapsule paper was developed with pressure on a color developing paper, and the pressure-developed color developing paper was thermally fixed by heat fixing means to form an image. As the heat fixing means, a non-contact method in which hot air is blown onto a developing paper by a fan to thermally fix the recording medium, and a contact method in which a heat source such as a heat roller or a heater directly contacts the developing paper are mainly used.

[0003]

However, in the case of using roll-shaped developing paper, the developing paper always exists in the heat fixing means irrespective of the operation of the apparatus, and especially when the apparatus is on standby, the developing paper is thermally fixed. Because it is stopped in the means, the developed paper contracts or deforms due to heat. In order to prevent this, in the non-contact type, the heating by the heat source of the heat fixing means is controlled to be stopped and cooled, and in the contact type, a mechanism for retracting the heat source from the color developing paper is provided so that the color developing paper is not heated. Thus, the control is complicated and expensive in terms of control and mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem. Even when a roll-shaped developing paper is used, the developing paper shrinks due to heat during standby in the heat fixing means. It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive and simple structure image forming apparatus without deformation.

[0005]

To achieve this object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises a pressure developing means for developing a photosensitive recording medium on which a latent image of a document is formed by pressure, and a developing means for developing the latent image. An image forming apparatus including a heat fixing unit for fixing the photosensitive recording medium by heat, wherein the pressure developing unit can select between a pressurized state and a non-pressurized state; Holding means for holding the pressure means so as to move integrally therewith.

[0006]

According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention having the above-described structure,
When the photosensitive recording medium on which the latent image is formed is conveyed to the pressure developing unit in a non-pressurized state by the pressurizing unit, the pressing unit puts the pressure developing unit into a pressurized state, and pressure development starts. Is done. At the same time, the heat fixing means, which is held by the holding means so as to move integrally with the pressing means, moves to a position where it comes into contact with the color developing paper, and starts heat fixing. When the pressure development and the heat fixing are completed, the pressurizing unit sets the pressure developing unit in a non-pressurized state, and at the same time, the heat fixing unit also moves to a position where it does not come into contact with the color developing paper, thereby completing the image forming operation.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an image forming apparatus 1 embodying the present invention.
It is an outline center sectional view of.

In the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment, a photosensitive recording medium composed of photosensitive pressure-sensitive recording paper 11 (hereinafter referred to as capsule paper) and image receiving material 12 (hereinafter referred to as developed paper) is used. . Note that microcapsules are applied to the surface of the support of the capsule paper 11 used in the present embodiment, and the microcapsules contain a dye precursor or the like that reacts with a developer described later. . The color paper 1
The surface of the support of No. 2 is coated with a color developer, and develops a color by reacting with a dye precursor.
99209, etc., and are omitted here.

An opening 1a for taking in image information of the document 2 is provided on the bottom of the image forming apparatus 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as the apparatus).
The original surface glass 3 is disposed in the opening 1a. Further, a lamp 4 is provided at the lower center of the device 1, and reflectors 5 a, 5 a
b is provided with a reflector 5c on the side facing the lamp 4 with the opening 1a interposed therebetween, so that the light from the lamp 4 is focused on the entire irradiation area of the document 2. The reflected light from the document 2 is imaged on an exposure surface 8 via a mirror 6 and a lens 7 provided at the front center of the apparatus 1. A window 40 is provided on the upper front surface, and the mirror 6 is movably supported by a drive mechanism (not shown), so that the document 2 can be viewed from the window 40 through the opening 1a except during exposure.

A cassette 9 is disposed in the center of the right side of the apparatus 1. The cassette 9 is provided with a capsule paper roll 13 and a developing paper 12 in which capsule paper 11 is wound with the surface coated with microcapsules inside. An adhesive tape roll 17 wound around a developing paper roll 14, a take-up roll 15, and a double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 16 with release paper wound with the surface coated with the colorant inward is used. Built-in. Here, the support of the color developing paper 12 is made of a transparent film such as PET, and the image formed on the surface to which the color developing agent is applied can be seen from the back side through the film.

On the exposure surface 8, the capsule paper 11 pulled out from the capsule paper roll 13 is provided with two support rollers 18.
The exposure surface 8 is stretched by a and 18b, and is formed at a position where it enters the cassette 9.

A pressure developing device 19 is disposed on the upper right side of the apparatus 1, and the pressure developing device 19 has a pair of opposed pressure developing devices as shown in FIGS. The backup roller 20c includes pressure rollers 20a and 20b and a backup roller 20c. The backup roller 20c is rotatably held by a support shaft 29. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the pressure roller 20b and the support shaft 29 are held by an S-shaped spring 27 so that the backup roller 20c and the pressure roller 20b are in contact with each other.

Further, the support shaft 29 of the backup roller 20c is provided with a pressure arm 25 that rotates around a rotation shaft 26.
And a cam plate 60 that rotates around a shaft 61 by a transmission mechanism (not shown).
The pin 63 which engages with the groove cam 62 provided on the rim is fixed. The diameter of the pin 63 is substantially equal to the groove width of the groove cam 62, and the pressure arm 25 swings around the rotation shaft 26 as the cam plate 60 rotates.

Here, the capsule paper 11 and the developing paper 12 are supplied between a pair of pressure rollers 20a and 20b in a state of being overlapped.

The pair of pressure rollers 20a, 20b
The state of the backup roller 20c changes as follows by the rotation of the cam plate 60.

First, at the time of pressure development, the rotation of the cam plate 60 causes the pressing arm 25 to which the pin 63 engaged with the grooved cam 62 is fixed to rotate around the rotation shaft 26 in the clockwise direction in the figure. Then, the backup roller 20c is in a state of generating an appropriate pressure between the pair of pressure rollers 20a and 20b, and during non-pressure development, the pin 63 engaged with the groove cam 62 is fixed by the rotation of the cam plate 60. The backup roller 20c and the pressure roller 20b are separated from the pressure roller 20a by rotating the pressed pressure arm 25 around the rotation shaft 26 in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing, so that the pair of pressure rollers 20a, 20b An appropriate gap is formed between them.

Further, a heat fixing device 21 is fixed to a right end of the pressure arm 25 in the figure by a holding member 28. Further, the heat fixing device 21 has a shape in which a resistance heating element (not shown) as a heater is in contact with the color developing paper 12 and is sandwiched between metal plates constituting the outer periphery of the heat fixing device 21. The resistance heating element (not shown) is provided near the contact surface with the color developing paper 12 and heats a metal plate. The holding member 28 includes a set screw 46 and a heat insulating sheet 47,
Is generated from the pressure arm 25 by the pressure developing device 1.
9 and the device 1 are prevented from being transmitted.

Further, in order to prevent heat generated in the heat fixing device 21 from being transmitted from the set screw 46 to the pressing arm 25, a hole larger than the screw diameter of the set screw 46 is formed in the heat fixing device 21. The fixing screw 46 is provided for the heat fixing device 2.
The heat fixing device 21 is fixed to the pressure arm 25 with the heat fixing device 1 sandwiched between heat insulating sheets 47.

The heat fixing device 21 fixed to the pressing arm 25 by the holding member 28 moves with the rotation of the pressing arm 25, and the pressing arm 25 rotates around the rotation shaft 26 in the counterclockwise direction in the figure. When rotated, it separates from the color developing paper 12 and when the pressure arm 25 rotates clockwise around the rotation shaft 26 in the figure,
It comes into contact with the developed paper 12 after the pressure development.

The heat fixing unit 21 is always set at a predetermined temperature (for example, 120 ° C. to 140 ° C.), and only when the developing paper 21 comes into contact with the developed Is heated and fixed. The method of maintaining the temperature of the heat fixing unit 21 at a predetermined temperature may be performed by software, or a resistance heating element having a self-temperature adjusting function may be used as the resistance heating element of the heat fixing unit 21.

Downstream of the heat fixing unit 21, there is provided a sticking roller 22, which is composed of a pair of pressing rollers 22a and 22b, and sticks the double-sided adhesive tape 16 to the developed paper 12 on which heat fixing has been completed. Reference numeral 22 indicates that the double-sided adhesive tape 16 is sequentially attached to the surface of the color-developed paper 12 on which the color developer is applied, with the developed paper 12 and the double-sided adhesive tape 16 with release paper adhered to one side interposed therebetween at a constant pressure. Is configured.

A cutter 2 is provided downstream of the sticking roller 22.
3, the cutter 23 is moved up and down by a driving device (not shown), and the cutter 23 is lowered to
The color developing paper 12 to which 6 is attached is cut.

A drive motor 24 which is a drive source of each mechanism of the apparatus 1 is located at a position above the center of the apparatus 1 except for the optical path.
Are transmitted to each mechanism by a transmission mechanism (not shown).

Next, the control section of the apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

The control of the device 1 is performed by a central processing unit 30 (hereinafter referred to as a central processing unit 30).
A start switch 31 for inputting an operation start signal, a light amount control circuit 3
2. The drive control circuit 33 and the temperature control circuit 34 are connected, and the light amount control circuit 32, the drive control circuit 33, and the temperature control circuit 34 are connected to the lamp 4, the drive motor 24, and the heat fixing unit 21, respectively. .

Next, the operation of the apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described.

First, when the operator sets the apparatus 1 on the original 2, adjusts the position while viewing the original 2 from the window 40 and presses the start switch 31, the drive motor 24 starts rotating, and the apparatus 1 starts image formation. Start operation.

First, the CPU 30 turns on the lamp 4, and the irradiation light of the lamp 4 is condensed by the reflectors 5a, 5b, 5c, and the original glass 3 provided in the opening 1a.
To the original 2 through The reflected light from the original 2 is
An image is formed on an exposure surface 8 via a mirror 6 and a lens 7. C
The PU 30 turns off the lamp 4 when the time required for exposure has elapsed.

On the exposure surface 8, a capsule paper 11 is stretched between two support rollers 18a and 18b. The capsule paper 11 after the formation of the latent image is sent to the pressure developing device 19 together with the developing paper 12.

In the initial state, the cam plate 60 is rotated by a transmission mechanism (not shown), and the pressing arm 2 is pressed by a pin 63 engaged with a grooved cam 62 provided on the cam plate 60.
Reference numeral 5 denotes a position which is rotated around the rotation shaft 26 in the counterclockwise direction in the figure to bring the pressure developing device 19 into a non-pressurized state, and a position where the heat fixing device 21 does not contact the developing paper 12 (FIG. a)
See).

When the capsule paper 11 after the formation of the latent image reaches a predetermined position, the cam plate 60 is rotated by a transmission mechanism (not shown), and is applied by a pin 63 engaged with a groove cam 62 provided on the cam plate 60. The pressure arm 25 rotates clockwise around the rotation shaft 26 in the figure to bring the pressure developing device 19 into a pressurized state, and causes the heat fixing device 21 to abut on the developing paper 12 on which the pressure development has been completed (see FIG. 2 (b)).

The capsule paper 11 and the color developing paper 12 that have been pressure-developed by the pressure developing device 19 are then separated, and only the capsule paper 11 is taken up by the take-up roll 15. on the other hand,
After the pressure-developed developing paper 12 is heat-fixed by the heat fixing device 21, it is pressed together with the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 16 by the application roller 22, and the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 16 is adhered to the developer surface of the color-developing paper 12.

When the thermal fixing of the developing paper 12 of a predetermined length is completed, the cam plate 60 is rotated by a transmission mechanism (not shown), and the pressure is applied by the pins 63 engaged with the groove cams 62 provided on the cam plate 60. The arm 25 is rotated counterclockwise in the figure around the rotation shaft 26 to bring the pressure developing device 19 into a non-pressurized state again and to move the heat fixing device 21 to a position where it does not contact the color developing paper 12.

Developed paper 1 to which double-sided adhesive tape 16 is attached
2 is finally cut to an appropriate length by the cutter 23 and output as a copy image of the document 11. Here, the pressure development, the application of the double-sided adhesive tape, and the driving of the cutter are performed by the drive motor 24 and a transmission mechanism (not shown).

In the embodiment of the present invention, the heat fixing device is fixed to the pressure arm by a set screw with the heat fixing device sandwiched between heat insulating sheets. If the structure does not transmit the heat, an adhesive may be used instead of the heat insulating sheet and the set screw. Further, it is needless to say that the heat fixing device does not need to be fixed to the pressing arm, and any structure may be used as long as the position of the heat fixing device changes according to the position change of the pressing arm.

[0037]

As is apparent from the above description, the image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a pressure developing means capable of selecting a pressure developing means between a pressurized state and a non-pressurized state, and a heat fixing means. The image forming apparatus includes a pressing unit and a holding unit that holds the unit so as to move integrally with the pressing unit, so that the heat fixing unit can be brought into contact with and retracted from the photosensitive recording paper medium, and contraction or deformation of the developed paper due to heat can be prevented. Can be provided.

Further, when the image forming apparatus is stopped, a mechanism for controlling the temperature of the heat source of the heat fixing means and for evacuating the heat fixing means from the color developing paper can be omitted, so that an inexpensive and compact image forming apparatus can be provided. There is also an effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic center sectional view of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2A is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1 showing a non-pressurized state of the pressure developing device. FIG. 2B is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1 showing a pressurized state of the pressure developing device.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of a pressure arm and a pressure developing device.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 19 pressure developing device 21 heat fixing device 25 pressure arm 28 holding member 46 set screw 47 heat insulating sheet

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus comprising: pressure developing means for developing a photosensitive recording medium on which a latent image of a document is formed by pressure; and heat fixing means for fixing the photosensitive recording medium on which the latent image has been developed by heat. A pressurizing unit that can select the pressure developing unit between a pressurized state and a non-pressurized state, and a holding unit that holds the heat fixing unit so as to move integrally with the pressurizing unit. An image forming apparatus characterized in that: 2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said holding means has a heat insulating member for preventing heat generated from said heat fixing means from being transmitted to said pressurizing means. Forming equipment.