JP3710017B2 - Deodorizing method and apparatus for image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a deodorizing apparatus for an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile machine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
With the widespread use of image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, image forming apparatuses are used in various environments. For example, when a copying machine is used in a relatively small space, the odor generated from the copying machine along with the noise of the copying machine often causes complaints from users. As the installation environment of the copying machine, a well-ventilated place is desirable, but there is a problem that it is difficult to secure a sufficient ventilation environment due to problems such as the installation place and the installation space. Even if the conditions of the installation location are good, the odor generated from the copying machine may be a problem for a user who is sensitive to the odor.
[0003]
As the binder resin for toner used in the image forming apparatus, polystyrene, styrene-acrylic copolymer, acrylic resin, or the like is used. These resins are produced by an addition polymerization reaction and require a highly cross-linking component. For example, suspension polymerization and emulsion polymerization are used. In these methods, the product is generally washed with water or the like. For this reason, when volatile components such as unreacted materials inside the resin are contained, the removal may not be sufficient, and the volatile components may volatilize during fixing, and an odor may be generated from the image forming apparatus. .
[0004]
As a prior art related to the present invention, as described in JP-A-2-240663, a method for producing an electrophotographic developer having a deodorizing step by adsorption of activated carbon is known. However, the above prior art is an invention about a manufacturing method for removing the off-flavor and irritating odor of a developer used in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a printer, and reduces and removes the odor of the developer already installed in the printer or the like. Not what you want.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus deodorizing method and apparatus capable of solving the above problems and reducing the odor generated from toner used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the deodorizing method according to claim 1, wherein microcapsules containing a substance that absorbs odors are spread on a transfer paper before fixing, and the microcapsules are destroyed by heat or pressure at the time of fixing. Thus, the odor of the transfer paper is reduced.
[0007]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the deodorizing apparatus according to claim 2 has means for spraying microcapsules containing a substance adsorbing odors onto transfer paper before fixing, and the microcapsules are applied by heat or pressure during fixing. It is characterized in that the odor of the transfer paper is reduced by destroying.
[0008]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the deodorizing method according to claim 3 adds a bulky odor adsorbing substance in the toner bottle to constantly deodorize the odor of the toner, and the odor adsorbing substance does not leak outside the toner bottle. It is characterized by doing so.
[0009]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a deodorizing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a bulky odor adsorbing substance and toner are accommodated, and a filter for preventing the odor adsorbing substance from leaking outside is provided at a toner supply port. The toner bottle is used.
[0010]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the deodorizing method according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 3, wherein the fine particles of the odor adsorbing material are agglomerated in advance, and the film is coated so as to be destroyed by stress and friction. Thus, the deodorizing effect in the toner bottle is maintained.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of a deodorizing method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a microcapsule that can be used in the present invention. A particulate odor adsorbing substance 2 is enclosed inside the microcapsule 1, and the outer layer of the microcapsule 1 is composed of a thin coating 3. As the odor adsorbing substance, a porous substance having a very large surface area such as activated carbon such as coconut shell and peat is used. In addition, as the outer layer film, a film that melts at a temperature in the fixing unit of the image forming apparatus or a strength that can be broken by a pressure at the fixing unit is used. It is comprised with the material which has the stable property that an internal smell adsorption substance cannot permeate | transmit a film.
[0012]
FIG. 2 shows the internal configuration of a copying machine to which the present invention can be applied. The copying machine 4 and the deodorizing mechanism 5 will be described below. In the copying mechanism 4, for example, illumination light emitted from an exposure lamp (not shown) is reflected by an original placed on the contact glass, and the reflected light is reflected by a plurality of mirrors, and is reflected on the photosensitive drum via the lens. Project an original image. After the photosensitive drum is charged by the charging charger, an unnecessary portion is irradiated with light by the eraser to create an image frame suitable for the transfer paper or the projected image, and then a latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum by the reflected light image. . The latent image formed on the photosensitive drum is visualized as a toner image by the developing unit. At this time, by adjusting the bias voltage applied to the developing unit, a dark or light image can be obtained.
[0013]
The transfer paper 13 stocked in the paper feed tray is sent out at a predetermined paper feed timing, and the registration roller is driven at a timing when the leading edge of the toner image on the photosensitive drum is aligned with the leading edge of the transfer paper 13. The toner image on the photosensitive drum is transferred to the transfer paper 13 by the transfer charger.
[0014]
The transfer paper 13 to which the image has been transferred is conveyed to the deodorizing mechanism 5 through the conveyance path 19. The deodorizing mechanism 5 is installed as a pre-process of the fixing mechanism 6. The deodorizing mechanism 5 includes a microcapsule bottle 7 having a microcapsule 1 inside and a controller 8. The microcapsule bottle 7 has a microcapsule discharge port 9 and is installed with the microcapsule discharge port 9 facing downward. The microcapsule discharge port 9 is provided with an opening / closing control valve 10, receives a control signal from the controller 8, and the opening / closing control valve 10 performs an opening / closing operation. The microcapsules 1 containing 2 are sprayed.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 3, the transfer paper 13 sent to the fixing mechanism 6 is sent to a nip between the fixing roller 11 and the pressure roller 12 provided in the fixing mechanism 6. The dispersed microcapsules 1 and toner 14 are attached on the transfer paper 13 before fixing. The fixing roller 11 is heated by a heater (not shown) in the fixing roller. When the transfer paper 13 passes through the nip, the image is fixed by being heated and pressed by the fixing roller 11 and the pressure roller 12, and at the same time, the coated microcapsule 1 breaks the coating 3, and the microcapsule 1 The odor adsorbing substance 2 incorporated in the sheet is exposed on the transfer paper 13. The odor adsorbing substance 2 can exert a deodorizing effect on the transfer paper while passing through the fixing mechanism 6 and then passing through the paper delivery transport path 19. The odor adsorbing substance 2 and the microcapsules 1 are desirably transparent, but the amount of the microcapsules is not necessarily transparent. Further, the odor adsorbing substance 2 and the microcapsule 1 may form the background of the transfer paper.
[0016]
Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a toner bottle 15 used in another embodiment. In the toner bottle 15, the odor adsorbing substance 2 is mixed together with the toner 14. The odor adsorbing substance 2 has a sufficiently large bulk shape as compared with the toner 14, a filter 16 is provided in the opening 18 of the toner bottle 15, and only the toner 14 is discharged into the toner supply path 17, and the bulk odor adsorption is performed. The substance 2 is not released into the toner supply path 17. The toner bottle 15 is rotated or vibrated when mounted on the image forming apparatus or during an image forming operation, and the odor adsorbing substance 2 is always kept in the toner bottle due to the stress and friction caused by the rotation, vibration. The odor generated mainly from the toner surface can be adsorbed by being blown into the space 15 or sinking into the toner 14. In this way, the bulk odor adsorbing substance 2 is added to the toner bottle 15 to constantly adsorb and deodorize the odor of the toner, and the filter 16 is provided so that the odor adsorbing substance 2 does not leak outside the toner bottle 15. Since it is provided, the odor contained in the toner 14 can be reduced before the toner 14 is released to the outside, and the odor can be reduced.
[0017]
The odor adsorbing substance accommodated in the toner bottle may be further devised as shown in FIG. The odor adsorbing substance 2 shown in FIG. 5 is a bulky odor adsorbing substance 2, which is agglomerated and coated with a coating 3 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5B, the coating 3 is gradually destroyed by the stress and friction caused by the rotation, vibration, etc. of the toner bottle 15, and the odor adsorbing substance gradually diffuses in the toner bottle 15. is there. As shown in FIG. 4, when the bulky odor adsorbing substance 2 is exposed from the beginning and mixed with the toner 14, although there is an immediate effect with respect to the odor adsorption, the effect may be lost due to long-term use. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, if the bulky odor adsorbing substance 2 is coated with the film 3, the deodorizing effect can be maintained, and the odor generated in the toner bottle 15 is deodorized over a long period of time. It becomes possible. It is optional whether the odor adsorbing substance 2 is used in the form shown in FIG. 4 or in the form shown in FIG. 5, but if the odor adsorbing substance in the form shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. It can have both sustainability.
[0018]
In the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied has been described by taking a copying machine as an example of the image forming apparatus. However, the present invention can be similarly applied to other image forming apparatuses such as a printer and a facsimile. It is. Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, capsules containing an odor adsorbing substance are spread on the transfer paper before fixing to destroy the microcapsules and obtain a deodorizing effect, as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. In addition, a toner bottle having a deodorizing effect may be used in combination.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
According to the invention of claim 1 and claim 2, by dispersing the microcapsules containing the substance that adsorbs odor on the transfer paper before fixing, and destroying the microcapsules by heat or pressure at the time of fixing, Since the odor of the transfer paper is reduced, the odor generated from the fixed toner can be reduced, which can contribute to the improvement of the installation environment of the copying machine or the like.
[0020]
According to the third and fourth aspects of the present invention, a bulky odor adsorbing substance is added to the toner bottle to constantly deodorize the odor of the toner so that the odor adsorbing substance does not leak to the outside of the toner bottle. Therefore, the cause of odor generation contained in the toner in the toner bottle can be reduced, which can contribute to the reduction of odor generated from a copying machine or the like.
[0021]
According to the invention described in claim 5, in the invention described in claim 3, fine particles of the odor adsorbing substance are agglomerated in advance, and the film is coated so as to be destroyed by stress and friction. Since the deodorizing effect is maintained, the effect of deodorizing the odor generated in the toner bottle for a long time can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a microcapsule that can be used in the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing an embodiment of a deodorizing mechanism that can be used in the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side view showing an embodiment of a fixing mechanism that can be used in the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing an embodiment of a toner bottle that can be used in the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an odor-adsorbing substance that can be used in the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Microcapsule 2 Odor adsorbing substance 5 Deodorizing mechanism 9 Toner supply port 13 Transfer paper 14 Toner 15 Toner bottle 16 Filter

Claims (5)

Image formation characterized by reducing the odor of transfer paper by spraying microcapsules containing substances that absorb odors onto transfer paper before fixing and destroying the microcapsules by heat or pressure during fixing Device deodorization method. It has means for spraying microcapsules containing substances that absorb odors onto transfer paper before fixing, and the odor of transfer paper is reduced by breaking the microcapsules by heat or pressure during fixing. A deodorizing apparatus for an image forming apparatus. A deodorizing method for an image forming apparatus, wherein a bulky odor adsorbing substance is added to a toner bottle to deodorize the toner at all times and the odor adsorbing substance does not leak outside the toner bottle. A deodorizing apparatus for an image forming apparatus using a toner bottle in which a bulky odor adsorbing material and toner are contained, and a filter for preventing the odor adsorbing material from leaking to the outside is provided at a toner supply port. . In the invention according to claim 3, the deodorizing effect in the toner bottle is maintained by agglomerating the fine particles of the odor adsorbing material in advance and coating the film so as to be broken by stress and friction. A deodorizing method for an image forming apparatus.

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