JP4472542B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that is driven using power supplied from a fuel cell as a power source.

  Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus that prints on a recording medium such as plain paper using dye ink or the like, ink that reaches the recording medium soaks into the fiber of the paper before it dries, causing bleeding or show-through. There is a problem.

  In Patent Document 1, there is a problem that bleeding or show-through occurs by heating the recording medium in advance with a heater provided therein and increasing the drying speed of the ink from the time when the ink reaches the recording medium. An ink jet recording apparatus that solves this problem has been proposed. Patent Document 2 discloses a method in which drying of an ink is accelerated by applying heat to a recording medium with a pre-fixing roller before an image is formed with an ink head, or an ink while a recording medium is heated with a heater provided at a position opposite to the ink head. An ink jet type image forming apparatus for forming an image by ejecting a liquid has been proposed.

  In Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, heaters, heater control circuits, heater drive circuits, heater temperature sensors, safety measures against thermal runaway, etc. are required only for heating the recording medium and ink head, and the number of parts increases. However, as the price of the ink jet printer increases, it consumes a lot of power for heating.

  On the other hand, in recent years, development of fuel cells as a clean energy source has been rapidly advanced from the viewpoint of consideration of environmental problems represented by reduction of greenhouse gases. Since the fuel cell supplies electric power by chemically reacting air and a fuel such as methanol or ethanol in the module, chemical change heat is generated along with the supply of electric power. The chemical change heat heats the circulating fuel and module while passing through the module with the power of the circulation pump. In addition, the fuel cell generates high-temperature water by a chemical reaction between fuel and air.

Japanese Patent No. 2590822 JP 2003-72059 A

  The present invention suppresses the influence on the image formation by appropriately dissipating the heat generated from the fuel cell, and also effectively uses the fuel by suppressing the power consumption of the entire image forming apparatus, with less components and less power consumption. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that prevents bleeding and show-through due to ink reaching a recording medium.

A first image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus that is driven by electric power supplied from a fuel cell having a fuel pump for adjusting a supply amount of fuel used for power generation and forms an image on a recording medium. An FC waste heat heating member that heats the recording medium before image formation by supplying waste heat from the fuel cell, and the fuel supply amount by the fuel pump is varied according to the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member. And a temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of the waste heat heating member.

  According to a second image forming apparatus of the present invention, the first image forming apparatus includes a conveying belt that conveys the recording medium to a position where an image is formed, and the FC waste heat heating member is disposed between the conveying medium and the recording medium. It is good to arrange them with

  According to a third image forming apparatus of the present invention, in the first image forming apparatus, the FC waste heat heating member may constitute a roller of a conveyance path for conveying the recording medium to a position where an image is formed. According to a fourth image forming apparatus of the present invention, in the first image forming apparatus, the FC waste heat heating member may constitute a guide plate of a conveyance path for conveying the recording medium to a position where an image is formed. According to a fifth image forming apparatus of the present invention, in the first image forming apparatus, the FC waste heat heating member may heat the recording medium in a sheet feeding unit that accommodates the recording medium before feeding.

According to a sixth image forming apparatus of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth image forming apparatuses,
The FC waste heat heating member receives heat from a part of the transportation route of the substance in the fuel cell, and the transportation route is arranged so as to gradually fall in the direction of gravity from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transportation direction. Good.

  According to a seventh image forming apparatus of the present invention, in any one of the first to sixth image forming apparatuses, an FC waste heat heating member includes a nozzle that discharges ink facing a recording medium at a position where an image is formed. Is preferably arranged to face the nozzles with the conveyance path of the recording medium in between.

According to an eighth image forming apparatus of the present invention, the seventh image forming apparatus includes a cooling mechanism for cooling the FC waste heat heating member from a surface opposite to the surface facing the nozzle, and the temperature adjusting means is based on the cooling mechanism. The temperature of the FC waste heat heating member may be adjusted by varying the cooling amount.

According to a ninth image forming apparatus of the present invention, in the eighth image forming apparatus, the temperature adjusting means includes an appropriate temperature storage means for storing a relationship between a use condition and an appropriate temperature of the FC waste heat heating member, and FC waste heat. It is preferable to adjust the temperature of the FC waste heat member so as to bring the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit closer to the appropriate temperature according to the use conditions. According to a tenth image forming apparatus of the present invention, in the ninth image forming apparatus, the appropriate temperature storage means includes the relationship between the type of ink and the appropriate temperature in the use conditions, and the appropriate temperature is set as the ink drying speed is slower. The temperature adjustment means has an ink type detection means for detecting the type of ink used for image formation, and is detected by the temperature detection means at an appropriate temperature according to the type of ink detected by the ink type detection means. It is recommended to adjust the temperature of the FC waste heat member to bring the temperature closer.

According to an eleventh image forming apparatus of the present invention, in the ninth or tenth image forming apparatus, the printing speed may be varied in accordance with the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member. In a twelfth image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in the eleventh image forming apparatus, the printing speed may be varied when an image is not formed on the recording member.

According to a thirteenth image forming apparatus of the present invention, in the twelfth image forming apparatus, the temperature adjusting means may stop the printing operation when detecting an abnormally high temperature of the FC waste heat heating member.

In a fourteenth image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in the thirteenth image forming apparatus, when an abnormally low temperature value of the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member is detected, the printing speed may be decreased. In the fifteenth image forming apparatus of the present invention, in the fourteenth image forming apparatus, it is preferable not to notify that the printing speed is low and not to indicate that the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member is an abnormal low temperature suburban value. . In a sixteenth image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in the fourteenth or fifteenth image forming apparatus, the printing speed may be switched to a higher printing speed as the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member is higher when the printing speed is lowered. According to a seventeenth image forming apparatus of the present invention, in any of the fourteenth to sixteenth image forming apparatuses, when the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member returns to a normal temperature, the printing speed may be returned to a normal value. In an eighteenth image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in any of the fourteenth to seventeenth image forming apparatuses, the printing operation may be stopped when the fuel cell reaches a limit of autonomous operation.

According to a nineteenth image forming apparatus of the present invention, when the printing operation is stopped in the eighteenth image forming apparatus, all the fed recording media are discharged. In the twentieth image forming apparatus of the present invention, when the printing operation is stopped in the eighteenth image forming apparatus , printing on the recording medium in the middle of printing is interrupted, and all the recording medium before printing is discharged. In a twenty-first image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in any of the eighteenth to twentieth image forming apparatuses, when the printing operation is stopped, the paper in the paper feed tray may be returned to the cassette.

According to a twenty-second image forming apparatus of the present invention, in any of the fourteenth to twenty-first image forming apparatuses, when it is detected that the value is near an abnormally low temperature, printing is performed at a low speed or at a normal speed. It is good to have a function. In a twenty-third image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in any of the thirteenth to twenty-second image forming apparatuses, detection of an abnormally high temperature of the FC waste heat heating member may be notified.

  According to this image forming apparatus, since the recording medium is warmed before the image formation by the FC waste heat heating member, a high-quality image in which bleeding or show-through is suppressed without requiring a special heating device such as a heater is used. Can be formed.

  The image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment includes a plan view inside the housing in FIG. 1A, a side view inside the housing in FIG. 1B, and paper discharge inside the housing in FIG. As shown in the schematic front view from the tray side, the paper feed tray 10, the paper feed roller 11, the registration roller 12, the transport belt 13, the drive roller 14, the paper transport roller 15, the line feed motor 16, and the paper press roller 17 Paper discharge tray 18, shaft 19, carriage 20, recording head cartridge 21, recording head 22, cable 23, carriage motor 24, wire 25, HP sensor 26, FC waste heat heating member 27, fuel cell 28, cooling mechanism 29, and temperature A sensor 30, a transmission optical sensor 31, a control circuit 32, and a voltmeter 33 are provided.

  The paper feed tray 10 accommodates plain paper and other recording media. The paper feed roller 11 feeds the recording medium from the paper feed tray 10. The registration roller 12 adjusts the timing at which the recording medium fed from the paper feed roller 11 is fed to the conveyance belt 13. The conveyance belt 13 is an endless belt that is rotated by the driving roller 14 and the sheet conveyance roller 15, and adsorbs and conveys the recording medium by electrostatic adsorption. The line feed motor 16 is composed of, for example, a stepping motor, and rotates the conveying belt 13 by rotationally driving the driving roller 14 to perform sub-scanning during printing. The paper pressing roller 17 presses the recording medium electrostatically attracted to the transport belt 13. The paper discharge tray 18 accommodates a recording medium that has been printed and peeled off from the conveyor belt 13.

  The shaft 19 is arranged with the longitudinal direction oriented in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction, and supports the carriage 20 so as to be movable along the longitudinal direction. The carriage motor 24 is composed of, for example, a stepping motor, and generates a driving force that scans the carriage 20 along the shaft 19 to perform main scanning during printing. The wire 25 reciprocates the carriage along the shaft 19 by transmitting the driving force of the carriage motor 24 to the carriage 20. The HP sensor 26 detects the position of the carriage 20.

  The carriage 20 has a recording head cartridge 21 mounted thereon. The recording head cartridge 21 is integrally mounted with a recording head 22 together with an ink tank for each ink color that is an ink supply source. The recording head 22 is arranged on the conveyance belt 13 so as to be spaced from the recording medium whose recording surface is regulated, and forms an image on the recording medium by ejecting ink droplets. The cable 23 supplies a recording timing pulse corresponding to image data to the recording head 22 from an appropriate data supply source via a terminal coupled to the cable 23.

  The FC waste heat heating member 27 is disposed to face the recording head 22 with the conveyance belt 13 interposed therebetween. The FC waste heat heating member 27 may be provided with an insulating member on the surface facing the conveyance belt 13 to prevent the conveyance belt 13 and the fuel cell module 51 from coming into direct contact and short-circuiting. Furthermore, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 2, even if the insulating member is a rib 40 oriented obliquely in the longitudinal direction with respect to the sheet conveying direction, the frictional resistance with the conveying belt 13 can be reduced as much as possible. Good. The FC waste heat heating member 27 may constitute a part or all of other members such as the fuel cell 28 and the paper transport roller 15.

  The fuel cell 28 includes a fuel cell module 51, a fuel tank 52, a water tank 53, a mixing tank 54, a fuel pump 55, a water pump 56, a circulation pump 57, and an air blower 58, as shown in the schematic block diagram of FIG. It has a condenser 59, an intake port 60, and an exhaust port 61, and supplies power necessary for performing the recording operation of the image forming apparatus 1. By supplying power from the fuel cell 28, AC cordless can be achieved.

  The fuel cell module 51 includes one or more fuel cells and is disposed adjacent to the FC waste heat heating member 27. Each cell has an anode 62, a cathode 63 and an electrolyte membrane 64. The anode 62 is also called a fuel electrode and has a catalyst (methanol oxidation electrode catalyst) for electrochemically oxidizing methanol. The cathode 63 is also called an air electrode and has a catalyst (oxygen reduction electrode catalyst) that selectively electrochemically reduces oxygen. The electrolyte membrane 64 is sandwiched between the anode 62 and the cathode 63. When an aqueous methanol solution is supplied to the anode 62 and air is supplied to the cathode 63, ions move through the electrolyte membrane 64, carbon dioxide is generated on the anode 62 side, and water is generated on the cathode 63 side. Electric power is generated between the anode 62 and the cathode 63. Chemical change heat is generated by a series of chemical reactions occurring in the fuel cell module 51.

  The fuel tank 52 contains methanol, the water tank 53 contains water, and the mixing tank 54 contains an aqueous methanol solution obtained by diluting methanol with water. The fuel pump 55 intermittently operates when methanol is consumed by power generation and the concentration in the mixing tank 54 becomes thin, so that high-concentration methanol is sent from the fuel tank 52 to the mixing tank 54, so that the methanol in the mixing tank 54 The concentration is kept constant. The water pump 56 operates intermittently when the amount of aqueous methanol solution in the mixing tank 54 decreases, and feeds water from the water tank 53 into the mixing tank 54. The water sent from the water tank 53 to the mixing tank 54 passes through the paper transport roller 15 on the way.

  The circulation pump 57 supplies the methanol aqueous solution from the mixing tank 54 to the anode 62 of the fuel cell module 51, and returns the methanol and water that have passed through the anode 62 and the carbon dioxide generated on the anode 62 side to the mixing tank 54. Excess water sent to the mixing tank 54 is discharged as steam from the mixing tank 54 to the water tank 53 together with carbon dioxide.

  The air blower 58 supplies air to the cathode 63. The condenser 59 collects water vapor generated at the cathode 63, nitrogen in the air, and unreacted oxygen, and heats between the collected gas and the outside air flowing from the outside of the image forming apparatus through the intake port 60. By performing the exchange, the water vapor is condensed into liquid water and sent to the water tank 53, and part of the gas and vapor is cooled and discharged from the exhaust port 61 to the outside of the image forming apparatus.

  The chemical change heat generated in the chemical reaction occurring in the fuel cell module 51 heats the fuel cell module 51 itself. The heat of the fuel cell module 51 warms the recording medium through the adjacent FC waste heat heating member 27 and the conveyance belt 13. Further, the water collected in the water tank 53 is at a high temperature due to the chemical change heat in the fuel cell module 51. The heat of the water passing through the sheet conveying roller 15 while being sent from the water tank 53 to the mixing tank 54 is transmitted to the recording medium through the sheet conveying roller 15 and the conveying belt 13, and the recording medium passing through the sheet conveying roller 15 is transferred to the recording medium. warm.

  The cooling mechanism 29 cools the FC waste heat heating member 27, and specifically includes a blower fan driven by a DC motor whose rotational speed is varied by a drive current. A surface to be cooled by the cooling mechanism 29 is a back surface opposite to the recording head 22. When the cooling mechanism 29 blows air to the back surface of the FC waste heat heating member 27, it is possible to prevent ink scattering that changes the ejection angle of the ink ejected from the nozzles by the air flowing between the recording head 22 and the recording medium. It is possible to form an image with high image quality on a recording medium by attaching ink to a target position. The cooling mechanism 29 may be configured to prevent the influence of wind on the ink by increasing the distance from the recording head 22.

  The temperature sensor 30 detects the temperature by directly contacting the FC waste heat heating member 27. Specifically, the thermistor whose resistance value varies depending on the temperature, or two types of metals are applied to the heat source to generate an electromotive force. It consists of a thermocouple that generates The transmissive optical sensor 31 includes a light emitting element 34 and a light receiving element 35 as shown in the configuration diagram of FIG. 4. The light emitting element 34 emits light to the recording medium, and the light receiving element 35 emits light with the recording medium interposed therebetween. Opposite the element 34, the light output through the recording medium is received and photoelectrically converted to create a photoelectric output signal. The thicker the recording medium, the smaller the transmittance and the smaller the photoelectric output signal. The voltmeter 33 detects the output voltage of the fuel cell 28.

  The control circuit 32 executes the recording control, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 5, the CPU 71, the ROM 72, the RAM 73, the data receiving unit 74, the DMA / RAM controller 75, the nonvolatile memory 76, the head driver 77, and the head controller 78. A carriage motor driver 79, a timing control unit 80, a line feed motor driver 81, an ink flow rate detection unit 82, a paper feed driver 83, a cooling mechanism power source 84, a fuel pump power source 85, a display unit 86, and an operation unit 87.

  The CPU 71 executes various operation controls and data processing of the image forming apparatus 1. The ROM 72 stores a control program for the CPU 71 and various data for font processing. The RAM 73 temporarily stores various data including received image data. The data receiving unit 74 takes in image data sent from an external device such as a host computer.

  The DMA / RAM controller 75 DMA-transfers the image data received by the data receiving unit 74 to the RAM 73 and controls access from the CPU 71 to the RAM 73. The nonvolatile memory 76 is composed of an EEPROM or the like, and stores printer-specific parameters. The head driver 77 drives the recording head 22. The head controller 78 transfers image data to the head driver 77 and generates a heat pulse signal under the control of the CPU 71.

  The carriage motor driver 79, the carriage motor 24, and the timing controller 80 are a control system that moves the recording head 22 (referred to as a main scanning direction) by a control signal supplied from the CPU 71 and a recording timing pulse from an encoder or the like. It is. The line feed motor driver 81 and the line feed motor 16 are control systems that carry a recording medium such as a recording medium (referred to as a sub-scanning direction) by a control signal supplied from the CPU 71. The ink flow rate detection unit 82 counts the number of ink droplets (dots) ejected for recording within a predetermined time from the recording signal sent to the recording head 22, and is supplied from the ink tank to the recording head 22. It is a control circuit that detects the flow rate of ink. The paper feed driver 83 controls the paper feed roller 11 and the registration roller 12.

  The cooling mechanism power supply 84 is a variable voltage source that supplies a voltage to the DC motor of the cooling mechanism 29, and is controlled ON / OFF and a voltage value by the CPU 71. The fuel pump power supply 85 is a variable voltage source that supplies a voltage to the DC motor of the fuel pump 55, and is controlled ON / OFF and a voltage value by the CPU 71.

  The basic recording control executed by the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. In the data receiving unit 74, image data input from the host computer is temporarily stored in the RAM 73 via the DMA / RAM controller 75. The CPU 71 executes a control program stored in the ROM 72, analyzes the received command, image data, and character code, converts the input image data into recording data, and sequentially stores the data in the RAM 73. The reception command includes recording control information, and recording is performed with the number of recording passes corresponding to the recording control information.

  When a print command is output from the CPU 71, the recording medium is sent out from the paper supply tray 10 by driving the paper supply roller 11 by the paper supply driver 83, and the recording medium is advanced by driving the registration roller 12. The recording medium sent to the conveyor belt 13 after the bend and printing start timing are matched, and the line feed motor 16 is driven by the line feed motor driver 81, whereby the recording medium sent from the registration roller 12 is electrostatically attracted to the conveyor belt 13. Then, it is conveyed to the position of the recording head 22. The recording medium is heated by the heat of water sent from the water tank 53 to the mixing tank 54 in the vicinity of the paper transport roller 15, and the FC waste heat heating member 27 is heated by the heat of the fuel cell module 51 near the recording head 22. And heated through the conveyor belt 13.

  The carriage motor 24 is driven by the carriage motor driver 79 when the development of the recording data for one line is completed or when a recording command which is one of received commands is input from the host computer. The recording data stored in the RAM 73 is transferred to the head driver 77 via the DMA / RAM controller 75 and the head controller 78 in synchronization with the recording timing pulse output from the timing control unit 80. By sending a heat pulse signal from the head controller 78 to the head driver 77, ink droplets are ejected from the recording head 22. Since the ink that has been ejected and reaches the recording medium is accelerated to dry by the heat of the warmed recording medium, it becomes a highly viscous droplet in a dry state before it penetrates the back of the recording medium, causing blurring or show-through, etc. Is prevented from occurring.

  When the recording for one line is completed, the line feed motor 16 is driven to perform a line feed, and a series of procedures for recording one line is completed. This series of procedures is repeated over one page of the recording medium, and when the recording for one page is completed, the recording medium is peeled from the transport belt 13 and discharged to the discharge tray 18.

  The temperature adjustment control of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The temperature adjustment control of the image forming apparatus 1 is executed by the temperature adjustment unit 90, and the temperature adjustment unit 90 includes a temperature detection unit 91, a sheet thickness detection unit 92, an ink type detection unit 93, an appropriate temperature storage unit 94, and a cooling control unit 95. A heating control unit 96 and a switching unit 97. Note that a sequence control unit 98 controls a series of operations for starting and stopping the printing operation in conjunction with each unit of the image forming apparatus 1 and changing the printing speed.

  The temperature detection unit 91 detects the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27, and specifically, the CPU 71 and the temperature sensor 30 function as the temperature detection unit 91. In the temperature detection unit 91, the CPU 71 inputs a signal representing the temperature from the temperature sensor 30, for example, a voltage change depending on the temperature after A / D conversion, calculates the voltage change, and calculates the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27. To detect. By providing the temperature detection unit 91, it is possible to detect a temperature change of the FC waste heat heating member 27 that is deprived of heat by a low temperature recording medium.

  The paper thickness detection unit 92 detects the thickness of the recording medium. Specifically, the transmissive optical sensor 31 and the CPU 71 function as the paper thickness detection unit 92. In the paper thickness detection unit 92, the CPU 71 inputs a photoelectric output signal that depends on the thickness of the recording medium from the transmission optical sensor 31 by A / D conversion, and utilizes the fact that the transmittance is smaller as the recording medium is thicker. By performing arithmetic processing, the thickness of the recording medium is detected based on the photoelectric output signal. Note that the paper thickness detection unit 92 may detect the thickness of the recording medium based on the paper type DATA transmitted from the system.

  The ink type detection unit 93 detects the type of ink ejected from the recording head 22 to the recording medium. Specifically, the recording head cartridge 21 and the CPU 71 function as the ink type detection unit 93. In the ink type detection unit 93, the CPU 71 detects the ink type by reading the ink type information stored in the ink tank when the ink tank of the recording head cartridge 21 is replaced.

  The appropriate temperature storage unit 94 stores the appropriate temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 according to the use conditions as appropriate temperature information. Specifically, a part of the ROM 72 is allocated to the appropriate temperature storage unit 94. The usage conditions include the type of ink and the thickness of the recording medium. It is desirable to set the appropriate temperature to a higher temperature as the ink drying speed is lower, and to set the appropriate temperature to a higher temperature as the paper is thicker. The use conditions may include only one of the ink type and the recording medium thickness, or may include other conditions such as the use frequency of the printing apparatus and the type of paper. The appropriate temperature may be input from an external device or set by a user operation.

  Since the temperature at which the ink solidifies varies depending on the type of ink, the amount of heat taken by the recording medium from the FC waste heat heating member 27 varies depending on the type of ink. Further, the amount of heat taken by the recording medium from the FC waste heat heating member 27 differs depending on the thickness of the recording medium. Specifically, the amount of heat taken from the FC waste heat heating member 27 by the thinner recording medium than by the thick recording medium. Less is. For example, when the FC waste heat heating member 27 is warmed at a temperature suitable for drying the ink of a thick recording medium when printing on a thin recording medium, the temperature of the recording medium becomes too high, and the ejected ink is transferred to the recording medium. An image cannot be formed without solidifying before reaching the paper fiber and penetrating into the paper fibers, and the ink is solidified at the ejection port of the recording head 22 to cause clogging. On the contrary, when the FC waste heat heating member 27 is warmed at a temperature suitable for drying the ink of the thin recording medium when printing on the thick recording medium, the ink does not dry well and show-through and blurring occur. The appropriate temperature is set to a temperature at which the ink that has reached the recording medium sufficiently permeates the recording medium and does not cause problems such as bleeding or show-through.

  The cooling control unit 95 cools the FC waste heat heating member 27 while adjusting the amount of cooling according to a command from the switching unit 97. Specifically, the cooling mechanism 29, the cooling mechanism power supply 84, and the CPU 71 function as the cooling control unit 95. At the time of cooling, the CPU 71 blows air from the cooling mechanism 29 by turning on the cooling mechanism power supply 84 through the I / O port and controls the voltage of the cooling mechanism power supply 84 by the D / A converted signal. The current flowing through the DC motor of the mechanism 29 is varied, and the cooling speed is adjusted by controlling the rotational speed of the cooling mechanism 29. When the cooling is not performed, the CPU 71 turns off the cooling mechanism power supply 84 through the I / O port. By changing the rotation speed of the cooling mechanism 29 in addition to the ON time of the cooling mechanism 29, the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 can be finely controlled. Note that the cooling mechanism 29 may be one that switches the rotation speed by another control method such as one that can vary the current flowing through the winding by PWM control.

  The heating control unit 96 heats the FC waste heat heating member 27 while adjusting the heating amount according to a command from the switching unit 97. Specifically, the fuel cell 28, the fuel pump power supply 85, and the CPU 71 function as the heating control unit 96. The fuel pump 55 of the fuel cell 28 is driven by a DC motor whose rotational speed is variable by a drive current. At the time of heating, the CPU 71 turns on the fuel pump 55 through the I / O port, controls the voltage of the fuel pump 55 by the D / A converted signal, and varies the current flowing through the fuel pump 55 to change the current of the fuel pump 55. Control the rotation speed. When the fuel pump 55 is turned on, fuel is sent from the fuel tank 52 to the mixing tank 54, and the concentration of the aqueous methanol solution is increased to such an extent that the internal cells of the fuel cell module 51 are not damaged. When activated, the exothermic temperature rises. When heating is not performed, the CPU 71 turns off the fuel pump 55 through the I / O port. By changing the rotational speed of the fuel pump 55 in addition to the ON time of the fuel pump 55, the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 can be finely controlled. For example, since the module surface temperature of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) during power generation is about 80 ° C., the fuel cell 28 does not require a safety measure against the risk of fire.

  The switching unit 97 controls the cooling control unit 95 and the heating control unit 96 according to use conditions. Specifically, the CPU 71 functions as the switching unit 97. The switching unit 97 first sets the appropriate temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 corresponding to the thickness of the recording medium detected by the paper thickness detection unit 92 and the type of ink detected by the ink type detection unit 93. Read from the appropriate temperature information stored in the temperature storage unit 94. Next, the switching unit 97 obtains a temperature difference between the read appropriate temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 and the detected FC waste heat heating member 27. Next, when the detected temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 is higher than the appropriate temperature of the read FC waste heat heating member 27, the switching unit 97 sends the FC waste heat heating member 27 to the cooling control unit 95. Allow to cool. On the other hand, when the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 detected by the temperature detection unit 91 is lower than the appropriate temperature of the read FC waste heat heating member 27, the switching unit 97 causes the heating unit to heat the FC waste heat. The member 27 is heated. By repeating the operation by the switching unit 97, it is possible to keep the temperature of the recording medium constant even if the use conditions vary.

  According to the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the recording medium is heated using the heat of the fuel cell 28, thereby forming a high-quality image with suppressed bleeding and show-through. Can do. According to the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, a dedicated heat source for heating the recording medium can be eliminated, the apparatus configuration can be simplified, and the heat of the fuel cell 28 functioning as a power source is used, so that the recording medium can be used. Electric power consumed only for heating is not required, and furthermore, the heating temperature of the fuel cell 28 does not become relatively high for the heater or the like, so that it is possible to eliminate or simplify safety measures against heating runaway. According to the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, since the recording medium is heated, the drying time of the ink on the recording medium can be shortened, the image forming speed can be increased, and then the overlapping is performed. It is possible to prevent the back surface of the recording medium from being stained.

  Furthermore, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 is detected, and the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 is changed according to the usage conditions. Even when it changes, the recording medium can be warmed at a temperature suitable for the use conditions. Further, the temperature of the fuel cell module 51 can be determined by using other methods for controlling the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27, for example, parameter information such as the number of continuously passing recording media, management of the system standby time, and heat taken by the recording media. Compared with the predictive control for predicting the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 from the above, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the temperature of the recording medium can be easily and frequently adjusted without requiring complicated parameters. Can be managed.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured to directly transfer the heat generated in the fuel cell module 51 to the conveyance belt 13 by arranging the fuel cell module 51 adjacent to the conveyance belt 13.

  Further, as shown in the side view of FIG. 7, the image forming apparatus 1 circulates the water sent from the water tank 53 to the mixing tank 54 in the FC waste heat heating member 27 or in a pipe provided adjacent thereto. The recording medium may be heated through the FC waste heat heating member 27 and the transport belt 13.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 1 circulates the high-temperature methanol aqueous solution supplied from the mixing tank 54 to the anode 62 of the fuel cell module 51 by the circulation pump 57 so as to pass through the FC waste heat heating member 27 and the paper transport roller 15. In this case, the recording medium may be warmed.

  The image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment is the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, and further includes a startup control unit 100 as shown in the block diagram of FIG. Specifically, the startup control is executed by the CPU 71 functioning as the startup control unit 100.

  The startup control unit 100 performs the printing operation until the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 detected by the temperature detection unit 91 reaches a temperature at which the fuel cell 28 can perform the printing operation when the image forming apparatus 1 is started up. When the temperature reaches a temperature at which the fuel cell 28 can perform the printing operation, the standby state of the printing operation is canceled. The startup control unit 100 causes the switching unit 97 to print at a lower speed than usual while it is detected that the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 detected by the temperature detection unit 91 is lower than the appropriate temperature.

  The printing speed during low-speed printing is gradually increased as the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 detected by the temperature detection unit 91 increases. The printing speed is not changed during printing, but when the power is turned on or between sheets.

  Specifically, the CPU 71 gives the carriage motor driver 79 and the line feed motor driver 81 the number of pulses applied to the carriage motor 24 and the line feed motor 16 that are responsible for the printing speed in the main scanning direction and the sub scanning direction. In addition to sending information that is lower than the time, the printing speed is reduced by changing various machine operation sequences such as the timing of ink ejection from the recording head 22 and the timing of paper supply / discharge.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the second embodiment, the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 when the power is turned on is lower than the appropriate temperature. The amount of heat transferred from the heat heating member 27 to the recording medium can be increased, the ink can be prevented from reaching the recording medium at a low temperature, and the occurrence of show-through and bleeding can be suppressed as much as possible. According to the image forming apparatus of the second embodiment, by gradually increasing the printing speed during low-speed printing, the first printing time can be shortened by preventing the printing speed from being maintained at the lowest speed. it can. According to the image forming apparatus of the second embodiment, since the change of the printing speed is not performed during printing, the position where the ink ejected onto the recording medium reaches is shifted, the dot interval is shifted, and the extended image Occurrence of occurrence and disturbance of the printed image can be prevented.

  The image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment is the same as the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment except that a high temperature control unit 101, a low temperature control unit 102, and a voltage detection unit 103 are provided as shown in the block diagram of FIG. Prepare and execute high temperature control and low temperature control. Specifically, the high temperature control is executed by the CPU 71 functioning as the high temperature control unit 101, the low temperature control is executed by the CPU 71 functioning as the low temperature control unit 102, and the voltage detection unit 103 corresponds to the voltmeter 33. .

  When the temperature detected by the temperature detector 91 is abnormally high, the high temperature control unit 101 stops the power generation of the fuel cell 28 and stops the printing operation. The abnormally high temperature is a temperature close to the temperature at which the inside of the fuel cell module 51 is damaged. The cause of the high temperature state of the FC waste heat heating member 27 is, for example, that the fuel pump 55 fails in an operating state and fuel is continuously supplied to the fuel cell module 51. By stopping the power generation of the fuel cell 28 when the temperature is abnormally high, the carbon member of the internal cell of the fuel cell module 51 melts at an abnormally high temperature, or the member inside the fuel cell module 51 deteriorates at an abnormally high temperature. It is possible to prevent power generation from becoming impossible and to prevent the occurrence of expensive damage. By stopping the printing operation when the temperature is abnormally high, it is possible to prevent ink from being ejected onto a recording medium heated at an abnormally high temperature to form a deteriorated image.

  The high temperature control unit 101 displays a warning at an abnormally high temperature such as an abnormally high temperature, a stop of the fuel cell 28, or a stop of a printing operation on the display unit 86, and transmits it through a communication line. For example, a remote service center is notified of an abnormally high temperature via a telephone line. When the temperature is abnormally high, a warning at the time of abnormally high temperature is displayed on the display unit 86 or transmitted through a communication line to notify the operator or service person that the temperature is abnormally high and prompt early maintenance. .

  When the low temperature control unit 102 detects that the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 detected by the temperature detection unit 91 is an abnormally low temperature suburb value, the low temperature control unit 102 switches the printing speed to a low speed and prints at a low speed from now on. A warning at low speed operation due to abnormally low temperature indicating that printing has already been performed at low speed is displayed on the display unit 86. When printing at low speed, it is desirable that the printing speed varies depending on the temperature. By switching the printing speed to a low speed, even if the value is in the vicinity of an abnormally low temperature, if the fuel cell 28 is in a state where it can operate independently, the printing operation can be continued.

  The low temperature control unit 102 has a limit value or limit at which the voltage of the fuel cell 28 detected by the voltmeter 33 cannot autonomously operate the image forming apparatus after the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 91 becomes an abnormal low temperature suburban value. When a value close to the value is reached, the printing operation is stopped, and a warning at the time of stopping due to the limit of self-sustaining operation such as stopping the printing operation or stopping the printing operation, the reason for stopping and the countermeasures is displayed 86.

  When the temperature detected by the temperature detector 91 becomes an abnormally low temperature suburb value after the temperature detected by the temperature detector 91 becomes an abnormally low temperature suburb value, the low temperature control unit 102 returns to the normal printing speed when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit 91 increases And a warning at the time of returning from the abnormal low temperature value indicating that the normal printing speed has been restored or the normal printing speed has already been restored is displayed on the display unit 86.

  The cause of the low temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 is, for example, that the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 is changed to a necessary temperature by the fact that the chemical change heat generated in the fuel cell module 51 does not reach the target temperature. There are cases where it cannot be raised. By switching the printing speed to a low speed, the amount of heat transferred to the recording medium from the FC waste heat heating member 27 whose temperature has not been fully raised is increased, preventing the ink from reaching the recording medium in a low temperature state, and show-through The occurrence of blurring can be suppressed as much as possible. Inform the operator of the current operating state by displaying on the display 86 a warning at low speed operation due to abnormally low temperature, a warning at the time of stopping due to the limit of independent operation, and a warning at the time of return from the abnormal low temperature value. Can do. In order to prevent the operator from feeling uneasy that the machine is out of order, it is desirable not to directly display that the machine is operating at an abnormally low temperature during low-speed operation.

  A stop operation at an abnormally high temperature or abnormally low temperature will be described. At the time of stop due to abnormally high temperature, the recording medium in which the recording head 22 is in the image area and is in the middle of printing is discharged after the printing is finished, and the recording medium before printing that has left the paper feed tray 10 and remains inside the machine is All the sheets are discharged in a blank state, and the recording medium in the sheet feed tray 10 is returned to the cassette of the sheet feed tray 10 by the sheet feed roller 11 rotating in the reverse direction.

  When stopping due to an abnormally low temperature, the printing operation of the recording head 22 is stopped, the carriage 20 is kept stopped at the home position, and the sheet discharged from the sheet feeding tray 10 is discharged as it is, thereby minimizing power consumption. Increase the operating time of the paper transport system. The recording medium in the paper feed tray 10 is returned to the paper feed tray 10 by the reversely feeding paper feed roller 11 when stopped due to abnormally low temperature.

  When the printing operation is stopped, the paper jam process is not required when the power is turned on after returning to a normal state or removing the printer stop factor by not stopping the printing operation. By returning the recording medium in the sheet feeding tray 10 to the sheet feeding tray 10, waste of the recording medium can be eliminated as much as possible.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the third embodiment, by stopping the printing operation when the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 is abnormally high, ink is ejected to the recording medium heated at abnormally high temperature. Thus, it is possible to prevent a deteriorated image from being formed. According to the image forming apparatus of the third embodiment, when the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member 27 is an abnormally low temperature value, by switching the printing speed to a low speed, the FC waste heat heating member whose temperature has not been fully increased. The amount of heat transferred from the recording medium 27 to the recording medium can be increased to prevent the ink from reaching the recording medium in a low temperature state, and the occurrence of show-through and bleeding can be suppressed as much as possible.

  As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 10, the image forming apparatus according to the fourth embodiment includes a speed selection unit 104 in the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment. When the low temperature control unit 102 switches the printing speed to a low speed, the speed selection unit 104 selects whether to print at a low speed as it is or to forcibly print at a normal speed. The selection by the speed selection unit 104 is performed in advance or when an abnormally low temperature is detected.

  Specifically, when the display unit 86 prompts the user to select either the image quality priority mode or the speed priority mode and receives an input from the operator through the operation unit 87, and the image quality priority mode is selected, the low temperature control is performed. When the printing unit 102 switches the printing speed to the low speed, the printing is performed at the low speed as it is, and when the speed priority mode is selected, the low-temperature control unit 102 does not execute the switching of the printing speed to the low speed and is forced to the normal speed. To maintain.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the fourth embodiment, the operator selects an image quality priority mode that performs a printing operation at a low speed so as not to cause show-through or blurring in the case of single-sided printing that allows a show-through image or the like. However, since a slight show-through or blur may be generated, the print speed priority mode can be selected when printing at normal speed is desired.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment, when the speed selection unit 104 is provided and the start-up control unit 100 switches the printing speed to a low speed, printing is performed at a low speed as it is, or forced at a normal speed. You may make it select whether to print.

  As shown in the side view of FIG. 11A and the schematic front view of FIG. 11B, the image forming apparatus 2 of the fifth embodiment has a conveying belt 13 in the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. Instead of this, the platen roller 110 is used to convey the recording medium, and the paper feed tray 10, the paper feed roller 11, the line feed motor 16, the paper discharge tray 18, and the shaft having the same functions as those in the first embodiment. 19, carriage 20, recording head cartridge 21, recording head 22, cable 23, carriage motor 24, wire 25, HP sensor 26, fuel cell 28, cooling mechanism 29, temperature sensor 30, transmission optical sensor 31, and control circuit 32 And a platen roller 110, a paper guide 111, a paper passage sensor 112, and a paper pressing roller 113.

  The platen roller 110 is rotated by the line feed motor 16 and conveys the recording medium fed from the paper feed tray 10 by electrostatic adsorption. The paper guide 111 guides the recording medium attracted by the platen roller 110 along the platen roller 110. The recording head 12 is arranged so as to be spaced from the recording medium whose recording surface is restricted by the platen roller 110. The fuel cell module 51 is disposed adjacent to the paper guide 111 and warms the recording medium through the paper guide 111. The water sent from the water tank 53 of the fuel cell 28 to the mixing tank 54 is arranged so as to pass through the platen roller 110 along the rotation axis, and warms the recording medium from the inside of the platen roller 110.

  The paper passage sensor 112 is mounted on the carriage 20 and detects the timing at which the leading end of the recording medium passing through the recording head 22 passes. The sheet pressing roller 113 operates in a direction toward and away from the platen roller 110 by the power of a cam driven by a stepping motor, and sandwiches the recording medium with the platen roller 110 at an appropriate timing.

  The paper feed driver 83 of the control circuit 32 drives the stepping motor to operate the paper pressing roller 113 in the direction away from the platen roller 110 at the start of printing. When the paper passage sensor 112 detects the leading edge of the recording medium. The distance from the sheet passing sensor 112 to the sheet pressing roller 113 is measured by a timer for the time for which the recording medium moves, and the platen roller 110 is rotated for a predetermined time so that the leading end of the recording medium reaches the sheet pressing roller 113, and the sheet pressing The roller 113 is moved in a direction approaching the platen roller 110, and the leading edge of the recording medium is pressed by the sheet pressing roller 113.

  The recording medium is warmed by the heat of water sent from the water tank 53 to the mixing tank 54 by contacting the platen roller 110, and passes between the platen roller 110 and the paper guide 111, thereby causing the fuel cell module 51. Is heated through the platen roller 110 and the paper guide 111. The ink that has been ejected from the recording head 22 and reaches the recording medium is accelerated to dry by the heat of the warmed recording medium, so that it becomes droplets before drying into the recording medium, causing blurring and show-through. Is prevented from occurring.

  The temperature adjustment control of the image forming apparatus 2 of the fifth embodiment is executed by the temperature adjustment unit 90 as in the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment.

  According to the image forming apparatus 2 of the fifth embodiment, the recording medium is heated by using the heat of the fuel cell 28, thereby forming a high-quality image in which bleeding and show-through are suppressed. Can do. According to the image forming apparatus 2 of the fifth embodiment, by detecting the temperature of the paper guide 111 and changing the temperature of the paper guide 111 according to the use condition, even if the use condition changes, the use condition is changed. The recording medium can be warmed at a suitable temperature. Also, other methods for controlling the temperature of the paper guide 111, for example, parameter information such as the number of continuous passages of the recording medium, management of the system standby time, and heat deprived by the recording medium are used to determine the paper guide from the temperature of the fuel cell module 51. Compared with the predictive control for predicting the temperature of 111, the image forming apparatus 2 of the fifth embodiment can easily and frequently manage the temperature of the recording medium without requiring complicated parameters.

  Note that the image forming apparatus 2 of the fifth embodiment may include the startup control unit 100 as in the second embodiment, and the high temperature control unit as in the third embodiment. 101, a low temperature control unit 102, and a voltage detection unit 103 may be provided, or a speed selection unit 104 may be provided as in the fourth embodiment.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 2 circulates a high-temperature methanol aqueous solution supplied from the mixing tank 54 to the anode 62 of the fuel cell module 51 by the circulation pump 57 so as to pass through the platen roller 110 to warm the recording medium. It may be.

  As shown in the configuration diagram of FIG. 12, the image forming apparatus 3 of the sixth embodiment has the FC waste heat heating member 120 disposed close to the paper feed tray 10 in the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. To do. Specifically, the FC waste heat heating member 120 is disposed close to the upper side of the paper feed tray 10, and the fuel cell module 51 is disposed above the FC waste heat heating member 120.

  By disposing the FC waste heat heating member 120 close to the paper feed tray 10, the recording medium before paper feeding can be heated for a long time, so that the distance from the paper feed tray 10 to the recording head 22 is increased. Even when the recording medium is close to the FC waste heat heating member 27 due to its short distance, or when the recording medium passes through the FC waste heat heating member 27 in a short time during high-speed printing, the recording medium is used as the recording head 22. It is possible to sufficiently heat the ink until the ink is discharged and the ink is ejected.

  Note that it is desirable to provide a cover on the paper feed tray 10. By providing a cover on the paper feed tray 10, it is possible to prevent the recording medium from being contaminated even if liquid leakage occurs in the fuel cell module 51 disposed on the top of the paper feed tray 10.

  As shown in the schematic configuration diagram of FIG. 13, in the image forming apparatus 2 of the fifth embodiment, the FC waste heat heating member 121 is disposed close to the paper feed tray 10, and the FC waste heat heating member 121. Even in the case of the image forming apparatus 4 in which the fuel cell module 51 is arranged close to the recording medium, the recording medium can be sufficiently heated until the recording head 22 is reached.

  The image forming apparatus according to the seventh embodiment is the same as the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, as shown in the enlarged view of the vicinity of the sheet conveying roller 15 in FIG. The transport path 122 of water sent to the inside of the paper transport roller 15 functioning as an FC waste heat heating member is gradually lowered in the direction of gravity from the upstream side toward the downstream side.

  By inclining the transport path 122, water can be transported from a high place to a low place. Even when the fuel cell 28 is mounted on the image forming apparatus 1 and the transport path 122 is routed for a long distance, the transport path In addition to preventing water from remaining in 122, it is possible to prevent adverse effects such as water being frozen in the transportation path 122 at a low temperature such as in winter and delaying the start-up operation. Note that the transport route 122 may be a route for transporting other substances.

1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is a top view of FC waste heat heating member with a rib. It is a block diagram of a fuel cell. It is a block diagram of a transmissive optical sensor. It is a block diagram of a control circuit. It is a block diagram of a temperature control part. It is a block diagram of the other image forming apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the control system of 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the control system of 3rd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the control system of 4th Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the image forming apparatus of 5th Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the image forming apparatus of 6th Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the other image forming apparatus of 6th Embodiment. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of a sheet conveyance roller according to a seventh embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1; Image forming apparatus, 2; Image forming apparatus, 3; Image forming apparatus, 4; Image forming apparatus,
10; paper feed tray, 11; paper feed roller, 12; registration roller, 13; transport belt,
14; drive roller, 15; paper transport roller, 16; line feed motor,
17; paper pressing roller, 18; discharge tray, 19; shaft, 20; carriage,
21; printhead cartridge, 22; printhead, 23; cable,
24; Carriage motor; 25; Wire; 26; HP sensor; 27; FC waste heat heating member;
28; fuel cell; 29; cooling mechanism; 30; temperature sensor; 31; transmission optical sensor;
32; control circuit, 33; voltmeter, 34; light emitting element, 35; light receiving element, 40; rib,
51; Fuel cell module, 52; Fuel tank, 53; Water tank, 54; Mixing tank,
55; fuel pump, 56; water pump, 57; circulation pump, 58; air blower,
59; Condenser, 60; Inlet, 61; Exhaust, 62; Anode, 63; Cathode,
64; electrolyte membrane, 71; CPU, 72; ROM, 73; RAM, 74; data receiving unit,
75; DMA / RAM controller, 76; nonvolatile memory, 77; head driver,
78; head controller, 79; carriage motor driver,
80; timing control unit; 81; line feed motor driver;
82; ink flow rate detection unit; 83; paper feed driver; 84; cooling mechanism power supply;
85; fuel pump power supply; 86; display section; 87; operation section; 90; temperature control section;
91; temperature detection unit; 92; paper thickness detection unit; 93; ink type detection unit;
94; appropriate temperature storage unit, 95; cooling control unit, 96; heating control unit, 97; switching unit,
98; Sequence control unit, 100; Startup control unit, 101; High temperature control unit,
102; Low temperature control unit, 103; Voltage detection unit, 104; Speed selection unit,
110; Platen roller; 111; Paper guide; 112; Paper passage sensor;
113; paper pressing roller; 120; FC waste heat heating member; 121; FC waste heat heating member.

Claims (23)

An image forming apparatus that is driven by electric power supplied from a fuel cell having a fuel pump that adjusts a supply amount of fuel used for power generation and forms an image on a recording medium,
An FC waste heat heating member that heats the recording medium before image formation when waste heat from the fuel cell is supplied, and an amount of fuel supplied by the fuel pump is varied according to the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member. An image forming apparatus comprising temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member . A transport belt for transporting the recording medium to a position for forming an image;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the FC waste heat heating member is disposed with the conveyance belt interposed between the FC waste heat heating member and the recording medium.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the FC waste heat heating member constitutes a roller of a conveyance path that conveys the recording medium to a position where an image is formed.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the FC waste heat heating member constitutes a guide plate of a conveyance path for conveying the recording medium to a position where an image is formed.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the FC waste heat heating member heats the recording medium in a paper feeding unit that accommodates the recording medium before feeding. The FC waste heat heating member receives heat from a part of a transport route of a substance in the fuel cell,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport path is arranged so as to gradually fall in the direction of gravity from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the transport direction. A nozzle that ejects ink to face the recording medium at a position where an image is formed;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the FC waste heat heating member is disposed to face the nozzles with a conveyance path for the recording medium interposed therebetween. A cooling mechanism for cooling the FC waste heat heating member from the surface opposite to the surface facing the nozzle,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the temperature adjusting unit adjusts a temperature of the FC waste heat heating member by changing a cooling amount by the cooling mechanism. The temperature adjusting means includes an appropriate temperature storage means for storing a relationship between a use condition and an appropriate temperature of the FC waste heat heating member, and a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the temperature of the FC waste heat member is adjusted so that the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit is close to an appropriate temperature according to conditions. The appropriate temperature storage means includes the relationship between the type of ink and the appropriate temperature in the use conditions, and sets the appropriate temperature higher as the drying speed of the ink is slower,
The temperature adjusting unit includes an ink type detecting unit that detects the type of ink used for image formation, and the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit to an appropriate temperature corresponding to the type of ink detected by the ink type detecting unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the temperature of the FC waste heat member is adjusted so as to be close to each other. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the printing speed is decreased as the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member is lower. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a printing speed is varied when an image is not formed on the recording member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the temperature adjusting unit stops the printing operation when detecting an abnormally high temperature of the FC waste heat heating member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the temperature adjusting unit reduces the printing speed when detecting an abnormally low temperature vicinity value of the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, notifying that the printing speed is low and not notifying that the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member is an abnormally low temperature value. 16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when the printing speed is reduced, the printing speed is switched to a higher printing speed as the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member is higher. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when the temperature of the FC waste heat heating member returns to a normal temperature, the printing speed is returned to normal. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the printing operation is stopped when the fuel cell reaches a limit of autonomous operation. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein when the printing operation is stopped, all of the fed recording medium is discharged. 19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein when the printing operation is stopped, printing on the recording medium in the middle of printing is interrupted, and all the recording medium before printing is discharged. 21. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein when the printing operation is stopped, the sheet in the sheet feeding tray is returned to the cassette. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 21, further comprising a function of selecting whether printing is performed at a low speed or a normal speed when an abnormally low temperature value is detected. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 22, which notifies the detection of an abnormally high temperature of the FC waste heat heating member.

Images