JP5278028B2 - Image forming apparatus with erasing function - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus with a color erasing function that performs a color erasing operation and an image forming operation in a series of processes.

  As part of protecting the global environment, paper resources have been saved recently. In view of this, for the purpose of reusing paper resources, a method has been proposed in which an image of a recording sheet formed with toner is removed or decolored and image formation is performed again.

  Such image removal or erasing can be achieved by applying a treatment liquid for removing toner to the surface of the paper on which the image is formed and heating to remove the image, or erasing in advance when forming the image. The main method is to record an image on recording paper with the toner of this type, and to erase the image by heating and light irradiation.

  By the way, as an apparatus for processing by these methods, an apparatus dedicated to removal (or decoloring) is considered separately from the image forming apparatus. However, such an apparatus requires an apparatus and power equivalent to an electrophotographic copying machine or printer.

  This increases the installation space and is disadvantageous in terms of cost. In addition, there is a problem that user convenience is poor. Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, a decoloring (or removal) function is installed in the image forming apparatus to reduce costs, improve operability and functionality, and provide an installation space for the decoloring apparatus. There has been proposed an apparatus that can realize unnecessary space saving and promote recycling of paper resources.

  For example, a latent image forming unit that forms a latent image corresponding to an image on a document on an image carrier, and a latent image formed by the latent image forming unit is visualized using at least a decolorable toner to form a toner image. An image forming apparatus comprising: a toner image forming unit that forms a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the formed toner image onto a transfer material; and a fixing unit that mainly fixes the toner image on the transferred transfer material. 2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus having a decoloring processing unit for decoloring a toner image on a transfer material on which an image has been formed is known as a prior art (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Also, a fixing device unit for fixing the image on the recording paper by heating and pressurizing the recording paper after image transfer, and decoloring the image on the recording paper by heating the recording paper after image formation and irradiating near infrared rays An image forming apparatus that includes a decoloring unit and that can selectively attach a fixing unit and a decoloring unit between an image forming unit and a paper discharge tray is also known as a prior art (see, for example, Patent Document 2). ).

  The prior arts of these Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a problem to be considered about how to suppress the increased power consumption by providing an image forming function and a decoloring (removal) function. As described above, a fixing device for image formation and a heater for erasing (removing) are used in common, and the operation is performed by switching between image forming and erasing (removing). That is, the power consumption is reduced by stopping the decoloring (removal) operation during image formation and stopping the image formation operation during decoloration (removal).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-152823 JP 09-244488 A

  However, although the prior art of Patent Document 1 or 2 achieves the purpose of space saving, the maximum power consumption as the apparatus is equivalent to that of the image forming apparatus, and the power consumed during image formation and decoloring (removal). ) There is a problem that the electric power consumed sometimes is necessary, and the actual electric power consumed is not reduced at all.

  In addition, even if an image formation signal is received during the decoloring (removal) operation, the image formation operation cannot be immediately started, and thus there is a problem that the user-friendliness is not realized.

In order to solve the above-described problems, an image forming apparatus with a decoloring function according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus with a decoloring function that performs image formation by an electrophotographic method and has a decoloring function. A paper feeding unit for storing recording paper on which an image is formed, a decoloring heating unit for heating the decolorizable toner image of the recording paper fed from the paper feeding unit, and the decoloring heating unit. A decoloring light irradiation unit for irradiating the decoloring toner image on the heated recording paper with a predetermined wavelength to erase the image of the decoloring toner image, and a decoloring toner storage unit. A developing unit, a transfer unit that transfers the decolorable toner image developed by the developing unit to the recording paper from which the image of the decolorable toner image has been erased, and the decoloring toner image formed by the transfer unit. The decolorizable toner is transferred to the recording paper by pressure and heating on the recording paper to which the toner has been transferred. A fixing heating unit configured to fix an image, wherein the fixing heating unit includes a heat source roller and a first heat conductive pressure roller arranged to face each other, and the decoloring heating unit includes the first heat conductive unit. and a pressure roller and a second thermally conductive pressure roller Ri formed are opposed, the heat source of the heat source roller is a halogen lamp, light of a predetermined wavelength of the decoloring light irradiation unit is near infrared light The near-infrared light is configured such that the near-infrared light of the halogen lamp is guided to the paper surface of the recording paper by a glass fiber .

Further, the image forming apparatus with a color erasing function of the present invention is a heat source roller and a first heat conductive pressure roller in the image forming apparatus with a color erasing function which forms an image by an electrophotographic method and has a color erasing function. Is formed by a triple roller that is disposed opposite to form a fixing heating portion, and the first heat conductive pressure roller and the second heat conductive pressure roller are disposed opposite to form a decoloring heating portion. A heating device, a paper feed unit that stores a recording paper on which an image of the color erasable toner image is formed, and the color erasable toner image of the recording paper fed from the paper feed unit to heat the color erasable toner image A first conveyance path for carrying the recording paper into the decoloring heating section; a second conveyance path for carrying out the recording paper heated by the decoloring heating section; and the recording paper on the second conveyance path The decolorable toner image is irradiated with light having a predetermined wavelength. A decoloring light irradiating unit for erasing the image image, and a third for taking over the conveyance of the recording paper from which the image of the decoloring toner image has been decolored by the decoloring light irradiation unit from the second conveying path. A developing section having a decolorable toner container disposed corresponding to the third conveying path, and a decoloring toner image developed by the developing section on the third conveying path. A transfer portion for transferring the image of the decolorizable toner image to the decolored recording paper, and the recording paper for fixing the decolorable toner image transferred by the transfer portion to the recording paper. A fourth conveyance path for carrying into the fixing heating section; and a fifth conveyance path for carrying out the recording paper from the fixing heating section and discharging it to the paper discharge accommodating section. The heat source of the heat source roller is a halogen lamp. The light of a predetermined wavelength of the decoloring light irradiation unit is near infrared light, and the near infrared light is Constructed near infrared light Genranpu are induced to the sheet of the recording paper by the glass fibers.

In the image forming apparatus with a decoloring function, for example, the decoloring light irradiating unit simultaneously irradiates the front and back of the recording paper with the light having the predetermined wavelength, and the fifth transport path includes a switchback device. The recording paper is handed over to the sixth transport path, and the sixth transport path is configured such that the recording paper is turned upside down and transported to the third transport path to carry out duplex printing on the recording paper. Yes .

  The present invention provides a color erasing function inside an image forming apparatus that forms an image with a color erasing toner using an electrophotographic system, and performs a series of color erasing operations and image forming operations with the same power consumption as a conventional image forming apparatus. Since it is performed in the flow, space saving is realized and an image forming apparatus with a color erasing function that is convenient for the user can be provided.

1 is a side sectional view schematically showing an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus with a color erasing function according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the other structure which irradiates the near infrared rays as decoloring light which concerns on the modification of Example 1 of this invention. It is a sectional side view which shows simply the internal structure of the image forming apparatus with a decoloring function which concerns on Example 2 of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.
[Example 1]

  FIG. 1 is a side sectional view schematically showing an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus with a color erasing function according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. An image forming apparatus 1 with a color erasing function shown in FIG. 1 includes a paper feeding unit 2, a heating device 3, a color erasing light irradiation unit 4, a developing device 5, a transfer unit 6, and a paper discharge storage unit 7.

  The paper feed unit 2 includes a paper feed cassette 9 that is detachably disposed at the lower part of the apparatus body housing 8. The paper feed cassette 9 accommodates a large number of recording papers 12 on which a decolorable toner image is formed on a bottom plate 11 urged upward by a urging member (not shown). .

  The heating device 3 includes three rollers that are arranged in a vertical row and rotate in pressure contact with each other. The three rollers are composed of a heat source roller 14, a first heat conductive pressure roller 15, and a second heat conductive pressure roller 17 from the top.

  The heat source roller 14 is provided with a halogen lamp 13 inside the roller as a heat source. The first heat conductive pressure roller 15 and the second heat conductive pressure roller 17 are each heated by heat conduction from the heating surface of the heat source roller 14.

  The first heat conductive pressure roller 15 is a driving roller, and the heat source roller 14 and the second heat conductive pressure roller 17 have a follow-up structure by the pressure contact of each roller.

  On the one hand, the heating device 3 forms the fixing heating part 16 with the heat source roller 14 and the first heat conductive pressure roller 15 arranged opposite to the heat source roller 14, and on the other hand, the first heat conductive additive. A decoloring heating section 18 is formed by the pressure roller 15 and the second heat conductive pressure roller 17 disposed opposite thereto.

  Between the paper feed opening of the paper feed cassette 9 and the erasing heating unit 18, there is a first transport path a for carrying the recording paper 12 fed from the paper feeding cassette 9 into the erasing heating unit 18. These are formed by an appropriate guide member (not shown) or a guide roller.

  In this first transport path a, a feed roller 19 disposed at the paper feed port of the paper feed cassette 9 for transporting the recording paper 12 along the above-mentioned guide, and a paper feed comprising a feed roller and a separating roller. A roller pair 21, a reverse roller pair 22, and a carry-in roller pair 23 are arranged.

  Further, on the downstream side of the conveyance direction of the recording paper 12 from the decoloring heating unit 18, a second conveyance path b for carrying out the recording paper 12 from the decoloring heating unit 18 is an appropriate guide member or guide (not shown). It is formed by a roller or the like. In the second transport path b, a pair of carry-out rollers 24 for transporting the recording paper 12 along the guide, a pair of transport rollers 25, and a pair of reverse rollers 26 are arranged.

  The decoloring light irradiation unit 4 includes two light emitting heads 27a and 27b that emit near-infrared light. As a light source of near infrared light, there are a light emitting diode, a halogen lamp, a semiconductor laser, and the like. In this example, a light emitting head composed of a large number of light emitting diode arrays with low power consumption is used.

  The two light emitting heads 27 a and 27 b are arranged at positions where the second conveyance path b is sandwiched from above and below in the vicinity of the downstream side of the decoloring light irradiation unit 4. These two light emitting heads 27a and 27b are provided along a length corresponding to the width direction of the recording paper 12 conveyed in the second conveyance path b (a direction orthogonal to the conveyance path) and in the conveyance direction of the recording paper 12. And a predetermined width.

  In order to decolor the decoloring toner, near infrared rays are irradiated for the time necessary for decoloring, so the predetermined width along the conveyance direction of the two light emitting heads 27a and 27b depends on the recording paper conveyance speed. Therefore, it is set to a width that allows irradiation with near-infrared light that can be sufficiently erased.

  On the downstream side of the second conveyance path b, the conveyance of the recording paper 12 is taken over from the reversing roller pair 26 of the second conveyance path b, and the recording paper 12 that has taken over this conveyance is conveyed to the transfer unit 6. The third transport path c is formed by an appropriate guide member, guide roller or the like (not shown).

  A standby roller pair 28 is arranged on the upstream side of the third conveyance path c, and is arranged opposite to the photosensitive drum 29 of the developing unit 5 and the photosensitive drum 29 across the third conveyance path c on the downstream side thereof. The transfer portion 6 is formed by the transferred roller 31.

  The developing unit 5 is a general image transfer apparatus including an image forming unit in which a developing unit 32 and a drum unit 33 are assembled together.

  The developing unit 32 includes a toner hopper 35 containing the decolorable toner 34, a toner supply unit 36 formed at the lowermost part of the toner hopper 35, and an appropriate amount of decolorization from the toner hopper 35 to the toner supply unit 36. A toner supply device 37 that sequentially supplies the toner 34 is provided.

  For example, the decolorizable toner 34 is configured by uniformly dispersing an organic boron compound and a near-infrared absorbing dye in a styrene resin.

  Further, the development unit 32 includes a toner supply roller 38, a development roller 39, and a doctor blade 41 in the toner supply unit 36. The toner supply roller 38 is in pressure contact with the developing roller 39 and supplies the decolorable toner 34 to the peripheral surface of the developing roller 39 while rotating in the opposite direction to the developing roller 39. The doctor blade 41 regulates the layer thickness of the decolorizable toner 34 supplied to the peripheral surface of the developing roller 39 to a constant thickness.

  The other drum unit 33 includes a lowermost photosensitive drum 29, a cleaner 42 disposed near or in contact with the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 29, and an initialization charging roller 43. When the drum unit 33 is assembled to the developing unit 32, the right side surface of the photosensitive drum 29 comes into contact with the developing roller 39 of the developing unit 32.

  When the image forming unit in which the developing unit 32 and the drum unit 33 are integrated is mounted on the mounting portion as shown in the figure, the optical writing head 44 is attached to the drum unit frame 45 in the vicinity of the upper surface of the photosensitive drum 29. The transfer unit 6 is formed in such a manner that the lower surface of the photosensitive drum 29 is disposed so as to face the transfer roller 31 with the third conveyance path c interposed therebetween.

  A fixing heating unit 16 of the heating device 3 is located downstream of the transfer unit 6 in the sheet conveyance direction, and a fourth conveyance path d by an appropriate guide member (not shown) from the transfer unit 6 to the fixing heating unit 16. Is formed. The fourth conveyance path d carries the recording paper 12 into the fixing heating unit 16 by cooperation of conveyance of the standby roller pair 28 and conveyance by the photosensitive drum 29 and the transfer roller 31 in the transfer unit 6.

  On the downstream side of the fixing heating unit 16 in the sheet conveyance direction, a fifth conveyance path e is formed by an appropriate guide member (not shown) and a guide roller. In the fifth transport path e, an unloading roller pair 46, a vertical transport roller pair 47, a switchback transport roller pair 48, and a paper discharge roller pair 49 are arranged.

  The switchback transport roller pair 48 performs a switchback operation in cooperation with a transport direction switching flap (not shown) provided at the branch point 57 during double-sided printing, and the recording paper 12 in the middle of paper discharge. The rear end portion is fed back to the sixth transport path f.

  The sixth transport path f includes a plurality of appropriate guide members (not shown), a return start path roller pair 51, intermediate return path roller pairs 52, 53, and 54, and a vertical return path roller pair disposed between the guide members. 55 and a terminal return path roller pair 56. The downstream side in the transport direction from the end return path roller pair 56 joins the third transport path c.

  With the above configuration, the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 with a decoloring function in the form of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 again. First, after the image forming apparatus 1 with the color erasing function is turned on, the number of sheets, the sheet size, the margin range setting, and other designations are input as keys from an operation panel (not shown) or as a signal from a connected host device. When the initial setting process is performed and the start of printing is instructed, each unit shown in FIG. 1 is driven by a drive mechanism (not shown).

  By this driving, first, the used recording paper 12 printed with the erasable toner accommodated in the paper feed cassette 9 of the paper feed unit 2 is taken out by the take-out roller 19 in a substantially left horizontal direction. Then, the feeding roller pair 21 prevents feeding and only the uppermost sheet is fed to the reverse roller pair 22.

  The recording paper 12 reversed from the upward direction to the right horizontal direction along the first conveyance path a by the reverse roller pair 22 is sandwiched by the carry-in roller pair 23 and is carried into the decoloring heating unit 18 to be subjected to the first thermal conductivity. The both sides of the front and back surfaces are heated while being held between the pressure roller 15 and the second heat conductive pressure roller 17 and the conveyance is continued, whereby the decolorizable toner forming an image on the front and back surfaces exceeds the glass transition point. Heated below the softening point.

  The near-infrared rays are irradiated from the light emitting heads 27a and 27b of the decoloring light irradiation unit 4 to both the front and back surfaces of the recording paper 12 heated by the decolorable toner on both the front and back sides and sent to the second conveyance path b. The color toner image is erased.

  The recording paper 12 that has been transported from the second transport path b to the third transport path c comes into contact with the standby roller pair 28 and temporarily stops. The standby roller pair 28 corrects and aligns the skew with respect to the recording paper 12 and waits for the feeding timing.

  On the other hand, in the developing unit 5, the photosensitive drum 29 rotates in the clockwise direction as indicated by an arrow, and the toner remaining on the peripheral surface is cleaned and removed by the cleaner 42. A uniform charge is applied to the circumferential surface of the drum 29, and the optical writing head 44 exposes the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 29 in accordance with an image signal, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 29. Form.

  The developing roller 39 of the developing unit 32 transfers the decolorable toner 34 to the low potential portion of the electrostatic latent image on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 29 to form a decolorable toner image on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 29 ( Reverse development).

  The leading portion of the image forming position of the recording paper 12 is conveyed to the transfer unit 6 in accordance with the timing at which the tip of the developed decolored toner image rotated and conveyed by the photosensitive drum 29 comes to the transfer unit 6. The standby roller pair 28 feeds the recording paper 12.

  The transfer roller 31 applies a bias voltage supplied from a high voltage bias power source (not shown) to the back surface of the recording paper 12. The decolored toner image is attracted to the recording paper 12 by the electric field formed by this bias voltage, whereby the decolored toner image on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 29 is transferred to the recording paper 12.

  Thereafter, the recording paper 12 is carried into the fixing heating unit 16 of the heating device 3 via the fourth conveyance path d, and heat and pressure are applied by the heat source roller 14 and the first heat conductive pressure roller 15. The transferred decolored toner image is fixed on the paper surface.

  The recording paper 12 on which the decolored toner image is fixed is sequentially conveyed by a pair of carry-out rollers 46, a pair of vertical conveyance rollers 47, a pair of switchback conveyance rollers 48, and a pair of discharge rollers 49, and is discharged to the discharge storage unit 7. .

  When duplex printing is performed, the direction of a conveyance direction switching flap (not shown) disposed at the branch point 57 is switched at the timing when the trailing edge of the recording paper 12 passes through the branch point 57 and the switchback conveyance roller pair 48. And the rotation direction of the paper discharge roller pair 49 is switched to the reverse rotation.

  As a result, the recording paper 12 is fed back to the sixth transport path f. The recording paper 12 that is returned with the rear end portion up to that point in the reverse conveyance direction is a return start path roller pair 51, intermediate return path roller pairs 52, 53, 54, vertical return path roller pair 55, and end return path. It is conveyed by the roller pair 56 and merges with the third conveyance path c while reversing the front and back.

  Then, in the transfer unit 6, the decolored toner image is transferred again to the surface opposite to the previously printed surface, and the transferred decolored toner image is fixed by the fixing overheating unit 16. 49 is discharged to the paper discharge storage unit 7.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the erasing function is provided in the image forming apparatus that forms an image with the erasing toner using the electrophotographic method, and the erasing function is performed with the same power consumption as the conventional image forming apparatus. Color operations and image forming operations can be performed in a series of flows.

  As a result, space saving can be realized, and an image forming apparatus with a color erasing function that is convenient for the user can be provided.

In the first embodiment, the halogen lamp 13 is mounted only on the uppermost heat source roller 14 of the three rollers. However, the halogen heat lamp 13 is also disposed inside the second heat conductive pressure roller 17. The lamp 13 may be mounted, and the halogen lamp 13 of the heat source roller 14 and the halogen lamp 13 of the second heat conductive pressure roller 17 may be exclusively controlled to further improve the fixing performance .

  FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating another configuration for irradiating near infrared rays as decoloring light according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. 2 (a) is a front sectional view of the integrated frame 58, and FIG. 2 (b) is a side sectional view thereof.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), in this modified example, the heating device 3 and the decoloring light irradiation unit 4 are integrated into the integrated frame 58 and used as a light source for near infrared irradiation in the first embodiment. Instead of the light emitting diode, the light of the halogen lamp 13 used as the heat source of the heating device 3 is used.

  That is, the end surface of the glass fiber 59 is inserted into both ends of the heat source roller 14 of the heating device 3 so as to cover the gap between the halogen lamp 13 and the inner peripheral surface of the roller, and the opposite end surface of the glass fiber 59 is decolored. It arrange | positions in the position where the light emitting diode of the light emission heads 27a and 27b of the irradiation part 4 was arrange | positioned.

With this configuration, the near-infrared light from the halogen lamp 13 is applied to the recording paper 12 through the glass fiber 59 to erase the image of the decolored toner. Thereby, it can be set as the structure erased without providing a new light source.
[Example 2]

  FIG. 3 is a side sectional view schematically showing the internal configuration of the image forming apparatus with a decoloring function according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the image forming apparatus 60 with the color erasing function shown in FIG. 3, the configurations of the paper feeding unit 2, the heating device 3, and the developing unit 5 are the same as those of the image forming apparatus 1 with the color erasing function shown in FIG. .

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 60 with the color erasing function shown in FIG. 3, the components and functions of the transfer unit 6, the color erasing heating unit 18 and the fixing heating unit 16 are also shown in FIG. This is the same as the case of 1.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 60 with the color erasing function shown in FIG. 3, the first transport path a, the second transport path b, the third transport path c, the fourth transport path d, and the fifth transport path e. This configuration is also the same as that of the image forming apparatus 1 with the color erasing function shown in FIG.

  In this example, the difference from the case of the image forming apparatus 1 with a decoloring function shown in FIG. 1 is that the sixth transport path f is deleted, and the configuration of the decoloring light irradiation unit 4 is one of the light emitting head 27b. That the branching point 57 is arranged between the carry-out roller pair 46 and the vertical conveyance roller pair 47, and the first conveyance path a is joined between the branching point 57 and the carry-in roller pair 23. A new seventh transport path g is provided.

  In the configuration of the second embodiment, the recording paper 12 taken out from the paper feeding unit 2 is transported through the first transport path a, passes through the decoloring heating unit 18 with the first surface facing downward, and the first surface. The decolored toner image is heated, and further passes through the decolored light irradiation unit 4 and is irradiated with near-infrared light by the light emitting head 27b, so that the decolored toner image on the first surface is decolored.

  After that, the second conveyance path b enters the third conveyance path c while reversing the front and back, and a new decolored toner image is transferred to the first surface by the transfer unit 6 with the first surface facing upward. The decolored toner image newly transferred in the fixing heating unit 16 is fixed on the first surface through the fourth conveyance path d. Thereafter, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge storage portion 7 through the fifth transport path e.

  In the case of double-sided printing, the direction of a conveyance direction switching flap (not shown) disposed at the branch point 57 is switched at the timing when the trailing edge of the recording paper 12 that has exited the fixing heating unit 16 passes through the branch point 57. The rotation directions of the paper discharge roller pair 49, the switchback conveyance roller pair 48, and the vertical conveyance roller pair 47 are switched to the reverse rotation.

  As a result, the recording paper 12 passes through the seventh transport path g with the rear end portion up to that point in the return direction, and is returned to join the first transport path a, with the first surface facing upward. In other words, the second surface is directed downward, and passes through the decoloring heating unit 18 and the decoloring light irradiation unit 4, and the used old decoloring toner image on the second surface is decolored, and the second transport path b It is conveyed by.

  After that, as described above, the second surface of the second conveyance path b is turned upside down, and then enters the third conveyance path c, passes through the transfer unit 6 and the fixing heating unit 16 and newly enters. A decolored toner image is formed (transferred and fixed) on the second surface, and after the double-sided printing is completed, it passes through the fifth conveyance path e and is discharged to the paper discharge storage unit 7.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the extremely long sixth transport path f is deleted, the configuration of the decoloring light irradiation unit 4 is only one of the light emitting heads 27b, and a new seventh Since the conveyance path g is an extremely short conveyance path, the configuration can be lower than that in the case of the first embodiment.

  The present invention can be used for an image forming apparatus with a color erasing function.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus with a decoloring function 2 Paper feed part 3 Heating device 4 Decoloring light irradiation part 5 Developing part 6 Transfer part 7 Discharge storage part 8 Apparatus main body housing 9 Paper feed cassette a 1st conveyance path b 2nd Conveyance path c Third conveyance path d Fourth conveyance path e Fifth conveyance path f Sixth conveyance path g Seventh conveyance path 11 Bottom plate 12 Recording paper 13 Heater 14 Heat source roller 15 First thermal conductivity addition Pressure roller 16 Fixing heating unit 17 Second heat conductive pressure roller 18 Decoloring heating unit 19 Take-out roller 21 Paper feed roller pair 22 Reverse roller pair 23 Carry-in roller pair 24 Carry-out roller pair 25 Transport roller pair 26 Reverse roller pair 27a 27b Light emitting head 28 Standby roller pair 29 Photosensitive drum 31 Transfer roller 32 Development unit 33 Drum unit 34 Erasable toner 35 Toner hopper 36 Toner supply 37 -Supply device 38 Toner supply roller 39 Developing roller 41 Doctor blade 42 Cleaner 43 Initialization charging roller 44 Optical writing head 45 Drum unit frame 46 Unloading roller pair 47 Vertical conveying roller pair 48 Switchback conveying roller pair 49 Discharge roller pair 51 Return Start path roller pair 52, 53, 54 Intermediate return path roller pair 55 Vertical return path roller pair 56 End return path roller pair 57 Branch point 58 Integrated frame 59 Glass fiber 60 Image forming apparatus with decoloring function

Claims (3)

In an image forming apparatus with a decoloring function that performs image formation by an electrophotographic method and has a decoloring function,
A paper feed unit for storing recording paper on which an image of a decolorable toner image is formed;
A decoloring heating unit for heating the decoloring toner image of the recording paper fed from the paper feeding unit;
A decolorizing light irradiating unit configured to irradiate the decoloring toner image on the recording paper heated by the first heating unit with light of a predetermined wavelength to erase the image of the decoloring toner image;
A developing unit having a decolorable toner container;
A transfer unit that transfers the decolorizable toner image developed by the developing unit to the recording paper from which the image of the decolorable toner image has been erased;
A fixing heating unit for fixing the erasable toner image on the recording paper by pressure and heating on the recording paper on which the erasable toner image is transferred by the transfer unit;
With
The fixing heating unit is formed by arranging a heat source roller and a first heat conductive pressure roller so as to face each other.
The decoloring heating section and the first thermally conductive pressure roller and a second thermally conductive pressure roller Ri formed are opposed,
The heat source of the heat source roller is a halogen lamp, light of a predetermined wavelength of the decoloring light irradiating unit is near infrared light, and the near infrared light is a near infrared light of the halogen lamp by a glass fiber. Guided to the
An image forming apparatus with a color erasing function. In an image forming apparatus with a decoloring function that performs image formation by an electrophotographic method and has a decoloring function,
The heat source roller and the first heat conductive pressure roller are arranged to face each other to form a fixing heating portion, and the first heat conductive pressure roller and the second heat conductive pressure roller are arranged to face each other and decolored. A heating device composed of a triple roller forming a heating unit;
A paper feed unit for storing recording paper on which an image of a decolorable toner image is formed;
A first conveyance path for carrying the recording paper into the decoloring heating unit to heat the decoloring toner image of the recording paper fed from the paper feeding unit;
A second conveyance path for carrying out the recording paper heated by the decoloring heating unit;
A decoloring light irradiating unit configured to irradiate the decoloring toner image heated on the recording paper on the second conveyance path with light having a predetermined wavelength to decolor the image of the decoloring toner image;
A third conveyance path that takes over the conveyance of the recording sheet from which the image of the decolorizable toner image has been decolored by the decolorization light irradiation unit, from the second conveyance path;
A developing unit disposed corresponding to the third transport path and having a decolorable toner container;
A transfer unit that transfers the decolorizable toner image developed by the developing unit to the recording paper from which the image of the decolorable toner image on the third transport path has been decolored;
A fourth conveyance path for carrying the recording paper into the fixing heating unit in order to fix the decolorable toner image transferred by the transfer unit to the recording paper;
A fifth transport path for unloading the recording paper from the fixing heating unit and discharging it to a paper discharge storage unit;
Equipped with a,
The heat source of the heat source roller is a halogen lamp, light of a predetermined wavelength of the decoloring light irradiating unit is near infrared light, and the near infrared light is a near infrared light of the halogen lamp by a glass fiber. Guided to the
An image forming apparatus with a color erasing function.   The decoloring light irradiation unit simultaneously irradiates the front and back of the recording paper with the light of the predetermined wavelength, the fifth transport path includes a switchback device, and the recording paper is handed over to the sixth transport path. 3. The image with a color erasing function according to claim 2, wherein the sixth transport path reverses the recording paper and takes over the transport to the third transport path to perform double-sided printing on the recording paper. Forming equipment.