JP5407580B2 - Image removal apparatus and image formation removal system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image removal apparatus and an image formation removal system.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, image forming apparatuses such as printers, analog copying machines, digital copying machines, and printing machines using electrophotographic methods, ink jet recording methods, and thermal transfer recording methods have become widespread. As a recording material on which an image is formed using such an image forming apparatus, generally used paper is made from recyclable wood pulp.

  However, in order to produce paper, much energy is consumed in the process of extracting pulp from wood and the process of drying paper. In some of the paper manufacturing processes, fuel derived from biomass such as black liquor, which is a residue extracted from wood, is used, but a large amount of fossil fuel is used in all processes. is the current situation.

  Carbon dioxide generated from the use of fossil fuels is considered to be a causative substance that causes global warming, and it is also desirable to reduce the amount of paper used to prevent depletion of fossil fuels. ing. It is also an important social issue to protect forests, maintain ecosystems and prevent deterioration of the global environment by reducing paper consumption. Further, since inorganic components that do not burn or decay are generally added to paper, when the paper is discarded, waste that needs to be landfilled is generated at a certain rate.

  For this reason, a method is known in which an image is formed on a reusable recording material using a thermoplastic image-forming substance, and then the image is removed by thermally transferring the thermoplastic image-forming substance to a peeling member and peeling it.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a means for superimposing a recording material on which an image is formed with a thermoplastic image forming substance and a peeling member having an adhesive force with respect to the image forming substance, and a superposition of the superposed recording material and peeling. An image removing apparatus having means for heating / pressurizing a member and separation means for separating an overlapped recording material and a peeling member is disclosed. This image forming apparatus is provided with means for causing a cleaning member conveyed at a speed higher than the conveying speed of the peeling member to face the peeling member. For this reason, the image forming substance on the peeling member is removed by transferring the image forming substance on the peeling member to the cleaning member in the vicinity of the facing portion between the peeling member and the cleaning member. Further, this image forming apparatus is provided with a blade member for scraping off the image forming material transferred to the cleaning member.

  However, since most of the image forming material transferred to the cleaning member is dammed by the blade member and then falls by its own weight, the position where the image forming material falls cannot be controlled. At this time, a part of the image forming material blocked by the blade member moves to both ends of the cleaning member, but it is difficult to efficiently recover the image forming material transferred from the peeling member to the cleaning member. There is. In addition, when the image removing apparatus is stopped, the thermoplastic image forming material dammed up by the blade member is cooled and solidified, so that the cleaning member and the blade member are damaged.

  In view of the above-described problems of the conventional technology, the present invention efficiently collects an image forming material transferred from a peeling member to a cleaning member, and can suppress damage to the cleaning member and the blade member, and the image removing apparatus An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming and removing system having an image removing device.

The invention described in claim 1 is an apparatus for removing an image made of a thermoplastic image forming material formed on a recording material, and transports a peeling member having a thermoplastic composition layer formed on the surface thereof. While, the thermoplastic image forming substance is peeled off by thermal transfer from the recording material to the peeling member, and the cleaning member and the peeling member are slid while heating and transporting the cleaning member. The thermoplastic image forming material and the thermoplastic composition layer thermally transferred to the peeling member are transferred to the cleaning member, and then the thermoplastic image forming material and the thermoplastic composition layer transferred to the cleaning member are transferred. The thermoplastic image conveyed to the end of the cleaning member along the blade member in contact with the cleaning member, and conveyed to the end of the cleaning member A cleaning means for scraping off the forming substance and the thermoplastic composition layer using a scraping member, a thermoplastic image forming substance thermally transferred to the peeling member, and a peeling in which the thermoplastic composition layer is transferred to the cleaning member A thermoplastic composition layer forming means for forming the thermoplastic composition layer on the member; a cleaning means; and a control means for controlling the thermoplastic composition layer forming means. The cleaning member is disposed so as to contact the cleaning member in a state inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the cleaning member is conveyed in a surface of the member that contacts the blade member. Or it is an endless belt.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the image removing device according to claim 1, the tip of the blade member is characterized by a tip of the projection portion.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image removing device according to the second aspect , the angle of the tip of the protrusion with respect to the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the cleaning member is conveyed is 0.5 ° or more and 10 ° or less. It is characterized by being.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image removing device according to the third aspect , the tip of the protrusion is substantially V-shaped.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image removing device according to the third or fourth aspect , the region including the tip of the protrusion is composed of a plurality of members, and adjacent members overlap with a part of the members. It is provided as follows.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image removing apparatus according to the second aspect , the tip of the protrusion is elliptical arc-shaped, and is perpendicular to the direction in which the planar cleaning member including the tip of the protrusion is conveyed. The angle with respect to a different direction is 5 ° or more and 60 ° or less.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the image removing apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the speed at which the cleaning member is conveyed is greater than the speed at which the peeling member is conveyed. Features.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the image removing apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the blade member has a release layer containing a fluororesin formed on a surface facing the cleaning member. It is characterized by.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the image removing apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the blade member includes a heat resistant resin.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the image removing device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, the blade member is held by a holding member, and the holding member holds the blade member in the state. A plurality of urging means for urging the cleaning member are provided, and the plurality of urging means are provided substantially parallel to a direction in which the cleaning member and the peeling member slide. .

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the image removing apparatus according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, the blade member has a thickness of the thermoplastic image forming material remaining on the cleaning member of 10 μm or less. It is arrange | positioned so that it may become.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming and removing system, the image removing apparatus according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects and the image forming apparatus that forms the image on the recording material. Features.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming / removing system according to the twelfth aspect , the recording material is provided with identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removing device, and the image forming device Includes first detection means for detecting the identification information, the image removal device further includes second detection means for detecting the identification information, and the first detection means detects the identification information. Only when it is detected, the image forming apparatus is controlled to form the image on the recording material, and the image is formed only when the second detecting means detects the identification information. The image processing apparatus further includes control means for controlling the image removing apparatus so as to remove the image from the recording material.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming / removing system according to the twelfth aspect , the recording material is provided with first identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removing device. The image forming apparatus includes a first detection unit that detects the first identification information, forms the image on the recording material, and gives second identification information. A second detection unit configured to detect the second identification information; and forming the image on the recording material only when the first detection unit detects the first identification information. The image removal apparatus controls the image forming apparatus and removes the image from the recording material on which the image is formed only when the second detection unit detects the second identification information. Control means for controlling the device And having further.

  According to the present invention, the image forming material transferred from the peeling member to the cleaning member can be efficiently recovered, and the image removing apparatus capable of suppressing the damage of the cleaning member and the blade member and the image forming apparatus having the image removing apparatus. A removal system can be provided.

It is a figure which shows an example of the image removal apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows the method of isolate | separating a reusable recording material from a peeling roller. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the blade member of FIG. It is a figure which shows the method of conveying a thermoplastic image forming substance using the blade member of FIG. In FIG. 5, it is a figure which shows the case where (theta) is 0. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the holder holding the blade member of FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the blade member of FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the blade member of FIG. It is a figure which shows the rotary blade of FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the rotary blade of FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the image removal apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows the peeling roller of FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the image removal apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the image formation removal system of this invention. It is a figure which shows the other example of the image formation removal system of this invention.

  Next, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated with drawing.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of an image removing apparatus of the present invention. The image removing apparatus 100 is provided with a heat and pressure roller 101, a peeling roller 102 as a peeling member and a guide plate 103 that face the heat and pressure roller 101. The heating and pressing roller 101 is biased by the peeling roller 102 by applying a pressure of 20 to 200 N per side to both ends by using a biasing means (not shown) such as a spring, thereby forming a nip. Has been. When the reusable recording material R on which an image made of a thermoplastic image forming material is formed is conveyed to the nip, the reusable recording material R is heated and pressurized and adheres to the peeling roller 102 via the softened thermoplastic image forming material. Next, the reusable recording material R bonded to the peeling roller 102 is separated by the separation plate 104 after the angle of both sides is changed at the position A where the peeling roller 102 and the guide plate 103 intersect (see FIG. 2). The guide plate 103 is provided so as to overlap both sides of the reusable recording material R, and the separation plate 104 is provided so that the angle at which the reusable recording material R is separated is 90 to 180 °. As a result, the thermoplastic image forming material formed on the reusable recording material R can be peeled off by thermal transfer to the peeling roller 102. At this time, both ends of the peeling roller 102 are held by bearings (not shown), and the driving force from a driving motor (not shown) is transmitted to a gear provided on one of the bearings, thereby rotating. can do. Note that an endless belt may be used instead of the peeling roller 102. Further, instead of installing the guide plate 103 and the separation plate 104, the separation plate or the separation claw may be brought into contact with the peeling roller 102 by using an urging means such as a spring.

  The image removing apparatus 100 also includes a cleaning roller 105 to which the thermoplastic image forming material is transferred by sliding with the peeling roller 102 on which the thermoplastic image forming material is thermally transferred, and the thermoplastic image transferred to the cleaning roller 105. The blade member 106 that conveys the forming material to the end of the cleaning roller 105, the rotating blade 107 that scrapes off the thermoplastic image forming material that has been transported to the end of the cleaning roller 105, and the thermoplastic image formation scraped off by the rotating blade 107 A collection container 108 for collecting the substance is provided. At this time, the cleaning roller 105 is biased by the peeling roller 102 by applying a pressure of 5 to 50 N per side to both ends using a biasing means (not shown) such as a spring, and the nip is Is formed. Further, both ends of the cleaning roller 105 are held by bearings (not shown), and rotate when a driving force from a driving motor (not shown) is transmitted to a gear provided on one of the bearings. be able to. Further, the rotation axis of the cleaning roller 105 is parallel to the rotation axis of the peeling roller 102. Note that an endless belt may be used instead of the cleaning roller 105.

  The tip of the blade member 106 is disposed so as to contact the cleaning roller 105 while being inclined with respect to the rotation axis of the cleaning roller 105.

  On the other hand, the image removing apparatus 100 includes a tray 109R in which the reusable recording material R is stored, a roller 110R for supplying the reusable recording material R stored in the tray 109R one by one, and a reusable recording material supplied by the roller 110R. A roller pair 111R for transporting the recording material R is provided.

  The thermoplastic image forming material is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include image forming materials used in electrophotography, thermal transfer recording, so-inkjet recording, and the like. Such an image forming substance preferably contains 50 to 98% by mass of a thermoplastic resin, 1 to 15% by mass of a colorant, and 1 to 10% by mass of a release agent. Moreover, it is preferable that melting | fusing point is 60-110 degreeC of a mold release agent.

  The reusable recording material R is a recording material in which a material for reducing fixability with a thermoplastic image forming material is applied to the surface of a substrate.

  Examples of the substrate include paper, synthetic paper, resin film, and the like, but paper is preferable because of its high heat resistance.

  Examples of substances that lower the fixing property with thermoplastic image forming substances include silicone resins, silane coupling agents, fluororesins, olefin resins, surfactants, sizing agents, release agents, and the like. An acid copolymer is preferred. At this time, since the migration of the olefin-maleic anhydride copolymer peeling member and the recording material can be prevented and the recording material can be used repeatedly, the olefin is doubled in the α-position of 10 to 20 carbon atoms. Olefin having a bond is preferred.

  The reusable recording material R is not particularly limited, but is a recording material to which a silicone compound is applied on the surface (see JP-A-9-204060 and JP-A-9-24061), and a surfactant is applied to the surface. Recorded material (see JP-A-10-74025), linearly or branched alkyl group or compound having an alkenyl group (JP-A-2005-234162), olefin- Examples thereof include a recording material (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-78618) having a maleic anhydride copolymer applied to the surface.

  In addition, when using paper as a base material, it is preferable that the smoothness by a Beck smoothness meter shall be 90 seconds or more. In order to reduce the unevenness of the surface of the reusable recording material R, a sealing layer containing a white pigment and a resin may be formed on the surface of the substrate. Examples of white pigments include calcium carbonate, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, and barium sulfate. Examples of the resin include styrene-butadiene polymer, acrylic resin, polyvinyl alcohol, starch, polyvinyl acetate, carboxymethyl cellulose, alginic acid, and gum arabic. The sealing layer may further contain a substance that reduces the fixing property with the thermoplastic image forming substance.

  Note that the reusable recording material R is provided with an image such as a notch, a hole shape, a barcode, or the like as identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removal apparatus 100. It is not erased by 100.

  In addition, the image removal apparatus 100 is provided with a sensor 112 that detects identification information of the reusable recording material R.

  When the sensor 112 detects the identification information of the reusable recording material R, the sensor 112 transmits a signal to a control means (not shown) having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. Next, when the control unit receives the signal, the control unit conveys the reusable recording material R between the heat and pressure roller 101 and the peeling roller 102. On the other hand, if the sensor 112 does not detect the identification information of the reusable recording material R, the sensor 112 does not transmit a signal to the control means, and the control means controls to convey the recording material to the tray 113.

  Further, the image removing apparatus 100 is provided with a roller pair 114 for discharging the reusable recording material R from which the thermoplastic image forming material has been peeled off, and a tray 115 for discharging the reusable recording material R.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the heat and pressure roller 101 is made of a fluororesin such as PTFE or PFA in order to prevent adhesion of a thermoplastic image forming substance or the like to the surface of a base material 101a made of a metal such as aluminum or SUS. A release layer 101b containing is provided. The heating and pressure roller 101 has a built-in heater 101c. As the heater 101c, a halogen lamp, an infrared lamp, an IH heater, or the like can be used. Further, the heating and pressing roller 101 is provided with a contact type or non-contact type temperature sensor (not shown), and the surface temperature is controlled. Although depending on the thermal characteristics of the thermoplastic image forming substance, the temperature of the surface of the heating and pressing roller 101 is usually 80 to 180 ° C., preferably 90 to 150 ° C. This allows the thermoplastic imaging material to be heated to 65-130 ° C.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the peeling roller 102, an elastic body layer 102b and a resin layer 102c are sequentially laminated on a base material 102a.

  The base material 102a is made of a metal such as aluminum or SUS.

  The elastic body layer 102b is made of heat-resistant rubber such as silicone rubber having a rubber hardness of 20 to 60 ° or a foam of silicone rubber. The elastic layer 102b preferably has a thickness of 1 to 10 mm. Thereby, a 2-20 mm nip can be formed.

  The resin layer 102c is made of a heat-resistant resin having adhesiveness to a thermoplastic image forming material such as polyimide or polyether ether ketone. Therefore, the resin layer 102c can adhere the thermoplastic image forming material when the thermoplastic image forming material formed on the reusable recording material R is thermally transferred. The resin layer 102c preferably has a thickness of 20 to 100 μm.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning roller 105 has a base material 105a made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel or stainless steel, and a heater 105b is built therein. As the heater 105b, a halogen lamp, an infrared lamp, an IH heater, or the like can be used. Further, the cleaning roller 105 is provided with a contact-type or non-contact-type temperature sensor (not shown), and the surface temperature is controlled. Although depending on the thermal characteristics of the thermoplastic image forming substance, the temperature of the surface of the cleaning roller 105 is preferably 10 to 40 ° C. higher than the temperature of the surface of the peeling roller 102. The aluminum used as the substrate 105a is preferably subjected to a surface treatment such as alumite treatment in order to improve durability.

  The peripheral speed of the cleaning roller 105 is larger than the peripheral speed of the peeling roller 102, but is preferably 2 to 6 times the peripheral speed of the peeling roller 102. Thereby, the speed at which the thermoplastic image forming substance is transferred from the peeling roller 102 can be increased. In order to suppress the occurrence of the stringing phenomenon, the direction in which the cleaning roller 105 rotates is preferably opposite to the direction in which the peeling roller 102 rotates.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the blade member 106 is formed with a protrusion 106 a having a substantially straight tip B that contacts the cleaning roller 105. 4A and 4B are a cross-sectional view and a bottom view, respectively.

  Further, the angle θ of the tip B of the protrusion 106a with respect to the rotation axis C of the cleaning roller 105 is 0.5 to 10 °. If θ is less than 0.5 °, the speed at which the thermoplastic image forming material transferred to the cleaning roller 105 is transported to the end of the cleaning roller 105 decreases, and if it exceeds 10 °, the tip B of the protrusion 106a. It is difficult to make the contact with the curved surface of the cleaning roller 105.

  The angle α of the tip B of the protrusion 106a is 30 to 90 °, and the tangent line D of the cleaning roller 105 at the tip B of the protrusion 106a and the thermoplastic image forming material of the protrusion 106a are transferred to the end of the cleaning roller 105. The angle β of the surface on the side to be conveyed is 30 to 150 °. If α is less than 30 °, the strength of the protrusion 106a may be insufficient. If it exceeds 90 °, the pressure is transferred to the cleaning roller 105 unless the pressure between the cleaning roller 105 and the blade member 106 is increased. In some cases, the formed thermoplastic image forming substance cannot be sufficiently blocked. Also, if β is less than 30 °, the space for retaining the thermoplastic image forming material transferred to the cleaning roller 105 becomes small, so that it is difficult to convey the thermoplastic image forming material to the end of the cleaning roller 105. If the angle exceeds 150 °, the angle α of the tip B of the protrusion 106a becomes less than 30 °, and the strength may be insufficient.

  The protrusion 106 a preferably has a shape that matches the shape of the cleaning roller 105. However, if the angle θ is small and the protrusion 106 a is an elastic body, the protrusion 106 a can be forced to press against the cleaning roller 105 to follow the shape of the cleaning roller 105. For example, if the angle θ is 5 ° or less and the protrusion 106a (or the blade member 106) is made of a general resin, the protrusion 106a is brought into close contact with the cleaning roller 105 having a diameter of 30 to 50 mm. it can.

  The material constituting the blade member 106 is not particularly limited as long as it is a heat-resistant material, but metals such as aluminum and stainless steel; polyimide, polyamideimide, polyetheretherketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polybutylene terephthalate, fluororesin, phenol Examples thereof include heat-resistant resins such as resins and urea resins. At this time, when glass fiber is added to the heat resistant resin, the thermal expansion coefficient can be reduced. Thereby, the thermal expansion of the tip B contacting the cleaning roller 105 can be suppressed, and the blade member 106 can be easily fixed.

  The blade member 106 is preferably formed with a release layer containing a fluororesin such as PTFE or PFA on the surface of the protrusion 106a. Thereby, sticking of the thermoplastic image forming substance can be suppressed. The release layer can be formed by applying or impregnating a coating solution containing a fluororesin.

  The blade member 106 may be provided with a heater such as a ceramic heater or a rubber heater, and the blade member 106 may be heated to 120 to 170 ° C.

  FIG. 5 shows a method of conveying a thermoplastic imaging material using the blade member 106. The thermoplastic image forming material transferred to the cleaning roller 105 comes into contact with the cleaning roller 105 and is fluidized, and then dammed and stays at the tip B of the protrusion 106 a of the blade member 106. At this time, since the angle of the tip B of the protrusion 106 a of the blade member 106 with respect to the rotation axis C of the cleaning roller 105 is θ, the accumulated thermoplastic image forming substance E is along the tip B. In the figure, it is conveyed to the upper left side. As a result, the thermoplastic image forming material transferred to the cleaning roller 105 can be removed collectively at the left end of the cleaning roller 105 in the drawing, and the thermoplastic image forming material can be efficiently recovered.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when θ is 0, that is, when the tip B of the protrusion 106a of the blade member 106 is parallel to the rotation axis C of the cleaning roller 105, the thermoplastic image forming substance can be efficiently recovered. Can not. Specifically, a part of the retained thermoplastic image forming material is conveyed along the tip B of the protrusion 106a of the blade member 106 to the left and right ends of the cleaning roller 105 in the drawing. Other than that, after staying, it falls by its own weight. At this time, it is not possible to control the position where the accumulated thermoplastic image forming material falls. Further, there is a problem that the retained thermoplastic image forming material is cooled and solidified when the image removing apparatus is stopped.

  Further, although not shown, if the cleaning roller 105 is not provided and the tip of the blade member 106 is disposed in contact with the peeling roller 102 instead of the cleaning roller 105, the thermoplastic image thermally transferred to the peeling roller 102 is provided. In addition to being difficult to heat the forming material until it is fluidized, it is also difficult to sufficiently dam the thermoplastic image forming material at the tip B of the protrusion 106a of the blade member 106.

  The blade member 106 is held by a holder 121 as shown in FIG. The holder 121 includes a plurality of urging means 121a for urging the blade member 106 toward the cleaning roller 105. The plurality of urging means 121a are arranged on the bottom surface of the substrate 121b having a concave shape when viewed in cross section. Are provided in parallel to the rotation axis C of. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views in a direction perpendicular to and parallel to the rotation axis C of the cleaning roller 105, respectively. Thereby, the tip B of the protrusion 106 a can be brought into close contact with the surface of the cleaning roller 105. Further, it is possible to suppress the blade member 106 from moving in a direction perpendicular to and parallel to the rotation axis C of the cleaning roller 105, and the blade member 106 can be easily fixed.

  The urging means 121a is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include an elastic body such as a spring and rubber. If the blade member 106 is an elastic body, a screw or the like may be provided instead of the urging means 121a to fix the blade member 106.

  Although the material which comprises the base material 121b will not be specifically limited if it is a highly rigid heat resistant material, The heat resistant resin etc. which added metals, such as aluminum, and glass fiber, etc. are mentioned.

  Since the position of the cleaning roller 105 may fluctuate when the cleaning roller 105 is biased to the peeling roller 102, the holder 121 is attached to a side plate (not shown) provided with a bearing for the cleaning roller 105. It has become. At this time, it is preferable to use a holder 121 and a side plate to form a heat insulating structure.

  Further, instead of the blade member 106, as shown in FIG. 8A, a blade member in which a protruding portion having a V-shaped tip that contacts the cleaning roller 105 may be used. Thereby, the thermoplastic image forming material transferred to the cleaning roller 105 can be conveyed to both ends of the cleaning roller 105. At this time, the protrusion is provided so that the angle with respect to the cleaning roller 105 at the front end is θ, and the cleaning roller 105 with respect to the rotation axis B of the cleaning roller 105 from the center of the cleaning roller 105 toward both ends. Is inclined in the direction of rotation. As shown in FIG. 8B, the protrusion may be formed of a plurality of members divided in the direction of the rotation axis C, and may be provided so that a part of adjacent members overlap. Thereby, the thermoplastic image forming material transferred to the cleaning roller 105 can be recovered more efficiently. Further, it becomes easy to fix the blade member 106.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8C, a blade member provided with a plurality of protrusions may be used, or a plurality of blade members 106 may be provided.

  Further, instead of disposing the tip of the protrusion 106 a of the blade member 106 so as to contact the cleaning roller 105, the tip of a known cleaning blade may be disposed so as to contact the cleaning roller 105.

  Further, instead of the blade member 106, as shown in FIG. 9, the tip of the blade member 106 ′, in which protrusions and grooves having an elliptical arc at the tip are alternately formed, is arranged so as to contact the cleaning roller 105. May be. 9A, 9B, and 9C are a front view, a side view, and a cross-sectional view of the cleaning roller 105 in the direction of the rotation axis C, respectively. At this time, the thermoplastic image forming material transferred to the cleaning roller 105 is softened and then conveyed to the upper right side in the drawing through the groove of the blade member 106 ′. By repeating such conveyance, the thermoplastic image forming material transferred to the cleaning roller 105 is conveyed to the right end of the cleaning roller 105 in the drawing.

  In addition, an angle with respect to the rotation axis C of the cleaning roller 105 of a plane including the tip of the elliptical arc-shaped protrusion is θ ′, and θ ′ is 10 to 60 °. If θ ′ is less than 10 °, it becomes difficult to alternately form protrusions and grooves, and if it exceeds 60 °, the thermoplastic image forming material transferred to the cleaning roller 105 is removed from the end of the cleaning roller 105. The speed at which it is transported decreases.

  Further, the angle α ′ at the tip of the protrusion is 30 to 90 °. If α ′ is less than 30 °, the strength of the protrusion may be insufficient. If it exceeds 90 °, the gap between the cleaning roller 105 and the blade member 106 is reduced and transferred to the cleaning roller 105. The speed at which the thermoplastic image forming material is conveyed to the end of the cleaning roller 105 may decrease.

  Note that the protrusions and grooves may be formed in an approximately V shape from the center of the blade member 106 ′, and the protrusions and grooves that have an elliptical arc at the tip that contacts the cleaning roller 105 may be alternately formed. Thereby, the thermoplastic image forming material transferred to the cleaning roller 105 can be conveyed to both ends of the cleaning roller 105.

  Moreover, the protrusion part and the groove part may be formed intermittently.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the rotary blade 107 is transported to the end of the cleaning roller 105, protrudes from the end and solidifies, and then scrapes off the thermoplastic image forming material transported in the rotational direction of the cleaning roller 105. . FIGS. 10A and 10B are a front view and a side view, respectively.

  Instead of providing the rotary blade 107, as shown in FIG. 11, a groove may be formed at the end of the cleaning roller 105, and a scraper 131 that contacts the groove may be provided. FIGS. 11A and 11B are a front view and a side view, respectively. The scraper 131 scrapes off the thermoplastic image forming material transported in the rotation direction of the cleaning roller 105 after being transported to the groove at the end of the cleaning roller 105. The groove formed at the end of the cleaning roller 105 has a constant depth, and the width of the scraper is usually 5 to 10 mm. Note that a heater may be provided in the scraper.

  Note that when the recovery container 108 is provided with a heater and the thermoplastic image forming material is melted at a predetermined timing, the porosity of the recovered thermoplastic image forming material can be reduced.

  FIG. 12 shows a modification of the image removal apparatus of the present invention. The image removing apparatus 100 ′ uses a peeling roller 102 ′ (see FIG. 13) provided with a thermoplastic composition layer 102d in place of the peeling roller 102 to form a solid image made of a thermoplastic image forming material. A tray 109M for storing the medium M being stored, a roller 110M for supplying the medium M stored in the tray 109M one by one, and a roller pair 111M for transporting the medium M supplied by the roller 110M. The image removing apparatus 100 is the same as the image removing apparatus 100 except that the image is removed while reproducing the thermoplastic composition layer 102d at a predetermined timing. In FIG. 12, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  The medium M can be manufactured by forming a solid image made of a thermoplastic image forming material on the reusable recording material R using a known image forming apparatus. At this time, by setting the length of the solid image formed on the medium to be an integral multiple of the circumferential length of the peeling roller 102, the thermoplastic composition layer 102d having a uniform thickness can be formed.

  At this time, the control unit controls the cleaning roller 105 not to rotate when the image is removed.

  On the other hand, the control means controls the cleaning roller 105 to rotate by stopping the roller 110R and the roller pair 111R when regenerating the thermoplastic composition layer 102d. Thus, the thermoplastic image forming material and the thermoplastic composition layer 102d thermally transferred to the peeling roller 102 ′ are transferred to the cleaning roller 105 and conveyed to the end of the cleaning roller 105 along the blade member 106. It is scraped off using the rotary blade 107. As a result, the thermoplastic composition layer 102d is removed from the peeling roller 102 ′.

  Next, the control means controls so that the cleaning roller 105 does not rotate, and heat-transfers the solid image formed on the medium M to the peeling roller 102 ′ from which the thermoplastic composition layer 102d has been removed. After the formation of the plastic composition layer 102d, control is performed so as to resume image removal.

  Note that the control unit may control not to heat the cleaning roller 105 when removing the image, instead of controlling the cleaning roller 105 not to rotate, or the cleaning roller 105 to the peeling roller 102 ′. You may control so that it may not energize.

  Further, the control means makes the peripheral speed of the peeling roller 102 ′ larger than the peripheral speed of the cleaning roller 105 when removing the image, and regenerates the thermoplastic composition layer 102d. The speed may be controlled to be smaller than the peripheral speed of the cleaning roller 105. For example, the peripheral speed of the cleaning roller 105 is 30 mm / second, and the peripheral speed of the peeling roller 102 ′ when removing the image and reproducing the thermoplastic composition layer 102 d is 60 mm / second and 10 mm / second, respectively. be able to.

  The thermoplastic composition layer 102d is softened when heated and pressed using the heating and pressure roller 101. Therefore, when the surface of the reusable recording material R has unevenness or the height of the reusable recording material R is different. Even if a certain image is formed, it can be contacted with the thermoplastic image forming material, and the thermoplastic image forming material can be thermally transferred well.

  The thickness of the thermoplastic composition layer 102d is usually 5 to 200 μm, and preferably 20 to 100 μm from the viewpoint of the adhesiveness of the thermoplastic image forming substance and the separability of the reusable recording material R. If the thickness is less than 5 μm, the effect of forming the thermoplastic composition layer 102d may be insufficient, and if it exceeds 200 μm, it may be difficult to separate the reusable recording material R and the peeling roller 102 ′. is there.

  The thermoplastic composition layer 102d preferably contains a thermoplastic resin having an SP value close to that of the thermoplastic resin contained in the thermoplastic image forming material, from the viewpoint of adhesiveness of the thermoplastic image forming material. Such a thermoplastic resin is not particularly limited, however, polyester; polystyrene, poly (p-chlorostyrene), styrene such as polyvinyltoluene, and substituted polymers thereof; styrene-p-chlorostyrene copolymer, styrene -Propylene copolymer, styrene-vinyltoluene copolymer, styrene-vinylnaphthalene copolymer, styrene-methyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-butyl acrylate copolymer, styrene -Octyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, styrene-ethyl methacrylate copolymer, styrene-butyl methacrylate copolymer, styrene-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer, styrene-dimethylamino methacrylate Ethyl copolymer, styrene-me Diethylaminoethyl crylate copolymer, styrene-diethylaminopropyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-ethylene glycol methacrylate copolymer, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer, styrene-vinyl methyl ketone copolymer, styrene-butadiene copolymer, Styrene copolymers such as styrene-isoprene copolymer, styrene-acrylonitrile-indene copolymer, styrene-maleic acid copolymer, styrene-maleic acid ester copolymer; polymethyl methacrylate, polybutyl methacrylate, Polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene, polypropylene, epoxy resin, epoxy polyol resin, polyurethane, polyamide, polyvinyl butyral, polyacrylic acid, rosin, modified rosin, terpene resin, aliphatic Alicyclic hydrocarbon resins, aromatic petroleum resins.

  Carboxylic acids used in the synthesis of polyesters include terephthalic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, pimelic acid, suberic acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, brassic acid, pyromellitic acid, citracone Acid, glutaconic acid, mesaconic acid, itaconic acid, teraconic acid, phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, hemimellitic acid, merophanic acid, trimesic acid, planitic acid, trimellitic acid and the like may be used, and two or more may be used in combination.

  Examples of alcohols used in the synthesis of polyester include bisphenol A, hydrogenated bisphenol A, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butanediol, neopentyldiol, hexamethylenediol, heptanediol, octanediol, pentaglycerol, pentaerythritol, and cyclohexanediol. , Cyclopentanediol, pinacol, glycerin, etherified diphenol, catechol, resorcinol, pyrogallol, benzenetriol, phloroglucinol, benzenetetraol and the like, and two or more of them may be used in combination.

  The thermoplastic composition layer 102d preferably contains a release agent from the viewpoint of separability of the reusable recording material R. The mold release agent preferably has a melting point of 60 to 110 ° C. Such release agents are not particularly limited, but include fluororesins, silicone resins, resins having a long-chain alkyl group in the side chain, carnauba wax, montan wax, beeswax, paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, higher alkyl alcohol. Higher fatty acids, higher fatty acid esters, higher alkylamides and the like.

  The composition of the thermoplastic composition layer 102d is preferably substantially the same as the composition of the thermoplastic image forming substance. Thereby, the adhesiveness of the thermoplastic image forming substance can be improved. When the thermoplastic image forming material formed on the reusable recording material R is repeatedly peeled off, the thermoplastic composition layer 102d is mixed with the thermoplastic image forming material thermally transferred from the reusable recording material R. The composition of the thermoplastic composition layer 102d does not change greatly. As a result, stable adhesiveness of the thermoplastic image forming substance and separation of the reusable recording material R can be obtained.

  FIG. 14 shows a modification of the image removing apparatus of the present invention. The image removing device 100 ″ is the same as the image removing devices 100 and 100 ′ except that the thermoplastic image forming material formed on the reusable recording material R is sequentially thermally transferred to the peeling roller 102 and the peeling roller 102 ′. It is. In FIG. 14, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 and 12 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. As a result, the image removal characteristics are improved, and most of the thermoplastic image forming material formed on the reusable recording material R can be removed by the peeling roller 102, so that the thermoplastic composition layer 102d is regenerated. The frequency can be reduced.

  The method for transferring the thermoplastic image forming material thermally transferred to the peeling member to the cleaning member has been described above. However, the thermoplastic image forming material thermally transferred to the peeling member may be transferred to the cleaning member (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-1993). 311520).

  FIG. 15 shows an example of the image formation removal system of the present invention. In FIG. 15, the same components as those of FIG. The image forming / removing system shown in FIG. 15 is provided with an image removing device 100 and an image forming device 200 in a housing.

  First, the image forming apparatus 200 will be described. The image forming apparatus 200 is a tandem digital color electrophotographic apparatus. In the image forming apparatus 200, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (Bk) toner images are formed on the photosensitive drums 201Y, 201M, 201C, and 201Bk, respectively. Next, the toner images of the respective colors are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 203 by the transfer rollers 202Y, 202M, 202C, and 202Bk to which the bias voltage is applied, and are superimposed. The toner image superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 203 is transferred to the general paper P or the reusable recording material R by the transfer roller 204 to which a bias voltage is applied, and then the heated fixing roller 205 a of the fixing device 205. The toner is transported between the pressure rollers 205b to soften the toner and is fixed to the general paper P or the reusable recording material R. As described above, the general paper P or the reusable recording material R on which the image is formed is discharged onto the tray 207 via the roller pair 206.

  The photosensitive drum 201 is provided with a photoconductor layer and a protective layer on a conductive substrate such as metal, and is uniformly charged by charging means (not shown) such as a charging roller and a wire charger. Next, the uniformly charged photosensitive drum 201 is exposed by exposure means (not shown) such as a laser, LED, light emitter-liquid crystal light valve, and an electrostatic latent image is formed. Further, the photosensitive drum 201 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed is developed with toner containing a release agent by a developing unit (not shown) having a magnetic roller and a toner conveying roller inside, and a toner image is formed. . The toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 201 after the toner image is transferred is removed by a cleaning unit (not shown). Further, if necessary, the charge remaining on the photosensitive drum 201 after the toner image is transferred may be removed by a discharging means such as an AC charger or a light irradiator. Further, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 201 may be uniformly charged by a charging means such as a corona discharger before being transferred. In addition, the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 201 is kept constant even when there is environmental change or deterioration due to repeated use by means for detecting the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 201 and means for controlling the voltage applied to the charging means. May be. Conversely, when it is not necessary to remove the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 201 after the toner image is transferred, the cleaning means may be omitted.

  The intermediate transfer belt 203 is provided so as to contact the rollers 203a and 203b, and tension is applied by a tension application mechanism (not shown). If necessary, the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 203 after the toner image is transferred to the general paper P or the reusable recording material R may be removed by a cleaning means such as a brush or a roller. Further, after the toner image is transferred to the general paper P or the reusable recording material R, the charge remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 203 may be removed by the charge eliminating unit or may be uniformly charged by the charging unit. .

  The image forming apparatus 200 includes a general paper cassette 208P and a reusable recording material cassette 208R. The general paper cassette 208P stores general paper P such as high-quality paper, and the reusable recording material cassette 208R. Stores the reusable recording material R. At this time, the general paper P and the reusable recording material R are supplied one by one by rollers 209P and 209R, respectively, and are conveyed between the roller 203a and the transfer roller 204 by roller pairs 210P and 210R. If necessary, general paper or reusable recording materials of different sizes, usable paper types, or general paper or reusable recording materials of different feeding directions (vertical feed, horizontal feed) are accommodated. The number of cassettes may be increased.

  Next, a method for forming an image using the image formation removal system of FIG. 15 will be described. The image formation removal system forms an image in the first control mode or the second control mode on a user interface displayed on an operation panel (not shown) or a display of a computer connected to the image formation removal system. Control means (not shown) having CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., display means (not shown), control software (not shown), input means (not shown) such as buttons, etc. are provided so that the user can select It has been.

  The first control mode is a control mode in which an image is formed on the reusable recording material R. When the user selects the first control mode, the control unit selects the reusable recording material from the reusable recording material cassette 208R. R is supplied, and after the image is formed, control is performed so that the image is conveyed to the tray 207. At this time, when the sensor 211 detects identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removing apparatus 100, a signal is transmitted to the control means. Next, when the control means receives the signal, it forms an image on the reusable recording material R and, for example, uses the toner used when forming the image to form a second image on the corner of the reusable recording material R. After identifying an image such as a barcode as identification information indicating that an image has been formed in one control mode, control is performed so that the reusable recording material R is conveyed to the tray 207. Note that the identification information indicating that an image has been formed in the first control mode is erased when the image is removed, and thus is rewritten every time an image is formed on the reusable recording material R. However, the identification information indicating that the image has been formed in the first control mode may not be an image. For example, an IC chip is embedded in the reusable recording material R, and the image forming apparatus 200 or the image removing apparatus 100 has an IC. Means for rewriting information recorded on the chip may be provided.

  On the other hand, when no signal is received, the control unit performs control so that the image is not formed on the recording material to which the identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removal apparatus 100 is not formed, and is conveyed to the tray 207. . Further, the control means performs a process of displaying information for notifying the user that a recording material not provided with identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removing apparatus 100 is supplied on the operation panel or the display. Control to run. As a result, an image is formed in the first control mode on the recording material that is mixed in the reusable recording material storage container 208R and has not been given identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removing apparatus 100; It is possible to prevent identification information indicating that an image has been formed in one control mode.

  The second control mode is a control mode for forming an image on the general paper P. When the user selects the second control mode, the control unit supplies the general paper P from the general paper cassette 208P. After the image is formed, control is performed so that the image is conveyed to the tray 207.

  Next, a method for removing an image using the image formation removal system will be described. The control unit controls the reusable recording material R to be supplied from the cassette 109R. At this time, when the sensor 112 detects the identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removing apparatus 100 and the identification information indicating that the image is formed in the first control mode, a signal is transmitted to the control means. Next, when receiving the signal, the control unit controls the reusable recording material R to be transported to the tray 115 after removing the image formed on the reusable recording material R.

  On the other hand, when the signal is not received, the control unit controls the recording material to be conveyed to the tray 113 without removing the image. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the image formed on the recording material from which the image cannot be removed by the image removing apparatus 100 and the removal of the image that is not formed in the first control mode. As a result, it is difficult to separate the reusable recording material R from the peeling roller 102 because the image is not easily removed, and it is possible to prevent troubles such as a jam that occurs.

  Note that the sensor 112 may detect only the identification information indicating that the image is formed in the first control mode without detecting the identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removing apparatus 100.

  In order to prevent troubles such as jamming due to mixing of a recording material whose image cannot be removed by the image removing apparatus 100, the first process is performed when an image is formed on the reusable recording material R. The identification information indicating that the image is formed in the control mode may not be given. In this case, the sensor 112 detects only identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removing apparatus 100.

  On the other hand, the reusable recording material R from which the image has been removed can be transported from the tray 115 to the reusable recording material cassette 208R to form an image again. At this time, by configuring the tray 115 and the reusable recording material cassette 208R to have the same configuration, they can be used interchangeably.

  Further, instead of providing the tray 115, a transport path for transporting the reusable recording material R from which the image has been removed directly to the reusable recording material cassette 208R may be provided.

  Further, the general paper cassette 208P may not be provided and an image may not be formed in the second control mode.

  FIG. 16 shows another example of the image formation removal system of the present invention. In FIG. 16, the same components as those in FIG. 15 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The image formation / removal system shown in FIG. 16A includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses 200 provided in separate housings and an image removal apparatus 100 provided in separate housings. In addition, the image forming and removing system shown in FIG. 16B includes an image forming apparatus 200 and an image removing apparatus 100 that are provided in the same casing, and a plurality of image forming apparatuses that are provided in different casings. 200. In such an image formation removal system, the reusable recording material R on which an image is formed using a plurality of image forming apparatuses 200 is collected after the image information is used. The collected reusable recording material R is used again after the image is removed using the image removing device 100.

  As described above, the case where an image forming apparatus using electrophotography is used as the image forming apparatus has been described. However, an image is formed using another thermoplastic image forming material such as a thermal transfer recording method or an ink jet recording method using solid ink. An image forming apparatus that uses this method may be used.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to specific examples, but the present invention is not limited to the conditions mentioned in the examples.

[Production of Reusable Recording Material R]
A coating liquid was obtained by mixing 1 part by mass of a 25% by mass aqueous solution of an olefin-maleic anhydride copolymer hydrolyzate and 10 parts by mass of a 10% by mass aqueous polyvinyl alcohol solution.

The obtained coating solution was applied to both sides of copy paper Type 6200 (manufactured by Ricoh) using a wire bar so that the dry coating amount on one side was 2.3 g / m ² and dried at 120 ° C. for 5 minutes. After that, smoothing was performed using a super calender to obtain a reusable recording material R.

[ Reference Example 1]
On reusable recording material R, a color pattern consisting of a solid solid image was formed using imagio Neo C285 (manufactured by Ricoh). As the toner, an oilless polymerized toner containing 5 to 10% by mass of a wax component and containing polyester as a main component was used.

  The image was removed under the following conditions using the image removal apparatus 100 of FIG.

Set temperature of the heat and pressure roller 101: 120 ° C.
Pressure between the heat and pressure roller 101 and the peeling roller 102: 60N
Peripheral speed of peeling roller 102 (conveying speed of reusable recording member R): 40 mm / second Setting temperature of cleaning roller 105: 140 ° C.
Pressure between cleaning roller 105 and peeling roller 102: 20N
The circumferential speed of the cleaning roller 105: 120 mm / second The rotational direction of the cleaning roller 105: the counter direction with respect to the peeling roller 102 The heating and pressing roller 101 has a release layer 101b made of PFA on an aluminum base material 101a. The halogen heater is built in as the heater 101c. The peeling roller 102 has an elastic body layer 102b made of a silicone rubber foam having a thickness of 4 mm and a rubber hardness of 40 ° and a resin layer 102c made of a polyimide film tube having a thickness of 50 μm on a base material 102a having a diameter of 30 mm. Are sequentially stacked. The cleaning roller 105 has an aluminum base material 105a having a diameter of 30 mm, and a halogen heater is incorporated as the heater 105b. The substrate 105a has a flat surface and is anodized. The blade member 106 is made of polyimide and has a width of 230 mm. Further, a release layer made of PTFE is formed on the surface of the protrusion 106a, and θ is 2 °, α is 45 °, and β is 90 °. The blade member 106 is held by an aluminum holder 121 and is arranged so that the tip of the protruding portion 106 a comes into contact with the lowermost surface of the cleaning roller 105.

  As a result, when the cleaning operation was started, the toner thermally transferred to the peeling roller 102 was transferred to the cleaning roller 105 while the peeling roller 102 rotated once or twice. For this reason, it was determined that the cleaning property was high. Although the toner that passes without being blocked by the blade member 106 was slightly adhered to the surface of the cleaning roller 105 during the cleaning operation, there was no problem in the cleaning performance. At this time, the thickness of the adhering toner was about 2 μm. When the distance from the cleaning roller 105 of the holder 121 was changed and evaluated in the same manner, it was confirmed that there is no problem in cleaning performance when the toner thickness is 10 μm or less.

  During the cleaning operation, it was confirmed that the toner retained and retained by the blade member 106 was conveyed in the direction of the rotation axis C of the cleaning roller 105 at a speed of about 5 mm / second. For this reason, it was determined that the recoverability was high.

  Further, when 100 sheets were passed, the cleaning roller 105 and the blade member 106 did not show any scratches or wear that would impair the cleaning performance. For this reason, it was determined that the durability was high.

[Comparative Example 1]
The image was removed in the same manner as in Reference Example 1 except that θ was set to 0 ° .

  As a result, the toner was retained by the blade member 106 and a large amount of toner stayed there, and dropped into the collection container 107 by its own weight. At this time, when the cleaning operation is stopped, the staying toner is cooled and solidified. Therefore, when the cleaning operation is restarted, vibration occurs between the cleaning roller 105 and the blade member 106. Further, during the cleaning operation, striped toner remained on the surface of the peeling roller 102 from time to time. This is presumably because the wax component of the toner staying on the cleaning roller 105 comes out, and the adhesiveness of the toner to the cleaning roller 105 is lowered. The cleaning performance was judged to be slightly low.

[Example 2]
A full-color pattern having a gradation image, a secondary color and a monochrome solid image, and a character image was formed on the reusable recording material R by using imagio Neo C285 (manufactured by Ricoh). As the toner, an oilless polymerized toner containing 5 to 10% by mass of a wax component and containing polyester as a main component was used.

In the image removing apparatus 100 ″ of FIG. 14, the image was removed by using an image removing apparatus in which a blade member 106 ′ was arranged instead of the blade member 106. In the first-stage image removal unit, the image was removed in the same manner as in Reference Example 1. In the second-stage image removing unit, images were removed in the same manner as in Reference Example 1 except that the peeling roller 102 ′ and the blade member 106 ′ were used instead of the peeling roller 102 and the blade member 106, respectively. During the removal of the image, the cleaning roller 105 was separated from the peeling roller 102, and the rotation and heating of the cleaning roller 105 were stopped.

On the other hand, when the thermoplastic composition layer 102d was regenerated in the second-stage image removal unit, the thermoplastic composition layer 102d was first removed in the same manner as the image was removed in Reference Example 1. Next, the cleaning roller 105 was separated from the peeling roller 102 ′, and the rotation and heating of the cleaning roller 105 were stopped. Further, two sheets of the reusable recording material R on which a solid image having a length three times the circumference of the peeling roller 102 was formed were passed through the sheet, and the sheet was applied to the peeling roller 102 ′ from which the thermoplastic composition layer 102d was removed. The image was thermally transferred to form a thermoplastic composition layer 102d. When the thermoplastic composition layer 102d is regenerated in the second-stage image removal unit, the heating and pressure roller 101 and the cleaning roller 105 are not heated and the image is not removed in the first-stage image removal unit. Further, when forming a solid image on the reusable recording material R, imagio Neo C285 (manufactured by Ricoh) was used.

  In the peeling roller 102 ′, a thermoplastic composition layer 102 d having a thickness of 30 μm is formed on the surface of the peeling roller 102. The blade member 106 'is made of polyimide and has a thickness of 5 mm and a width of 230 mm. Further, a release layer made of PTFE is formed on the surface of the protrusion and the groove, and θ ′ is 10 °. Further, the protrusions have a height of 0.5 mm and are formed at a pitch of 1 mm. The blade member 106 ′ is held by an aluminum holder 121 and is disposed so as to contact the lowermost surface of the cleaning roller 105.

  As a result, 1000 images were removed, but the image removal performance was maintained and the images were removed to a level where the images could not be identified. The reusable recording material R used was 50 sheets, and an image was formed by repeating 20 times. However, the obtained image was not significantly changed and a clear image was maintained. On the other hand, in the reusable recording material R from which the image has been removed by the first-stage image removal unit, the thin portion of the intermediate color of the gradation image remains thin and has not been completely removed, but the solid image and the character image are removed. It was. In addition, the frequency of reproduction of the thermoplastic composition layer 102d in the second-stage image removal unit was sufficient with respect to 200 to 400 times of image removal, which was sufficient.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100, 100 ', 100''Image removal apparatus 101 Heating and pressure roller 102, 102' Peeling roller 103 Guide plate 104 Separation plate 105 Cleaning roller 106, 106 'Blade member 107 Rotary blade 200 Image forming apparatus M Media R Reusable recording Material P General paper

JP 2007-279619 A

Claims (14)

An apparatus for removing an image made of a thermoplastic image forming material formed on a recording material,
Peeling means for peeling the thermoplastic image-forming substance by thermally transferring the thermoplastic image-forming substance from the recording material to the peeling member while transporting a peeling member having a thermoplastic composition layer formed on the surface;
While the cleaning member is heated and conveyed, the cleaning member and the peeling member are slid to transfer the thermoplastic image forming material and the thermoplastic composition layer thermally transferred to the peeling member to the cleaning member. After that, the thermoplastic image forming substance and the thermoplastic composition layer transferred to the cleaning member are transported to the end of the cleaning member along the blade member in contact with the cleaning member, and are transferred to the end of the cleaning member. A cleaning means for scraping off the conveyed thermoplastic image-forming substance and the thermoplastic composition layer using a scraping member;
A thermoplastic image forming material thermally transferred to the peeling member, and a thermoplastic composition layer forming means for forming the thermoplastic composition layer on the peeling member in which the thermoplastic composition layer is transferred to the cleaning member;
Control means for controlling the cleaning means and the thermoplastic composition layer forming means,
The tip of the blade member is disposed so as to contact the cleaning member in a state in which the tip of the cleaning member is inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the cleaning member is transported in a surface contacting the blade member. And
The image removing apparatus, wherein the cleaning member is a roller or an endless belt. The image removing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a tip of the blade member is a tip of a protrusion. The image removing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein an angle of a tip of the protrusion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the cleaning member is conveyed is 0.5 ° or more and 10 ° or less. The image removing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a tip of the protruding portion is substantially V-shaped. The region including the tip of the protrusion is composed of a plurality of members,
Adjacent the member, the image removing device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that is provided so as to overlap a portion of the member. The tip of the protrusion is an elliptical arc,
The image removing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein an angle with respect to a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the cleaning member is transported on a plane including the tip of the protruding portion is 5 ° or more and 60 ° or less. Speed the cleaning member is conveyed, the image removing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the release member is equal to or greater than the speed to be conveyed. The blade member, the image removing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cleaning member opposite the release layer comprising a fluorine resin on the surface is formed. The blade member, the image removing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a heat-resistant resin. The blade member is held by a holding member,
The holding member has a plurality of urging means for urging the blade member toward the cleaning member;
The image according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the plurality of urging means are provided substantially parallel to a direction in which the cleaning member and the peeling member slide. Removal device. It said blade member, image according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the thickness of the thermoplastic image forming substance remaining on the cleaning member is arranged to be 10μm or less Removal device. Image forming removal system comprising: the image removing device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, said image forming apparatus for forming the image on a recording material. The recording material is provided with identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removing device,
The image forming apparatus includes a first detection unit that detects the identification information,
The image removal apparatus further includes a second detection unit that detects the identification information,
Only when the first detection means detects the identification information, the image forming apparatus is controlled to form the image on the recording material, and the second detection means detects the identification information. 13. The image forming and removing system according to claim 12 , further comprising a control unit that controls the image removing device so as to remove the image from the recording material on which the image is formed only when the image is formed. The recording material is provided with first identification information indicating that the image can be removed by the image removing device,
The image forming apparatus includes a first detection unit that detects the first identification information, forms the image on the recording material, and provides second identification information;
The image removal apparatus further includes a second detection unit that detects the second identification information,
Only when the first detection means detects the first identification information, the image forming apparatus is controlled to form the image on the recording material, and the second detection means is the first detection means. 13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising control means for controlling the image removing device so as to remove the image from the recording material on which the image is formed only when second identification information is detected. Image formation removal system.