JP7455695B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet.

Traditionally, when creating documents such as pay slips that have confidential contents and need to be sealed, pre-printed paper is prepared in advance, variable data is printed on each individual pre-printed paper, and then Sealing treatment was performed as a treatment. In this method, it takes time to create preprinted paper that requires printing formats such as ruled lines and applying adhesive, and it is also expensive and inefficient for applications where the required quantity is small.

Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose image formation that outputs a sealed product while omitting the step of preparing preprinted paper by performing an electrophotographic process using a powder adhesive in addition to printing toner. We are proposing a device. In these devices, printing toner and powder adhesive are transferred to a sheet, the transferred toner is thermally fixed to the sheet, the sheet is folded, and the sheet is further heated and pressurized to perform an adhesion process. Further, Patent Document 2 describes a switching flap that switches the conveyance path of the sheet between a path for folding and gluing the sheet and a path for ejecting the sheet as is without folding and gluing.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-171607 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-193004

However, the switching flap in the above-mentioned document is located within the main body of the image forming apparatus and near the fixing device, so that the temperature thereof is likely to rise due to the heat generated by the fixing device. If the switching flap is at a high temperature, the powder adhesive on the sheet may melt and adhere to the switching flap when the sheet passes while contacting the switching flap. If a large amount of the powder adhesive adheres to the surface of the switching flap, there is a possibility that the powder adhesive may cause sheet conveyance failure.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the possibility of sheet conveyance failure.

An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an image forming means for forming a toner image on a sheet using a printing toner and applying a powder adhesive to the sheet; an apparatus main body comprising: a fixing means for heating and fixing the toner image and the powder adhesive applied to the sheet; and a discharging means for discharging the sheet that has passed through the fixing means; a folding means for folding the folded sheet; an adhesive means for heating the sheet folded by the folding means and bonding the sheet with the powder adhesive; a stacking section on which sheets that do not pass through the apparatus are stacked, and a stacking section provided outside the apparatus main body and downstream of the ejection means in the sheet transport direction, and configured to control the transport path of the sheets ejected from the apparatus main body by the ejection means. , a switching member configured to switch between a first path toward the loading section and a second path toward the folding means, the switching member being disposed at a position open toward the space above the image forming apparatus. It is characterized by being

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the possibility of sheet conveyance failure.

1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining attachment of a post-processing unit to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the state of a toner image transferred to a sheet in Example 1. FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams (a, b) showing sheet conveyance paths in the image forming apparatus according to Example 1. FIGS. Figures (a to f) for explaining the contents of the folding process according to Example 1. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an image forming apparatus according to Example 1. FIG. FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams (a to c) illustrating products output by the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIGS. 1 is a schematic diagram of a process cartridge according to Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a drive mechanism of the second switching guide according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the state of powder adhesive transferred to a sheet in Example 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining attachment of a post-processing unit to the apparatus main body of a modification of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining attachment of a post-processing unit to the main body of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams (a, b) showing sheet conveyance paths in an image forming apparatus according to Example 2. FIGS. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a drive mechanism for a second switching guide according to a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the drive mechanism of the second switching guide according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the state of powder adhesive transferred to a sheet in Example 2.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Overall device configuration)
First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus will be described using FIGS. 1, 2, and 6. FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 including an image forming apparatus main body (hereinafter referred to as an apparatus main body 10) according to a first embodiment and a post-processing unit 30 connected to the apparatus main body 10. It is a schematic diagram. The image forming apparatus 1 is an electrophotographic image forming apparatus (electrophotographic system) that includes an apparatus main body 10 equipped with an electrophotographic printing mechanism and a post-processing unit 30 as a sheet processing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. The post-processing unit 30 is attached to the upper part of the apparatus main body 10. The image forming apparatus 1 has a sheet cassette 8 at the bottom and a tray 20 that can be opened and closed on the right side.

First, the internal configuration of the device main body 10 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 10 includes a sheet cassette 8 as a sheet storage section that stores sheets P as recording media, an image forming unit 1e as an image forming means, and a first fixing device as a fixing means. 6, and a housing 19 that accommodates them. The apparatus main body 10 has a printing function in which a toner image is formed on a sheet P fed from a sheet cassette 8 by an image forming unit 1e, and a printed matter is created by performing a fixing process by a first fixing device 6. Note that, as the sheet P which is a recording medium, for example, paper is used.

The sheet cassette 8 is inserted into the housing 19 at the bottom of the apparatus main body 10 so as to be able to be pulled out, and stores a large number of sheets P. The sheets P stored in the sheet cassette 8 are fed from the sheet cassette 8 by a feeding member such as a feeding roller 8f, separated one by one by a pair of separation rollers, and then conveyed by a conveying roller 8a. It is also possible to feed the sheets set in the tray 20 (FIG. 6) in an open state one by one.

The image forming unit 1e is a tandem electrophotographic unit that includes four process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c, a scanner unit 2, and a transfer unit 3. A process cartridge is a unit in which a plurality of parts responsible for an image forming process are integrated and replaceable. The apparatus main body 10 is provided with a cartridge support section 9 supported by a housing 19, and each process cartridge 7n, 7y, 7m, 7c is attached to a mounting section 9n, 9y, 9m, provided on the cartridge support section 9. It is removably attached to 9c. Note that the cartridge support section 9 may be a tray member that can be pulled out from the housing 19.

The process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c have substantially the same configuration except for the types of powder contained in the four powder storage sections 104n, 104y, 104m, and 104c. That is, each process cartridge 7n, 7y, 7m, 7c includes a photosensitive drum 101 which is an image bearing member, a charging roller 102 which is a charger, powder containing portions 104n, 104y, 104m, 104c which contain powder, and a powder container. It includes a developing roller 105 that performs development using a body.

Among the four powder storage sections, the three powder storage sections 104y, 104m, and 104c on the right side in the figure contain yellow and magenta toners (powder developer) for forming a visible image on the sheet P, respectively. , cyan printing toners Ty, Tm, and Tc are stored therein. On the other hand, the leftmost powder storage section 104n in the figure stores powder adhesive Tn, which is a powder for performing adhesive processing after printing. The powder storage units 104y, 104m, and 104c are all examples of first storage units that store printing toner, and the powder storage unit 104n is an example of a second storage unit that stores powder adhesive. Further, the process cartridges 7y, 7m, and 7c are all examples of first process units that form toner images using printing toner, and the process cartridge 7n forms images of powder adhesive in a predetermined application pattern. This is an example of the second process unit.

In this embodiment, when printing a black image such as text, it is expressed using process black in which yellow (Ty), magenta (Tm), and cyan (Tc) toners are superimposed. However, for example, a fifth process cartridge using black printing toner may be added to the image forming unit 1e so that a black image can be expressed with black printing toner. The type and number of printing toners are not limited to this, and can be changed depending on the use of the image forming apparatus 1.

The scanner unit 2 is arranged below the process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c and above the sheet cassette 8. The scanner unit 2 is an exposure unit of this embodiment that irradiates the photosensitive drums 101 of each process cartridge 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c with laser light to write an electrostatic latent image.

The transfer unit 3 includes a transfer belt 3a as an intermediate transfer member (secondary image carrier). The transfer belt 3a is a belt member wound around a secondary transfer inner roller 3b and a tension roller 3c, and faces the photosensitive drums 101 of each of the process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c on its outer peripheral surface. A primary transfer roller 4 is arranged at a position corresponding to each photosensitive drum 101 on the inner peripheral side of the transfer belt 3a. Further, a secondary transfer roller 5 as a transfer means is arranged at a position facing the secondary transfer inner roller 3b. A transfer nip 5n between the secondary transfer roller 5 and the transfer belt 3a is a transfer portion (secondary transfer portion) where the toner image is transferred from the transfer belt 3a to the sheet P.

The first fixing device 6 is arranged above the secondary transfer roller 5. The first fixing device 6 is a thermal fixing type fixing device that includes a heating roller 6a as a fixing member and a pressure roller 6b as a pressure member. The heating roller 6a is heated by a heating element such as a halogen lamp or a ceramic heater, or by an induction heating type heating mechanism. The pressure roller 6b is pressed against the heating roller 6a by a biasing member such as a spring, and applies a pressing force to press the sheet P passing through the nip portion (fixing nip 6n) between the heating roller 6a and the pressure roller 6b. to occur. Note that here, a configuration in which a pair of rollers as a pair of rotating bodies sandwich and convey a sheet is illustrated, but for example, a heater may be placed inside a cylindrical film, and a pressure roller and a heater may be placed opposite to the heater with the film in between. The sheet may be conveyed while being held in the nip between the two.

The housing 19 is provided with a discharge port 12 (first discharge port) which is an opening for discharging the sheet P from the apparatus main body 10, and a discharge unit 34 is disposed in the discharge port 12. . The discharge unit 34, which is the discharge means of this embodiment, uses a so-called triple roller system having a first discharge roller 34a, an intermediate roller 34b, and a second discharge roller 34c. Further, a first switching guide 33 that is a flap-shaped switching member that switches the conveyance path of the sheet P is provided between the first fixing device 6 and the discharge unit 34. The first switching guide 33 is rotatable about the shaft portion 33a so that the tip 33b reciprocates in the direction of arrow c in the figure. Furthermore, a first discharge tray 66 is provided on the upper surface of the casing 19 as a loading section in this embodiment. When the sheets P that have not been subjected to the folding process and the adhesive process by the post-processing unit 30 are discharged from the discharge port 12, they are stacked on the first discharge tray 66 as they are.

The apparatus main body 10 is provided with a cooling fan 64 as a ventilation means below the first discharge tray 66. As shown in FIG. 2, the air sent out from the cooling fan 64 passes through the lower side of the first discharge tray 66 (arrow 64a), and part of it flows toward the first switching guide 33 in the sheet conveyance path ( arrow 64b), and the other part flows towards the first discharge tray 66 (arrow 64c). The wind flowing in the above two paths (arrows 64b and 64c) is used to cool down the heat generated by the first fixing device 6. That is, the wind flowing along the path of the arrow 64b cools the sheet P heated by the first fixing device 6 and also cools the first switching guide 33. Further, the wind flowing along the path of the arrow 64c cools the sheets P that are heated by the first fixing device 6 and then stacked on the first discharge tray 66.

Note that the apparatus main body 10 includes a mechanism for performing double-sided printing. A motor (not shown) is connected to the discharge unit 34, and is configured to be able to rotate the intermediate roller 34b forward and reverse. Further, a double-sided conveyance path 1r as a conveyance path connected in a loop to the main conveyance path 1m is provided. The sheet P, on which the image is formed on the first surface while passing through the main conveyance path 1m, is conveyed while being pinched by the first discharge roller 34a and the intermediate roller 34b by the first switching guide 33 (dotted line position) that rotates clockwise. be done. After the rear end of the sheet P in the traveling direction passes the first switching guide 33, the first switching guide 33 rotates counterclockwise (solid line position) and the intermediate roller 34b reverses, and the sheet P is transferred to the double-sided conveyance path 1r. It is transported in reverse. In other words, the first discharge roller 34a and the intermediate roller 34b function as a reversing unit that reverses the sheet on which the image is formed on the first surface and conveys the sheet again toward the image forming unit 1e. Then, an image is formed on the second surface of the sheet P while the sheet P passes through the main transport path 1m again with the front and back sides reversed. Note that when the rear end of the sheet P in the traveling direction passes the first switching guide 33, the leading end side of the sheet P in the traveling direction is exposed to the outside of the machine. The conveyance path of the sheet P after double-sided printing is switched by the first switching guide 33 as in the case of single-sided printing.

Further, in the apparatus main body 10, a conveyance path passing through the conveyance roller 8a, the transfer nip 5n, and the fixing nip 6n constitutes a main conveyance path 1m in which image formation on the sheet P is performed. The main conveyance path 1m is located in the horizontal direction H with respect to the image forming unit 1e when viewed from the main scanning direction during image formation (the width direction of the sheet perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the sheet conveyed through the main conveyance path 1m). It extends from the bottom to the top through one side of the . In other words, the apparatus main body 10 of this embodiment is a so-called vertical conveyance type (vertical path type) electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which the main conveyance path 1m extends in the substantially vertical direction V. Note that when viewed in the vertical direction V, the first discharge tray 66, intermediate path 15, and sheet cassette 8 overlap each other. Therefore, the direction in which the sheet moves when the discharge unit 34 discharges the sheet P in the horizontal direction H is opposite to the direction in which the sheet moves in the horizontal direction H when the sheet P is fed from the sheet cassette 8. .

(Post-processing unit)
As shown in FIG. 2, the post-processing unit 30 is attached to the upper part of the apparatus main body 10. In the post-processing unit 30, a folding device 31 as a folding means and a second fixing device 32 as an adhesive means (second fixing means) are housed in a housing (second housing) 39 and integrated. This is a post-processing unit. Further, the post-processing unit 30 is provided with a second switching guide 61, an intermediate path 15, and a second discharge tray 35. The functions of each part included in the post-processing unit 30 will be described later. The second switching guide 61 functions as a switching member for switching the conveyance path of the sheet discharged from the apparatus main body 10.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the second switching guide 61 and the solenoid 63 as a drive unit that moves the second switching guide 61. The second switching guide 61 is supported by the housing 39 of the post-processing unit 30 so as to be able to swing around the shaft portions 61a and 61b. The solenoid 63 has a plunger 63a that moves back and forth in response to energization and de-energization, and the tip of the plunger 63a engages with a portion of the second switching guide 61. When the solenoid 63 is energized, the plunger 63a is attracted in the direction of the arrow 63b, thereby causing the second switching guide 61 to swing in the direction of the arrow 61c. When the power supply to the solenoid 63 is stopped, no suction force is generated in the plunger 63a, and the second switching guide 61 swings in the direction of the arrow 61d due to its own weight. In this embodiment, the position of the second switching guide 61 shown in FIG. 4(a) corresponds to the energized state of the solenoid 63, and the position of the second switching guide 61 shown in FIG. 4(b) corresponds to the energized state of the solenoid 63. corresponds to As a result, the second switching guide 61 changes the conveyance path of the sheet P discharged from the discharge unit 34 into a first route R1 (FIG. 4(a)) toward the first discharge tray 66 and a first route R1 toward the folder 31. 2 route R2 (FIG. 4(b)).

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the post-processing unit 30 has an upper cover 62 as a cover member provided above the second switching guide 61. As shown in FIGS. The upper cover 62 is part of the exterior of the post-processing unit 30, and is provided with a louver 62a as an opening. The louver 62a communicates the space between the second switching guide 61 and the upper cover 62 (the space through which the sheet passes) and the space above the image forming apparatus 1 (external space), and communicates with the second switching guide 61 and the like. It has the effect of suppressing the temperature rise of members near the discharge port 12. That is, when the sheet P heated by the first fixing device 6 is discharged from the discharge port 12 and the temperature around the discharge port 12 begins to rise, the heated air is heated as shown by the arrow 62b in FIG. It is discharged to the outside of the post-processing unit 30 (outside the image forming apparatus 1) through the louver 62a. In addition, relatively cold air outside the post-processing unit 30 (outside the image forming apparatus 1) flows into the vicinity of the discharge port 12 via the louver 62a to cool the second switching guide 61 and the like. The louvers 62a produce a cooling effect by enabling such natural convection.

Note that, for example, when the image forming apparatus 1 is viewed in the vertical direction from above, it is preferable that the second switching guide 61 is exposed through the opening of the louver 62a. Further, in this embodiment, a configuration example in which the upper cover 62 having the louver 62a is a part of the exterior of the post-processing unit 30 has been described, but the upper cover 62 may be configured as a part of the exterior of the apparatus main body 10. .

As described above, in this embodiment, the folding device 31 as a folding means and the second fixing device 32 as an adhesive means are arranged above the image forming unit 1e as an image forming means. Therefore, in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a relatively large space above the image forming unit 1e is utilized to install a second fixing device (second fixing device) that is separate from the first fixing device 6 (first heating device). (heating device) can be placed. That is, according to this embodiment, it is possible to sufficiently downsize the image forming apparatus 1 that includes two or more heating devices.

In addition, in this embodiment, from the viewpoint of FIG. 1 (when viewed in the main scanning direction during image formation), the image forming unit 1e is used as a conveyance path for outputting an adhesive printed matter to be described later while conveying the sheet P. A C-shaped conveyance path passing through three directions (downward, right side in FIG. 1, and upward) is formed. That is, the sheet P stored below the image forming unit 1e is sent out to one side in the horizontal direction H (to the right in FIG. 1) by the feeding roller 8f. Further, the sheet P that has passed through the first fixing device 6 is conveyed to the other side in the horizontal direction H (left side in FIG. 1) by a discharge unit 34 as a conveying member. In such a configuration, the first fixing device 6 is arranged on the sheet conveyance path (main conveyance path 1m) extending from the feed roller 8f toward the discharge unit 34 on one side in the horizontal direction with respect to the image forming unit 1e. has been done. Further, the second fixing device 32 is disposed above the image forming unit 1e on a sheet conveyance path extending from the discharge unit 34 to the other side in the horizontal direction H via the folding device 31.

In this way, by configuring the C-shaped transport path and arranging the first fixing device 6, folding device 31, second fixing device 32, etc. on the transport path, the image forming apparatus 1 can be sufficiently miniaturized. A specific configuration can be realized. Note that the specific operation when outputting the adhesive printed matter will be described later using FIG. 4(b) and the like. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a C-shaped conveyance path, and for example, an S-shaped conveyance path may be configured.

In particular, in the viewpoint of FIG. 1 (when viewed in the main scanning direction during image formation), the horizontal direction of the main body portion (folder 31 and second fixing device 32) of the post-processing unit 30 excluding the second output tray 35 It is preferable that the occupied range of H is within the occupied range of the apparatus main body 10. By housing the post-processing unit 30 in the space above the apparatus main body 10 in this way, the image forming apparatus 1 equipped with an adhesive printing function can be installed in the same installation space as a normal vertical pass type electrophotographic image forming apparatus. It becomes possible to do so.

The post-processing unit 30 has a positioning part (for example, a convex shape that engages with a recess of the housing 19) for positioning the housing 39 with respect to the housing 19 (first housing) of the apparatus main body 10. It is provided. Further, the post-processing unit 30 is provided with a drive source and a control section separate from the apparatus main body 10, and the connector 36 of the post-processing unit 30 and the connector 37 of the apparatus main body 10 are connected to each other. electrically connected. Thereby, the post-processing unit 30 enters a state in which it operates based on a command from a control section provided in the apparatus main body 10 using electric power supplied via the apparatus main body 10.

(process cartridge)
As described above, the process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c have substantially the same configuration except for the types of powder contained in the four powder storage sections 104n, 104y, 104m, and 104c. There is. Here, the process cartridge 7n will be explained as a representative. FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the process cartridge 7n. The process cartridge 7n includes a photoconductor unit CC including a photoconductor drum 101 and the like, and a developing unit DT including a developing roller 105 and the like.

A photosensitive drum 101, which is a drum-shaped electrophotographic photosensitive member (image carrier), is rotatably attached to the photosensitive unit CC via a bearing (not shown). Further, the photosensitive drum 101 is rotationally driven in the clockwise direction (arrow w) in the figure during the image forming operation by receiving the driving force of a motor serving as a driving means (driving source) not shown. Further, in the photoconductor unit CC, a charging roller 102 for charging the photoconductor drum 101 and a cleaning member 103 are arranged around the photoconductor drum 101.

The developing unit DT is provided with a developing roller 105 as a developer carrier that contacts the photosensitive drum 101 and rotates in a counterclockwise direction (arrow d) in the figure. The developing roller 105 and the photosensitive drum 101 rotate so that their surfaces move in the same direction at opposing portions (contact portions).

Further, a developer supply roller (hereinafter simply referred to as "supply roller 106") serving as a developer supply member that rotates in the clockwise direction (arrow e) in the figure is arranged in the developing unit DT. The supply roller 106 and the developing roller 105 rotate so that their surfaces move in the same direction at opposing portions (contact portions). The supply roller 106 supplies powder adhesive (printing toner in the case of the process cartridges 7y, 7m, and 7c) onto the developing roller 105. At the same time, the supply roller 106 serves to strip off the powder adhesive (printing toner in the case of process cartridges 7y, 7m, and 7c) remaining on the developing roller 105 from the developing roller 105. The developing unit DT also has a developer regulating member that regulates the layer thickness of the powder adhesive (printing toner in the case of the process cartridges 7y, 7m, and 7c) supplied onto the developing roller 105 by the supply roller 106. A developing blade 107 is arranged.

The powder storage section 104n stores a powder adhesive (printing toner in the case of the process cartridges 7y, 7m, and 7c). A rotatably supported transport member 108 is provided within the powder storage section 104n. The transport member 108 rotates in a clockwise direction (arrow f) in the figure to agitate the powder stored in the powder storage section 104n and transport the powder to the development chamber 109 in which the development roller 105 and supply roller 106 are provided.

Here, the photoreceptor unit CC and the developing unit DT can be separated into a photoreceptor unit cartridge and a developing unit cartridge, respectively, and can be configured to be removably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus. Further, in addition to the process cartridge having a photoreceptor and a developer carrier, it is also possible to configure it as a powder cartridge that has only the powder storage section 104n and the conveying member 108 and is detachable from the main body of the apparatus.

(Operation during image formation)
Next, the image forming operation performed by the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be explained using FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the state of the toner image transferred to the sheet P. FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing sheet conveyance paths in the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. FIGS. 5A to 5F are diagrams for explaining the details of the folding process. FIGS. 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating products output by the image forming apparatus 1. FIG.

When data of an image to be printed and a print execution command are input to the image forming apparatus 1, the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1 conveys the sheet P to form an image, and controls the post-processing unit as necessary. 30 starts a series of operations (image forming operations) for performing post-processing. In the image forming operation, first, as shown in FIG. 1, sheets P are fed one by one from the sheet cassette 8 and are transported toward the transfer nip 5n via the transport roller 8a.

In parallel with the feeding of the sheet P, the process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c are sequentially driven, and the photosensitive drum 101 is rotationally driven in the clockwise direction (arrow w) in the figure. At this time, the surface of the photosensitive drum 101 is uniformly charged by the charging roller 102 . Further, the scanner unit 2 irradiates the photosensitive drums 101 of each of the process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c with laser light modulated based on image data to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drums 101. Next, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 101 is developed into a toner image by the toner carried on the developing roller 105 of each process cartridge 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c.

Note that the powder adhesive layer formed on the photosensitive drum 101 by being developed with the powder adhesive Tn is not intended for transmitting visual information, but is used for recording images such as figures and text on a recording medium. This is different from the printing toner image (normal toner image). However, a powder adhesive layer developed by an electrophotographic process to coat the sheet P with the powder adhesive Tn in a predetermined coating pattern may also be considered as one of the "toner images."

The transfer belt 3a rotates in the counterclockwise direction (arrow v) in the figure. The toner images formed in each of the process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c are primarily transferred from the photosensitive drum 101 to the transfer belt 3a by an electric field formed between the photosensitive drum 101 and the primary transfer roller 4.

Here, as shown in FIG. 1, in the rotational direction of the transfer belt 3a, the process cartridge 7n using the powder adhesive Tn is located most upstream among the four process cartridges. Furthermore, yellow, magenta, and cyan process cartridges 7y, 7m, and 7c are lined up in order from the process cartridge 7n toward the downstream side in the rotational direction of the transfer belt 3a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when four types of toner images overlap on the transfer belt 3a, the powder adhesive Tn becomes the bottom layer (the layer in contact with the transfer belt 3a), and the yellow (Ty) and magenta (Tm) and cyan (Tc) printing toners overlap in this order.

The toner image carried on the transfer belt 3a and reaching the transfer nip 5n is transferred to the sheet P conveyed through the main conveyance path 1m by the electric field formed between the secondary transfer roller 5 and the secondary transfer inner roller 3b. Secondary transfer is made to . At this time, the top and bottom of the toner layer are reversed. That is, on the sheet P that has passed through the transfer nip 5n, cyan (Tc), magenta (Tm), and yellow (Ty) printing toners are overlapped from the bottom layer (the layer that contacts the sheet P), and powder is further applied on top of the printing toners. A layer of adhesive Tn is formed. Therefore, in the toner image transferred to the sheet P, the powder adhesive Tn layer becomes the outermost surface.

Thereafter, the sheet P is conveyed to the first fixing device 6 and undergoes a heat fixing process. That is, when the sheet P passes through the fixing nip 6n, the toner image on the sheet P is heated and pressurized, so that the printing toner Ty, Tm, Tc and the powder adhesive Tn are melted and then fixed. , an image fixed on the sheet P is obtained.

Regardless of single-sided printing or double-sided printing, the sheet P discharged from the apparatus main body 10 is held between the intermediate roller 34b and the second discharge roller 34c, as shown in FIGS. It is transported to the first route R1 or the second route R2.

In the first path R1 shown in FIG. 4A, in a normal printing mode in which the post-processing unit 30 is not used, the sheet P that has passed through the first fixing device 6 is ejected to the first ejection tray 66 by the ejection unit 34. It is a route. In the adhesive printing mode, the second path R2 shown in FIG. 35.

An intermediate path 15 is provided between the first fixing device 6 and the folding device 31 on the second path R2. The intermediate path 15 is a sheet conveyance path that passes through the upper surface (top surface) of the image forming apparatus 1 . Note that the intermediate path 15 is inclined upward in the vertical direction toward the folder 31 with respect to the horizontal direction. Therefore, the entrance of the folding machine 31 (a pair of guide rollers (31c, 31d) described below) is located vertically higher than the exit of the apparatus main body 10 (the nip between the intermediate roller 34b and the second discharge roller 34c).

The folding machine 31 has four rollers, a first guide roller 31c, a second guide roller 31d, a first folding roller 31a, and a second folding roller 31b, and a drawing section 31e. The first guide roller 31c and the second guide roller 31d are a pair of guide rollers that nip and convey the sheet P received from the upstream conveyance path of the folder 31 (the intermediate path 15 in this embodiment). The first folding roller 31a and the second folding roller 31b are a pair of folding rollers that feed out the sheet P while folding it.

Note that the distance M (FIG. 1) from the second discharge roller 34c to the first guide roller 31c in the sheet conveyance direction along the second path R2 is equal to the total length L in the conveyance direction of the sheet P before folding processing (FIG. It is configured to be shorter than (a)). In other words, the lower limit of the length of the sheet in the conveyance direction that can be processed by the post-processing unit 30 is determined by the distance M from the second discharge roller 34c to the first guide roller 31c. With this configuration, the sheet P is delivered from the discharge unit 34 to the pair of guide rollers without any delay.

The folding process by the folding machine 31 will be explained along FIGS. 5(a to 5). When performing the folding process, the first guide roller 31c and the first folding roller 31a rotate clockwise in the figure, and the second guide roller 31d and the second folding roller 31b rotate counterclockwise in the figure. First, the leading end q of the sheet P sent out from the discharge unit 34 is drawn into a pair of guide rollers (31c, 31d) as shown in FIG. 5(a). As shown in FIG. 5(b), the leading edge q of the sheet P is guided downward by the guide wall 31f and comes into contact with the first folding roller 31a, and the first folding roller 31a and the second guide roller facing each other 31d and comes into contact with the wall 31g of the retracting portion 31e.

As the sheet P is drawn in by the pair of guide rollers (31c, 31d), the leading end q advances deep into the drawing part 31e while slidingly contacting the wall 31g. Eventually, the tip q abuts against the end 31h of the retracting portion 31e, as shown in FIG. 5(c). Note that, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the lead-in portion 31e forms a space extending substantially parallel to the intermediate path 15 below the intermediate path 15, and at the stage of FIG. 5(c), the sheet P is wrapped around the second guide roller 31d and bent into a U-shape.

When the sheet P is further drawn in by the pair of guide rollers (31c, 31d) from the state shown in FIG. 5(c), deflection begins to occur at the middle portion r, as shown in FIG. 5(d). Eventually, as shown in FIG. 5(e), the midsection r comes into contact with the second folding roller 31b, and is drawn into the nip portion of the pair of folding rollers (31a, 31b) by the frictional force received from the second folding roller 31b. Then, as shown in FIG. 5F, the sheet P is ejected by the pair of folding rollers (31a, 31b) with the midsection r leading in a folded state with the midsection r as the crease.

Here, the depth N of the drawing portion 31e (FIG. 5(e)), that is, the distance from the nip portion of the pair of folding rollers (31a, 31b) to the end portion 31h of the drawing portion 31e is half the total length L of the sheet P. The length is set to . Thereby, the folding device 31 can perform a process of folding the sheet P into two by half its length (half-folding). Note that by changing the depth N of the retracting portion 31e, the position of the fold can be arbitrarily changed.

The folding machine 31 described above is an example of a folding means, and for example, a folding mechanism may be used in which a blade is pressed against the sheet P and pushed into a nip portion between a pair of rollers to form a fold. Note that since the folding device 31 of this embodiment is composed of a rotating roller and a fixed retracting portion 31e, the driving mechanism can be simplified compared to a folding mechanism that uses reciprocating blades. Further, in the folding device 31 of this embodiment, in addition to the four rollers, it is only necessary to provide a retracting portion 31e having a depth N that is half the sheet length, so it is possible to downsize the post-processing unit 30. .

The sheet P that has passed through the folding device 31 is conveyed to the second fixing device 32 as shown in FIG. 4(b). The second fixing device 32 has a thermal fixing type configuration similar to the first fixing device 6. That is, the second fixing device 32 includes a heating roller 32b as a heating member and a pressure roller 32a as a pressure member. The heating roller 32b is heated by a heating element such as a halogen lamp or a ceramic heater, or by an induction heating type heating mechanism. The pressure roller 32a is pressed against the heating roller 32b by a biasing member such as a spring, and applies a pressing force to press the sheet P passing through the nip (adhesive nip) between the heating roller 32b and the pressure roller 32a. generate. Note that here, a configuration in which a pair of rollers as a pair of rotating bodies sandwich and convey a sheet is illustrated, but for example, a heater may be placed inside a cylindrical film, and a pressure roller and a heater may be placed opposite to the heater with the film in between. The sheet may be conveyed while being held in the nip between the two.

The sheet P folded by the folding device 31 is bonded in the folded state by being subjected to adhesion processing (second heat fixation to the image surface coated with powder adhesive) by the second fixing device 32. . That is, when the sheet P passes through the adhesive nip, the powder adhesive Tn on the sheet P is heated and pressurized in a softened state again, so that the adhesive surface (in the folded state) The adhesives on the surfaces of the sheets that face each other with the layer in between are in close contact with each other. Then, as the powder adhesive Tn cools and hardens, the image surface and the opposing surface of the sheet P are bonded (pressed together) using the powder adhesive Tn as an adhesive.

Here, while the heating roller 6a of the first fixing device 6 directly contacts the toner image, the heating roller 32b of the second fixing device 32 indirectly contacts the powder adhesive Tn through the folded sheet P. will be heated. At this time, as described above, by setting the melting point of the powder adhesive Tn lower than the melting points of the printing toners Ty, Tm, and Tc, the fixing temperature of the second fixing device 32 can be suppressed to a level that does not cause image transfer. I can do it. That is, when the fixing temperature of the second fixing device 32 is raised, there is a concern that the printing toners Ty, Tm, and Tc will remelt and a portion of the image will be transferred from the image surface to the opposite surface. (hot offset) can be avoided. Note that the fixing temperature of the second fixing device 32 (set temperature of the heating roller 32b) may be set lower than the fixing temperature of the first fixing device 6 (set temperature of the heating roller 6a), or indirect heating may be used. Taking this into consideration, the fixing temperature may be set higher than the fixing temperature of the first fixing device 6.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the sheet P that has undergone the adhesion process by the second fixing device 32 is discharged from the discharge port 32c (second discharge port) provided in the casing 39 of the post-processing unit 30. It is discharged to the left. Then, it is stored in a second ejection tray 35 (see FIG. 1) provided on the left side of the apparatus main body 10. This completes the image forming operation when the sheet P is conveyed along the second path R2.

Note that depending on the application pattern of the powder adhesive Tn on the sheet P, it is possible to change the joining location of the folded sheet P. FIGS. 7A to 7C illustrate examples of products (output products of the image forming apparatus) having different application patterns of the powder adhesive Tn. FIGS. 7A and 7B are examples of products (semi-adhesive products) intended to be opened by a recipient. In the case of the pressure-bonded postcard 51 shown in FIG. 7(a), powder adhesive Tn is applied to the entire surface 51a of one side of the base paper, and the base paper is adhered while being folded at the center crease 51b. In the case of the salary slip 52 shown in FIG. 7B, powder adhesive Tn is applied to the entire outer periphery 52a of one side of the base paper, and the paper is adhered while being folded at the center crease 52b. FIG. 7C shows a bag (medicine bag) as an example of a product (completely adhesive product) that is not intended to be opened. In this case, powder adhesive Tn is applied to the L-shaped region 53a so that the two sides of the folded sheet other than the crease 53b are joined together.

The image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment can output any of the products shown in Figs. 7(a-c) nonstop without preparing preprinted paper. That is, in parallel with the operation of recording an image on one or both sides of a base paper using printing toner, powder adhesive can be applied in a predetermined application pattern, and a product can be output in a state where folding and gluing processes have been performed. For example, when outputting the product shown in Figs. 7(a-c), one side of the sheet used as the base paper becomes the outside of the product, and the other side becomes the inside of the product. Therefore, as the image forming operation for the first side in double-sided printing, an image for the outer side is formed with printing toner, and as the image forming operation for the second side, an image for the inner side is formed with printing toner and powder adhesive is applied in a predetermined application pattern.

The image recorded by the image forming apparatus 1 using printing toner can include a format (unchangeable part) when preprinted paper is used and a variable part such as personal information. Therefore, as described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to output a product adhered by the adhesive process from a base paper such as blank paper, which is not preprinted paper. However, the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment can also be used in applications where preprinted paper is used as a recording medium and printing processing and adhesion processing of variable parts are performed.

By the way, when creating an adhesive printed matter as shown in FIGS. 7(a to c), the powder adhesive Tn transferred to the sheet P in the transfer section is transferred to the heating roller of the first fixing device 6 as shown in FIG. 6a. The surface of the sheet P coated with the powder adhesive Tn (the surface to be bonded in the bonding process; hereinafter referred to as the adhesive coated surface) is the lower left side surface in FIG. Therefore, when the sheet P is guided to the lower side of the first switching guide 33 and the upper side of the second switching guide 61 and heads toward the second path R2, the adhesive-applied surface of the sheet P is not exposed to the first switching guide 33. It is transported while contacting the second switching guide 61 without contacting it.

The melting point of the powder adhesive Tn is usually set lower than the melting points of the printing toners Ty, Tm, and Tc. This allows the second fixing device 32 to melt and bond the powder adhesive Tn at a temperature at which printing toners Ty, Tm, and Tc do not melt. However, if the powder adhesive Tn with a low melting point comes into contact with the second switching guide 61 when its temperature is high, there is a possibility that the powder adhesive Tn will melt and adhere to the second switching guide 61 .

Here, in this embodiment, an upper cover 62 provided with a louver 62a as an opening is disposed above the second switching guide 61. In other words, the second switching guide 61 as a switching member is arranged at a position open toward the space above the image forming apparatus. As described above, the presence of the louver 62a promotes natural convection of air near the discharge port 12 including the second switching guide 61, and suppresses a rise in temperature of the second switching guide 61. As a result, even if the sheet P is continuously conveyed while the adhesive-coated surface is in contact with the second switching guide 61, the powder adhesive Tn on the adhesive-coated surface is difficult to melt, and the second switching guide 61 The powder adhesive Tn is less likely to adhere to the guide 61. Therefore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, jams and the like due to adhesion of adhesive are less likely to occur, and the possibility of sheet conveyance failures can be reduced.

(Modified example)
A modification of the first embodiment will be explained using FIGS. 11 and 12. In the first embodiment, the second switching guide 61 is arranged in the post-processing unit 30, but in this modification, the second switching guide 65 is arranged in the apparatus main body 10. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this modification. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining how the post-processing unit 30 is attached to the apparatus main body 10.

The second switching guide 65 as a switching member according to this modification is rotatably supported by the device main body 10. As shown in FIG. 11, the second switching guide 65 is movable between the broken line position and the solid line position in the figure by rotating about the shaft portion 65a in the direction of the arrow 65b. As the drive unit for the second switching guide 65, a solenoid similar to that in the first embodiment can be used. As a result, the second switching guide 65 switches the conveyance route of the sheet P discharged from the discharge unit 34 to the first route R1 toward the first discharge tray 66 and the second route R2 toward the folder 31. Note that the shaft portion 65a is provided at the upstream end of the second switching guide 65 in the sheet conveyance direction.

As shown in FIG. 12, the second switching guide 65 is assembled into the apparatus main body 10 independently of the post-processing unit 30. Regarding the order of assembly to the apparatus main body 10, the post-processing unit 30 is assembled after the second switching guide 65 is assembled to the apparatus main body 10. By assembling the second switching guide 65 independently to the device main body 10 in this way, the second switching guide 65, which needs to be placed near the discharge port 12, may collide with the device main body 10 and be damaged during assembly. It is possible to reduce the

Further, in this modification as well, an upper cover 62 having a louver 62a as an opening is disposed above the second switching guide 65. Therefore, adhesion of the powder adhesive Tn to the second switching guide 61 can be suppressed, and the possibility of sheet conveyance failure can be reduced.

An image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment will be explained using FIGS. 13 to 19. Hereinafter, elements given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment have substantially the same configuration and function as those in the first embodiment, and portions different from those in the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 including an apparatus main body 10 according to the second embodiment and a post-processing unit 30 connected to the apparatus main body 10. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining how the post-processing unit 30 is attached to the apparatus main body 10. FIGS. 15A and 15B are diagrams showing sheet conveyance paths of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the first discharge tray 13, which serves as a stacking section in which sheets are discharged as they are without being subjected to folding or adhesive processing, is provided at the upper part of the post-processing unit 30, as shown in FIG. ing. The second switching guide 71 is provided upstream of the first discharge tray 13 in the sheet conveyance direction, and is rotatably supported by the first discharge tray 13 . The upper part of the second switching guide 71 is exposed in the space above the image forming apparatus 1 and is visible from above the image forming apparatus 1 (FIG. 16). In other words, in the configuration of this embodiment as well, the second switching guide 71 as a switching member is arranged at a position open toward the space above the image forming apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 14, the second switching guide 71 is arranged in the post-processing unit 30, and is assembled into the apparatus main body 10 together with the post-processing unit 30. In the state after the post-processing unit 30 is assembled, the second switching guide 61 changes the transport path of the sheet P ejected from the ejection unit 34 to the first path R1 toward the first ejection tray 66 (FIG. 15(a)). and the second route R2 (FIG. 15(b)) toward the folding machine 31.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the drive mechanism of the second switching guide 71, and FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the drive mechanism. The second switching guide 71 is configured to be able to swing in the direction of the arrow 71c or 71d about the shaft portions 71a and 71b. In this embodiment, the drive source for swinging the second switching guide 71 is shared with the drive source for driving the four rollers (31a to 31d) of the folder 31. In other words, the configuration is such that the second switching guide 71 and the four rollers (31a to 31d) of the folder 31 are driven by one motor M1.

The rotation of motor M1 is input to gear 72. Gear 72 and motor M1 are arranged so that gear 72 rotates in the direction of arrow 72a when motor M1 rotates the four rollers (31a to 31d) of folder 31 in the rotational directions shown in FIGS. 5(a to f). are connected. The rotation of the gear 72 is transmitted via the gears 74, 75, and 76, and the gear 76 attached to the shaft portion 71b of the second switching guide 71 rotates, thereby causing the second switching guide 71 to swing. Note that the gears 74 and 75 do not mesh with each other, and are configured to transmit drive using a friction mechanism, which will be described next.

As shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 18, the gear 74 is pressed in the direction of the arrow 74b by the compression spring 73. This spring force causes the annular rib 74a of the gear 74 to be pressed against the surface 75a of the gear 75, generating a frictional force.

With the above configuration, when the motor M1 rotates in the first direction (rotation direction when causing the folder 31 to perform folding processing), the second switching guide 71 swings in the direction of the arrow 71c. Then, when the convex portion 71e abuts against an abutting portion (not shown), the friction mechanism between the annular rib 74a of the gear 74 and the surface 75a of the gear 75 slips, and the gear 75, the gear 76, and the second switching guide 71 stop. do. When the four rollers (31a to 31d) of the folding device 31 are rotating in the direction of folding the sheet P in this manner, the second switching guide 71 is held at a swinging position in the direction of the arrow 71c. In this case, the second switching guide 71 can guide the sheet P discharged from the intermediate roller 34b and the second discharge roller 34c to the second path R2 (FIG. 15(b)) toward the post-processing unit 30. Note that even when the motor M1 stops, the second switching guide 71 is held in the oscillated position in the direction of the arrow 71c due to the frictional force generated between the annular rib 74a of the gear 74 and the surface 75a of the gear 75. be done.

If it is desired to swing the second switching guide 71 in the direction of the arrow 71d, the motor M1 may be rotated in the opposite direction. When the gear 72 rotates in the direction of the arrow 72b and the convex portion 71e of the second switching guide 71 abuts against an abutting portion (not shown), the friction mechanism between the annular rib 74a of the gear 74 and the surface 75a of the gear 75 slips. Then, the gear 75, the gear 76, and the second switching guide 71 stop. In this case, the second switching guide 71 can guide the sheet P discharged from the intermediate roller 34b and the second discharge roller 34c to the first path R1 (FIG. 15(a)) toward the first discharge tray 13.

By the way, when creating an adhesive printed matter as shown in FIGS. 7(a to c), the powder adhesive Tn transferred onto the sheet P in the transfer section is transferred to the heating roller of the first fixing device 6 as shown in FIG. 6a. The surface of the sheet P coated with the powder adhesive Tn (the surface to be bonded in the bonding process; hereinafter referred to as the adhesive coated surface) is the lower left side surface in FIG. 19 . In this embodiment, when guiding the sheet P to the second path R2, the second switching guide 71 does not directly contact the adhesive coated surface of the sheet P.

However, even in such a configuration, there is a possibility that adhesive may adhere to the second switching guide 71. For example, there may be a case where the sheet P is stored in a bad condition or a case where the sheet P is set in a position shifted from an appropriate setting position with respect to the sheet cassette 8. In such a case, the sheet P exhibits unusual behavior during the transfer and fixing process to the sheet P, and as shown in FIG. Powder adhesive Tn' may adhere. In addition, by repeating the operation of recording an image with printing toner on the first side of the sheet P and applying the powder adhesive Tn on the second side, the apparatus main body 10 repeats the operation of recording an image on the first side of the sheet P and applying the powder adhesive Tn on the second side, so that the conveyance guide or the conveyance is started from the second side of the preceding sheet. It is also conceivable that the powder adhesive Tn adhering to the roller may adhere to the first surface of the subsequent sheet. In this way, the powder adhesive adhering to the surface of the sheet P opposite to the original adhesive application surface is removed by the first switching guide 33 and the second switching guide while the sheet P is conveyed to the second path R2. Contact 71.

If the powder adhesive Tn with a low melting point comes into contact with the first switching guide 33 or the second switching guide 71 when the temperature is high, the powder adhesive Tn will melt and the first switching guide 33 or the second switching guide There is a possibility that it will adhere to 71. However, as described in the first embodiment, the first switching guide 33 is cooled by the air sent from the cooling fan 64, and the temperature rise of the first switching guide 33 is suppressed. Thereby, adhesion of the powder adhesive Tn to the first switching guide 33 is suppressed. Note that instead of cooling the first switching guide 33 with the cooling fan 64, the first switching guide 33 may be formed of a material to which the powder adhesive Tn is difficult to adhere, or the surface of the first switching guide 33 may be coated with powder adhesive. A coating that prevents Tn from adhering may be applied.

On the other hand, the upper part of the second switching guide 71 is open, and when the temperature of the second switching guide 71 starts to rise, natural convection occurs near the second switching guide 71 and the temperature of the second switching guide 71 increases. suppressed. Thereby, adhesion of the powder adhesive Tn to the second switching guide 71 can be suppressed, and the possibility of sheet conveyance failure occurring can be reduced.

Note that the cooling fan 64 is configured to be included in the image forming apparatus even when the apparatus main body 10 to which the post-processing unit 30 is not assembled is used as an image forming apparatus. The first switching guide 33 provided in the device main body 10 can be cooled more efficiently by using the cooling fan 64. On the other hand, the second switching guide 71, which is assembled into the apparatus main body 10 together with the optional post-processing unit 30, has a simple configuration with an open top without using a fan, thereby suppressing temperature rise. In this way, in the second embodiment, the temperature rise of the first switching guide 33 and the second switching guide 71 can be suppressed with a simple configuration.

(Other embodiments)
In the embodiments described in Examples 1 to 3 above, a configuration is exemplified in which the powder storage portion 104n for the powder adhesive Tn is provided as a part of the process cartridge 7n that is removably attachable to the image forming apparatus. Alternatively, a unit such as a toner cartridge or toner bottle having the powder storage portion 104n may be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus separately from the process cartridge. Further, the powder storage section 104n may be built into the image forming apparatus, and the powder adhesive Tn may be supplied from outside. In either case, the configurations described in Examples 1 to 3 can be applied to the powder storage section 104n.

Furthermore, instead of the configuration in which the post-processing unit 30 is attached as an option to the apparatus main body 10 of the image forming apparatus, a configuration may be adopted in which the functions of each part of the post-processing unit 30 are integrated into the apparatus main body.

1... Image forming device / 1e... Image forming means (image forming unit) / 6... Fixing means (first fixing device) / 10... Apparatus main body / 13, 66... Loading section (first discharge tray) / 30... Processing unit (Post-processing unit) / 31... Folding means (folder) / 32... Adhesive means (second fixing device) / 34... Conveyance member (discharge unit) / 34... Discharge means (discharge unit) / 61, 65, 71... Switching member (second switching guide)/62...Cover member (upper cover)/R1...First route/R2...Second route/Tn...Powder adhesive/Ty, Tm, Tc...Printing toner

Claims (12)

an image forming means for forming a toner image on a sheet using printing toner and applying a powder adhesive to the sheet; and the toner image formed on the sheet by the image forming means and the powder adhesive applied to the sheet. an apparatus main body comprising a fixing device that heats and fixes the agent to the sheet; and a discharge device that discharges the sheet that has passed through the fixing device;
a folding means for folding the sheet discharged from the apparatus main body;
Adhesive means for heating the sheet folded by the folding means and adhering the sheet with the powder adhesive;
a stacking section on which sheets that do not pass through the folding means and the adhesive means are stacked after being ejected from the apparatus main body;
The sheet is disposed outside the apparatus main body and downstream of the ejection means in the sheet transport direction, and the transport path of the sheet ejected from the apparatus main body by the ejection means is defined as a first path toward the stacking section and the folding section. a switching member for switching to a second path toward the means;
has
The switching member is disposed at a position open to a space above the image forming apparatus.
An image forming apparatus characterized by: The switching member is arranged so as to be in contact with a surface of the sheet to which the powder adhesive is applied by the image forming means when guiding the sheet discharged from the apparatus main body to the second path.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The switching member is configured to come into contact with a surface of the sheet opposite to a surface to which the powder adhesive is applied by the image forming means when guiding the sheet discharged from the apparatus main body to the second path. located in
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least a portion of the switching member is exposed to the outside of the image forming apparatus when viewed from above;
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: a cover member provided above the switching member;
The cover member is formed with an opening that communicates a space between the switching member and the cover member with a space above the image forming apparatus.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The cover member includes the folding means and the adhesive means and is a part of the exterior of the processing unit that is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The cover member is a part of the exterior of the device main body,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The switching member, the folding means, and the adhesion means are provided in a processing unit that is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body,
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The folding means and the adhesion means are provided in a processing unit that is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body,
The switching member is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body independently of the processing unit.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. further comprising a solenoid that drives the switching member to move the sheet to a position where the sheet is guided to the first path and a position where the sheet is guided to the second path;
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9. comprising a drive source that drives the folding means or the adhesive means,
The switching member is driven by the drive source and moves between a position for guiding the sheet to the first path and a position for guiding the sheet to the second path.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The melting point of the powder adhesive is lower than the melting point of the printing toner.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

Images