JPH08234636A - Color vanishing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a compact and lightweight color vanishing device capable of efficiently vanishing the color of toner whose color can photochemically vanish and eliminating partial slight deformation such as wrinkles and waving caused by reduction in water content by humidifying a sheet. CONSTITUTION: The sheets housed in a paper feeding cassette 12 are taken out by respective paper feeding rollers 13 and 14 one by one and carried into the gap between a pair of heating rollers composed of a heating roller 31 and a pressure roller 32 by respective carrying rollers 16, 17, 20 and 21. The toner capable of photochemically vanishing in the color on the sheet is heated to the glass transition temperature or more of the binding resin of the toner by a pair of the heating rollers 31 and 32 and the color of the toner can efficiently and quickly vanish by irradiation with near infrared rays by a light source 33 such as a halogen lamp. The sheets after color vanishing processing are carried by paper ejecting rollers 37 and 38 and humidified by humidifying rollers 51 and 52, to eliminate the partial slight deformation such as the wrinkles and the waving.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an erasing device for erasing a photochemically erasable toner fixed on a sheet body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in order to protect the earth's resources, the reuse of used papers and synthetic resins has been reconsidered. Although some requests have been made, most of them are incinerated or crushed.

[0003]

In order to solve such a problem, the color of the ink or toner fixed on the recording medium is erased while the shape of the recording medium is maintained, so that the recording medium becomes a plain recording medium. A toner that can be regenerated as the above is proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 3-277725. When electrostatic copying is performed using such a toner, by irradiating near-infrared light or visible light to a recording medium such as an image or print recorded on a sheet body such as a copy paper, Since the recorded image can be erased, the sheet body as a recording medium can be easily reused.

However, conventionally, there is a problem that a decoloring device capable of decolorizing a photochemically decolorable toner efficiently and quickly has not been developed yet.

An object of the present invention is to efficiently erase a photochemically erasable toner and to moisten the sheet body to partially reduce wrinkles and wrinkles caused by a decrease in water content. An object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized and lightweight erasing device that eliminates deformation.

[0006]

The present invention provides a heating means for heating a photochemically decolorizable toner fixed on a sheet member to at least a glass transition temperature of a binder resin of the toner or more. A light irradiating means for irradiating the heated toner with near-infrared light or visible light, a conveying means for conveying the sheet body, and a humidifying means for humidifying the sheet body discharged from the light irradiating means. An erasing device comprising means and means for replenishing moisture to the humidifying means. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the humidifying means is a roller whose surface is made of a water-retaining material. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the water supply means comprises a container for storing water and a water transfer means for transferring the stored water to the roller surface. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the water transfer means is made of a material containing a water absorbent cloth or a water absorbent polymer. Further, the present invention is characterized in that a pair of rollers are provided which can be separated when the paper is not passed and which are in contact with each other when the paper is passed.

[0007]

According to the present invention, by providing a heating means for heating the photochemically decolorizable toner fixed on the sheet body to at least the glass transition temperature of the binder resin of the toner, By increasing the thermal momentum of the molecules of the binder resin, accelerating the decolorization chemical reaction, and by providing a light irradiation means for irradiating the thus heated decolorized toner with near infrared light or visible light, The dye in the toner on the sheet body is efficiently erased.

Further, since the sheet body is appropriately humidified by providing the humidifying means for humidifying the sheet body which has been decolorized and discharged from the light irradiating means,
Partial micro-deformation such as wrinkles and ripples is eliminated. Further, by providing the moisturizing means with the water replenishing means for replenishing the water, it is possible to replenish the moisture of the humidifying means reduced by the humidifying operation.

According to the invention, the moisturizing means is a roller whose surface is made of a water-retaining material, and conveys the sheet body while sandwiching it.
The water retained on the roller surface can be efficiently absorbed by the sheet body.

According to the invention, the hydration means comprises a container for storing water and a water transfer means for transferring the stored water to the roller surface, so that the water can be smoothly transferred from the container to the roller surface. Can be transferred to.

According to the invention, the water transfer means comprises:
By being made of a material containing a water absorbent cloth or a water absorbent polymer, it is possible to transfer water without requiring a power source,
Further, it becomes possible to transfer water almost uniformly over the entire length of the roller in the axial direction.

Further, according to the present invention, the pair of rollers which can be separated when not passing the paper and which are in contact with each other when the paper is passing are provided so that the rollers are separated when the paper is not passing and the plasticity of the water retentive material on the surface is increased. It is possible to prevent deformation and wear and extend the life of the roller.

[0013]

EXAMPLES First, the toner used in the present invention will be described. The toner is a decolorizable toner that is photochemically decolorizable, and in particular decolorizes by absorbing near infrared light or visible light. Details of the component examples and the appearance of the decoloring action of the toner of each composition example are described in Japanese Patent Application No. 3-277725. Therefore, in the following examples, several examples of decolorizable toner will be shown.

Such an erasable toner is, for example, constituted by dispersing a pigment and an ammonium salt of organic boron in a styrene resin. The dye is represented by, for example, the following (Chemical formula 1) or (Chemical formula 2).

[0015]

Embedded image

[0016]

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The styrene resin is widely used as a binder resin for toner. The above (Chemical formula 1) or (Chemical formula 2)
The dye represented by is one of the cyanine dyes and has a wavelength of 82 when coexisted with an ammonium salt of organic boron.
When near-infrared light near 0 nm is irradiated, this near-infrared light is absorbed to cause an irreversible reaction, and the blue color disappears to become colorless.
As the ammonium salt of organic boron, for example, tetrabutylammonium n-butyltriphenylboron shown in the following (Chemical Formula 3) is used.

[0018]

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Further, the dye represented by the following (Chemical formula 4) is a visible light absorbing dye, but instead of the dye represented by the above-mentioned (Chemical formula 2), or (Chemical formula 1) or (Chemical formula 2) It can be used in combination with a near infrared absorbing dye.

[0020]

[Chemical 4]

Next, the erasing device according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an internal configuration diagram of an erasing device 10 which is an embodiment of the present invention. This erasing device 10 is a paper feeding cassette 12 for accommodating a sheet body made of paper, synthetic resin, or the like, on which the above-described photochemically erasable toner is fixed.
And sheet feeding rollers 13 and 14 for taking out the sheet bodies one by one from the sheet feeding cassette 12, and the sheet conveying path 11
Transport rollers 16, 17, 20, for transporting along
21 and a guide member 1 for smoothly guiding the sheet body
5, 18, 19 and an erasing unit 30 for erasing processing
In the erasing unit 30, the humidifying unit 50 for performing the humidifying process, the discharge rollers 37, 38 for discharging the sheet body, the discharge tray 22 for receiving the sheet body that has been subjected to the erasing and humidifying processes, and the erasing unit 30. It is configured to include exhaust fans 24a and 24b and exhaust ducts 25a and 25b for discharging the generated heat from the exhaust ports 26a and 26b to the outside.

A motor 27, which is a drive source for driving each roller in the erasing apparatus 10, is attached above the guide member 18, and these are housed in a housing 28. The paper feed cassette 12 and the paper discharge tray 22 are detachably attached to the housing 28.

The erasing unit 30 includes the heat roller 3
1 and a pressure roller 32, a heating roller pair, a light source 33 such as a halogen lamp, concave reflecting mirrors 34a, 34b, 34c, and heat-resistant glass plates 35, 36.
And guide members 39 and 4 for smoothly guiding the sheet body.
0, 41, 42, and an exhaust duct 2 for discharging heat from the heating roller pairs 31, 32, the light source 33, etc. to the outside.
3a and 23b.

The humidifying unit 50 includes humidifying rollers 51 and 52 for humidifying a sheet body, containers 53 and 54 for storing water, and surfaces of the humidifying rollers 51 and 52 for storing water stored in the containers 53 and 54. Water absorbers 55, 56 transferred to
A connection water absorbing body 57 for connecting the water absorbing body 55 and the humidifying roller 51, an adjusting plate 58 for adjusting the amount of water absorbed by the water absorbing body 55, and a water absorbing body for preventing water evaporation of the water absorbing bodies 57, 56. It is configured to include covers 59 and 60.

The heat roller 31 is a hollow cylindrical roller made of a material such as metal or glass, the surface of which is coated with fluororesin, and a shaft 70 is provided with a heater 70 such as a halogen lamp. This heater 70
The surface of the roller is heated to a predetermined temperature by the energization of. The pressure roller 32 is a hollow cylindrical roller made of a metal such as aluminum whose surface is thickly coated with silicone rubber, and is urged against the heat roller 31 by a predetermined pressure to heat the roller. The silicone rubber elastically deforms along the outer peripheral shape of the roller 31 to secure a predetermined contact area.

Cleaning rollers 71 and 72 are in contact with the heat roller 31 and the pressure roller 32, respectively. By cleaning the surfaces of the heating roller pair 31 and 32, the adhesion of the toner fixed on the sheet body and the Wrapping of the sheet body is prevented. Also heat roller 3
1 and the separation roller 7 near the discharge side of the pressure roller 32.
Even when the sheet body is in close contact with the heating roller pair 31, 32, the separation claws 73, 7 are in contact with each other.
The tip of 4 can separate the sheet body from the heating roller pair 31 and 32, and prevents the sheet body from being wound.

A temperature sensor 75 such as a bimetal or thermistor is provided on the surface of the heat roller 31 to control the temperature of the heat roller 31. Further, temperature fuses 76 and 77 are respectively provided at locations where the temperature rises significantly, such as the surface of the heat roller 31 and the guide member 42, to prevent the occurrence of abnormally high temperatures.

If necessary, sheet body detection sensors 78 and 79 such as photocouplers and microswitches are provided at various places on the sheet conveying path 11, for example, on the upper part of the guide member 18 and the discharge side of the humidifying rollers 51 and 52. Is provided,
It performs timing control, paper jamming, and so-called jam occurrence detection. Further, each position of the sheet conveying path 11 and each position of each roller, for example, each humidifying roller 51, 52.
The discharging brush 8 is provided on the discharge side of the roller and on the surface of the pressure roller 32.
Nos. 0 and 81 are provided to remove the charged charges of the sheet body.

Since a large amount of heat is generated near the heating roller pair 31 and 32 and the light source 33, exhaust ducts 23a and 23b are installed on both sides of the sheet conveying path 11 so that the heated air is exhausted by, for example, a sirocco fan. Fan 24a,
Exhaust ducts 25a, 25 forcibly exhausting using 24b
The temperature inside the erasing device 10 is prevented by discharging the light to the outside through b and the exhaust ports 26a and 26b.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the section line II-II in FIG. The humidifying rollers 51, 52 are rotatably supported by bearings 61, 62 so as to be rotatable with respect to the open / close side plates 63, 64. The upper humidifying roller 51 is urged downward by the spring 65 and is in contact with the lower humidifying roller 52.
A gear 66 is attached to one end portion (left side in FIG. 2) of the gear 2, and the gear 66 meshes with a gear 67 and is rotationally driven.

Each of the humidifying rollers 51, 52 is a roller of the same shape made of a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum having excellent corrosion resistance, the outer peripheral surface of which is made of urethane rubber or the like, and has a width wider than the width of the sheet body. Have. It is preferable that the urethane rubber is made of a porous material having open cells, has an average cell diameter of 0.5 mm or less, and has high water absorption.

Band-shaped water absorbers 55 and 56 made of a highly elastic material containing a water absorbent cloth or a water absorbent polymer are engaged with the inner wall surfaces of the containers 53 and 54, respectively. Is immersed in the water stored in each container 53, 54. The lower water absorbing body 56 is in direct contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower humidifying roller 52 over the entire axial length thereof. Therefore, the water absorbing body 56 causes the water in the container 54 to humidify the roller 52 by the action of the capillary phenomenon or the like.
Is smoothly transferred to the outer peripheral surface.

On the other hand, the upper water absorbing body 55 abuts on the connecting water absorbing body 57 made of the same material as the water absorbing bodies 55 and 56, and the connecting water absorbing body 57 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the upper humidifying roller 51 in the axial direction thereof. It is in contact with the entire length. Therefore, the water in the container 53 is the same as the water absorbent body 55 and the connected water absorbent body 5.
By the action of the capillary phenomenon of 7 and the like, the water is smoothly transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the humidifying roller 51 via the water absorbing body 55 and the connecting water absorbing body 57. The reason why the water absorbent body 57 is brought into contact with the humidifying roller 51 via the connected water absorbent body 57 instead of being directly in contact with the humidifying roller 51 is for facilitating a jam removing operation to be described later.

The connection water absorbing body 57 and the water absorbing body 56 are covered with water absorbing body covers 59 and 60 made of synthetic resin or a metal having excellent corrosion resistance, except for the vicinity of the portions in contact with the humidifying rollers 51 and 52, respectively. This prevents the evaporation of water from the surface of each water absorbing body 56, 57. When the contact portions of the water absorbing bodies 57, 56 which are in rotary contact with the humidifying rollers 51, 52 are worn, the water absorbing bodies 57, 56 sandwiched between the water absorbing body covers 59, 60 are pulled out to some extent. Can be dealt with.

FIG. 3 shows the container 53, the water absorber 55, and the adjusting plate 5.
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. The adjusting plate 58 is the water absorbing body 5.
The upper part of 5 is sandwiched, and the screw 68 inserted through the plurality of holes 58a provided in advance in the adjusting plate 58 and the plurality of screw holes 53a formed in the container 53 corresponding to the screws 68 are respectively screwed. Container 53 by combining
Mounted on top of. Each screw 68 and each screw hole 5
The water absorbing body 55 has a plurality of notches corresponding to the respective screws 68 in order to screw the water absorbing body 55 with the screw 3a.

The adjustment of the amount of water absorbed by the water absorbent body 55 by the adjusting plate 58 is achieved by screwing / retracting each screw 68. That is, when each screw 68 is advanced, the adjustment plate 5
Since the force with which 8 presses the water absorber 55 increases, the water absorber 5
5 is compressed to reduce its water retention amount, and when each screw 68 is screwed back, the force with which the adjusting plate 58 presses the water absorbing body 55 decreases, so that the water absorbing body 55 expands and its water retaining amount increases.
By adjusting the water retention amount of the water absorbent body 55 in this manner, the phenomenon of water falling in the container 53 can be prevented.

Each of the containers 53 and 54 has such a structure that the amount of water stored therein can be easily confirmed from the outside of each of the containers 53 and 54. When the amount of water is insufficient, Water can be replenished by removing the lid 69.

FIG. 4 shows the discharge side unit 9 of the erasing apparatus 10.
It is a figure which shows the state which opened 0. In this state, the paper discharge tray 22 has been removed in advance. This discharge side unit 90
Is each reflecting mirror 34a, 34b, 34c, each heat-resistant glass plate 35, 36, each discharge roller 37, 38, each guide member 4
1, 42, each humidifying roller 51, 52, connection water absorbing body 57,
The water absorbent body cover 59, the separation claws 73 and 74, the thermal fuse 77, etc. are integrally housed, and are pivotally supported by a support shaft 91 so as to be angularly displaceable with respect to the main body of the erasing apparatus 10.

A locking member 9 is provided above the discharge side unit 90.
When the discharge side unit 90 is pushed into the main body of the erasing apparatus 10 by gripping the opening / closing handle 93 connected to the locking member 92, the locking member 92 is provided. Engages with a locking hole 95 formed in the top plate 94.
At this time, the upper portion of the connected water absorbent body 57 contacts the lower portion of the water absorbent body 55, and the outer peripheral surface of the lower humidifying roller 52 contacts the upper end portion of the water absorbent body 56. As a result, the water in the containers 53 and 54 is smoothly transferred to the outer peripheral surfaces of the humidifying rollers 51 and 52 as described above. Further, by pulling the opening / closing handle 93 toward you, the engagement between the locking member 92 and the locking hole 95 is released, and the discharge side unit 90 falls down to the outside.

Since the discharge side unit 90 can be opened and closed in this way, the jam removal work inside the erasing device 10, the replacement of the light source 33 and the reflection mirrors 34a, 34b,
Maintenance work such as cleaning 34c and replenishing water to each container 53, 54 can be performed quickly and easily. The discharge side unit 90 may be a mechanism that moves horizontally by a linear guide means such as a rail, or is a mechanism that is detachable from the main body of the erasing apparatus 10 by using a detachable pivot shaft as the support shaft 91. It doesn't matter.

Next, the operation of the erasing device 10 will be described. The sheet feeding cassette 12 stores a plurality of sheet members to which the above-described photochemically decolorizable toner is fixed. Such a sheet body is formed by the sheet feeding rollers 13 and 14
Are taken out one by one, guided by the respective guide members 15, 18, 19, 39, 40 along the conveying path 11, and conveyed between the heating roller pairs 31, 32 by the respective conveying rollers 16, 17, 20, 21. To be done.

The sheet body is composed of heating roller pairs 31,3.
By being conveyed while being sandwiched between the two, the toner is heated to at least the glass transition temperature of the binder resin.

On the discharge side of the heating roller pair 31, 32, the light including the near-infrared light emitted from the light source 33 is efficiently collected by the reflecting mirrors 34a, 34b, 34c, etc., and the irradiation density of the light is high. The condensing part P is formed. Therefore, the sheet member discharged from the heating roller pair 31, 32 is immediately irradiated with the near infrared light, so that the color of the toner is efficiently erased.

The sheet body which has been subjected to the erasing process is provided with the respective guide members 4
1 and 42, and is conveyed between the humidifying rollers 51 and 52 by the discharge rollers 37 and 38. The guide member 41 is composed of a plurality of linear members made by bending an elongated material such as wire, and is arranged at a predetermined interval along the conveyance direction of the sheet body.

The sheet body is made up of the humidifying rollers 51, 5
By being conveyed while being sandwiched between the two, the moisture on the surfaces of the humidifying rollers 51 and 52 is efficiently and quickly absorbed, discharged to the outside, and placed on the discharge tray 22.

While the sheet body thus recorded with the erasable toner is conveyed from the paper feed cassette 12 to the paper discharge tray 22, the toner is erased efficiently and quickly, and the sheet is erased. The body is moderately humidified to eliminate partial microscopic deformation such as wrinkles and waviness.

Next, the operation of the erasing device 10 will be described. An operation switch (not shown) and a speed adjusting knob (not shown) are provided on the operation panel of the erasing apparatus 10. By operating this operation switch, the sheet bodies accommodated in the paper feed cassette 12 are taken out one by one, and the decoloring process and the humidifying process are continuously performed. Note that it is also possible to set such that one sheet member is processed once per switch operation.

By operating the speed adjusting knob, each roller 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 3
The output of the motor 27, which is a drive source of the motors 1, 32, 37, 38, 51, 52, is controlled, and the sheet conveying speed can be set to a desired speed. Therefore, when processing a sheet that is easily erased, or if there is a slight amount of residual erase, set the conveying speed of the sheet to a higher speed to perform a faster erase process. You can

On the other hand, in the case of processing a sheet body that is difficult to be erased, by setting the conveying speed of the sheet body to a low speed, sufficient heating and light irradiation are performed, and a reliable erase treatment is performed. It can be performed. Further, a sheet body that is not completely erased by one erase process can be erased more reliably by storing it again in the paper feed cassette 12 and performing the erase process a plurality of times.

Next, the optical system of the light source 33 and the condensing part P will be described. Some of the light emitted from the light source 33 reaches the light condensing part P directly, but most of the light is reflected by the reflecting mirrors 34a, 34b, 34c. Reflector 3
The light reflected by 4b reaches the condensing part P directly. The light reflected by each reflecting mirror 34a, 34c is
The light is directed toward the guide member 42 whose surface is mirror-finished, and is reflected again by the guide member 42 so that the light collecting portion P is formed.
To reach.

Further, in accordance with the mirroring of the guide member 42, its cross-sectional shape is formed into a triangular wave shape and the light source 33 and the light collecting portion P are set in the reflecting direction, whereby the light collecting efficiency can be further improved. it can. Therefore, the guide member 42 plays two roles of smooth conveyance of the sheet body and improvement of light collection efficiency.

Even when the sheet member passes through the upper portion of the guide member 42, the light from the light source 33 passes through the sheet member while being attenuated to some extent, so that the light guiding action of the guide member 42 is continued. . Further, when the output of the light source is large, the resin separation claw 73 may be deformed by heat. Therefore, the metal protection cover 8 is provided in front of the separation claw 73.
It is preferable to provide 2.

Next, the heating roller pair 31, 32 and the light source 3
Exhaust heat around 3 will be described. In order to erase the decolorable toner efficiently and quickly, it is conceivable to improve the light-collecting efficiency from the light source 33 to the light-collecting portion P and increase the output of the light source 33. Along with this, it is necessary to release the heat generated from the light source 33 to the outside of the erasing apparatus 10 while reducing the influence on other members.

The light source 33 emits light having a wavelength distribution from visible light to far infrared light and generates a large amount of heat. Since the temperature of the member that directly receives the light from the light source 33 rises due to the light absorption, the light source 33 and the heating roller pair 3
The air around 1,32 becomes a high temperature state. Therefore, an exhaust duct 23a to which the exhaust fan 24a is connected is provided near the upper portion of the erasing apparatus 10, and an exhaust duct 23b to which the exhaust fan 24b is connected is provided near the lower portion.

Further, by providing the heat-resistant glass plates 35 and 36 between the light source 33 and the condensing part P, it is possible to smooth the air flow with almost no interruption of the light from the light source 33. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the accumulation of air inside. In addition, ventilation is improved by exhausting air from both sides of the sheet conveying path, and it is possible to prevent warping and wavy deformation of the sheet due to the exhaust pressure difference on both sides of the sheet. Therefore, the jam occurrence rate can be suppressed.

FIG. 5 is an internal block diagram of the erasing device 110 which is another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is similar to the above-mentioned embodiment, and corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and duplicate description will be omitted.

The humidifying unit 111 of the present embodiment includes humidifying rollers 112 and 113 for humidifying a sheet body, containers 114 and 115 for storing water, and humidifying rollers 112 and 115 for storing water stored in the containers 114 and 115. Water absorbing bodies 116 and 117 transferred to the surface of 113, a tank 118 for supplying water to the containers 114 and 115, a humidifying roller 112,
Blades 119 and 12 for adjusting the water retention capacity of 113
0 and heaters 121, 1 for heating the stored water
22 and 22.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along section line VI-VI in FIG. The humidifying rollers 112 and 113 are axially supported by the side plates 125 and 126 by bearings 123 and 124, respectively. The upper humidifying roller 112 is urged downward by a spring 127 and is in contact with the lower humidifying roller 113, and a gear 128 is attached to one end (left side in FIG. 6) of the humidifying roller 113. Cage,
The gear 128 meshes with the gear 129 and is rotationally driven.

Each of the humidifying rollers 112 and 113 is a hollow cylindrical roller having the same shape and having an outer peripheral surface made of urethane rubber or the like and made of a metal having excellent corrosion resistance such as stainless steel or aluminum. Has a wider width than. It is preferable that the urethane rubber is made of a porous material having open cells, has an average cell diameter of 0.5 mm or less, and has high water absorption.

On the outer peripheral surfaces of the humidifying rollers 112 and 113, the containers 114 and 115 are provided over the entire length in the axial direction.
Band-shaped water absorbent body 1 made of a highly elastic material containing a water absorbent cloth or a water absorbent polymer fixed to the inner wall surfaces of the
16, 117 are in contact with each other. Each container 114, 11
Water is previously stored in the container 5 up to a predetermined liquid level such that at least a part of each of the water absorbers 116 and 117 is immersed. Therefore, each water absorber 116, 117
Is caused by the action of the capillary phenomenon or the like.
The water in 5 is smoothly transferred to the outer peripheral surfaces of the humidifying rollers 112 and 113, respectively.

On the outer peripheral surface of each humidifying roller 112, 113, in a straight line over the entire length in the axial direction, on the downstream side in the roller rotation direction from each water absorbing body 116, 117, a flexible material such as synthetic resin is used. The flat blades 119 and 120 are elastically brought into contact with each other with an appropriate pressing force. As a result, the humidifying rollers 112, 113
Excessive water on the outer peripheral portion of each of the humidifying rollers 11 is removed.
The water retention amount of 2,113 can be maintained in a preferable state.

This preferable water retention state is, for example, a state in which the water in each of the rollers 112 and 113 is retained to such an extent that they do not seep out at the mutually abutting positions. The blades 119 and 120 partially protrude from the containers 114 and 115 and are fixed to the inner wall surfaces of the upper portions of the containers 114 and 115, respectively.

Heaters 121 and 122 for heating the stored water are inserted near the bottoms of the containers 114 and 115, respectively, so that the water temperature can be maintained at a predetermined preferable constant temperature.

Further, in each of the containers 114 and 115, floats 130 and 131 that move up and down corresponding to the internal water level, and in conjunction with these floats 130 and 131, the tank 118
Pipe lines 13 for guiding the water in the containers 114 and 115, respectively
Valves 132 and 133 capable of opening and closing valve holes formed at the lower ends of 4, 135 are respectively incorporated therein. Each float 130, 131 is composed of a float and a valve plate having the float fixed to one end.

When the water in each container 114, 115 is reduced by being transferred to the outer peripheral surface of each humidifying roller 112, 113, each float 130, 131 is hinged 13.
6, 137 are angularly displaced downward with respect to the angular displacement center. As a result, each valve 132, 133 is connected to each pipe line 134,
Since the valve holes are opened apart from the valve holes of 135, water is replenished from the tank 118 into the containers 114 and 115 via the pipe lines 134 and 135, respectively.

As the water is replenished, each float 13
0 and 131 are angularly displaced upward to predetermined positions with the hinges 136 and 137 as the centers of angular displacement. As a result, the valves 132 and 133 come close to the valve holes of the pipes 134 and 135, respectively, and close the valve holes. Therefore, the water level in each container 114, 115 can be returned to a constant value, and the amount of stored water in each container 114, 115 can be kept within a certain range.

At the bottom of the tank 118, the pipes 13 are provided.
The upper open ends of 4,135 are watertightly connected and open. Further, the tank 118 is provided with valve rods 138 and 139 facing each opening from directly above each opening end.
Operation knobs 140 and 141 are attached to the upper ends of 38 and 139 so as to project upward from the upper portion of the tank 118. The lower ends of the valve rods 138, 139 are respectively displaced in the directions close to the respective opening ends by screwing the operation knobs 140, 141, and the valve rods 138 are screwed by screwing the operation knobs 140, 141 backward. , 139 are displaced in the direction away from the respective open ends.

In this way, the operation knobs 140 and 14
Each opening end can be closed / opened by screwing / unwinding 1 and at the same time, the opening area of each opening end is transiently changed from the tank 118 to each pipeline 134,
The amount of water introduced to 135 can be adjusted. Further, the tank 118 and the respective pipelines 134 and 135 are watertightly connected by packings 142 and 143 made of a flexible and elastic material such as rubber.

The tank 118 has a structure such that the amount of water stored therein can be easily confirmed from the outside of the tank 118. When the amount of water is insufficient, the lid 144 is removed to replenish the water. can do.

The shaft of the humidifying roller 112 is supported by a bearing 123, and the bearing 123 is mounted on and supported by the support surface 146 of the movable lever 145. A shaft 147 is fixed to an end of the movable lever 145 opposite to the end on which the support surface 146 is formed, and a humidification release knob 148 is connected to the shaft 147. The shaft 147 is inserted into a guide elongated hole extending in the horizontal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 5) in the side plate 125, and can be moved in the arrow A1 and A2 directions along the guide elongated hole.

By operating the humidification releasing knob 148 connected to the shaft 147 in the arrow A1 direction, the movable lever 145 is displaced in the same direction. As a result, the shaft of the humidifying roller 112 is pushed upward by the support surface 146, and the upper humidifying roller 112 is moved downward.
It is possible to release the humidified state by pushing up in a direction away from the sheet, that is, pushing up and retreating from the sheet conveying path 11. In this way, when the paper is not passed, the outer peripheral surfaces of the humidifying rollers 112, 113 are separated from each other to prevent plastic deformation and wear of the outer peripheral surfaces, that is, urethane rubber, and to improve the life of the humidifying rollers 112, 113. It can be extended.

When returning from the dehumidified state in this manner to the humidified state, the dehumidifying knob 148
Can be operated in the direction of arrow A2. As a result, the movable lever 145 is displaced in the same direction, and the shaft of the humidifying roller 112 is pushed downward by the support surface 146. Therefore, the upper humidifying roller 112 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower humidifying roller 113, and the sheet conveying path 11
The upper humidifying roller 112 can be inserted between them to bring the humidifying state.

FIG. 7 shows the upper unit 1 of the erasing device 110.
It is a figure which shows the state which opened 50. This upper unit 1
The reference numeral 50 designates the conveying roller 20 and the exhaust ducts 23a, 25.
a, exhaust fan 24a, heat roller 31, light source 33,
Each reflecting mirror 34a, 34b, 34c, each heat-resistant glass plate 3
5, 36, the guide members 39, 41, the heater 70, the cleaning roller 71, the separation claw 73, the temperature sensor 75, the temperature fuse 76, etc. are integrally housed.
It is pivotally supported by a support shaft 151 so as to be angularly displaceable with respect to the main body 10.

A locking member 152 is provided at an end portion of the upper unit 150 opposite to the support shaft 151 side so as to be elastically angularly displaced, and an opening / closing connected to the locking member 152 is performed. When the handle 153 is held and the upper unit 150 is pushed into the main body of the erasing device 110, the locking member 152
Engages with a locking hole 155 formed in the side plate 154. Further, by raising the opening / closing handle 153, the engagement between the locking member 152 and the locking hole 155 is released, and the upper unit 150 is lifted.

Since the upper unit 150 can be opened and closed in this way, the jam removal work inside the erasing device 110, the replacement of the light source 33 and the reflection mirrors 34a, 34b,
Maintenance work such as cleaning 34c and supplying water to the tank 118 can be performed quickly and easily. The upper unit 150 may be a mechanism that moves horizontally by a linear guide means such as a rail.
A mechanism for detaching from the main body of the erasing device 110 by using a detachable pivot shaft as 1 may be used.

Next, the operation of the erasing device 110 will be described. The sheet feeding cassette 12 stores a plurality of sheet members to which the above-described photochemically decolorizable toner is fixed. Such a sheet body is formed by the sheet feeding rollers 13 and 14
Are taken out one by one by the guide members 15, 39, 40 along the conveying path 11 and conveyed between the heating roller pairs 31, 32 by the conveying rollers 20, 21.

The sheet body is composed of heating roller pairs 31,3.
By being conveyed while being sandwiched between the two, the toner is heated to at least the glass transition temperature of the binder resin.

On the discharge side of the heating roller pair 31, 32, the light including the near-infrared light emitted from the light source 33 is efficiently condensed by the respective reflecting mirrors 34a, 34b, 34c, etc., and the irradiation density of the light is high. The condensing part P is formed. Therefore, the sheet member discharged from the heating roller pair 31, 32 is immediately irradiated with the near infrared light, so that the color of the toner is efficiently erased.

The sheet body which has been subjected to the erasing process is provided with the respective guide members 4
1, 42 guided by the humidifying rollers 112, 113
Transported in between. The guide member 41 is composed of a plurality of linear members made by bending an elongated material such as wire, and is arranged at a predetermined interval along the conveyance direction of the sheet body.

The sheet body is composed of the humidifying rollers 112,
By being conveyed while being sandwiched by 113, the moisture on the surface of each humidifying roller 112, 113 is efficiently and quickly absorbed, and is discharged to the outside by the discharge rollers 37, 38 and placed on the discharge tray 22. .

In this way, while the sheet body once recorded with the erasable toner is conveyed from the paper feed cassette 12 to the paper discharge tray 22, the toner is erased efficiently and quickly. The sheet body is appropriately humidified to eliminate partial minute deformation such as wrinkles and waviness.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 described above,
A container 1 corresponding to each of the humidifying rollers 112 and 113.
14 and 115 are provided so that the water in each container 114, 115 is individually supplied from one tank 118 to each humidification roller 112, 113, but it is shown in FIG. 8 as another embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the water supply unit 160 in which the tank 118a and the container 114a are integrally connected may be used.

The tank 118a connected to one longitudinal end of the container 114a includes an upper storage space 161 in which water supplied by removing the lid 144a is stored, and a valve rod 13 described later.
Lower storage space 162 to which water in the upper storage space 161 is replenished via the open end whose opening area is adjusted by 8a
Have and. In the upper storage space 161, a valve rod 138a is provided which is displaced in the axial direction by operating the operating knob 140a to advance / retreat.

In the lower storage space 162, a pipe line 134a is provided below the valve rod 138a. Further, in the lower storage space 162, a valve 132a that can open and close a valve hole formed at the lower end of the pipeline 134a in conjunction with the float 130a is provided. The float 130a is
It is composed of a float and a valve plate having the float fixed to one end thereof, and can be angularly displaced about the hinge 136a in accordance with the water level in the lower storage space 162. The lower storage space 162 communicates with the space inside the container 114a, and the water level inside the container 114a is maintained at the same water level as the water level inside the lower storage space 162.

At the upper part of one side of the container 114a, the container 1
A long hole 163 extending along the longitudinal direction of 14a is formed, and the water absorbing body 116a partially projects from the long hole 163 over the entire length in the longitudinal direction. This water absorber 116a
Thus, the water in the container 114a can be impregnated by the action of the capillary phenomenon or the like, and the moisture can be replenished to the humidifying roller 112 with which the protruding portion of the water absorbing body 116a contacts.

Below the long plate 164 which faces the long hole 163 from above, the blade 119a is arranged so as to be parallel to the protruding portion of the water absorbing body 116a and to cover the protruding portion.
Is provided. The tip portion of the blade 119a elastically abuts the outer peripheral surface of the humidifying roller 112 over the entire length in the axial direction with an appropriate pressing force, and can maintain the water retention amount of the humidifying roller 112 in a preferable state. The preferable water retention state is, for example, a state in which the water in each of the rollers 112 and 113 is retained to such an extent that they do not seep out at the mutually abutting positions.

A heater 121a is provided in the container 114a as shown in FIG. 9, and the heater 121a is electrically connected to a terminal 165 exposed from the bottom surface of the tank 118a. By mounting the water absorption unit 160 at a predetermined position on the side of the humidifying roller 112, the terminal 16
5 is electrically connected to another terminal (not shown) provided in the main body of the erasing device 110, and can supply electric power to the heater 121a. Therefore, the temperature of the water in the container 114a can be maintained at a predetermined preferable constant temperature.

In order to replenish water to the other humidifying roller 113, the water is replenished to the humidifying roller 113 by using a water supply unit similar to the water supply unit 160 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 described above. You can

Since the water supply unit 160 is constructed as described above, when the sheet body is clogged, the water supply unit 160 is pulled out in the longitudinal direction, and the operator's hand is placed around the humidifying rollers 112 and 113. It becomes possible to easily remove the jammed sheet body by forming a space large enough for easy insertion. Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide a conduit for connecting the container and the tank, the above-mentioned container 1
Since it is not necessary to provide a relatively long pipe line 135 for communicating between the tank 15 and the tank 118, the number of parts can be reduced and the configuration can be simplified.

The present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, but includes a wide variety of modifications in accordance with the spirit of the present invention.

[0091]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the heating efficiency and the light irradiation efficiency of the sheet body can be improved, the decoloring treatment of the decolorizable toner fixed on the sheet body can be performed. It can be done efficiently and quickly. Further, even if the sheet body is jammed, the sheet body can be taken out quickly and easily, and maintenance work such as replacement, repair, inspection and cleaning of each member constituting the erasing unit and the humidifying unit becomes easy. Therefore, the maintenance cost can be reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, since the sheet body can be appropriately humidified, partial microdeformation such as wrinkles and ripples can be eliminated, and the sheet body can be immediately reused.

As described above, when the sheet body is reused by using the erasing apparatus according to the present invention, a large-scale facility is not required, and the reuse in each company is easy. Further, it becomes possible to efficiently and promptly perform the erasing process of the erasable toner fixed on the sheet body, reduce the influence of the heat generated inside to the outside, and it is small and lightweight. An erasing device can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an internal configuration diagram of a color erasing apparatus 10 that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a container 53, a water absorbing body 55, and an adjusting plate 58.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a discharge side unit 90 of the erasing apparatus 10 is opened.

FIG. 5 is an internal configuration diagram of a erasing device 110 which is another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the section line VI-VI in FIG.

7 is a diagram showing a state in which an upper unit 150 of the erasing device 110 is opened.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a water supply unit 160 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of a water supply unit 160 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 110 Decoloring device 12 Paper feed cassette 22 Paper ejection tray 30 Decoloring unit 31 Heat roller 32 Pressure roller 33 Light source 34a, 34b, 34c Reflecting mirror 50, 111 Humidifying unit 51, 52, 112, 113 Humidifying roller 53, 54,114,115 container 55,56,116,116a, 117 water absorbing body 57 connection water absorbing body 58 adjusting plate 59,60 water absorbing body cover 71,72 cleaning roller 73,74 separation claw 75 temperature sensor 76,77 temperature fuse 78, 79 sheet body sensor 90 discharge side unit 92,152 locking member 93,153 open / close handle 118,110a tank 119,119a, 120 blade 70,121,122,122a heater 130,130a, 131 float 132,132a, 133 valve38,139 valve stem 145 movable lever 148 humidifying release knob 150 upper unit 160 water supply unit 161 upper storage space 162 below the storage space

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Katsumi Murofushi Katsumi Murofushi 5-1 Ogimachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kanagawa Kanagawa Prefecture Chemicals Research Laboratory (72) Kiichi Hosoda 5-1-1 Ogimachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kanagawa Prefecture No. Showa Denko Chemicals Laboratory

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A heating means for heating a photochemically decolorizable toner fixed on a sheet member to at least a glass transition temperature of a binder resin of the toner, and a red color near the heated toner. Light irradiating means for irradiating external light or visible light, conveying means for conveying the sheet body, humidifying means for humidifying the sheet body discharged from the light irradiating means, and moisture for the humidifying means. A decoloring device, comprising: a water replenishing means for replenishing water. 2. The erasing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the humidifying means is a roller whose surface is made of a water-retaining material. 3. The erasing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the water replenishing means comprises a container for storing water and water transferring means for transferring the stored water to the roller surface. 4. The water transfer means is made of a material containing a water absorbent cloth or a water absorbent polymer.
Decoloring device described. 5. The erasing device according to claim 2, wherein a pair of rollers are provided which can be separated when the paper is not passed and which are in contact with each other when the paper is passed.