WO2023026349A1

WO2023026349A1 - Image formation device

Info

Publication number: WO2023026349A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/030933
Authority: WO
Inventors: 智也山本; 亮輔酒井; 健太郎森; 智也市川; 彩花大平; 響子杉山; 勲美藤澤
Original assignee: ブラザー工業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-08-24
Filing date: 2021-08-24
Publication date: 2023-03-02

Abstract

The present invention provides an image formation device with which it is possible to achieve size reduction and suppress power consumption. An image formation device (1) is able to transfer, to a toner image on a sheet (S), a transfer layer of a multilayer film (F) having the transfer layer and a support layer that supports the transfer layer, and comprises: a housing (10); a process unit (30) that transfers the toner image to the sheet (S); and a fixation unit (80) that has a heating roller (81) and a pressure roller (82) that sandwich the sheet (S) and the multilayer film (F) therebetween, and transfers the transfer layer to the toner image on the sheet (S) at the same time as fixing the toner image transferred by the process unit (30) to the sheet (S) between the heating roller (81) and the pressure roller (82).

Description

image forming device

The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus that fixes a toner image to a sheet and transfers a transfer layer to the toner image on the sheet.

Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus, a first apparatus has an image forming section that transfers a toner image to a sheet such as paper and then heats and fixes the toner image on the sheet to form a toner image, and a transfer layer such as foil is a second apparatus. and a second device having a foil stamping unit that forms an image on the sheet by transferring it to the toner image on the sheet conveyed from the first device. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-069554).

By the way, the conventional image forming apparatus that fixes the toner image and transfers the transfer layer is large and consumes a large amount of power.

Therefore, it is desired to provide an image forming apparatus that can be miniaturized and that can reduce power consumption.

In view of the above background, as one aspect, an image forming apparatus capable of transferring a transfer layer to a toner image on a sheet of a multi-layer film having a transfer layer and a support layer for supporting the transfer layer, comprising: a casing; It has a process section that transfers an image onto a sheet, and a heating member and a pressure member that sandwich the sheet and multilayer film. Between the heating member and the pressure member, the toner image transferred by the process section is fixed onto the sheet. and a fixing section for transferring the transfer layer to the toner image on the sheet.

According to such a configuration, the fixing of the toner image and the transfer of the transfer layer can be performed simultaneously by the common fixing section, so that the size of the image forming apparatus can be reduced. In addition, since fixing of the toner image and transfer of the transfer layer can be performed at the same time, power consumption can be suppressed as compared with the case where fixing of the toner image and transfer of the transfer layer are performed separately.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the process section includes a photoreceptor on which a toner image is formed, and a transfer member for transferring the toner image formed on the photoreceptor to a sheet. A nip portion between the heating member and the pressing member may be arranged at the same position as the photosensitive member or the transfer member.

According to this, since the sheet can be conveyed from the processing section toward the fixing section in a substantially horizontal orientation, it is possible to prevent the unfixed toner image from being disturbed.

The image forming apparatus described above is a layer transfer film cartridge that supports a multilayer film, and is provided with a layer transfer film cartridge that can be attached to and detached from a housing. When the toner image is fixed to the sheet, the transfer layer is transferred to the toner image on the sheet at the same time. However, the transfer layer may not be transferred to the toner image on the sheet.

According to this, it is possible to select whether to perform layer transfer or only fix the toner image with one image forming apparatus by attaching/detaching the layer transfer film cartridge.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the housing has a housing body having an opening on the top surface and a housing cover for opening and closing the opening, and the layer transfer film cartridge can be attached to and detached from the housing body through the opening. can be configured.

According to this, the replacement work of the layer transfer film cartridge can be performed from the upper side of the image forming apparatus.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the heating member may be configured to be supported by the housing cover.

According to this, by opening the housing cover, the heating member and the pressure member that sandwich the multilayer film can be separated from each other, so that the layer transfer film cartridge can be easily replaced.

The image forming apparatus described above includes a discharge tray provided on the upper surface of the housing and in front of the housing cover with the opening closed, and a discharge roller for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray. , may be configured to be supported by the housing cover.

According to this, the discharge roller can be arranged at a position closer to the front side than the case where the discharge roller is arranged on the rear side of the housing cover, so that the sheet can be discharged further to the front side by the discharge roller. can. As a result, the sheet can be easily taken from the front side.

Further, the image forming apparatus described above includes a discharge tray provided on the upper surface of the housing cover with the opening closed, and a discharge roller for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray, and the discharge roller is attached to the housing body. It can be a supported configuration.

According to this, the housing cover can have a simple configuration. Moreover, since the housing cover can be lightened, the opening and closing operation of the housing cover can be easily performed.

Further, in the image forming apparatus described above, the housing includes a housing body, a support frame movable between a first position located inside the housing body and a second position located outside the housing body, The support frame detachably supports the layer transfer film cartridge, and the image forming apparatus moves the heating member to a third position where the multi-layer film is sandwiched between the heating member and the pressure member, and is spaced apart from the pressure member. and a retraction mechanism for moving between a fourth position and a retraction mechanism from the attachment/detachment locus of the support frame.

According to this, when the support frame is moved between the first position and the second position, the heating member and the layer transfer film cartridge supported by the support frame do not interfere with each other. The support mechanism of can be made into a simple structure.

The image forming apparatus described above includes a conveying roller that exits from the nip portion between the heating member and the pressing member and conveys the sheet after the multilayer film has been peeled off, and the conveying roller is supported by a support frame. can do.

According to this, the support frame can be moved from the first position to the second position in the direction in which the conveying roller is arranged with reference to the nip portion between the heating member and the pressing member.

The above-described image forming apparatus includes a discharge tray provided on the upper surface of a housing, and a discharge roller for discharging a sheet to the discharge tray, the discharge roller being arranged downstream of the conveying roller in the sheet conveying direction. , and the ejection roller may be configured to be supported by a support frame.

According to this, since the conveying roller and the discharge roller are supported by the support frame, it is possible to improve the positional accuracy of the conveying roller and the discharging roller, thereby improving the conveying accuracy of the sheet from the conveying roller to the discharging roller. can be made

The above-described image forming apparatus includes a control unit, and includes a layer transfer mode for performing both fixing of the toner image on the sheet and transfer of the transfer layer to the sheet, and a fixing mode for performing only fixing of the toner image on the sheet. and the control unit can be configured to select the layer transfer mode or the fixing mode according to the user's operation.

According to this, it is possible to execute a mode that reflects the user's intention.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the control unit may be configured to notify a message prompting the user to mount the layer transfer film cartridge to the housing on condition that the layer transfer mode is selected.

According to this, it is possible to prevent forgetting to install the layer transfer film cartridge when performing layer transfer.

The image forming apparatus described above includes a sensor for detecting whether or not the layer transfer film cartridge is attached to the housing. If it is determined that the layer transfer film cartridge is not attached to the housing, a message prompting the user to attach the layer transfer film cartridge to the housing is sent, and based on the input from the sensor, the layer transfer film If it is determined that the cartridge is attached to the housing, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the message prompting the user to attach the layer transfer film cartridge to the housing is not sent.

According to this, when it is desired to perform layer transfer, it is possible to prevent the image forming apparatus from operating in a state in which the layer transfer film cartridge is not mounted. On the other hand, when the layer transfer film cartridge is loaded, the operation can be started without notifying the user of the message, so the user is not troubled.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the control section may be configured to notify a message prompting removal of the layer transfer film cartridge from the housing after the transfer of the transfer layer to the sheet is completed.

According to this, it can be assumed that the image forming apparatus will be used frequently in the fixing mode. , erroneous layer transfer can be suppressed when used in the fixing mode, which is user-friendly.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the control section may be configured to notify a message prompting removal of the layer transfer film cartridge from the housing on condition that the fixing mode is selected.

According to this, it is possible to prevent forgetting to remove the layer transfer film cartridge when only fixing the toner image.

The above-described image forming apparatus includes a sensor for detecting whether or not the layer transfer film cartridge is mounted in the housing, and the control unit controls the sensor based on the input from the sensor when the fixing mode is selected. When it is determined that the layer transfer film cartridge is attached to the housing, a message prompting removal of the layer transfer film cartridge from the housing is sent, and the layer transfer film cartridge is removed based on the input from the sensor. If it is determined that the cartridge is not attached to the housing, it is possible to configure such that a message prompting removal of the layer transfer film cartridge from the housing is not sent.

According to this, it is possible to prevent the image forming apparatus from operating while the layer transfer film cartridge is mounted when only fixing the toner image is desired. On the other hand, when the layer transfer film cartridge is not loaded, the operation can be started without notifying the user of the message, so there is no inconvenience for the user.

The image forming apparatus described above can execute a normal mode for forming an image on a first sheet and a rough paper mode for forming an image on a second sheet having a rougher surface than the first sheet. The control unit selects a normal mode or a rough paper mode according to the user's operation. When the layer transfer mode is selected, the control unit selects the rough paper mode. The amount of toner transferred can be greater than the amount of toner transferred to the sheet in the process section in normal mode.

According to this, the unevenness of the rough surface paper can be smoothed out by the toner, and the transferability of the transfer layer to the toner image can be improved.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the controller sets the sheet conveying speed to the first speed when the fixing mode is selected, and sets the sheet conveying speed to be higher than the first speed when the layer transfer mode is selected. A slow second speed can be set.

According to this, in the layer transfer mode, heat can be applied to the transfer layer at a low speed to firmly transfer the transfer layer to the sheet, and in the fixing mode, the printing speed can be increased.

In the image forming apparatus described above, when the layer transfer mode is selected, the control section can start driving the fixing section after the sheet enters the process section and before the sheet contacts the multilayer film. .

According to this, it is possible to prevent the multi-layer film from being wastefully fed without the sheet.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the fixing section further includes a first heater that heats the heating member and a second heater that heats the pressure member. When the heater is turned on and the fusing mode is selected, the second heater can be turned off.

According to this, in the layer transfer mode, it is possible to heat the pressure roller to improve the transferability of the multilayer sheet while suppressing wasteful feeding of the multilayer sheet, and in the fixing mode, power consumption can be reduced. can be reduced.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the fixing section further includes a pressure changing mechanism for changing the nip pressure of the nip portion between the heating member and the pressure member, and the control section changes the nip pressure to the first pressure when the fixing mode is selected. When the nip pressure is set and the layer transfer mode is selected, the nip pressure can be set to a second nip pressure stronger than the first nip pressure.

According to this, when the transfer layer of the multi-layer film F is transferred to the toner image on the sheet at the same time as the toner image is fixed on the sheet, the transfer layer can be firmly transferred and only the toner image can be transferred. is fixed on the sheet, the fixing can be performed more efficiently.

The above-mentioned image forming apparatus has a supply reel for supplying a multilayer film, and a guide roller for changing the advancing direction of the multilayer film pulled out from the supply reel and guiding it to the nip portion between the heating member and the pressure member, The guide roller can be positioned away from the sheet transport path along which the sheet is transported between the process section and the fusing section.

According to this, it is possible to prevent the unfixed toner on the sheet from being rubbed or peeled off due to friction with the multilayer film before reaching the fixing section.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the housing includes a housing body having an opening on the side surface and a housing cover for opening and closing the opening, and the fixing section separates the heating member from the pressure member for layer transfer. A retraction mechanism for retracting the film cartridge from the attachment/detachment locus may be further provided. The layer transfer film cartridge can be attached to and detached from the housing body through the opening in a state in which the heating member is retracted from the attachment/detachment locus of the layer transfer film cartridge.

According to this, the layer transfer film cartridge can be attached and detached from the side.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the support frame can support at least part of the process section.

1 illustrates an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which made the housing|casing cover the open position. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the layer transfer film cartridge is removed from the housing body; 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a multilayer film; FIG. FIG. 2 is a view showing the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment in which the layer transfer film cartridge is not installed; 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of a control unit; 5 is a flow chart showing an example of processing of the control unit when performing layer transfer simultaneously with fixing. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which made the housing|casing cover the open position. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which made the rear cover the open position. It is a figure which shows the state which made the support frame the 2nd position. It is the figure (a) which shows an example of a retraction|saving mechanism, and the figure (b) which shows another example. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to a fourth embodiment; FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to a fifth embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the front cover is in the open position and the support frame is in the second position; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to a sixth embodiment; FIG. (a) A diagram showing a state in which the cam is at the sixth position, and (b) a diagram showing a state in which the cam is at the seventh position. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of a control unit;

Next, a first embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus capable of forming a foil image on a sheet S by transferring a transfer layer having foil such as aluminum onto a toner image on a sheet S such as paper. be. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a housing 10, a sheet feeding section 20, a processing section 30, a fixing section 80, a sheet discharge section 90, a layer transfer film cartridge 100 detachable from the housing 10, and a control section. 2. In this embodiment, the left side of FIG. 1 is the front, the right side is the rear, the top and bottom are the top and bottom, the front side of FIG. 1 is the right side, and the back side is the left side.

The housing 10 is a housing that accommodates the processing section 30, the fixing section 80, and the like. The housing 10 has a housing main body 11 and a housing cover 12 . The housing body 11 has an opening 11A (see FIG. 2) on its upper surface. The housing cover 12 is a cover for opening and closing the opening 11A. The housing cover 12 is rotatably supported by the housing body 11 . The housing cover 12 is rotatable between an open position shown in FIG. 2 where the opening 11A is exposed and a closed position shown in FIG. 1 where the opening 11A is closed. As shown in FIG. 3, the layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be attached to and detached from the housing body 11 through the opening 11A with the housing cover 12 in the open position.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a sensor 3 for detecting whether or not the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is attached to the housing 10 (housing main body 11). Based on the signal from the sensor 3, the control section 2 can determine whether or not the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is loaded.

As shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface of the housing 10 is provided with a discharge tray 13 that supports the sheet S on which an image is formed. Specifically, the discharge tray 13 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 10 and on the front side of the housing cover 12 in the closed position where the opening 11A of the housing body 11 is closed. In other words, the discharge tray 13 is provided on the upper surface of the housing body 11 in front of the housing cover 12 in the closed position.

The sheet supply section 20 is a section that supplies the sheet S to the process section 30 . The sheet supply section 20 includes a sheet tray 21 that supports the sheets S and a sheet supply mechanism 22 . The sheet tray 21 is arranged below the process section 30 and can be removed by pulling it forward from the housing body 11 . The sheet supply mechanism 22 includes a paper feed roller 23 , a separation roller 24 , a transport roller 26 and registration rollers 27 .

The sheet supply unit 20 feeds the sheets S accommodated in the sheet tray 21 by the paper feed roller 23 , separates them one by one by the separation roller 24 , and conveys them toward the registration rollers 27 by the conveying rollers 26 . . The registration roller 27 regulates the position of the leading edge of the sheet S in a state where rotation is stopped, and then rotates to supply the sheet S to the process section 30 .

The process section 30 is a section that transfers the toner image onto the sheet S. The process section 30 includes a plurality of exposure units 40, photoreceptor drums 51, chargers 52, and development units 60, which are provided for each of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black colors, and further includes a transfer unit 70. .

The photoreceptor drums 51 are arranged side by side above the sheet tray 21 . The photosensitive drum 51 is a member in which a photosensitive layer is formed on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical metal tube. The photoreceptor drum 51 is an example of a “photoreceptor”.
The chargers 52 are arranged to face the corresponding photosensitive drums 51 . The charger 52 is configured to uniformly charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 .

The exposure unit 40 is arranged above the corresponding photoreceptor drum 51 so as to face the photoreceptor drum 51 . The exposure unit 40 includes a plurality of LEDs (not shown) arranged along the rotation axis direction of the photoreceptor drum 51 on a head portion facing the photoreceptor drum 51 . The exposure unit 40 exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 by blinking the LED based on the image data.

The developing unit 60 includes a developing roller 61 that supplies toner to the corresponding photosensitive drum 51 and a developing housing 62 that rotatably supports the developing roller 61 . The developing housing 62 contains yellow, magenta, cyan, or black toner.

The transfer unit 70 is arranged between the sheet tray 21 and the photosensitive drum 51 . The transfer unit 70 includes a driving roller 71 , a driven roller 72 , an endless conveying belt 73 and a plurality of transfer rollers 74 . The conveying belt 73 is stretched between the driving roller 71 and the driven roller 72 and arranged so that its outer surface faces the photosensitive drum 51 . The transfer roller 74 is a member that transfers the toner image formed on the photoreceptor drum 51 onto the sheet S. The transfer roller 74 is arranged inside the transport belt 73 so as to sandwich the transport belt 73 between itself and the corresponding photoreceptor drum 51 . are placed. The transfer roller 74 is an example of a "transfer member."

After uniformly charging the surface of the photoreceptor drum 51 with the charger 52 , the process section 30 exposes the surface of the photoreceptor drum 51 with the exposure unit 40 . Thereby, an electrostatic latent image based on the image data is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 . Further, the process section 30 causes the surface of the developing roller 61 to carry the toner accommodated in the developing housing 62 .

Then, the process section 30 supplies toner from the developing roller 61 to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 51 . As a result, the electrostatic latent image is visualized and a toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 . Thereafter, the process section 30 conveys the sheet S supplied onto the conveying belt 73 from the sheet supply section 20 between the photosensitive drum 51 and the transfer roller 74, thereby transferring the toner image on the photosensitive drum 51 to the sheet. Transfer to S.

The fixing section 80 has a heating roller 81 , a pressure roller 82 , a first heater 83 , a second heater 84 and a fixing motor 85 .
The heating roller 81 is a roller made of a cylindrical metal tube. The heating roller 81 is an example of a "heating member". The first heater 83 is a heater that heats the heating roller 81 . The first heater 83 is, for example, a halogen lamp, and is arranged so as to pass through the inside of the heating roller 81 .

The pressure roller 82 is a roller in which the periphery of a cylindrical metal tube is covered with an elastic layer such as rubber. The pressure roller 82 is an example of a "pressure member." The second heater 84 is a heater that heats the pressure roller 82 . The second heater 84 is, for example, a halogen lamp, and is arranged so as to pass through the inside of the pressure roller 82 .

The heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 are arranged facing each other with one pressed against the other. The pressure roller 82 is rotationally driven by the driving force input from the fixing motor 85 , thereby causing the heat roller 81 to rotate. The heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 can convey the sheet S and the multilayer film F, or only the sheet S with the sheet S sandwiched therebetween, by rotating the pressure roller 82 .
The fixing motor 85 is provided independently from the main motor M. As shown in FIG. The main motor M is a motor that drives the process section 30 and the sheet feeding mechanism 22 .

The heating roller 81 and the first heater 83 are supported by the housing cover 12 . Furthermore, the heating roller 81 is rotatably supported by the housing cover 12 . On the other hand, the pressure roller 82 and the second heater 84 are supported by the housing body 11 . Furthermore, the pressure roller 82 is rotatably supported by the housing body 11 . As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, by rotating the housing cover 12 from the closed position to the open position, the heating roller 81 moves together with the housing cover 12, and the heating roller 81 moves away from the pressure roller 82. Separate.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fixing section 80 is arranged behind the photosensitive drum 51 and the transfer unit 70 . Specifically, in the fixing section 80, the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 is located at the same position in the vertical direction as the photosensitive drum 51 or the transfer roller 74 (between the two dashed lines shown in FIG. 1). position). In the present embodiment, the fixing section 80 is arranged such that the vertical position of the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 is the nip between the photosensitive drum 51 and the transfer roller 74, which are arranged furthest downstream in the conveying direction of the sheet S. It is arranged so as to be at substantially the same position as the vertical position of the part.

The layer transfer film cartridge 100 is a cartridge that supports the multilayer film F. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the multilayer film F is a film composed of a plurality of layers, and has a supporting layer F1 and a supported layer F2.
The support layer F1 is a tape-shaped transparent substrate made of resin or the like, and supports the supported layer F2.

The supported layer F2 has, for example, a release layer F21, a transfer layer F22, and an adhesive layer F23.
The peeling layer F21 is a layer for facilitating peeling of the transfer layer F22 from the support layer F1, and is arranged between the support layer F1 and the transfer layer F22. The release layer F21 contains a transparent material that can be easily separated from the support layer F1, such as a wax-based resin.

The transfer layer F22 is a layer to be transferred onto the toner image on the sheet S, and includes foil. Foil is a thin metal made of gold, silver, copper, aluminum, or the like. In addition, the transfer layer F22 contains a coloring material such as gold, silver, and red, and a thermoplastic resin. The transfer layer F22 is arranged between the release layer F21 and the adhesive layer F23.
The adhesive layer F23 is a layer for facilitating adhesion of the transfer layer F22 to the toner image. The adhesive layer F23 contains a material that easily adheres to the toner image, such as vinyl chloride resin or acrylic resin.

As shown in FIG. 1, the layer transfer film cartridge 100 includes, for example, a supply reel 110, a take-up reel 120, a first guide roller 130, a second guide roller 140, and a case 150.

The supply reel 110 is a reel for supplying the multilayer film F. The take-up reel 120 is a reel for taking up the multilayer film F. A multilayer film F is wound around the supply reel 110 and the take-up reel 120 . Specifically, the multilayer film F has one end fixed to the supply reel 110 and the other end fixed to the take-up reel 120 . When the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is new, the multilayer film F wound around the supply reel 110 has the largest diameter, and the multilayer film F wound around the take-up reel 120 has the smallest diameter. ing. On the other hand, in the layer transfer film cartridge 100, when the multilayer film F is used up, the diameter of the multilayer film F wound around the supply reel 110 is the smallest, and the diameter of the multilayer film F wound around the take-up reel 120 is the smallest. is maximum.

With the layer transfer film cartridge 100 attached to the housing 10 , driving force is input to the take-up reel 120 from the fixing motor 85 . As a result, the take-up reel 120 is rotationally driven, and the second guide roller 140, the first guide roller 130, and the supply reel 110 are driven to rotate, and the multilayer film F wound around the supply reel 110 is rotated by the first guide roller. While being guided by 130 and second guide roller 140 , it is taken up by take-up reel 120 .

The first guide roller 130 is a roller that changes the traveling direction of the multilayer film F pulled out from the supply reel 110 . The first guide roller 130 guides the multilayer film F pulled out from the supply reel 110 so as to overlap the sheet S conveyed in the process section 30 with the toner image-transferred surface facing upward. do. The multi-layered film F and the sheet S, which are superimposed, enter the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 .

The second guide roller 140 is a roller that changes the traveling direction of the multilayer film F guided by the first guide roller 130 . The second guide roller 140 changes the conveying direction of the multilayer film F that has passed through the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 to a direction different from the conveying direction of the sheet S, thereby separating the multilayer film F from the sheet S. Guide away. That is, the second guide roller 140 is a roller that separates the multilayer film F from the sheet S after passing through the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 .

Of the surfaces of the multilayer film F, the first surface FA formed by the support layer F1 (see FIG. 4) contacts the first guide roller 130 and the second guide roller 140. Further, of the surfaces of the multilayer film F, the second surface FB, which is the surface opposite to the first surface FA and is formed by the supported layer F2 (see FIG. 4) including the transfer layer F22, is the toner of the sheet S. Contact the surface to which the image was transferred.

The case 150 is a case that houses the supply reel 110, the take-up reel 120, and the multilayer film F wound thereon. Case 150 rotatably supports supply reel 110 , take-up reel 120 , first guide roller 130 and second guide roller 140 . The case 150 has an opening that exposes a portion of the multilayer film F that is bridged between the first guide roller 130 and the second guide roller 140 . Further, the case 150 has a passage for passing the heating roller 81 that moves together with the housing cover 12 when the housing cover 12 is rotated from the closed position to the open position.

When the housing 10 is equipped with the layer transfer film cartridge 100, the fixing section 80 is arranged between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 to transfer the toner image to the sheet S in the process section 30, The transfer layer F22 of the multilayer film F is transferred to the toner image on the sheet S at the same time as the toner image is fixed on the sheet S by conveying the multilayer film F in a sandwiched state.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the film cartridge 100 for layer transfer is not attached to the housing 10 , the fixing section 80 transfers toner between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 in the process section 30 . The toner image is fixed on the sheet S by conveying the sheet S with only the sheet S having the image transferred therebetween. At this time, since there is no multilayer film F between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82, the fixing section 80 does not transfer the transfer layer F22 of the multilayer film F onto the toner image on the sheet S. FIG.

The image forming apparatus 1 further includes a sheet sensor 4 for detecting the sheet S, as shown in FIG. The sheet sensor 4 is positioned between the registration roller 27 and the driven roller 72 in the sheet S conveying direction. The sheet sensor 4 has, for example, an actuator and an optical sensor that are swingably supported. When the actuator swings due to contact with the sheet S, the optical sensor detects the actuator and the sheet sensor 4 is turned ON. The controller 2 can detect the sheet S based on the signal from the sheet sensor 4 . Further, the control unit 2 can determine whether or not the first time has elapsed since the sheet S was detected. The first time corresponds to the time from when the sheet S is detected until the leading edge of the sheet S reaches the first guide roller 130 . Furthermore, the control unit 2 can determine whether or not the second time has elapsed since the sheet S was detected. The second time corresponds to the time from when the sheet S is detected until the trailing edge of the sheet S passes through the second guide roller 140 .

The image forming apparatus 1 can execute a layer transfer mode and a fixing mode. The layer transfer mode is an image forming mode when the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is attached to the housing 10 shown in FIG. In the layer transfer mode, the fixing section 80 performs both fixing of the toner image onto the sheet S and transfer of the transfer layer F22 onto the sheet S. FIG. When the layer transfer mode is executed, an image is formed on the sheet S by transferring the transfer layer F22 onto the toner image. The fixing mode is an image forming mode when the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is not attached to the housing 10 shown in FIG. In the fixing mode, only fixing of the toner image onto the sheet S is executed. When the fixing mode is executed, an image is formed on the sheet S only by a toner image.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the sheet discharge portion 90 is a portion that conveys the sheet S on which an image is formed toward the discharge tray 13 . The sheet discharge section 90 includes first conveying rollers 91 , second conveying rollers 92 , and discharge rollers 95 .
The first conveying roller 91 is a roller that comes out from the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 and conveys the sheet S that has been separated from the multilayer film F by the second guide roller 140 .

The second conveying roller 92 is a roller that conveys the sheet S toward the discharge roller 95 and is arranged downstream of the first conveying roller 91 in the sheet S conveying direction.
The discharge roller 95 is a roller that discharges the sheet S to the discharge tray 13, and is arranged downstream of the first transport roller 91 and the second transport roller 92 in the sheet S transport direction.

The first conveying roller 91 is rotatably supported by the housing body 11 . The second transport roller 92 and the discharge roller 95 are rotatably supported by the housing cover 12 (see FIG. 2).
The sheet discharge section 90 conveys the sheet S on which the image is formed by the process section 30 and the fixing section 80 toward the discharge roller 95 by the first conveying roller 91 and the second conveying roller 92 , and the discharge roller 95 conveys the sheet S to the discharge tray. Drain on 13.

The control unit 2 is a device that controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 . The control unit 2 has a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an input/output unit, etc., and executes processing by executing a pre-stored program. In this embodiment, the control unit 2 notifies a predetermined message based on the mode selected according to the user's operation and the signal from the sensor 3 .

The control unit 2 selects the layer transfer mode and the fixing mode according to the user's operation. For example, the control unit 2 allows the user to operate an operation panel (not shown) provided on the housing 10 or an operation window displayed on a screen of a terminal for outputting a print instruction to the image forming apparatus 1 to perform layer transfer. When the mode is selected, the layer transfer mode is selected, and when the fixing mode is selected, the fixing mode is selected. Alternatively, the control unit 2 selects the layer transfer mode when the user turns on the layer transfer mode, and selects the fixing mode when the user turns off the layer transfer mode.

On condition that the layer transfer mode is selected according to the user's operation, the control unit 2 displays a message (hereinafter referred to as "installation message") prompting the user to install the layer transfer film cartridge 100 into the housing 10. Notice.

Specifically, when the layer transfer mode is selected according to the user's operation, the controller 2 determines that the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is not attached to the housing 10 based on the input from the sensor 3. notifies the wear message. The message can be notified, for example, by displaying characters or pictures on a display screen (not shown) provided on the housing 10 or a screen of a terminal that outputs a print instruction to the image forming apparatus 1 . Further, it can be performed by outputting a sound or the like from a speaker (not shown) provided in the housing 10 or a speaker provided in a terminal that outputs a print instruction to the image forming apparatus 1 .

Further, when the control unit 2 determines that the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is attached to the housing 10 based on the input from the sensor 3 when the layer transfer mode is selected according to the user's operation, , do not notify the wear message. In this case, for example, if a print job is input, printing (both fixing the toner image to the sheet S and transferring the transfer layer F22 to the sheet S) is executed without notifying the mounting message.

In the layer transfer mode, after the transfer of the transfer layer F22 to the sheet S is completed, that is, after the formation of the image in which the transfer layer F22 is transferred onto the toner image is completed, the layer transfer film A message prompting removal of the cartridge 100 from the housing 10 (hereinafter referred to as "removal message") is sent.

On the other hand, the control unit 2 notifies the removal message on condition that the fixing mode is selected according to the user's operation.
Specifically, when the control unit 2 determines that the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is attached to the housing 10 based on the input from the sensor 3 when the fixing mode is selected according to the user's operation, , to notify the removal message.

Further, when the control unit 2 determines that the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is not attached to the housing 10 based on the input from the sensor 3 when the fixing mode is selected according to the user's operation, Do not post detach messages. In this case, for example, if a print job is input, printing (only fixing of the toner image to the sheet S) is executed without notifying the removal message.

The image forming apparatus 1 can execute a normal mode for forming an image on a first sheet and a rough paper mode for forming an image on a second sheet having a rougher surface than the first sheet. The first sheet is, for example, plain paper. The control unit 2 selects between the normal mode and the rough paper mode according to the user's operation. Selection of the normal mode and the rough paper mode by the control section 2 can be performed in the same manner as selection of the layer transfer mode and the fixing mode. When the layer transfer mode is selected and the rough surface paper mode is selected, the controller 2 transfers the amount of toner transferred to the sheet S by the process unit 30 to the sheet S by the process unit 30 in the normal mode. Use more than the amount of toner. The amount of toner can be adjusted, for example, by adjusting exposure by the exposure unit 40 or adjusting the developing bias applied to the developing roller 61 .

When the fixing mode is selected, the control unit 2 sets the conveying speed of the sheet S to the first speed. In this embodiment, the setting of the transport speed of the sheet S is performed by setting the motor speeds of the main motor M and the fixing motor 85 .

When the layer transfer mode is selected, the controller 2 sets the conveying speed of the sheet S to a second speed lower than the first speed.
Further, when the layer transfer mode is selected, the control section 2 starts driving the fixing section 80 after the sheet S enters the process section 30 and before the sheet S contacts the multilayer film F. FIG. The time from when the sheet S enters the process section 30 until it contacts the multilayer film F corresponds to the first time. The control unit 2 stops driving the fixing unit 80 after the sheet S is removed from the second guide roller 140 and before the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is stopped. The time from when the sheet S enters the process section 30 until it leaves the second guide roller 140 corresponds to the second time. When the sheets S are to be printed continuously, the control section 2 starts driving the fixing section 80 after the first sheet S enters the process section 30 and before it contacts the multilayer film F, and the last sheet S is printed. After S is removed from the second guide roller 140 and before the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is stopped, the driving of the fixing section 80 is stopped.
Further, the controller 2 turns on the second heater 84 when the layer transfer mode is selected, and turns off the second heater 84 when the fixing mode is selected.

Next, an example of processing of the control unit 2 that is executed while the image forming apparatus 1 is powered on will be described with reference to a flowchart.
As shown in FIG. 6, when a print job is input (S1, Yes), the control section 2 determines whether or not the layer transfer mode is selected (S2).

When the layer transfer mode is selected (S2, Yes), the controller 2 determines whether or not the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is attached to the housing 10 (S11). If the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is not installed (S11, No), the control section 2 notifies an installation message (S12) and returns to step S11.

When the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is installed (S11, Yes), the control unit 2 determines whether or not the rough paper mode is selected without notifying the installation message (S3). If the rough paper mode is not selected (S3, No), the control section 2 sets the amount of toner to be transferred onto the sheet S by the process section 30 for the normal mode (S120). If the rough paper mode is selected (S3, Yes), the controller 2 sets the amount of toner to be transferred onto the sheet S by the process unit 30 for the rough paper mode (S110).

Subsequently, the control unit 2 sets the conveying speed of the sheet S to the second speed (S140), and performs both printing, that is, fixing the toner image to the sheet S and transferring the transfer layer F22 to the sheet S. Execute (S13). Thereafter, the control unit 2 determines whether or not printing has ended (S14). If printing has not ended (S14, No), printing continues (S13), and if printing has ended (S14, Yes), a removal message is notified (S15), and the process ends.

On the other hand, if the fixing mode is selected in step S2 (S2, No), the control section 2 determines whether or not the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is attached to the housing 10 (S21). If the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is mounted (S21, Yes), the control section 2 notifies a removal message (S22), and returns to step S21.

If the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is not installed (S21, No), the control section 2 sets the amount of toner to be transferred onto the sheet S by the process section 30 for the normal mode without notifying the removal message. At the same time (S130), the conveying speed of the sheet S is set to the first speed (S150), and printing, that is, only fixing of the toner image to the sheet S is executed (S23). After that, the control unit 2 determines whether or not printing has ended (S24). If printing has not ended (S24, No), printing continues (S23), and if printing has ended (S24, Yes), the process ends.

Next, refer to the flowchart for an example of the processing of the control unit 2 that is executed during printing (S13) in which both the fixing of the toner image to the sheet S and the transfer of the transfer layer F22 to the sheet S are executed. while explaining.
As shown in FIG. 7, the controller 2 turns on the second heater 84 and supplies the sheet S (S131). After that, it is determined whether or not the sheet S has been detected (S132). If the sheet S is not detected (S132, No), the controller 2 repeats step S132 until the sheet is detected. When the sheet S is detected (S132, Yes), the controller 2 starts image formation (S133).

The control unit 2 then determines whether or not the first time has elapsed since the detection of the sheet S (S134). If the first time has not elapsed since the detection of the sheet S (S134, No), the control section 2 repeats step 134. FIG. When the first time has passed since the detection of the sheet S (S134, Yes), the control unit 2 turns on the fixing motor 85 to start rotating the pressure roller 82 and feed the multilayer film F.

The control unit 2 then determines whether or not the second time has passed since the detection of the sheet S (S136). If the second time has not elapsed since the detection of the sheet S (S136, No), the control section 2 repeats step 136. FIG. When the second time has passed since the detection of the sheet S (S136, Yes), the control unit 2 turns off the second heater 84 and the fixing motor 85 to stop the rotation of the pressure roller 82, and the multilayer film F is no longer sent (S137). When the sheets S are printed continuously, the multilayer film F is continuously fed without stopping the rotational drive of the pressure roller 82, and when the second time has passed since the detection of the last sheet S, fixing is performed. The motor 85 may be turned off.

According to the present embodiment described above, the fixing of the toner image and the transfer of the transfer layer F22 can be performed simultaneously by the common fixing unit 80. Therefore, the first apparatus having the image forming unit and the second apparatus having the foil stamping unit can be used. The size of the image forming apparatus 1 can be reduced as compared with a conventional configuration including the following devices. In addition, since fixing of the toner image and transfer of the transfer layer F22 can be performed at the same time, power consumption can be suppressed as compared with the case where fixing of the toner image and transfer of the transfer layer are performed separately.

In the fixing section 80, the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 is arranged at the same position as the photosensitive drum 51 or the transfer roller 74 in the vertical direction. It can be conveyed toward the portion 80 in a posture substantially along the horizontal direction. As a result, the unfixed toner image transferred onto the sheet S in the process section 30 can be prevented from being disturbed.

In addition, since the image forming apparatus 1 supports the multilayer film F and includes the layer transfer film cartridge 100 that can be attached to and detached from the housing 10, one image forming apparatus can be configured by attaching and detaching the layer transfer film cartridge 100. 1, it is possible to select whether to carry out the layer transfer layer or to carry out only the fixing of the toner image.

Further, since the layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be attached to and detached from the housing body 11 through the opening 11A provided on the upper surface of the housing body 11, the replacement work of the layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be performed from the upper side of the image forming apparatus 1. It can be performed.

Further, since the heating roller 81 is supported by the housing cover 12, the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 sandwiching the multilayer film F can be separated from each other by opening the housing cover 12. As a result, the layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be attached and detached simply by opening the housing cover 12, so that the layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be easily replaced.

Further, since the discharge roller 95 is supported by the housing cover 12 that covers the opening 11A provided on the upper surface of the housing body 11, the discharge roller 95 may be arranged on the rear side of the housing cover 12. In comparison, it can be arranged at a position closer to the front side. As a result, the sheet S can be discharged further forward by the discharge roller 95, so that the sheet S can be easily picked up from the front side.

In addition, since the control unit 2 selects the layer transfer mode and the fixing mode according to the user's operation, it is possible to execute the mode reflecting the user's intention.

In addition, since the control unit 2 notifies the mounting message on the condition that the layer transfer mode is selected, it is possible to prevent forgetting to mount the layer transfer film cartridge 100 when performing layer transfer.

More specifically, when the layer transfer mode is selected and the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is not mounted, the controller 2 notifies the mounting message. It is possible to prevent the image forming apparatus 1 from operating when the film cartridge 100 is not loaded. On the other hand, when the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is installed, the operation of the layer transfer mode can be started without notifying the user of the installation message.

Further, since it can be assumed that the image forming apparatus 1 is frequently used in the fixing mode, by notifying the removal message after the transfer of the transfer layer F22 to the sheet S is completed, the image forming apparatus 1 can be used in the layer transfer mode. The layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be removed from the housing 10 immediately. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous layer transfer when used in the fixing mode, which is user-friendly.

In addition, since the control unit 2 notifies the removal message on the condition that the fixing mode is selected, it is possible to prevent forgetting to remove the layer transfer film cartridge 100 when fixing only the toner image.

Specifically, when the fixing mode is selected and the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is mounted, the control unit 2 notifies the removal message. It is possible to prevent the image forming apparatus 1 from operating while the transfer film cartridge 100 is attached. On the other hand, when the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is not loaded, the operation of the fixing mode can be started without notifying the user of the removal message.

In the layer transfer mode, the control unit 2 determines the amount of toner transferred to the sheet S by the process unit 30 when the rough paper mode is selected, and the amount of toner transferred to the sheet S by the process unit 30 in the normal mode. Since the toner is used to smooth the unevenness of the rough surface paper, the transferability of the transfer layer F22 to the toner image can be improved.

Further, the control unit 2 sets the transport speed of the sheet S to the first speed in the fixing mode, and sets the transport speed of the sheet S to the second speed, which is slower than the first speed, in the layer transfer mode. In the transfer mode, heat can be applied to the transfer layer F22 at a low speed so that the transfer layer F22 can be firmly transferred to the sheet S, and in the fixing mode, the printing speed can be increased.

In the layer transfer mode, the control unit 2 turns on the fixing motor 85 when determining that the first time has passed since the sheet S was detected, and the second time has passed since the sheet S was detected. Since the fixing motor 85 is turned off when it is determined that the sheet S has been removed, it is possible to prevent the multi-layer film F from being wasted when the sheet S is absent.

Further, in the layer transfer mode, if the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 are rotated in order to uniformly heat the pressure roller 82 by the heating roller 81, the multilayer sheet F will be fed without the sheet S. . A second heater 84 for heating the pressure roller 82 is provided, and when the layer transfer mode is selected, the second heater 84 is turned on to rotate the pressure roller 82 without rotating the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 . By heating with the second heater 84 , it is possible to prevent the multi-layer sheet F from being wastefully fed, and heat the pressure roller 82 to improve the transferability of the multi-layer sheet F. When the fixing mode is selected, power consumption can be reduced by turning off the second heater 84 .

Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same points as in the previously described embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate, and the different points from the previously described embodiment are described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the housing 10 has a housing body 211 and a housing cover 212 . The housing main body 211 has an opening 211A (see FIG. 9) on its upper surface. The housing cover 212 is a cover for opening and closing the opening 211A. The housing cover 212 is rotatably supported by the housing body 211, and is rotatable between an open position shown in FIG. 9 exposing the opening 211A and a closed position shown in FIG. 8 closing the opening 211A. It has become.

The ejection tray 13 is provided over the front side portion of the housing cover 212 with the opening 211A closed in the upper surface of the housing body 211 and the upper surface of the housing cover 212 with the opening 211A closed. .

The heating roller 81 and the first heater 83 are supported by an arm 212A provided on the housing cover 212. Furthermore, the heating roller 81 is rotatably supported by the arm 212A. On the other hand, the pressure roller 82 and the second heater 84 are supported by the housing body 211 . Furthermore, the pressure roller 82 is rotatably supported by the housing body 211 . As a result, as in the first embodiment, opening the housing cover 212 moves the heating roller 81 together with the housing cover 212 and separates the heating roller 81 from the pressure roller 82 as shown in FIG. . The layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be attached to and detached from the housing body 211 through the opening 211A.

Unlike the first embodiment, the second conveying rollers 92 and the discharge rollers 95 are rotatably supported by the housing body 211 like the first conveying rollers 91 instead of the housing cover 212 . With such a configuration, in the present embodiment, the housing cover 212 can have a simple configuration. Further, since the housing cover 212 can be made lighter, the opening and closing operation of the housing cover 212 can be easily performed.

Also in this embodiment, when the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is attached, the fixing section 80 fixes the toner image on the sheet S and at the same time transfers the transfer layer F22 (see FIG. 4) of the multilayer film F. It is transferred to the toner image on the sheet S. The fixing section 80 fixes the toner image on the sheet S and does not transfer the transfer layer F22 to the toner image on the sheet S when the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is not attached.

Next, a third embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 10 , the housing 10 has a housing body 311 , a rear cover 312 and a support frame 313 . The housing body 311 has an opening 311A on the rear surface. The rear cover 312 is a cover for opening and closing the opening 311A. The rear cover 312 is rotatably supported by the housing body 311 and is rotatable between an open position shown in FIG. 11 exposing the opening 311A and a closed position shown in FIG. 10 closing the opening 311A. ing. The discharge tray 13 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 10 , more specifically, on the front portion of the upper surface of the housing main body 211 .

The support frame 313 is a member that detachably supports the layer transfer film cartridge 100 . By rotating the rear cover 312 to the open position, the support frame 313 can be moved from the first position shown in FIG. It is slidable back and forth between a second position shown at 12 . The support frame 313 may be removable from the housing body 311 . The layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be replaced by setting the support frame 313 to the second position.

The first transport roller 91 , the second transport roller 92 and the discharge roller 95 are rotatably supported by the support frame 313 . The first conveying roller 91 is an example of a “conveying roller”.

In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 further includes a retraction mechanism 500 .
The retraction mechanism 500 moves the heating roller 81 to the third position shown in FIG. 11 is a mechanism for moving between a fourth position shown in FIG. The retraction mechanism 500 is configured to move the heating roller 81 between the third position and the fourth position in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of the rear cover 312 .

As an example, as shown in FIG. 13A, the retraction mechanism 500 includes a support member 501 that supports the heating roller 81, a rack gear portion 502 provided on the support member 501, and a rear cover 312 that rotates together with the rear cover 312. It is composed of a moving cover-side gear portion 312A and a gear train 503 which is composed of a plurality of gears and connects the rack gear portion 502 and the cover-side gear portion 312A. The support member 501 is supported by the housing body 311 so as to be vertically movable in order to move the heating roller 81 between the third position and the fourth position.

As another example, as shown in FIG. 13B, the retraction mechanism 500 includes a support member 501 that supports the heating roller 81, a first link 510 that and a third link 530 connecting the second link 520 and the rear cover 312 . The first link 510 has one end rotatably connected to the support member 501 and the other end pressed by the second link 520. The portion between the one end and the other end is the housing. It is rotatably supported by the main body 311 . The second link 520 has one end that presses the other end of the first link 510, the other end that is rotatably connected to the third link 530, and the portion between the one end and the other end. is rotatably supported by the housing body 311 . The third link 530 has one end rotatably connected to the second link 520 and the other end rotatably connected to a portion of the rear cover 312 away from the rotation shaft.

11 from the closed position shown in FIG. 10 to the open position shown in FIG. to the fourth position indicated by . As a result, the heating roller 81 is retracted from the attachment/detachment trajectory of the support frame 313, and the support frame 313 can be moved rearward from the housing body 311 through the opening 311A. Further, when the rear cover 312 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the retraction mechanism 500 operates in the opposite manner to when the rear cover 312 is opened, so that the heating roller 81 moves from the fourth position shown in FIG. Move to the third position. As a result, the heating roller 81 can sandwich the multilayer film F between itself and the pressure roller 82 .

According to the present embodiment described above, since the image forming apparatus 1 includes the retraction mechanism 500 that retracts the heating roller 81 from the attachment/detachment path of the support frame 313, the support frame 313 is moved between the first position and the second position. During the movement, the heating roller 81 and the layer transfer film cartridge 100 supported by the support frame 313 do not interfere with each other. As a result, the support mechanism for moving the support frame 313 can have a simple configuration.

Further, since the first conveying roller 91 and the second conveying roller 92 are supported by the support frame 313, the first conveying roller 91 and the second conveying roller 92 are moved from the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 as a reference. The support frame 313 can be configured to move from the first position to the second position toward the rear of the .

Further, since the first transport rollers 91, the second transport rollers 92 and the discharge rollers 95 are supported by the support frame 313, the positional accuracy of the first transport rollers 91, the second transport rollers 92 and the discharge rollers 95 can be improved. be able to. As a result, the conveying accuracy of the sheet S from the first conveying rollers 91 to the discharge rollers 95 can be improved.

Next, a fourth embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 14, the first guide roller 131 is a roller that changes the traveling direction of the multilayer film F unwound from the supply reel 110 . The first guide roller 131 is an example of a "guide roller". The first guide roller 131 guides the multilayer film F pulled out from the supply reel 110 so as to overlap the sheet S conveyed in the process section 30 with the toner image-transferred surface facing upward. do. The first guide roller 131 is positioned above the second guide roller 140 in the vertical direction. The first guide roller 131 is arranged apart from the sheet conveying path P along which the sheet S is conveyed between the process section 30 and the fixing section 80 in the vertical direction.

The first guide roller 131 guides the multilayer film F to the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 at a predetermined angle α with respect to the sheet conveying path P. The predetermined angle α is, for example, 5° to 45°.

According to the present embodiment described above, the multilayer film F is guided to the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 at the predetermined angle α with respect to the sheet conveying path P. It overlaps the sheet S for the first time, and does not overlap the sheet S before that. As a result, it is possible to prevent the unfixed toner on the sheet S from being rubbed or peeled off due to friction with the multilayer film F before reaching the fixing unit 80 .

Next, a fifth embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 15 , the housing 10 has a housing body 511 , a front cover 512 and a support frame 513 .
In this embodiment, the exposure unit 540 is arranged in the upper part of the housing body 511 and includes a light source, a polygon mirror, and the like (not shown). The exposure unit 540 exposes the surface of the photoreceptor drum 51 by scanning the surface of the photoreceptor drum 51 with a light beam based on image data at high speed.

The housing body 511 has an opening 511A on the front surface. The front cover 512 is a cover for opening and closing the opening 511A. The front cover 512 is rotatably supported by the housing body 511 and is rotatable between an open position shown in FIG. 16 exposing the opening 511A and a closed position shown in FIG. 15 closing the opening 511A. It's becoming

The support frame 513 is a member that supports part of the process section 30 and the layer transfer film cartridge 100 . Specifically, the support frame 513 supports the photosensitive drum 51 , charger 52 , developing unit 60 and layer transfer film cartridge 100 . The layer transfer film cartridge 100 is detachably supported by the support frame 513 . By rotating the front cover 512 to the open position, the support frame 513 can be positioned between the first position shown in FIG. It is slidable forward and backward between the second position shown in FIG. The support frame 513 may be removable from the housing body 511 . The layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be replaced by setting the support frame 513 to the second position.

In this embodiment, the pressure roller 582 is a roller in which a cylindrical core is covered with an elastic layer such as rubber. The pressure roller 582 is an example of a "pressure member."
The image forming apparatus 1 further includes a retraction mechanism 600 . The retraction mechanism 600 has a third position in which the heating roller 81 sandwiches the multilayer film F between itself and the pressure roller 582 and a fourth position in which the heating roller 81 is separated from the pressure roller 582 and retracted from the attachment/detachment trajectory of the support frame 513 . It is a mechanism to move between. The retraction mechanism 600 is configured to move the heating roller 81 between the third position and the fourth position in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of the front cover 512 . The retraction mechanism 600 can be configured similarly to the retraction mechanism 500 .

When the front cover 512 is turned from the closed position shown in FIG. 15 to the open position shown in FIG. Move to the fourth position indicated by the line. As a result, the heating roller 81 is retracted from the attachment/detachment locus of the support frame 513, and the support frame 513 can be moved forward from the housing body 511 through the opening 511A. Further, when the front cover 512 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the retraction mechanism 600 operates in the opposite manner to when the front cover 512 is opened, thereby moving the heating roller 81 from the fourth position to the third position. . As a result, the heating roller 81 can sandwich the multilayer film F between itself and the pressure roller 582 .

According to the present embodiment described above, since the image forming apparatus 1 includes the retraction mechanism 600 that retracts the heating roller 81 from the attachment/detachment locus of the support frame 513, the support frame 513 is moved between the first position and the second position. The heating roller 81 and the support frame 513 do not interfere when they are moved. As a result, the support mechanism for moving the support frame 513 can have a simple configuration.

Next, a sixth embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 17, the housing 10 has a housing main body 611 and a side cover 612 as a housing cover. The housing body 611 has an opening 611A on its side surface. The side cover 612 is a cover for opening and closing the opening 611A. The side cover 612 is rotatably supported by the housing body 611 and is rotatable between an open position shown in FIG. 17 where the opening 611A is exposed and a closed position where the opening 611A is closed.

As shown in FIG. 18, the fixing section 80 further includes a pressure changing mechanism 700 in this embodiment. The pressure changing mechanism 700 changes the nip pressure at the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 to a first nip pressure and a second nip pressure. The pressure changing mechanism 700 also functions as a retraction mechanism that separates the heating roller 81 from the pressure roller 82 and positions it at a retraction position retracting from the attachment/detachment locus of the layer transfer film cartridge 100 .

The pressure change mechanism 700 has an arm portion 86, a spring 87, and a cam 88. The arm portion 86 has a first end portion 86A, a second end portion 86B, and an extension portion 86C. The first end portion 86A is rotatably supported by the housing body 611 . The second end 86B is biased downward by a spring 87. As shown in FIG. The extending portion 86C rotatably supports the heating roller 81. As shown in FIG.

The cam 88 is a member that presses the arm portion 86 to move the heating roller 81 in a predetermined direction. The cam 88 is rotatably supported by the housing body 611 . The cam 88 is movable between a fifth position indicated by phantom lines in FIG. 18(a), a sixth position indicated by solid lines in FIG. 18(a), and a seventh position indicated by FIG. 18(b). It's becoming At the fifth position, the cam 88 does not contact the arm portion 86 and the nip pressure at the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 becomes the second nip pressure due to the biasing force of the spring 87 . At the sixth position, the cam 88 contacts the arm portion 86 and presses the arm portion 86 against the biasing force of the spring 87 . As a result, the nip pressure at the nip portion between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 becomes the first nip pressure that is weaker than the second nip pressure.

At the seventh position, the cam 88 pushes up the arm portion 86 against the biasing force of the spring 87 to separate the heating roller 81 from the pressure roller 82 .
When the cam 88 is at the seventh position, the heating roller 81 is at the retracted position. As shown in FIG. 17, when the heating roller 81 is at the retracted position, the layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be pulled out sideways from the housing body 611 through the opening 611A. The cam 88 is configured to move the heating roller 81 to the retracted position in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of the side cover 612 . The interlocking between the cam 88 and the side cover 612 can be realized mechanically, for example, but a sensor or the like may also be used.

The controller 2 can position the cam 88 at the fifth position to set the nip pressure to the second nip pressure. Also, the control unit 2 can position the cam 88 at the sixth position to set the nip pressure to the first nip pressure.
When the fixing mode is selected, the controller 2 sets the nip pressure to the first nip pressure. When the layer transfer mode is selected, the controller 2 sets the nip pressure to a second nip pressure stronger than the first nip pressure.

Next, an example of processing of the control unit 2 that is executed while the image forming apparatus 1 is powered on will be described with reference to a flowchart.

As shown in FIG. 19, when the controller 2 determines in step S11 that the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is mounted (S11, Yes), it sets the nip pressure to the second nip pressure (S160). , printing, that is, fixing the toner image to the sheet S and transferring the transfer layer F22 to the sheet S (S13).
If the controller 2 determines in step S21 that the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is not loaded (S21, No), the controller 2 sets the nip pressure to the first nip pressure (S170), and performs printing. Only fixing of the toner image to the sheet S is executed (S23).

According to the present embodiment described above, the nip pressure can be changed by the pressure changing mechanism 700, and the heating roller 81 can be moved to the retracted position. Also, the layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be attached and detached from the side.

Furthermore, in the layer transfer mode, the nip pressure is set to the second nip pressure, which is stronger than the first nip pressure. When transferring to the toner image on the sheet S, the transfer layer F22 can be firmly transferred. In the fixing mode, the nip pressure is set to the first nip pressure, which is weaker than the second nip pressure. Therefore, when only the toner image is fixed on the sheet S, fixing can be performed more efficiently.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the image forming apparatus can be appropriately modified and implemented as exemplified below.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the controller 2 is configured to notify the removal message after the transfer of the transfer layer F22 onto the sheet S is completed, but may be configured not to notify the removal message.

In the above-described embodiment, the heating roller 81 is supported by the housing cover 12 in the configuration in which the housing 10 includes the housing body 11 and the housing cover 12. In conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the housing cover, the image forming apparatus moves the heating roller to a position where the multilayer film is sandwiched between the heating roller and the pressure roller, and separates the pressure roller from the position of the film cartridge for layer transfer. The configuration may include a retraction mechanism for moving between positions retracted from the attachment/detachment trajectory.

In the above-described embodiment, the layer transfer film cartridge 100 can be attached to and detached from the housing body 11 through the opening 11A provided on the upper surface of the housing body 11. However, for example, the layer transfer film cartridge can be It may be attachable to and detachable from the housing body through openings provided on the front and rear sides of the body. Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, the support frame 313 was movable through the opening 311A provided on the rear surface of the housing body 311. It may be movable through the opening.

In the above-described embodiment, the housing 10 includes the housing body 311 and the support frame 313, and the discharge roller 95 is supported by the support frame 313. However, for example, the discharge roller is supported by the housing body. may be Similarly, in the above embodiment, the first conveying roller 91 (conveying roller) was supported by the support frame 313, but the conveying roller may be supported by the housing body, for example.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the photoreceptor drum 51 is exemplified as the photoreceptor, but the photoreceptor may be, for example, a photoreceptor belt. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the transfer roller 74 is used as an example of the transfer member, but the transfer member may be a transfer charger having the same configuration as the charger 52, for example.

Also, in the above embodiment, the heating roller 81 is used as an example of the heating member, but the heating member may be, for example, an endless heating belt. In the above-described embodiment, the pressure roller 82 is used as the pressure member. However, the pressure member may be a pressure pad or the like that is pressed against the heating member via an endless belt or the like. good.

In the above-described embodiment, when the layer transfer mode is selected and the controller 2 determines based on the input from the sensor 3 that the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is not attached to the housing 10, Although it is configured to notify the mounting message, for example, when the sensor 3 is not provided and the layer transfer mode is selected, the control unit can be set regardless of whether the layer transfer film cartridge is mounted in the housing. , may be configured to notify the mounting message. Also, the control unit may be configured not to notify the mounting message.

Further, in the above embodiment, when the control unit 2 determines that the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is attached to the housing 10 based on the input from the sensor 3 when the fixing mode is selected, the controller 2 removes the cartridge. Although it was configured to notify a message, for example, when the sensor 3 is not provided and the fixing mode is selected, the control unit removes the layer transfer film cartridge regardless of whether it is attached to the housing. It may be configured to notify a message.

Further, in the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 capable of forming an image using toner of four colors was exemplified, but an image can be formed using toner of two colors, three colors, or five or more colors, for example. image forming apparatus. Alternatively, the image forming apparatus may be an image forming apparatus that forms an image using only one color of toner. Also, the image forming apparatus may include a document reading device such as a flatbed scanner.

In the above-described embodiment, the layer transfer film cartridge 100 is detachable from the housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, and the multilayer film F is replaceable. may be irreplaceably installed and configured to execute only the layer transfer mode. In this case, when the multilayer film is used up, the image forming apparatus itself may be replaced with a new one.

Also, in the above embodiment, the transfer layer F22 containing foil was exemplified, but for example, the transfer layer may be formed of thermoplastic resin without containing foil or coloring material. In the above embodiment, the multilayer film F is composed of four layers, but the multilayer film may have any number of layers as long as it has a transfer layer and a support layer.

In the above-described embodiment, the supply reel 110, the take-up reel 120, the first guide roller 130, and the second guide roller 140 are provided in the layer transfer film cartridge 100. , the take-up reel 120 , the first guide roller 130 , and the second guide roller 140 can also be provided in the

housing body

11 , 211 , 311 , 511 , 611 .

Further, in the above embodiment, the contact-type sheet sensor 4 was exemplified, but the sheet sensor may be a non-contact type such as an optical sheet sensor.

In the above-described embodiment, feeding of the multi-layer film F is suppressed by turning off the fixing motor 85, but feeding of the multi-layer film F can be suppressed by cutting off the driving force from the motor with the clutch. can also Further, the feeding of the multilayer film F may be suppressed by separating the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82 .
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the conveying speed of the sheet S is changed by changing the rotation speed of the motor, but the conveying speed of the sheet S can also be changed using a speed change mechanism.

Also, each element described in the above embodiment and modifications can be implemented in combination as appropriate.

Claims

An image forming apparatus of a multilayer film having a transfer layer and a support layer for supporting the transfer layer, the image forming apparatus being capable of transferring the transfer layer to a toner image on a sheet,
a housing;
a process unit that transfers the toner image onto a sheet;
It has a heating member and a pressure member that sandwich the sheet and the multilayer film, and between the heating member and the pressure member, the toner image transferred in the process section is fixed on the sheet at the same time as the transfer. and a fixing section for transferring the layer to the toner image on the sheet.
The process unit includes a photoreceptor on which a toner image is formed, and a transfer member for transferring the toner image formed on the photoreceptor to a sheet,
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the fixing section, a nip portion between the heating member and the pressure member is arranged at the same position as the photosensitive member or the transfer member in the vertical direction. .
A layer transfer film cartridge supporting the multilayer film, comprising a layer transfer film cartridge detachable from the housing,
The fixing section is
When the film cartridge for layer transfer is attached to the housing, simultaneously with fixing the toner image to the sheet, the transfer layer is transferred to the toner image on the sheet,
Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the toner image is fixed on the sheet and the transfer layer is not transferred to the toner image on the sheet when the layer transfer film cartridge is not attached to the housing. The image forming apparatus according to .
The housing has a housing body having an opening on the top surface, and a housing cover that opens and closes the opening,
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the layer transfer film cartridge is detachable from the housing body through the opening.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the heating member is supported by the housing cover.
a discharge tray provided on the upper surface of the housing and in front of the housing cover with the opening closed;
a discharge roller for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray;
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the discharge roller is supported by the housing cover.
a discharge tray provided on the upper surface of the housing cover with the opening closed;
a discharge roller for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray;
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the discharge roller is supported by the housing body.
the housing has a housing body and a support frame movable between a first position located within the housing body and a second position located outside the housing body;
The support frame detachably supports the layer transfer film cartridge,
The image forming apparatus has a third position where the heating member sandwiches the multilayer film between the heating member and the pressure member, and a fourth position where the heating member is separated from the pressure member and retreats from the attachment/detachment trajectory of the support frame. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a retraction mechanism for moving between.
a conveying roller that exits from the nip portion between the heating member and the pressure member and conveys the sheet after being separated from the multilayer film;
9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the conveying roller is supported by the support frame.
a discharge tray provided on the upper surface of the housing;
a discharge roller for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray, the discharge roller being arranged downstream of the conveying roller in a sheet conveying direction;
10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said discharge roller is supported by said support frame.
The image forming apparatus includes a control unit, and has a layer transfer mode for performing both fixing of the toner image to the sheet and transfer of the transfer layer to the sheet, and a fixing mode for performing only fixing of the toner image on the sheet. and
11. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein the control section selects the layer transfer mode and the fixing mode according to user's operation.
12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, on condition that the layer transfer mode is selected, the control unit notifies a message prompting mounting of the layer transfer film cartridge to the housing. Device.
a sensor for detecting whether or not the layer transfer film cartridge is attached to the housing;
When the layer transfer mode is selected, the control unit
when it is determined that the layer transfer film cartridge is not attached to the housing based on the input from the sensor, a message prompting the user to attach the layer transfer film cartridge to the housing is sent;
When it is determined that the layer transfer film cartridge is attached to the housing based on the input from the sensor, a message prompting to attach the layer transfer film cartridge to the housing is not sent. 13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, characterized by:
14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the control unit notifies a message prompting removal of the layer transfer film cartridge from the casing after the transfer of the transfer layer onto the sheet is completed. The described image forming apparatus.
15. The controller according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein, on condition that the fixing mode is selected, the control unit notifies a message prompting removal of the layer transfer film cartridge from the casing. 2. The image forming apparatus according to item 1.
a sensor for detecting whether or not the layer transfer film cartridge is attached to the housing;
The control unit, when the fixing mode is selected,
when it is determined that the layer transfer film cartridge is attached to the housing based on the input from the sensor, a message prompting removal of the layer transfer film cartridge from the housing is sent;
When it is determined that the layer transfer film cartridge is not attached to the housing based on the input from the sensor, a message prompting removal of the layer transfer film cartridge from the housing is not sent. 16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15.
The image forming apparatus is capable of executing a normal mode for forming an image on a first sheet and a rough paper mode for forming an image on a second sheet having a rougher surface than the first sheet,
The control unit selects the normal mode or the rough paper mode according to a user's operation,
When the layer transfer mode is selected and the rough surface paper mode is selected, the control unit determines the amount of toner to be transferred to the sheet by the process unit in the normal mode. 12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the amount of toner is greater than the amount of toner used.
The controller sets the sheet conveying speed to a first speed when the fixing mode is selected, and sets the sheet conveying speed to a second speed lower than the first speed when the layer transfer mode is selected. 12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the speed is set.
When the layer transfer mode is selected, the control section starts driving the fixing section after the sheet enters the processing section and before the sheet contacts the multilayer film. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11.
The fixing unit further includes a first heater that heats the heating member and a second heater that heats the pressure member,
20. The image according to claim 19, wherein the controller turns on the second heater when the layer transfer mode is selected, and turns off the second heater when the fixing mode is selected. forming device.
The fixing section further includes a pressure changing mechanism for changing a nip pressure at a nip portion between the heating member and the pressure member,
The controller sets the nip pressure to a first nip pressure when the fixing mode is selected, and sets the nip pressure to a second nip pressure stronger than the first nip pressure when the layer transfer mode is selected. 12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the nip pressure is set.
a supply reel for supplying the multilayer film; and a guide roller for changing the advancing direction of the multilayer film pulled out from the supply reel and guiding the multilayer film to the nip portion between the heating member and the pressure member;
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide roller is arranged away from a sheet conveying path along which the sheet is conveyed between the process section and the fixing section.
The housing has a housing body having an opening on a side surface and a housing cover that opens and closes the opening,
The fixing unit further includes a retraction mechanism that separates the heating member from the pressure member and retracts from the attachment/detachment trajectory of the layer transfer film cartridge,
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the layer transfer film cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the housing body through the opening in a state in which the heating member is retracted from the attachment/detachment locus of the layer transfer film cartridge. Image forming device.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the support frame supports at least part of the process section.