IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT APPLIES A POWDER TO REDUCE ADHESION OF AN ADHESIVE LAYER
Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, and an applying unit that causes powder included in a liquid mixture to be interposed between the recording medium and the image forming unit by applying the liquid mixture to the recording medium, or to the image forming unit which comes into contact with the recording medium, wherein the recording medium includes an image forming layer, an adhesive layer, and a base layer, and the liquid mixture includes the powder reducing adhesion of the adhesive layer and volatile liquid.
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This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/511,687 filed Oct. 10, 2014, which is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-127512 filed Jun. 20, 2014, the entire disclosure of which are incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an applying device, an agent, and a transport device.
(ii) Related Art
In the related art, regarding an image forming apparatus, in accordance with diversified user needs, as a recording medium to form an image thereon, it is required to form an image on a special recording medium such as a so-called label paper having an adhesive layer which is formed of an adhesive in an intermediate portion thereof, in addition to plain paper.
SUMMARYAccording to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including:
an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; and
an applying unit that causes powder included in a liquid mixture to be interposed between the recording medium and the image forming unit by applying the liquid mixture to the recording medium, or to the image forming unit which comes into contact with the recording medium,
wherein the recording medium includes an image forming layer, an adhesive layer, and a base layer, and the liquid mixture includes the powder reducing adhesion of the adhesive layer and volatile liquid.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First Exemplary EmbodimentOverall Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus
An image forming apparatus 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment is configured to be a color printer, for example. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an image output device 2 that forms an image using toners of four types of colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K); a sheet feeding device 3 that supplies continuous paper 5 as an example of a recording medium; a sheet discharge device 4 that discharges and accommodates the continuous paper 5 on which an image is formed by the image output device 2; and a control device 100 that is provided in an upper portion of the sheet discharge device 4 and controls the image output device 2, the sheet feeding device 3, and the sheet discharge device 4. In the illustrated image forming apparatus 1, the sheet feeding device 3, the sheet discharge device 4, and the control device 100 are separately arranged outside the image output device 2. However, naturally, the image output device 2 and at least a portion of the sheet feeding device 3, the sheet discharge device 4, and the control device 100 may be integrally arranged in the image forming apparatus 1.
The image output device 2 includes an electrophotographic image forming portion 106 as an example of an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium based on image data. The image forming portion 106 includes plural image-forming devices 10 that form toner images developed by the toners configuring a developer, an intermediate image transfer device 20 that individually holds the toner image formed by each of the image-forming devices 10 so as to transport to a secondary image transfer position where a secondary image transfer is ultimately performed on the continuous paper 5, a transport device 60 that transports the continuous paper 5 which is necessary to be supplied to the secondary image transfer position of the intermediate image transfer device 20, and a fixing device 40 as an example of a fixing unit that performs heating to fix the toner images obtained through the secondary image transfer by the intermediate image transfer device 20 on the continuous paper 5.
For example, the image output device 2 may be configured to be a color copier when an image reader is added and is equipped as an image reading unit (not illustrated) which inputs an original document image to be formed on the continuous paper 5. Reference numeral 2a in the drawing indicates a housing of the image output device 2, and the housing 2a is configured to have a support configuration member, an outer cover, and the like.
The image-forming devices 10 are configured to have four image-forming devices 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K exclusively forming each of toner images of four types of colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). The four image-forming devices 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are arranged so as to be arrayed in a row in an inner space of the housing 2a.
As illustrated in
The photosensitive drum 11 has the image holding surface which has a photoconductivity layer (a photosensitive layer) made of a photosensitive material on the circumferential surface of a cylindrical or columnar base material to be grounded. Power is transmitted to the photosensitive drum 11 from a rotational driving device (not illustrated), and the photosensitive drum 11 is supported so as to rotate in a direction indicated by the arrow A.
The charging device 12 is configured with a contact-type charging roll which is arranged in a state of being in contact with the photosensitive drum 11. A charging voltage is supplied to the charging device 12. As the charging voltage, when the developing device 14 performs reversal development, a voltage or a current having the same polarity as the charging polarity of the toner supplied from the developing device 14 is supplied thereto.
The exposing device 13 irradiates the charged circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 11 with light LB which is constituted in accordance with the image information input to the image output device 2, thereby forming the electrostatic latent image. At the time of forming a latent image, the image information (signal) which is input to the image output device 2 by an arbitrary unit and is subjected to image processing in an image processing portion is transmitted to the exposing device 13.
Every developing device 14 is configured to include a developing roll which holds the developer and transports the developer to a developing region facing the photosensitive drum 11, agitation transport members such as two screw augers which transport the developer so as to supply to the developing roll while agitating the developer, and a layer thickness regulating member which regulates an amount (a layer thickness) of the developer held in the developing roll, being arranged inside the housing in which an opening portion and an accommodation chamber of the developer are formed. In the developing device 14, a developing bias voltage is supplied to a portion between the developing roll and the photosensitive drum 11 from a power source device (not illustrated). Power is transmitted to the developing roll and the agitation transport members from the rotational driving device (not illustrated), and the developing roll and the agitation transport members rotate in a necessary direction. As the developer, for example, a double-component developer including a nonmagnetic toner and a magnetic carrier is used.
In
The primary image transfer device 15 is a contact-type image transfer device which comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 11 and rotates while including a primary image transfer roll to which a primary image transfer voltage is supplied. As the primary image transfer voltage, a DC voltage indicating a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner is supplied from the power source device (not illustrated).
The drum cleaning device 16 is configured to include a container-shaped main body which is partially open, a cleaning plate which is arranged on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 11 after the primary image transfer so as to come into contact therewith at a necessary pressure and performs cleaning by eliminating an adhered substance such as a residual toner, and a recovery device which recovers the adhered substance eliminated by the cleaning plate.
The charge-removal device 17 is configured to include an LED, a light-emitting lamp, or the like which removes an electrical charge remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 by performing exposure on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11.
As illustrated in
An endless belt which is manufactured with a material in which a resistance adjustor such as carbon black is dispersed in a synthetic resin such as a polyimide resin and a polyamide resin, for example, is used as the intermediate image transfer belt 21. The belt support roll 22 is configured as a driving roll, and the belt support roll 24 is configured as a back-up roll for the secondary image transfer, and a belt support roll 23 is configured as a tension applying roll.
As illustrated in
The fixing device 40 configured to include a roll-type or belt-type heating rotary member 41 that is heated by a heating unit so as to maintain a surface temperature at a predetermined temperature (approximately 150° C. to 180° C.), and a roll-type or belt-type pressurizing rotary member 42 that comes into contact with the heating rotary member 41 at a necessary pressure and rotates which are arranged therein. In the fixing device 40, a contact portion in which the heating rotary member 41 and the pressurizing rotary member 42 come into contact with each other becomes a fixing processing portion performing necessary fixing processing (heating and pressurizing) including heating to heat the recording medium 5.
Incidentally, the sheet feeding device 3 includes roll paper 61 formed by rolling the elongated continuous paper 5 in a roll state which is continuous as the recording medium, thereby supplying the continuous paper 5 from the roll paper 61. The sheet feeding device 3 is arranged on an upstream side along a transport direction of the continuous paper 5 of the image output device 2 in a separate state. For example, as illustrated in
The sheet feeding device 3 includes the roll paper 61 that is rotatably driven in the clockwise direction by a driving unit (not illustrated), and a tension applying portion 62 that applies tension to the label paper 5 which is fed in accordance with rotations of the roll paper 61. The tension applying portion 62 is configured to include transport rolls 62a and 62b which transport the label paper 5, and a tension applying roll 62c to which an elastic force is applied in a direction away from the transport rolls 62a and 62b.
The image output device 2 includes a manual sheet feeding device 63 on a side surface positioned on the sheet feeding device 3 side of the housing 2a, in order to feed the recording medium from the outside. Inside the housing 2a of the image output device 2, there is provided the transport device 60 to transport the label paper 5 which is fed from the manual sheet feeding device 63, to the secondary image transfer position. The transport device 60 is configured to include a transport roll 64 that transports the label paper 5 while being in contact with a surface side (in the drawing, the rear side) opposite to the image forming surface of the label paper 5. The transport device 60 may be configured to include a pair of transport rolls which transport the label paper 5 in a nipped state, or a discharge roll (not illustrated) which outwardly discharges the label paper 5 in which an image is formed on a downstream side of the fixing device 40. The transport device 60 is acceptable as long as the device transports the label paper 5 as the recording medium. The transport device 60 may be configured to include the tension applying portion 62 and a tension applying portion 65 which are respectively arranged inside the sheet feeding device 3 and the sheet discharge device 4, or a transport roll (not illustrated) which changes the transport direction of the label paper 5 as the recording medium.
The sheet discharge device 4 that discharges and accommodates the label paper 5 in which an image is formed by the image output device 2 is arranged on the downstream side of the image output device 2. The sheet discharge device 4 includes the tension applying portion 65 that applies tension to the label paper 5, and a winding roll 66 that is rotatably arranged in the clockwise direction in the drawing and winds the label paper 5 in the roll state. The tension applying portion 65 is configured to included transport rolls 65a and 65b which transport the label paper 5, and a tension applying roll 65c to which an elastic force is applied in a direction away from the transport rolls 65a and 65b. A trimming device 67 that trims the label paper 5 as necessary may be arranged in an entrance portion of the sheet discharge device 4.
In
Reference numeral 104 indicates a user interface portion through which a user inputs a type, a size, and the number of sheets to be printed of the recording medium 5 including the label paper on which an image is formed. Reference numeral 107 indicates an image input device. Reference numeral 105 indicates an environment sensor which detects at least any one of an environmental temperature and an environmental humidity of a place where the image output device 2 is installed. Reference numeral 106 indicates the image forming portion of the image output device 2. Reference numeral 70 indicates a coating device that coats the label paper 5 with the coating agent, as described below in detail. The user interface portion 104 can designate a size and a type of the label paper 5 when forming an image.
Basic Operation of Image Forming Apparatus
Hereinafter, a basic image forming operation by the image output device 2 of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.
Here, a description will be given regarding the image forming operation while forming a full-color image which is configured by combining the toner images of four types of color (Y, M, C, and K) using the four image-forming devices 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K of the image output device 2. An image forming operation while forming one or more-color toner image among any of the four types of color (Y, M, C, and K) using the four image-forming devices 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K of the image output device 2 is similarly performed.
When the image output device 2 receives command information requiring an image forming operation (printing), the four image-forming devices 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K, the intermediate image transfer device 20, the secondary image transfer device 30, the fixing device 40, and the like are activated.
Then, in each of the image-forming devices 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K, firstly, each photosensitive drum 11 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow A, and each charging device 12 charges the surface of each photosensitive drum 11 to a necessary polarity (the negative polarity in the first exemplary embodiment) and electrical potential. Subsequently, the exposing device 13 irradiates the charged surfaces of the photosensitive drums 11 with the light LB which is emitted based on an image signal obtained by converting information of an image input to the image output device 2 into each of color components (Y, M, C, and K), thereby respectively forming the electrostatic latent images in color components configured on the surfaces thereof at necessary potential differences.
Subsequently, the developing devices 14Y, 14M, 14C, and 14K respectively supply the toners in the corresponding color (Y, M, C, and K) charged to necessary polarities and cause the same to adhere electrostatically, with respect to the electrostatic latent images of the color components respectively formed in the photosensitive drums 11, thereby performing the developing. On account of the developing, the electrostatic latent images of the color components respectively formed in the photosensitive drums 11 are manifested as the toner images of the four types of color (Y, M, C, and K) respectively developed by the toners in the corresponding color.
Subsequently, when the toner images in each type of color respectively formed on the photosensitive drums 11 of the four image-forming devices 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K are transported to the primary image transfer position, the primary image transfer device 15 performs the primary image transfer with the toner images in each type of color in a state where the toner images sequentially overlap with respect to the intermediate image transfer belt 21 which rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow B of the intermediate image transfer device 20.
In each of the image-forming devices 10 in which the primary image transfer is completed, after the drum cleaning device 16 cleans the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 by removing an adhered substance such as the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 in a scraping manner, the charge-removal device 17 removes the electrical charge remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. Accordingly, each of the image-forming devices 10 is in a state of being able to perform the following image-forming operation.
Subsequently, in the intermediate image transfer device 20, the toner image which is subjected to the primary image transfer by rotations of the intermediate image transfer belt 21 is held and is transported to the secondary image transfer position. Meanwhile, in the sheet feeding device 3 and the sheet discharge device 4, prior to the image-forming operation, the label paper 5 is introduced into the housing 2a of the image output device 2 from the sheet feeding device 3 via the manual sheet feeding device 63, and the label paper 5 is drawn out to the outside of the image output device 2 through the secondary image transfer position and the fixing device 40 from the transport roll 64 of the transport device 60. Then, a leading edge of the label paper 5 is wound around the winding roll 66 via the tension applying portion 65 of the sheet discharge device 4. The label paper 5 fed from the sheet feeding device 3 at the time of forming an image is accommodated in the sheet discharge device 4 after being transported through the inside of the image output device 2 at a necessary transport speed.
At the secondary image transfer position, the secondary image transfer device 30 collectively performs the secondary image transfer with the toner images on the intermediate image transfer belt 21 to the label paper 5. In the intermediate image transfer device 20 after the secondary image transfer is completed, the belt cleaning device 25 performs cleaning by eliminating an adhered substance such as a residual toner on the surface of the intermediate image transfer belt 21 after the secondary image transfer.
Subsequently, the label paper 5 to which the secondary image transfer is performed with the toner images is transported to the fixing device 40 after being separated from the intermediate image transfer belt 21 and the secondary image transfer roll 30. In the fixing device 40, necessary fixing processing (heating and pressurizing) is performed, and the unfixed toner images are fixed to the label paper 5. Lastly, the label paper 5 after fixing is completed is discharged to the outside of the image output device 2 and is wound by the winding roll 66 provided inside the sheet discharge device 4.
On account of the operation described above, the label paper 5 having a full color image formed by combining the toner images of the four types of color is output.
Configuration of Feature Portion of Image Forming Apparatus
As illustrated in
Inside the accommodating container 72, the liquid mixture 71 is accommodated as the coating agent in which powder and liquid are mixed. As the powder, for example, silica, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), zinc stearate (ZnSt), calcium carbonate, and talc may be adopted. A particle diameter (number average particle diameter) of the powder is desirably set to range of 0.5 μM to 14 μm, for example. When the particle diameter of the powder is less than 0.5 μm, the powder is likely to be buried in the adhesive layer 52 of the label paper 5 so that it is difficult to maintain a tack (adhesion of the adhesive) depression effect. When the particle diameter of the powder exceeds 14 μm, it is not desirable due to an insufficient tack (adhesion of the adhesive) depression effect of an initial stage.
In more detail, it is desirable for the powder to have a high tack depression effect to depress the adhesive configuring the adhesive layer 52 exposed on end portions of the label paper 5 from moving to other members, and it is not likely to be buried in the adhesive exposed on the end portions of the label paper 5.
The inventors, in conformity of the inclination ball tack test which is a “method of testing an adhesive tape and an adhesive sheet” standardized by JIS Z 0237, have carried out evaluation tests to relatively evaluate the tack depression effect by using a roll in place of the ball. The evaluation tests for the tack depression effect are carried out using silica of which the particle diameter (the number average particle diameter) of the powder is 0.04 μm, PMMA of which the particle diameter is 0.51 μm, ZnSt of which the particle diameter is 6 μm, calcium carbonate of which the particle diameter is 14 μm, and talc of which the particle diameter ranges from 40 μm to 80 μm. The powder is mixed with hydrofluoroether (manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Limited, brand name: “Novec”) as the liquid at concentration of 3% by weight to prepare the liquid mixture 71, thereby performing coating. PP/KV 11 (manufactured by Lintec Corporation) is used as the label paper 5.
A burying property of the powder is qualitatively evaluated by observing a burying state of the powder with respect to the adhesive layer 52 of the label paper 5 using an electron microscope in cases before and after the label paper 5 which is coated with the liquid mixture 71 on the end portions passes through the secondary image transfer position of the image output device 2.
As is obvious in
As is obvious in
Regarding the burying-resistant property of the powder, there is an effect of a shape (practical sphericity) of the powder in addition to the particle diameter. In the present exemplary embodiment, when compared to one another at the same particle diameters, for example, at 6 μm, it has been found that the burying-resistant property can be obtained if the practical sphericity is equal to or less than 0.8, and in contrast, the burying-resistant property becomes insufficient if the practical sphericity exceeds 0.8. Here, when the powder has the particle diameter of 6 μm, it is difficult to prepare the powder of which the practical sphericity is less than 0.15, and thus, it is desirable to have the practical sphericity ranging from 0.15 to 0.8.
The aforementioned term “practical sphericity” denotes a value calculated by the following expression regarding a shape of a projection image, after analyzing the image of the powder captured by using the electron microscope. Besides, the value becomes 1 in a case of a spherical shape, and the value becomes smaller as the shape changes.
The expression is practical sphericity=diameter of circle corresponding to projection area/diameter of minimum circumscribed projection circle.
Meanwhile, as the liquid of the liquid mixture 71, various types of liquid may be used as long as the powder can be held in a dispersed state. However, in consideration of a residual effect when coating the label paper 5, it is desirable to have a vaporization property. As the liquid thereof, for example, hydrofluoroether (manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Limited, brand name: “Novec”), ethyl ether, acetone, silicone oil, and water (H2O) can be exemplified. As illustrated in
The concentration of the powder with respect to the liquid of the liquid mixture 71 is determined in consideration of the tack (adhesion of the adhesive) depression effect, a coating property of the liquid mixture 71, the dispersion property of the powder, and the like. For example, the concentration is set to range approximately from 1% by weight to 15% by weight. In the exemplary embodiment, the liquid mixture 71 of which the concentration of the powder is 6% by weight is adopted. The above-described concentration of the powder is merely an example, and it may be set to other values, naturally.
The stirring device 73 uniformly disperses the powder in the liquid by stirring the liquid mixture 71. When liquid in which the powder can be uniformly dispersed therein is adopted as the liquid mixture 71, the stirring device 73 is not necessarily adopted. When liquid having volatility is used, since the stirring device 73 prevents the liquid from being volatilized, in consideration of using a sealable container as the accommodating container 72, it is desirable to arrange a rotor made with a magnetic member inside the accommodating container 72 and to adopt a magnet stirrer which rotates the rotor from the outside by a magnetic force so as to perform a stirring operation. However, the stirring device 73 is not limited to the magnet stirrer. Therefore a stirring device of other methods such as a rotating blade method may be adopted as long as a state where the volatilization of the liquid may be prevented is obtained.
The supply device 75 supplies the liquid mixture 71 accommodated inside the accommodating container 72 to the coating members 74. In the exemplary embodiment, a tubing dispenser is adopted as the supply device 75. The supply device 75 is arranged in the middle of the continuous transport tube 76 which supplies the liquid mixture 71 from the accommodating container 72 to the coating members 74. The supply device 75 nips the transport tube 76 by a rotation member in which plural balls or rolls are arranged along a circumferential direction. The supply device 75 presses the transport tube 76 from the upstream side toward the downstream side by rotating the rotation member, thereby moving and supplying the liquid mixture 71. The supply device 75 can adjust a supply amount of the liquid mixture 71 per unit time at high accuracy (±1% to 5%) over a range of 0.02 cc/min to 14 cc/min, for example, by changing the diameter of the transport tube 76 or a rotational speed of the rotation member. As the tubing dispenser, for example, Tubing Dispenser TOM. 100C (brand name, manufactured by Tomita Engineering Co., Ltd.) may be adopted. As the transport tube 76, for example, a tube made of Teflon (registered trademark) or made of silicon rubber is adopted. The supply device 75 is not limited thereto, and a device of other methods such as a liquid pump may be adopted as long as the liquid mixture 71 can be supplied. However, it is desirable to adopt the tubing dispenser in respect of being able to set the minute supply amount of the liquid mixture 71 at high accuracy.
As illustrated in
The coating members 74 are respectively arranged together with the pair of guide members 631 and 632 to be movable and detachably attached as necessary on inner sides of the guide members 631 and 632. Each of the coating members 74 includes an upper side coating member 741 and a lower side coating member 742 that are respectively arranged on a front surface side and a rear surface side of the label paper 5. The upper side coating member 741 is arranged in a state of being inclined so as to be positioned above the end portion of the label paper 5 with respect to the front surface of the tray body 630. Meanwhile, the lower side coating member 742 is arranged horizontally along the front surface of the tray body 630. As illustrated in
The coating members 74 are not necessarily arranged on each of the front surface side and the rear surface side of the label paper 5, and may be arranged on only a side (for example, the surface base material 53 side) where the adhesive layer 52 of the continuous paper 5 is exposed. The coating members 74, without having both of the sheet-shaped members 743 and 744, and the brush members 745 and 746, as illustrated in
Operation of Feature Portion of Image Forming Apparatus
Hereinafter, an operation of a feature portion of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.
In the image forming apparatus 1, as described above, in the image output device 2, an image using the toners of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) is formed on the surface base material 53 of the label paper 5. In this case, as illustrated in
If so, as illustrated in
As is obvious in
The inventors has carried out an experiment measuring a protrusion amount (a deviation amount with respect to the surface base material 53) of the separate paper 51 which protrudes from the end portion of the label paper 5 when the label paper 5 is left for a long period (for 15 days) in a high temperature and high humidity environment (28° C., relative humidity 80%). As the label paper 5, sheets of PP/KV 11 (manufactured by Lintec Corporation) respectively having widths of 3 inches, 7 inches, and 10 inches are used.
As is obvious in the drawing, the label papers 5 respectively having the widths of 7 inches and 10 inches tend to rapidly increase in the protrusion amount of the separate paper 51 as time passes in a high temperature and high humidity environment. However, the increasing tendency of the protrusion amount becomes saturated after approximately 6 days have elapsed, and the protrusion amount of the separate paper 51 indicates a large value such as approximately 0.7 mm which is the same value as that after 6 days, even though 15 days have elapsed.
Meanwhile, similar to the label papers 5 respectively having the widths of 7 inches and 10 inches, even though the label paper 5 having the width of 3 inches tended to increase in the protrusion amount of the separate paper 51 as time passes in a high temperature and high humidity environment, the increasing tendency becomes saturated and reaches a constant amount after approximately 3 days have elapsed. After 15 days have elapsed, even though the protrusion amount of the separate paper 51 tends to slightly increase compared to that at the time after 6 days have elapsed, the protrusion amount thereof indicates a relatively small value equal to or less than approximately 0.3 mm.
Next, the inventors have prepared an experimental benchmarking model of the image forming apparatus 1 illustrated in
As is obvious in
In contrast, no adhesion of the adhesive with respect to the secondary image transfer roll 30 and the fixing roll 41 is observed in a case of the surface base material 53 being any one of the coated paper, polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene-terephthalate (PET), which are favorable (O). The reason therefor is assumed that when the surface base material 53 is the coated paper, since the expansion rate of the coated paper is substantially equivalent to that of the separate paper 51, the protrusion amount of the separate paper 51 is small; since the secondary image transfer roll 30 is positioned on the rear surface side (the separate paper 51 side) of the label paper 5, the adhesive is unlikely to adhere thereto; and since the fixing roll 41 has a release property, the adhesive is unlikely to adhere thereto as well.
Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment, as illustrated in
Therefore, even when the label paper 5 is transported to pass through the secondary image transfer position which comes into contact with the intermediate image transfer belt 21, only the powder out of the liquid mixture 71 is interposed between the place of the label paper 5 where the adhesive is exposed and the intermediate image transfer belt 21, and thus, the adhesive may be prevented or suppressed from moving and adhering to the intermediate image transfer belt 21 from the place of the label paper 5 where the adhesive is exposed due to the tack depression effect of the powder. In the exemplary embodiment, since the label paper 5 is coated with the powder which is mixed with the liquid as the liquid mixture 71, the powder is uniformly dispersed in the liquid of the liquid mixture 71. Thus, the end portions of the label paper 5 can be evenly and reliably coated with the powder.
Similarly, even when the label paper 5 passes through the secondary image transfer roll 30, the fixing rotary member 41, the transport roll 64, and the like, the powder is interposed between the place of the label paper 5 where the adhesive is exposed and the contact target member such as the transport roll 64, and thus, the adhesive may be prevented or suppressed from moving and adhering to the transport roll 64 and the like from the place of the label paper 5 where the adhesive is exposed.
The coating device 70 may perform the coating with the liquid mixture 71 at all times. However, the coating device 70 may be configured to coat the label paper 5 with the liquid mixture 71 only when the CPU 101 determines that at least any one of the environmental temperature and/or the environmental humidity detected by the environment sensor 105 is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold value, or only when the recording medium 5 designated by the user interface portion 104 is the predetermined label paper. In these cases, the coating members 74 may be configured to be supplied or to stop being supplied with the liquid mixture 71 by causing the supply device 75 of the coating device 70 to drive or stop. As the predetermined label paper 5, label paper having a large amount of the adhesive, and label paper adopting an adhesive material of which the temperature of a glass transition point is low such as that of a refrigerator label may be exemplified.
First Experimental ExampleNext, the inventors prepared an experimental benchmarking model of the image forming apparatus 1 illustrated in
In the liquid mixture 71, zinc stearate (ZnSt) having the particle diameter of 6 μm is adopted as the powder, and hydrofluoroether (manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Limited, brand name: “Novec 7100”) which is mixed thereto at the concentration of 6% by weight is adopted as the liquid. The coating amount of the liquid mixture 71 is set to two types such as 8 g/400 m and 16 g/400 m for one surface of the label paper 5.
As is obvious in
When the surface of the intermediate image transfer belt 21 after completing the maintainability test is observed using a microscope, there is no occurrence of adhesion or filming of the powder observed on the surface of the intermediate image transfer belt 21 after passing through the blade 26 of the cleaning device 25.
Second Experimental ExampleThe inventors have carried out an experiment measuring a coating rate with respect to a holding amount of the liquid mixture when a different material is used for the coating members 74. As the coating members 74, members adopting the brush members 745 and 746 are used as illustrated in
As is obvious in
As illustrated in
The blowing device 80 may be arranged above the coating members 74 which are mounted on the manual sheet feeding device 63. However, when an air flow by the blowing device 80 comes into direct contact with the coating members 74, there is a possibility of vaporization of the liquid in the liquid mixture 71 which is held in the coating members 74, before coating the label paper 5. Thus, it is desirable to configure the blowing device 80 to blow air to the label paper 5 after being coated with the liquid mixture 71 by the coating members 74.
As the vaporization promoting unit, a heating device which promotes vaporization of the liquid in the liquid mixture 71 by heating the label paper 5 coated with the liquid mixture 71, or an exhaust device which promotes vaporization of the liquid in the liquid mixture 71 by exhausting air around the label paper 5 may be adopted separately from the blowing device 80 or together with the blowing device 80. The vaporization promoting unit is particularly effective when liquid having relatively low volatility is used as the liquid in the liquid mixture 71.
Third Exemplary EmbodimentAs illustrated in
In the surface of the intermediate image transfer belt 21 coated with the liquid mixture 71, the liquid is volatilized so that the surface of the intermediate image transfer belt 21 is in a state where the surface is coated with only the powder. Therefore, when the intermediate image transfer belt 21 moves and comes into contact with the label paper 5 at the secondary image transfer position, only the powder in the liquid mixture 71 is interposed between the intermediate image transfer belt 21 and the exposed adhesive of the label paper 5.
Therefore, the exposed adhesive of the label paper 5 may be prevented or suppressed from being moved and adhering to the intermediate image transfer belt 21.
In this case, as is obvious in the experimental result illustrated in
In the exemplary embodiment described above, a case where an electrophotographic image forming unit is employed as the image forming unit is described. However, without being limited thereto, the image forming unit may adopt an ink jet recording type or an electrostatic recording type, or a printing type such as an offset printing.
In the exemplary embodiment described above, a case where the coating device 70 is arranged in the image output device 2 is described. However, without being limited thereto, the coating device 70 may be configured to be arranged in the sheet feeding device 3.
In the exemplary embodiment described above, a case where the label paper 5 supplied from the roll paper 61 is coated with the liquid mixture 71 is described. However, the roll paper 61 may be configured to be directly coated with the liquid mixture 71. In this case, the coating may be performed with the liquid mixture 71 while manufacturing the roll paper 61 or after manufacturing the roll paper 61, the liquid configuring the liquid mixture 71 does not necessarily have the volatility as long as the liquid does not cause a disadvantage such as an occurrence of creases on the label paper 5 configuring the roll paper 61 when the roll paper 61 is coated. In this case, the roll paper 61 which is coated with the liquid mixture 71 and in which the powder adheres to the exposed adhesive in the end portions (cross sections) of the label paper 5 circulates as the recording medium.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. An agent comprising:
- a liquid mixture including volatile liquid and powder which reduces adhesion,
- wherein the liquid mixture causes the powder to be interposed between a recording medium which includes an image forming layer, an adhesive layer, and a base layer, and a contact member by applying the liquid mixture to the recording medium or to the contact member which comes into contact with the recording medium.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 7, 2016
Publication Date: Nov 3, 2016
Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD. (Tokyo)
Inventors: Yutaka KIUCHI (Tokyo), Masayo HIGASHIMURA (Kanagawa), Kazuhiko ARAI (Kanagawa)
Application Number: 15/204,495