JP3143943B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, photosensitive pressure-sensitive paper (hereinafter referred to as microcapsule paper) and recording paper (hereinafter referred to as color-developed paper) used in this type of image forming apparatus are special papers, each of which has a different thickness. (Microcapsule paper was about 30
μm, color paper is about 120 μm). Therefore, the pressure and the like have been determined on the assumption that the thickness of each element in the image forming apparatus is also constant.

[0003]

However, when the thickness of the microcapsule paper or the color-developed paper is reduced in order to increase the interval between the paper shortage and reduce the trouble of replacing the cartridge or the like, the image forming apparatus is required. If it is adjusted according to either thickness, if you try to use microcapsule paper of another thickness in the same device, the pressing force in the pressure fixing device will greatly deviate from the appropriate value, and each paper will wrinkle and tear. Or a defect such as poor development (the thickness of the microcapsule paper is reduced to about 15 μm, and that of the developed paper is reduced to about 75 μm).

In other words, when a thin microcapsule paper and a developed paper are used in a conventional image forming apparatus in which the pressing force is adjusted according to the thickness of the microcapsule paper and the developed paper, the material is thin and there is no rigidity. The pressure in the pressure developing device was too high, causing tears and wrinkles. In the opposite case, the deformation of the base material itself of the developed paper and microcapsule paper,
The pressure was absorbed and the pressure was reduced, resulting in poor development.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has been developed for recording paper or photosensitive pressure-sensitive paper .
It is an object of the present invention to always set the pressing force in the pressurizing device to an optimum value based on the information on the combination of the thicknesses of the two sheets even if the thickness of either one or both changes due to the sheet exchange.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention employs a photosensitive device in which image information is converted into a latent image.
Adhere pressure-sensitive paper to recording paper and apply pressure with a pressure device
Image forming apparatus that makes a latent image visible on recording paper
A first step of inputting thickness information of the photosensitive pressure-sensitive paper .
Input means, said second input means for inputting the thickness information of the recording sheet, the first Symbol input thickness information of the inputted light-sensitive pressure-sensitive paper from the second input means from the input means <br /> includes a calculating means for calculating the pressure of the pressure device on the basis of the thickness the combination information of the thickness information of the recording sheet, and a pressure adjusting means for changing the pressure of the pressure device.

[0007]

According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention having the above-described structure,
First, thickness information of the photosensitive pressure-sensitive paper is in said first input means
Is input it, thickness information of the recording paper is the second
Is input by the input means. When a copy command is given to the image forming apparatus, the calculating means determines the thickness of the photosensitive pressure-sensitive paper.
Information and the thickness information of the recording paper.
And Zui, calculates the optimal pressure of the pressure device, the operation
The pressure adjusting means changes the pressing force of the pressurizing device according to the applied pressing force.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments that embody the present invention.

In the image forming apparatus of this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as a copying machine 1), as shown in FIG.
A photosensitive paper composed of a recording paper 28 (hereinafter referred to as a color developing paper) and a recording paper 28 (hereinafter referred to as a developing paper) is used.

Incidentally, microcapsules are coated on the surface of the support of the microcapsule paper 12 used in this embodiment, and a dye precursor or the like which reacts with a color developing agent described later is contained in the microcapsules. Is included. On the surface of the support of the color developing paper 28, a color developing agent is applied and a color is formed by reacting with a dye precursor.
4399209, etc., and are omitted here.

A platen glass 2 and a platen cover 3 are arranged on the upper part of the copying machine 1. A desired document 4 is laid down on the platen glass 2 and the platen cover 3 is closed.

A light source unit 5 including a halogen lamp 5a, a reflector 5b, a reflection mirror 8 and the like is provided along an axis 13 provided in parallel with the original table glass 2 below the original table glass 2 in the upper part of the copying machine 1. It is arranged to be able to reciprocate. The light source unit 5 irradiates light on the line toward the original platen glass 2 in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction. The irradiated light passes through the transparent platen glass 2 and is reflected downward by the document 4 placed thereon.

A mirror unit 9 having reflection mirrors 9a and 9b movably separate from the light source unit 5 is disposed below the platen glass 2. Light reflected from the document 4 is reflected by the reflection mirror. The light is reflected in the order of 8, 9a, and 9b and guided so as to be parallel to the moving direction of the light source unit 5.

A projection lens 7 and a filter 6 for adjusting the color tone of a copied image are provided below the platen glass 2. The light reflected by the reflection mirror 9b is projected onto the projection lens 7. The light enters the lens 7. The lens 7
Are reflected by the reflection mirror groups 10a and 10b.

An exposure table 11 for exposing the microcapsule paper 12 is disposed on the right side of the reflection mirror 10b. A reflection mirror 10c for switching an optical path is disposed between the reflection mirror 10b and the exposure table 11. Has been established. Image information on the document 4 is imaged on the microcapsule paper 12 arranged along the exposure table 11.

Although the reflecting mirrors 10a and 10b are normally fixed, they are set when the size of the latent image formed on the microcapsule paper 12 is enlarged or reduced, and the optical path is changed according to the change in the projection magnification m. In order to change the length, it is configured to be integrally movable in the axial direction of the shaft 13.

On the other hand, in the center of the copying machine 1, a cartridge 15 is provided, and a long microcapsule paper 12 is provided.
Is housed in a cartridge 15 that can be detached from the machine body while being wound around a cartridge shaft 14. With the cartridge 15 set at a predetermined position in the machine,
The leading end of the microcapsule paper 12 is pulled out toward the exposure table 11. Below the exposure table 11, a feed roller 19 and a dancer roller 21 for adjusting the tension are provided.

A pressure developing device 22 having a large-diameter roller 22a, a backup roller 22b, and a pressure roller 22c is disposed to the right of the dancer roller 21, and to the right of the pressure developing device 22 is described later. A separation roller 23 for separating the microcapsule paper 12 and the developing paper 28 that are closely adhered to each other is provided, and the microcapsule paper 12 is fitted between the separation roller 23 and the cartridge 15. A take-up shaft 24 for holding is provided.

An eccentric cam 67 is provided in the pressure developing device 22.
b, a pressure adjusting mechanism 67 composed of a bearing 67a and a bearing 67c. (See FIGS. 5 and 6).

The pressure developing device 22 includes blocks 65a and 65b connected by a support shaft 66. The block 65a includes a large-diameter roller 22a and a block 65b.
, A backup roller 22b and a pressure roller 22c are rotatably supported and arranged. A bearing 67c is fixed to the block 65a.
In addition, the blocks 65a, 65b, since rotatably mounted about the support shaft 66 can block 65b is relatively rotated with respect to block 65a, a large diameter low La 22a and the pressure low La The pressing force between 22c can be changed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the eccentric cam 67b
Bearings 67a are respectively mounted inside bearings 67c mounted on both sides of the outer bearing 67c.
And the inner bearing 67a
Is shifted by the amount of eccentricity D from the center of the shaft on which is mounted. Rotation of the eccentric cam 6 7b moves the bearing 67a is vertically eccentric by a motor (not shown) the cam 6 7b
And the rotation angle control to large diameter low la 22a of the pressure low La 2
The pressing force between 2c can be changed.

The microcapsule paper 12 coming out of the upper part of the cartridge 15 is guided by a tension roller 19,
After passing above the exposure table 11, it passes through a dancer roller 21 and a pressure developing device 22, is further guided by a separation roller 23, and is wound on a winding shaft 24. The unexposed microcapsule paper 12 after leaving the cartridge 15
The unexposed state is maintained by a light-shielding cover (not shown).

Below the pressure developing device 22, a developing paper 28
Is loaded. Above the paper feed cassette 29, a sucker-type paper feed mechanism 30 for adsorbing paper using negative pressure suction is provided.
Are taken out one by one by the paper feed mechanism 30. A feed guide 31 is provided between the paper feed mechanism 30 and the pressure developing device 22.
d, feed rollers 31a, 31b, 31c are provided.
It is conveyed by the feed guide 31d and is carried into the pressure developing device 22.

On the right side of the pressure developing device 22, a separation chute 27 described later is provided.
7 is provided with a heat fixing device 32, and on the right side of the heat fixing device 32 is provided a paper discharge tray 33 for storing the developed paper 28 on which an image is formed.

Further, the copying machine 1 has an auto-loading function for automatically setting the microcapsule paper 12 on a predetermined conveying path in the apparatus. This is a function of automatically pulling out the leader film portion 18 attached to the leading end portion of the microcapsule paper 12 into the device, transporting the inside of the device, and winding it around the winding shaft 24. Thus, the microcapsule paper 12 following the leader film section 18 is also wound around the winding shaft 24, and the setting in the apparatus is completed.

For automatic loading, a meniscus roller 17 between the roller 19 and the cartridge 15 is provided for pulling out the leader film portion 18, and a separation chute 27 for guiding to the winding shaft 24.
Are rotatably mounted. Around the take-up shaft 24, a maki guide guide 25 and a maki guide guide 26 are arranged for winding the leader film 18.

Further, a bar code label (not shown) on which various information of the microcapsule paper 12 is described is affixed to the leader film section 18. It can be read by the reader 50. On the operation panel of the copying machine 1, key switches 34a and 34b for selecting the thickness of the color developing paper 28 are provided as shown in FIG. The key switches 34a and 34b are used for the second input.
The CPU 60 comprises a CPU 60 as shown in FIG.
Is connected to the NVRAM 61 when the key switch 34a or 34b is pressed.
It is programmed to write which one is pressed in the NVRAM 61.

The NVRAM 61 is a nonvolatile RAM,
Even if the power is turned off, the written data is a RAM that does not lose data.

The CPU 60 includes a bar code reader 50.
Is also programmed to write data read by the barcode reader 50 to the NVRAM 61.

Next, the operation of the copying machine 1 will be described.

When the cartridge 15 is set in the copying machine 1, the automatic loading starts.

The half-moon roller 17 rotates once to several times in the transport direction only at the start of auto-loading, and sends out the leader film section 18 to the roller 20. Thereafter, it stops and the subsequent conveyance is performed by driving the roller 20.

A bar code label (not shown) is attached to the leader film section 18, and the bar code reader 50 functions as a first input means.
Then, various information (data such as paper thickness, type of photosensitive material, temperature compensation, etc.) of the microcapsule paper 12 is read from a barcode label (not shown), and the CPU 60 reads the data into N
Write to VRAM61. Taking the paper thickness data as an example, when the microcapsule paper 12 is thick (30 μm), N
Turn on the YMH flag in the VRAM 61,
μm), the YMH flag is turned off.

The guide guide 25, the guide guide 26, and the separation chute 27 rotate to the position shown by the dashed line, and take up the leader film 18 attached to the leading end of the microcapsule paper 12 to the take-up shaft 24. When the auto-loading winding around the
5, the return guide guide 26 and the separation chute 27 return to the positions indicated by the solid lines, and copying is possible.

When the user replaces the developing paper 28,
The user selects and presses the key switches 34a and 34b depending on whether the color developing paper 28 is thick or thin. The CPU 60 determines which of the key switches 34a and 34b has been pressed, and writes the data into the NVRAM 61. That is, if the color developing paper 28 is thick (120 μm), the NVRAM
Turn ON the KH flag in 61, K (75μm) if thin
Turn off the H flag.

When the copy start key is operated, the reflecting mirror 8 and the halogen lamp 5 move at a moving speed of 1 when the conveying speed of the microcapsule paper 12 is V and the projection magnification is m.
/ MV, and the reflecting mirrors 9a and 9b move at a moving speed of 1 / mV.
Move at 2 mV.

Since the transport speed of the microcapsule paper 12 is synchronized with the moving speed of the mirror group 8, 9a, 9b as described above, the predetermined amount of the original 4 is applied to the microcapsule paper 12 when passing through the exposure table 11. The latent images of the lines are sequentially formed. The predetermined speed ratio is based on a set value of the magnification,
It is predetermined.

Microcapsule paper 12 on which latent image is formed
Is transported, and the uppermost color developing paper 28 of the paper feed cassette 29 is transported by the paper feed mechanism 30, the feed rollers 31a, 31b, 31c and the like.

The microcapsule paper 12 and the developing paper 28 are supplied to the pressure developing device 22 in a tightly integrated state, and the surface of the microcapsule 12 on which the latent image of the microcapsule paper 12 is formed and the developing paper 28 The developer application surface is sandwiched between the large-diameter roller 22a and the pressure roller 22c in a state where the surface is in contact with the inside, and pressure is applied.

Here, the CPU 60 reads out the data relating to the thickness of the microcapsule paper 12 and the developed paper 28 from the NVRAM 61, and determines the pressure of the pressure developing device 22 according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, the YMH flag in the NVRAM 61 is set to O
N, and then check whether the KH flag is ON. As a result, four types of pressures are set, which correspond to the combination of the thickness of the microcapsule paper 12 and the color developing paper 28. The pressure A is 30 μm for the microcapsule paper 12 and the color developing paper 28 Is the optimum pressure when the pressure is 75 μm.
2 is the optimal pressure value when the color paper 28 is 30 μm and the color developing paper 28 is 120 μm. Similarly, the pressing force C is set at
2 is 15 μm and the developing paper 28 is 120 μm, and the pressure D is 15 μm for the microcapsule paper 12.
This is the optimum pressure when the color paper 28 is 75 μm.
When these pressure values are determined, a motor (not shown) rotates the eccentric cam 66 by a predetermined amount, and the bearing 67c is fixed to the block 65a.
Moves up and down, and the block 65b in contact with the bearing 67a is pivoted about the pivot 66 accordingly.

Since the pressure roller 22c and the backup roller 22b are rotatably supported by the block 65b, they rotate together with the block 65b to form the large-diameter roller 22a.
And the pressing force between the pressing rollers 22c is changed to a desired value. The unexposed microcapsules are destroyed by this pressure, and an image is formed on the developing paper 28.

After the microcapsule paper 12 and the color developing paper 28 coming out of the pressure developing device 22 are separated by the separation roller 23, the color developing paper 28 is separated from the heat roller 3 of the heat fixing device 32.
After an image is formed by promoting color development by 2a, it is carried out to the paper discharge tray 33 by the paper discharge roller 32b. still,
The separated microcapsule paper 12 is separated by a separation roller 23e.
Is wound up on the winding shaft 24.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, the first input means or the second input means
As a specific example of the force means, for example, without providing a selection button for thick and thin developed paper 28 on the panel, the paper supply cassette 29 for storing the developed paper 28 is formed in a shape corresponding to the thickness of the developed paper 28; When the paper cassette 29 containing the developed paper 28 is placed on a paper tray (not shown), the thickness of the developed paper 28 may be automatically selected by a switch. A device for measuring the thickness of the color-developed paper 28 may be provided on the transport path of the color paper 28 to check the thickness of the color paper 28 one by one. Further, not only the selection switch for the thick / thin color paper 28 but also the selection button for the thick / thin microcapsule paper 12 may be provided on the panel. When a barcode label or the like is not attached to the microcapsule paper 12,
A switch set by the user is provided when the microcapsule paper 12 is replaced, and the microcapsule paper 12 is replaced when the microcapsule paper 12 is replaced.
May be set. Furthermore, not only thick and thin, but also the value of the thickness of the paper is determined, and if the pressing force is calculated in the determination routine, there is an effect that it is possible to cope with the supply of the developing paper of various thicknesses.

[0046]

As is clear from the above description,
According to the present invention, either recording paper or photosensitive pressure-sensitive paper
Even if either one or both thicknesses change due to paper exchange, there is an effect that the pressing force in the pressurizing device can be optimized based on the thickness combination information of the two papers .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic center sectional view of an example of a copying machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a keyboard panel.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a microcomputer of the example of the copying machine.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for determining a pressing force.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a pressure developing device.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a pressure adjusting mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Copier 12 microcapsule paper 22 Pressure developing device 28 Developed color paper 30 Paper feed mechanism 32 Thermal fixing device 34a Key switch 34b Key switch 50 Barcode reader 60 CPU 61 NVRAM

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A photosensitive pressure-sensitive paper in which image information is converted into a latent image and recording.
By contacting the paper and applying pressure with a pressure device,
In an image forming apparatus for developing a latent image on recording paper, thickness information of the photosensitive pressure-sensitive paper is provided.Input means for inputting
Inputting the thickness information of the recording paperSecondAnd input means ofFirstLight-sensitive pressure-sensitive paper input from input meansThickness
And input from the second input means.Recording paper thickness
informationBased on the thickness combination information withPressurization of the pressurizing device
Calculating means for calculating the force;Said Pressure adjusting means for changing the pressing force of the pressurizing device.
e,The pressing force calculated based on the thickness combination information
hand The pressure adjusting means changes the pressing force of the pressurizing device.
An image forming apparatus characterized in that: