JPH0720754A - Image support playback device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily remove toner images and to prevent the damage to paper fibers due to image peeling by having a means of lowering the binding strength between the toner images and an image substrate as a pretreating means of the means for removing and peeling the toner images. CONSTITUTION:This reproducing device has the means for easily peeling the toner images from the image substrate by lowering the fixing power of the toners t the image substrate as the pretreatment of the means for removing and peeling the toner images. This means include, for example, a means for lowering the fixing power by the ruggedness of the paper fibers and the anchor effect of the toners by parting and weakening the paper fibers. Such means is exemplified by a means of using a roller 1 having ruggedness or knurling blade edge and moving the roller 1 perpendicularly and/or parallel to or with the plane 2 of the paper. Such roller 1 includes a metallic roller having micropatterns formed on its surface. All the toner images are easily removed from the paper if a tape peeling test is carried out to the paper subjected to such treatment.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image support on which a toner image is formed, and more particularly to a reproduction device for image support paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Due to recent OA, printer paper and copying paper have come to be used in large quantities. As a result, the problem of deteriorating the global environment due to deforestation has become a problem. Conventionally, to solve this problem, there is no alternative but to remove the ink or the like on the used paper, crush it, and then reuse it to recycle it to waste paper. However, recently, a method has been developed in which a character image on a used paper can be removed by cleaning and reused for copying or printing. For example, as such a method, the present applicant cools and solidifies the toner that is melted and softened when the toner image reaches the glass transition point or higher by heating the toner image, and makes the cohesive force between the toners high. A toner peeling method and a device for peeling from the image support without causing the toner to split have been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-333088). However, in the above method, the principle of transferring the toner image to the offset roller having a smaller critical surface tension than that of the image support is used. However, when the heat resistant sheet is separated from the image support, the image support is an OHP film. In such a case, there is no problem because the film has sufficient strength, but when the image support is paper, the strength is insufficient and the paper itself is torn or becomes extremely thin. Further, the applicant has proposed a method of mechanically scraping a toner image from paper. However, according to this method, the height of the toner image on the paper surface is usually as small as 10 to 16 μm, the thickness of the paper is usually as thin as 70 to 110 μm, and the stiffness and rigidity are small, so that the toner image is mechanically formed on the paper surface. With the method of shaving from
There is a risk of scraping the paper itself.

[0003]

An object of the present invention is to provide means for reducing the binding force between the toner image and the image support as a pretreatment means for removing and peeling the toner image in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems. Another object of the present invention is to provide a reproducing device for an image support.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in a reproducing device for an image support having a means for removing and peeling a toner image formed on an image support, the image supporting body is subjected to pretreatment as a means for removing and peeling the toner image. It is characterized by having means for lowering the fixing power of the toner and for easily peeling the toner image from the image support. Examples of means for reducing the fixing power of the toner image on the image support include the following.

(1) There is a means for cutting the paper fibers to weaken them to lower the fixing force due to the unevenness of the paper fibers and the anchor effect of the toner. As such means, for example, 10 μ
An example of the roller is a roller having an irregularity of m or less or a knurled blade edge, and the roller can be moved vertically and / or parallel to the paper surface (see FIG. 1). As such a roller, there is a metal roller having a micropattern formed on the surface thereof so as to have a trapezoidal blade having a pitch of 10 μm and a height of 5 μm. A tape peeling test was conducted on the paper treated as described above, and it was found that all the toner images could be easily removed from the paper.

(2) There is a means for raising the toner image above the surface of the image support. As such a means, for example, there is a method of heating and melting the toner image and then rapidly cooling the toner image to make the toner image spherical or increase the particle size [see (a) and (b) of FIG. 2]. . As an example of such a method, for example, when the toner image is heated and melted from both sides without being pressed and rapidly cooled, the toner image changes into a nearly spherical shape due to the surface tension of the binder resin in the toner image. It is possible to reduce the adhesion area between the image and the image support and make it easier to separate the two. In addition, by heating the toner image, suctioning the toner image from above the image support in a molten state, applying fluid from the back surface of the image support, or employing a processing means combining both of them, the toner image can be formed into an image. It can be raised above the surface of the support so as to be more easily peeled off. The fluid applied from the surface of the paper is preferably an air flow, but is not limited to this. In particular, by using a thermal fluid as such a fluid, the toner image can be melted and the toner image can be raised at the same time even if the toner image is not already in a molten state (see FIG. 5). In this case, the temperature of the hot fluid is preferably 80 ° C or higher. Furthermore, by utilizing the fact that a toner image heated and melted is charged to +, an external force is applied to the melted toner image by applying an electric field or a magnetic field as in the case of the above-mentioned suction or heat flow application. In the same manner, the toner image can be raised in a form that allows easy peeling (see FIG. 4). In the case shown in FIG. 4, the toner image is raised against the force of gravity, but if the processing is performed with the toner surface facing downward, in addition to the electric field or magnetic field, gravity also helps to separate the toner image more easily. It can be raised to any shape.

Since the adhesion between the toner image and the image support is reduced by adopting the means for reducing the binding force between the toner image and the image support as described above, a cutter blade as an image peeling means, Even if a mechanical scraping process using a brush, cloth, emery paper, or the like is adopted, the process can be easily performed under a small pressure, so that the paper can be prevented from being damaged. In addition, as a toner image peeling means,
Even when using an offset roller that heat-melts and reverse-transfers the toner image, the adhesion between the toner image and the image support decreases, so remove the toner image efficiently under a small pressure. You can

In the present invention, the image support means paper, and at least a part of the support is composed of paper (for example,
A laminate of paper and a plastic film) and a plastic sheet or film. However, it is particularly effective for paper that is easily damaged by the toner image peeling means as described above.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image support remanufacturing apparatus capable of easily removing a toner image and preventing damage to a paper fiber due to image peeling.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an operation of dividing a paper fiber by a roller having fine irregularities on its surface.

FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an operation of heating and melting a toner image and then rapidly cooling the toner image to make the toner image spherical. (B) It is a figure which shows another embodiment of the spherical operation of said (a).

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a heat melting process of a toner image.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation of applying an electric field to a heat-melted toner image to make the toner image spherical.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the same behavior of a toner image on a heating wire mesh as a toner image by applying a thermal fluid to the paper surface on which the toner image is formed from the back side of the paper surface on which the toner image is formed. (A) shows the case where the paper surface on which the toner image is formed faces upward, and (b) shows the case where the paper surface on which the toner image is formed faces downward.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Roller having a fine uneven surface 2 Paper 3 Heat 4 Cooling medium blow-out tube 5 Toner image 6 Melted and softened toner image 7 Spheroidized toner image 8 High greenhouse 9 Low greenhouse 10 Heat-toned toner image 11 Hot air

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A reproducing device for an image support having a means for removing and peeling a toner image formed on an image support, wherein the toner image and the image support are used as a pretreatment means for the means for removing and peeling the toner image. An apparatus for reproducing an image support, comprising a means for reducing the bonding force between the bodies. 2. The apparatus for reproducing an image support according to claim 1, wherein the means for reducing the binding force between the toner image and the image support is a means for separating at least a part of the paper fibers constituting the image support. . 3. A reproducing apparatus for an image support according to claim 1, wherein the means for reducing the binding force between the toner image and the image support is a means for raising the toner image above the surface of the image support. 4. The means for raising the toner image above the surface of the image support is a means for heating, melting and rapidly cooling and solidifying the toner image to make the toner image spherical or increase the particle size. Image support playback device. 5. The means for raising the toner image above the surface of the image support has a function of absorbing the toner image from above the surface of the image support, applying a fluid from the back of the image support, or both while heating and melting the toner image. The apparatus for reproducing an image support according to claim 3, which is a means for using together. 6. A means for elevating the toner image above the image support surface applies thermal fluid from the back side of the image support paper,
4. The image supporting device reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the toner image is heated and melted and the molten toner image is raised at the same time. 7. A reproducing apparatus for an image support according to claim 3, wherein the means for raising the toner image above the surface of the image support is a means for applying an electric field or a magnetic field while the toner image is heated and melted.