Antibacterial agent coating apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an antibacterial agent coating apparatus capable of applying an antibacterial liquid containing an inorganic antibacterial agent at an appropriate concentration to printed materials.SOLUTION: An antibacterial agent coating apparatus comprises: a detachable storage tank 11 for storing an antibacterial liquid AW; an antibacterial agent coating unit 2 that applies the antibacterial liquid AW, supplied from the storage tank 11, onto a surface of a printed matter being conveyed; and a magnetic stirrer 13 that stirs the antibacterial liquid AW in the storage tank 11. The magnetic stirrer 13 includes a rotor 33 retained inside the storage tank 11, and a holding member that holds the rotor 33 at a predetermined position while allowing the antibacterial liquid to flow both inside and outside of the holding member itself. The magnetic stirrer 13 stirs the antibacterial liquid AW in the storage tank 11 by rotating the rotor 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an antibacterial agent application device and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a post-processing device has been proposed that is capable of applying an antibacterial agent diluted with water to the surface of a printed material using a roller while the paper is being transported (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-70377 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, silver-based inorganic antibacterial agents are widely used to keep objects clean. Compared to organic antibacterial agents, inorganic antibacterial agents have a longer-lasting antibacterial effect and are safer. Inorganic antibacterial agents also have the advantage of being less susceptible to UV (ultraviolet) rays. For this reason, there is a demand for them to be usable as antibacterial agents for printed materials printed using image processing devices. However, inorganic antibacterial agents are water-insoluble, and therefore, if left in a tank for a long period of time, the antibacterial agent is likely to settle, resulting in an unstable concentration of the antibacterial agent. To solve this problem, it is conceivable to install an agitating screw or the like inside the tank. However, this type of configuration is difficult to adopt because it requires inserting a screw shaft inside and outside the tank, which significantly increases costs. Therefore, further improvements are required.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and aims to provide an antibacterial agent application device and an image forming apparatus that can apply an antibacterial liquid containing an inorganic antibacterial agent at an appropriate concentration to printed matter while suppressing increases in costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above-mentioned problems of the present invention can be solved by the following configuration. (1) An antibacterial agent application device having a detachably attached storage tank for storing antibacterial liquid, an application unit for applying the antibacterial liquid supplied from the storage tank to the surface of a printed material being transported, a rotor held inside the storage tank, a holding member for holding the rotor in a predetermined position and allowing the antibacterial liquid to flow inside and outside the rotor, and a magnetic agitator for rotating the rotor to agitate the antibacterial liquid in the storage tank. (2) The antibacterial agent application device according to (1), wherein a plurality of the rotors are provided in the storage tank. (3) An antibacterial agent application device according to (1), in which a pair of rotors are provided in the storage tank, and a linear partition is provided between the rotors to separate the forward and return paths. (4) An antibacterial agent application device as described in (3), wherein the partition is an inclined partition having an inclination angle along the direction connecting the tangents of the outer diameter of the rotor so that the ends of the forward and return paths are narrower. (5) The antibacterial application device according to (1), wherein the magnetic agitator rotates for a predetermined time from the start of rotation control of the rotor, based on the amount of precipitation expected depending on the time of leaving the device. (6) An antibacterial application device as described in (1), comprising a concentration sensor installed at the bottom of the storage tank and a control unit that controls the drive of the magnetic agitator based on the concentration detection result by the concentration sensor. (7) The control unit of the antibacterial agent application device described in (6) starts the rotation of the rotor by driving the magnetic agitator when the value of the concentration sensor installed at the bottom of the tank becomes equal to or greater than a first reference value, and stops the rotation when the value becomes equal to or less than a second reference value. (8) The antibacterial agent application device according to (1), wherein the type of antibacterial agent is a water-insoluble inorganic antibacterial agent such as a silver-based, copper-based, or zinc-based agent. (9) An image forming apparatus including the antibacterial agent application device according to any one of (1) to (8). [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, an antibacterial liquid containing an inorganic antibacterial agent at an appropriate concentration can be applied to a printed material while suppressing increases in costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of an image generating apparatus having an antibacterial agent application device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of an antibacterial agent application device according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the antibacterial agent application device of the first embodiment taken along line III-III in FIG. 4. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a main part of the antibacterial agent application device of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the antibacterial agent application device of the second embodiment taken along line VV in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the main parts of an antibacterial agent application device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the antibacterial agent application device of the third embodiment taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the main parts of an antibacterial agent application device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a table showing the relationship between the time the antibacterial agent application device is left standing and the time of stirring. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the control of the agitator of the antibacterial agent application device. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing control by a concentration sensor in the antibacterial agent application device. [Figure 12] 10 is a graph showing concentration conditions under which the agitator of the antibacterial agent application device is turned on. [Figure 13]10 is a graph showing concentration conditions under which the agitator of the antibacterial agent application device is turned off. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, an antibacterial agent is applied to paper P as a recording medium, thereby imparting antibacterial properties to the paper P.

[0011] 1 shows an image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. The image forming apparatus 100 is mainly composed of an image forming unit 1, an antibacterial agent application unit 2, and a paper discharge unit 3, which are connected from the upstream side along the transport direction S of the paper P. Then, the surface of the paper P printed by the image forming unit 1 is coated with antibacterial liquid AW by the antibacterial agent coating unit 2. The paper P conveyed out of the antibacterial agent coating unit 2 is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 4 of the paper discharge unit 3 via a bookbinding unit or the like optionally connected in the conveying direction S.

[0012] The image forming unit 1 is an intermediate transfer type image forming unit that utilizes electrophotographic process technology. That is, the image forming unit 1 performs primary transfer of toner images of each color (Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, and K) formed on a photosensitive drum onto an intermediate transfer belt (not shown). When single-color or multiple-color toner images are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt, secondary transfer is performed onto a sheet of paper P delivered from a paper feed tray 5, forming an image. At this time, the image formed by secondary transfer is printed on one or both sides of the sheet of paper P by operating the liquid crystal panel 6, etc. Also, an antibacterial agent application mode in which an antibacterial agent is applied to the surface of the printed sheet of paper P can be selected by operating the liquid crystal panel 6. Then, the paper P that has been printed is transported from the image forming unit 1 toward the antibacterial agent application unit 2.

[0013] The antibacterial agent application unit 2 according to this embodiment applies antibacterial liquid AW to the surface of the paper P as it is conveyed from the image forming unit 1. For this purpose, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 includes a storage tank 11, an application unit 12, and a magnetic agitator 13. The storage tank 11 is detachably attached to the unit body 10, which is a box-shaped housing, and stores an antibacterial liquid AW containing an antibacterial agent. The application unit 12 also applies the antibacterial liquid AW supplied from the storage tank 11 to the surface of the paper P being conveyed.

[0014] The antibacterial agent in the first embodiment is an inorganic antibacterial agent, which is water-insoluble silver ions (Ag+). The inorganic antibacterial agent is diluted with water, alcohol, or the like to form antibacterial liquid AW. This antibacterial liquid AW is then stored in the storage tank 11. Hereinafter, the application of such antibacterial liquid AW will also be referred to as the "process of applying an antibacterial agent." The type of antibacterial agent may be a water-insoluble inorganic antibacterial agent such as a silver-based, copper-based, or zinc-based agent.

[0015] The magnetic agitator 13 is provided on the bottom 11a of the storage tank 11. The magnetic agitator 13 rotates a permanent magnet (not shown), thereby rotating a plurality of rotors 33 held by a holding member 36 inside the storage tank 11. The rotor 33 is made of a spindle-shaped magnetic material. The rotor 33 is disposed at a predetermined position inside the bottom 11a of the storage tank 11. The rotor 33 is aligned along the inner wall surface with its longitudinal axis oriented horizontally. The rotor 33 is rotatable within a rotation plane parallel to the inner wall surface.

[0016] The magnetic agitator 13 is provided in the unit body 10 below the storage tank 11 and is disposed outside the bottom 11a. The magnetic agitator 13 rotates the rotary shaft of the built-in rotary motor 35 by controlled driving. A permanent magnet capable of magnetically attracting the rotor 33 is attached to the rotary shaft. When the permanent magnet magnetically attracts the rotor 33 via the bottom 11a, the rotor 33 rotates in a rotation plane parallel to the bottom surface as the rotary shaft rotates. Therefore, the magnetic agitator 13 can rotate the rotor 33 inside the storage tank 11 by driving the rotary shaft of the rotary motor 35 to rotate. Therefore, the magnetic agitator 13 can rotate the rotor 33 inside the storage tank 11 to agitate the antibacterial solution AW even if the rotary motor 35 outside the storage tank 11 is not mechanically connected.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the magnetic stirrer 13 of the first embodiment is provided with a pair of stirrer bodies 34 on the left and right.

[0018] The holding member 36 has a cage-shaped cover 37 that is installed for each rotor 33. The cover 37 is inverted, with the cage-shaped bottom surface facing up, and has a plurality of insertion holes 38, shown by phantom lines in FIG. 4, formed on the top surface. Note that the top surface is shown by phantom lines here for the purpose of explaining the rotor 33 inside. Furthermore, a plurality of vertical groove-like slits 39 are formed on the outer periphery of the cover 37 over the entire periphery. Furthermore, the lower peripheral edge of the cover 37 is fixed to the bottom portion 11a.

[0019] These multiple insertion holes 38 and slits 39 allow the antibacterial liquid AW to flow between the inside and outside of the cover 37 itself. That is, the rotor 33 agitates the antibacterial solution AW inside the cover 37 while being covered from above by the cover 37 through rotation. The stirred antibacterial liquid AW flows out from the insertion holes 38 and the slits 39 toward the outside of the cover 37. Furthermore, depending on the amount of antibacterial liquid AW flowing out from the inside of the cover 37, the antibacterial liquid AW on the outside of the cover 37 flows into the inside of the cover 37 from the insertion holes 38 and the slits 39. As a result, by driving the magnetic agitator 13, the antibacterial liquid AW on the outside of the cover 37 is agitated in the storage tank 11 while being replaced with the antibacterial liquid AW around the rotor 33 via the insertion hole 38 and the slit 39.

[0020] The application unit 12 of the first embodiment has an upper application roller 14 and a lower application roller 15, which are made of a porous material and hold the antibacterial solution AW. Of these, the upper application roller 14 is disposed above the transport path of the paper P. The upper application roller 14 applies an antibacterial agent to the upper surface of the paper P using the antibacterial liquid AW supplied from the upper tray 20. The lower application roller 15 is disposed below the conveyance path of the paper P. When the paper P passes between the lower application roller 15 and the upper application roller 14, the lower application roller 15 applies the antibacterial liquid AW supplied from the storage tank 11 to the underside of the paper P.

[0021] The upper tray 20 is a water tank that stores the antibacterial liquid AW, and is located above the paper P and behind the upper application roller 14. Hereinafter, the conveying direction S of the paper P will also be referred to as the "forward direction." The storage tank 11 is a water tank that stores the antibacterial liquid AW, and is located below the paper P. The amount of liquid stored in the upper tray 20 and the storage tank 11 is kept appropriate by the water pump 30, the first liquid circulation path 31, and the second liquid circulation path 32.

[0022] The water pump 30 of the first embodiment is provided at the bottom 11a of the storage tank 11. The water pump 30 can pump the antibacterial solution AW in the storage tank 11 to the upper tray 20 by driving a pump motor (not shown). That is, the first liquid circulation path 31 supplies the antibacterial solution AW discharged from the water pump 30 to the upper tray 20. When the antibacterial agent application unit 2 enters a warm-up state for operation, the water pump 30 starts to operate and supply the antibacterial liquid AW to an appropriate amount in the upper tray 20. Furthermore, while the antibacterial agent application unit 2 is operating, the water pump 30 continues to supply the antibacterial liquid AW to maintain the appropriate amount in the upper tray 20. When the antibacterial agent application unit 2 stops applying the antibacterial liquid AW, the pump motor is controlled to stop driving, and the antibacterial liquid AW is no longer supplied to the upper tray 20. Furthermore, the antibacterial liquid AW remaining on the upper tray 20 flows down from the second liquid circulation path 32 into the storage tank 11 and is returned to the storage tank 11 .

[0023] Furthermore, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 passes the paper P transported from the image forming unit 1 between the upper application roller 14 and the lower application roller 15. The antibacterial agent application unit 2 is configured to convey the paper P, the surface of which has been coated with the antibacterial liquid AW, toward the paper discharge tray 4 of the paper discharge unit 3 shown in FIG.

[0024] Next, the function and effect of the antibacterial agent application device of the first embodiment will be described. In the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 is provided downstream of the image forming unit 1 in the conveying direction S of the paper P. As shown in FIG. 2, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 according to this embodiment is provided with a pair of upper and lower application rollers 14 and 15, one above the other, with the transport path for the paper P sandwiched therebetween. Of these, the upper applying roller 14 rotates clockwise using the driving force of a drive motor (not shown) or the like. The rotational force of the upper applying roller 14 is transmitted to the upper supply roller 16, the intermediate roller 17, and the scooping roller 18 in this order. As a result, the draw-up roller 131 rotates counterclockwise by the transmitted rotational driving force, and can draw up the antibacterial solution AW from the upper tray 20.

[0025] The antibacterial liquid AW drawn up from the upper tray 20 is supplied in this order to a draw-up roller 18, an intermediate roller 17, an upper supply roller 16 and an upper application roller 14, and is applied to the upper surface of the paper P being conveyed. The antibacterial agent application unit 2 of the first embodiment has an upper draining roller 19. The upper draining roller 19 comes into contact with the upper supply roller 16 and can remove a portion of the antibacterial solution AW held on the surface thereof.

[0026] The lower supply roller 26 is disposed between the lower application roller 15 and the storage tank 11. The lower application roller 15 is a drive roller that rotates counterclockwise using the driving force of a drive motor (not shown) or the like. The lower supply roller 26 is disposed with a portion thereof immersed in the storage tank 11. The lower supply roller 26 is rotated clockwise by the rotational driving force transmitted from the lower application roller 15, and draws up the antibacterial solution AW from the storage tank 11.

[0027] The lower supply roller 26 supplies the pumped antibacterial liquid AW to the lower application roller 15. The lower application roller 15 applies the antibacterial liquid AW from the lower supply roller 26 to the lower surface of the paper P. The antibacterial agent application unit 2 of the first embodiment has a lower draining roller 27. The lower draining roller 27 comes into contact with the lower supply roller 26, removes a portion of the antibacterial liquid AW held on the surface, and collects it in a collection tray 28.

[0028] In the antibacterial agent application unit 2 according to this embodiment, the rotor 33 rotates when the magnetic agitator 13 is rotationally driven, and the antibacterial solution AW in the storage tank 11 is agitated. 3, the concentration of the antibacterial liquid AW can be made uniform without the antibacterial agent A remaining at the bottom 11a of the storage tank 11. Therefore, the concentration of the antibacterial agent in the antibacterial liquid AW applied to the lower surface of the paper P by the lower application roller 15 is stable. The antibacterial liquid AW in the storage tank 11 is pumped up to the upper tray 20 by the driving of the water pump 30, and is applied to the upper surface of the paper P being conveyed. As a result, the antibacterial liquid AW with a uniform concentration is applied to the upper surface of the paper P.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, in the image forming apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 is provided downstream of the image forming unit 1 in the conveyance direction S of the paper P. Therefore, the water or alcohol solution portion of the antibacterial liquid AW applied to the paper P evaporates due to residual heat during image formation. At this time, the antibacterial liquid AW also functions as a humidifying liquid, and can suppress deformation of the paper P (curling and waviness). Therefore, the antibacterial agent can be evenly applied to both the top and bottom surfaces of the paper P. The paper P is then discharged from the antibacterial agent application unit 2 to the paper discharge tray 4 of the paper discharge unit 3. The inorganic antibacterial agent is uniformly applied and adhered to the surface of the paper P. Therefore, the antibacterial action of the antibacterial agent can keep the paper P clean.

[0030] Furthermore, when the storage tank 11 is removed from the unit body 10 during maintenance such as refilling with antibacterial solution AW, the rotor 33 separates from the rotary motor 35 of the magnetic agitator 13 that remains on the unit body 10. As a result, the magnetic force that had magnetically attracted the rotor 33 inside the storage tank 11 no longer acts on the rotor 33, which could cause it to move within the storage tank 11.

[0031] The antibacterial agent application unit 2 of the first embodiment is provided with a holding member 36 that covers the rotor 33. The lower peripheral edge of a cover 37 provided on the holding member 36 is fixed to the inner upper surface of the bottom 11a. Therefore, the rotor 33 covered by the cover 37 is prevented from moving outside the cover 37. Therefore, even if the rotor 33 moves from a predetermined position, it is held inside the cover 37. Then, when the storage tank 11 is attached to the unit body 10 again, the rotor 33 held inside the cover 37 is present within the range of the magnetic force of the rotating shaft of the rotary motor 35. Therefore, the rotor 33 is magnetically attached to the rotating shaft again and can return to the predetermined position where it can rotate. In this way, the antibacterial agent application device of the first embodiment can hold the rotor 33 in a desired position by using the holding member 36, even if the magnetic agitator 13 is not mechanically connected to the rotor 33.

[0032] In this way, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 of the first embodiment employs the magnetic agitator 13, thereby eliminating the need to provide an agitation screw or the like that penetrates the inside and outside of the storage tank 11. Therefore, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 of the first embodiment can apply the antibacterial liquid AW containing an inorganic antibacterial agent at an appropriate concentration to printed matter while suppressing increases in costs.

[0033] 5 and 6 show an antibacterial agent application unit 202 of the second embodiment. Note that the same or equivalent parts as those of the antibacterial agent application unit 2 of the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals. In addition to the configuration of the antibacterial agent application unit 2, the antibacterial agent application unit 202 of the second embodiment further includes a plate-shaped partition 240 between a pair of rotors 33 provided in the storage tank 211. The partition 240 is provided linearly to separate an outward path 241 and a return path 242 in which the antibacterial solution AW flows in opposite directions.

[0034] The antibacterial agent application unit 202 of the second embodiment configured as above exhibits the following effects in addition to the effects of the first embodiment. That is, the linear partition 240 provided in the storage tank 211 allows the antibacterial solution AW to flow in one direction by looping the outward path 241 and the return path 242 in opposite directions. Therefore, the antibacterial solution AW in the storage tank 11 is more efficiently agitated with less stagnation and turbulence. Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the antibacterial agent application unit 2 of the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0035] 7 and 8 show the configuration of an antibacterial agent application unit 302 of the third embodiment. Note that the same or equivalent parts as those of the antibacterial agent application unit 2 of the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals. Here, the same or equivalent parts as those of the antibacterial agent application units 2 and 202 of the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the explanation will focus on the different parts.

[0036] The antibacterial agent application unit 302 of the third embodiment has an inclined partition 340 provided between a pair of rotors 33 provided in a storage tank 311. As shown in Fig. 8, the inclined partition 340 is disposed at an angle within the storage tank 311 along a direction connecting tangent lines L of the outer rotational diameters of the rotors 33. The inclined partition 340 forms a terminal end 343 of the outgoing path 341 and a terminal end 344 of the return path 342 so that they gradually narrow downstream.

[0037] The antibacterial agent application unit 302 of the third embodiment configured as above has the following effects in addition to the effects of the antibacterial agent application unit 202 of the second embodiment. That is, within the storage tank 311, the end 343 of the outgoing path 341 and the end 344 of the return path 342 are configured to gradually narrow toward the downstream. This increases the flow rate of the antibacterial solution AW passing through the terminal end 343 of the outward path 341 and the terminal end 344 of the return path 342. This reduces the accumulation of the antibacterial solution AW at the four corners of the storage tank 311, allowing for more efficient agitation.

[0038] 9, in the antibacterial application unit 302, the control unit 350 controls the rotation of the rotor 33 based on a table value of the stirring time (sec) corresponding to the preset leaving time (h). This allows the magnetic stirrer 13 to rotate the rotor 33 for a predetermined time from the start of the rotation control of the rotor 33. In other words, the amount of antibacterial agent that is expected to precipitate based on the leaving time (h) can be sufficiently stirred, and the concentration of the antibacterial agent in the antibacterial solution AW can be made uniform. In this way, the control unit 350 increases or decreases the stirring time depending on the precipitation of the antibacterial agent, thereby improving the driving efficiency.

[0039] For example, the rotor 33 can be controlled based on table values ​​as shown in the flowchart of FIG. The control unit 350 starts control. In step S1, the control unit 350 determines whether or not the antibacterial agent application mode is selected. If the antibacterial agent application mode is selected in step S1 (YES in step S1), the process proceeds to step S2, where the control unit 350 starts warming up. If the antibacterial agent application mode is not selected in step S1 (NO in step S1), the process proceeds to step S8, where the control unit 350 starts printing.

[0040] When the control unit 350 starts warming up in step S2, in step S3, the control unit 350 checks the stop time, i.e., the standing time (h) shown in Fig. 9. In step S4, the control unit 350 determines the stirring time (sec) according to the checked standing time (h).

[0041] After the control unit 350 starts stirring in step S5, when the determined stirring time has elapsed, the control unit 350 stops the rotation of the rotor 33 and ends stirring in step S6. Upon completion of the warm-up in step S7, the control unit 350 starts printing on the paper P in step S8. As a result, in printing performed in the antibacterial agent application mode, the antibacterial liquid AW is applied to the surface of the paper P at a uniform concentration by stirring, and printing ends.

[0042] Moreover, the antibacterial agent application unit 302 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 may include a concentration sensor 351 and a control unit 350 connected to the concentration sensor 351. The concentration sensor 351 is installed at the bottom inside the storage tank 311. The concentration sensor 351 can detect the concentration of the antibacterial agent in the antibacterial solution AW stored in the storage tank 311.

[0043] The control unit 350 controls the driving of the rotary motor 35 of the magnetic stirrer 13 based on the concentration detection result by the concentration sensor 351. In the control unit 350, an arbitrary first reference value and a second reference value are set in advance. When the value of the concentration sensor 351 installed in the lower part of the storage tank 311 becomes equal to or greater than the first reference value as shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 350 is turned ON to start the rotation of the rotary motor 35. 12, when the value of the density sensor 351 falls below a second reference value, the control unit 350 turns off the rotary motor 35 and stops the rotation of the rotary motor 35. The first reference value is set to be larger than the second reference value. The difference between the first reference value and the second reference value is set arbitrarily, making it possible to adjust the timing of switching the rotary motor 35 on and off.

[0044] For example, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13, the rotor 33 can be controlled based on the concentration of the antibacterial agent in the antibacterial solution AW. The control unit 350 starts control. In step S11, the control unit 350 determines whether or not the antibacterial agent application mode is selected. If the antibacterial agent application mode is selected in step S11 (YES in step S11), the process proceeds to step S12 to determine the drive state of the magnetic agitator 13. If the antibacterial agent application mode is not selected (NO in step S11), the control unit 350 does not apply the antibacterial liquid AW. Therefore, the agitation control of the antibacterial liquid AW is terminated, and normal printing can be performed without applying the antibacterial liquid AW.

[0045] If the magnetic stirrer 13 is not driven in step S12 (OFF in step S12), the process proceeds to step S13. If the magnetic stirrer 13 is driven (ON in step S12), the process proceeds to step S14.

[0046] In step S13, the control unit 350 controls the magnetic agitator 13, which is in a stopped state, based on the concentration of the antibacterial solution AW detected by the concentration sensor 351. 11 (YES in step S13), the process proceeds to step S15, where the control unit 350 drives the magnetic agitator 13. If the concentration of the antibacterial solution AW is less than the first reference value (NO in step S13), the process proceeds to step S16, where the control unit 350 keeps the magnetic agitator 13 stopped. Then, in step S19, the control unit 350 continues or starts printing.

[0047] In step S14, the control unit 350 controls the driving state of the magnetic agitator 13 based on the concentration of the antibacterial liquid AW detected by the concentration sensor 351. If the concentration of the antibacterial liquid AW becomes smaller than the second reference value as shown in FIG. 12 in step S14 (YES in step S14), the process proceeds to step S17, where the control unit 350 stops driving the magnetic agitator 13. If the concentration is not smaller than the second reference value (NO in step S14), the process proceeds to step S18. The control unit 350 then maintains driving the magnetic agitator 13. Then, in step S19, the control unit 350 continues or starts printing.

[0048] Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the antibacterial agent application devices of the first and second embodiments, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0049] As described above, the antibacterial agent application device includes a detachably attached storage tank 11 that stores the antibacterial solution AW. The antibacterial agent application device also includes an antibacterial agent application unit 2 that applies the antibacterial solution AW supplied from the storage tank 11 to the surface of the printed material being transported, and a magnetic agitator 13 that agitates the antibacterial solution AW in the storage tank 11. The magnetic agitator 13 rotates a rotor 33 provided inside the storage tank 11 by magnetic force from outside the storage tank 11. Furthermore, the rotor 33 is held by a holding member 36 provided on the bottom surface of the storage tank 11. The holding member 36 is provided with a cover 37 that holds the rotor 33 in a predetermined position. The cover 37 allows the antibacterial solution AW to flow inside and outside.

[0050] The antibacterial agent application device configured in this manner exhibits practically beneficial effects, such as being able to apply an inorganic antibacterial agent to printed matter while suppressing increases in costs.

[0051] Although the embodiments and their modifications of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention can take on various other embodiments, and various modifications such as omissions and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention described in this specification, etc., and are included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0052] For example, in the first to third embodiments, the antibacterial agent application device applies the antibacterial liquid AW to both sides of the paper P, but this is not limited to this. For example, it may be either the front or back side of the paper P, or even an unprinted side may be the surface of the paper P to which the antibacterial liquid AW is applied. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 11 Storage Tank 11a bottom 12 Coating unit 13 Magnetic stirrer 33 Rotor 36 Retaining member 37 Cover AW Antibacterial Liquid

Claims

1. a detachably attached storage tank for storing antibacterial liquid; an application unit that applies the antibacterial liquid supplied from the storage tank to the surface of the printed material being conveyed; a rotor held within the storage tank; a holding member that holds the rotor in a predetermined position and allows the antibacterial liquid to flow through the inside and outside of the holding member; a magnetic agitator that rotates the rotor to agitate the antibacterial liquid in the storage tank; An antibacterial agent application device having

2. The antibacterial agent application device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the rotors are provided in the storage tank.

3. 2. The antibacterial agent application device according to claim 1, wherein a pair of rotors are provided in the storage tank, and a linear partition is provided between the rotors to separate the rotors into an outward path and a return path.

4. The antibacterial agent application device according to claim 3 , wherein the partition is an inclined partition inclined along a direction connecting tangents to the outer rotational diameter of the rotor so that the ends of the forward and return paths are narrower.

5. The antibacterial agent application device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic agitator rotates for a predetermined time from the start of rotation control of the rotor, the predetermined time being determined based on an amount of precipitation expected over a period of time the device is left standing.

6. The antibacterial agent application device according to claim 1, further comprising: a concentration sensor installed at the bottom of the storage tank; and a control unit that controls the driving of the magnetic agitator based on the concentration detection result by the concentration sensor.

7. The antibacterial agent application device described in claim 6, wherein the control unit starts rotating the rotor by driving the magnetic agitator when the value of the concentration sensor installed at the bottom of the storage tank becomes equal to or greater than a first reference value, and stops rotating the rotor when the value becomes equal to or less than a second reference value.

8. 2. The antibacterial agent application device according to claim 1, wherein the antibacterial agent is a water-insoluble inorganic antibacterial agent such as a silver-based, copper-based, or zinc-based agent.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising the antibacterial agent application device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images