Image forming device

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can apply an antibacterial agent to a sheet in a more favorable mode.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: a conveying unit that conveys a sheet; an image forming unit that performs image formation on the sheet; and an antibacterial agent application unit that is disposed downstream of a fixing unit executing processing of fixing a print image to the sheet, and while the sheet is conveyed by the conveying unit, applies a liquid containing an antibacterial agent onto both sides of the sheet.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been a demand for antibacterial treatment of printed materials (for example, magazines, booklets, catalogs, flyers, calendars, etc.) so that such printed materials can always be used in a clean state.

[0003] In light of this, various methods for providing antibacterial treatment to printed matter have been investigated.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes the on-demand production of antibacterial images on paper by forming images by electrophotography using toner and a developer containing an antibacterial agent.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes that antibacterial properties can be imparted to printed matter by using antibacterial paper in which an inorganic antibacterial agent is mixed into pulp.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes a method of making printed matter antibacterial by printing an image on the surface of paper in advance and then applying a powdered antibacterial agent dissolved in water onto the image using an offset printing machine. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-93784 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-3800 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-1952 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the prior art leaves room for improvement in various respects.

[0009] For example, printed matter printed with toner or ink containing an antibacterial agent, as in the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1, has the problem that it can retain antibacterial properties in the printed areas but not in the unprinted areas. Conversely, the antibacterial paper disclosed in the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 2 has the problem that the antibacterial properties of the printed areas are weakened.

[0010] Furthermore, in the conventional antibacterial treatment method described in Patent Document 3, in which an image is printed on the surface of paper in advance and then a powdered antibacterial agent dissolved in water is applied on top of it using an offset printing machine, it is possible to impart antibacterial properties to both the printed and non-printed areas, but it is only possible to impart antibacterial properties to one side of the paper.

[0011] Furthermore, in the conventional technology disclosed in Patent Document 3, after performing the process of forming an image on paper using an image forming device, the process of simply applying an antibacterial agent to the paper using a separate antibacterial agent application device (here, an offset printing machine) is performed without considering the condition of the paper. This method not only requires time and cost, but also has the risk that the antibacterial agent applied to the paper may not be stably fixed on the paper due to improper adjustment of the paper condition (for example, a drop in the paper temperature).

[0012] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an image forming apparatus that can apply an antibacterial agent to paper in a more suitable manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The present disclosure mainly solves the above-mentioned problems by: a transport unit that transports paper; an image forming unit that forms an image on the paper; an antibacterial agent application unit that is disposed downstream of a fixing unit that fixes a printed image on the paper, and that applies a liquid containing an antibacterial agent to both sides of the paper while the paper is being transported by the transport unit; The image forming apparatus includes: [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the image forming apparatus of the present disclosure, it is possible to apply an antibacterial agent to paper in a more suitable manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a main part of a control system of an image forming unit provided in an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an antibacterial agent application unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a liquid circulation path according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of an antibacterial agent application unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] The figure shows the results of a verification experiment on the presence or absence of antibacterial properties depending on the concentration of the antibacterial agent in the liquid and the presence or absence of foam generation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail 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.

[0017] In the following embodiment, an antibacterial agent is applied to paper to impart antibacterial properties to the paper. However, the target to be applied to paper in the image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure may be an antiviral agent instead of or in addition to the antibacterial agent. In general, antibacterial agents and antiviral agents share components, and an antibacterial agent application unit can also function as an antiviral agent application unit. Therefore, the term "antibacterial agent application unit" below can also be read as "antiviral agent application unit."

[0018] [Overall configuration of image forming device] Hereinafter, the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "image forming apparatus 100") will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0019] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus 100. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the main part of a control system of an image forming unit 1.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 is configured by connecting an image forming unit 1 and an antibacterial agent application unit 2 from the upstream side along the conveyance direction of the paper S.

[0021] Image forming unit 1 is an intermediate transfer type image forming unit that utilizes electrophotographic process technology. That is, image forming unit 1 primarily transfers toner images of each color (Yellow, M, C, and K) formed on photosensitive drum 413 onto intermediate transfer belt 421, and then superimposes the four color toner images on intermediate transfer belt 421, and then secondarily transfers the images onto paper S sent from paper feed trays 51a to 51c, thereby forming an image.

[0022] In addition, the image forming unit 1 employs a tandem system in which photosensitive drums 413 corresponding to the four colors YMCK are arranged in series in the running direction of the intermediate transfer belt 421, and each color toner image is transferred sequentially to the intermediate transfer belt 421 in a single step.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming unit 1 includes an image reading section 10, an operation display section 20, an image processing section 30, an image forming section 40, a paper conveying section 50, a fixing section 60, and a control section 101.

[0024] The control unit 101 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 102, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 104, etc. The CPU 102 reads a program corresponding to the processing content from the ROM 103, loads it into the RAM 104, and works with the loaded program to centrally control the operations of each block of the image forming unit 1 and the antibacterial agent application unit 2. At this time, various data stored in the storage unit 72 is referenced. The storage unit 72 is configured, for example, with a non-volatile semiconductor memory (so-called flash memory) or a hard disk drive.

[0025] The control unit 101 transmits and receives various data to and from an external device (for example, a personal computer) connected to a communication network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network) via the communication unit 71. The control unit 101 receives, for example, image data (input image data) transmitted from an external device, and forms an image on a sheet S based on this image data. The communication unit 71 is configured, for example, by a communication control card such as a LAN card.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the image reading unit 10 includes an automatic document feeder 11 called an ADF (Auto Document Feeder), an original image scanning device 12 (scanner), and the like.

[0027] The automatic document feeder 11 transports the documents D placed on the document tray using a transport mechanism and sends them to the document image scanning device 12. The automatic document feeder 11 makes it possible to continuously read the images (including both sides) of multiple documents D placed on the document tray all at once.

[0028] The document image scanning device 12 optically scans a document transported onto the contact glass from the automatic document feeder 11 or a document placed on the contact glass, and forms an image of the light reflected from the document on the light receiving surface of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor 12a to read the document image. The image reading unit 10 generates input image data based on the reading result by the document image scanning device 12. This input image data is subjected to predetermined image processing in the image processing unit 30.

[0029] 2, the operation display unit 20 is configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display (LCD) with a touch panel, and functions as a display unit 21 and an operation unit 22. The display unit 21 displays various operation screens, image states, operation statuses of various functions, etc., in accordance with a display control signal input from the control unit 101. The operation unit 22 has various operation keys such as a numeric keypad and a start key, and accepts various input operations by the user and outputs operation signals to the control unit 101.

[0030] The image processing unit 30 includes a circuit for performing digital image processing on input image data according to initial settings or user settings. For example, under the control of the control unit 101, the image processing unit 30 performs gradation correction based on gradation correction data (gradation correction table). In addition to gradation correction, the image processing unit 30 also performs various correction processes such as color correction and shading correction, as well as compression, on the input image data. The image forming unit 40 is controlled based on the image data that has undergone these processes.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming unit 40 includes toner image forming units 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K for forming images using color toners of Y, M, C, and K components based on input image data, an intermediate transfer unit 42, and the like.

[0032] Toner image forming units 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K for the Y, M, C, and K components have the same configuration. For ease of illustration and explanation, common components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and when distinguishing between them, the reference numerals are suffixed with Y, M, C, or K. In FIG. 1, only the components of toner image forming unit 41Y for the Y component are denoted by reference numerals, and the components of the other toner image forming units 41M, 41C, and 41K are not denoted by reference numerals.

[0033] The toner image forming unit 41 includes an exposure device 411, a developing device 412, a photosensitive drum 413, a charging device 414, a drum cleaning device 415, and the like.

[0034] Photosensitive drum 413 is made of an organic photosensitive body in which a photosensitive layer made of a resin containing an organic photoconductor is formed on the outer peripheral surface of a drum-shaped metal substrate, for example.

[0035] The control unit 101 controls the drive current supplied to a drive motor (not shown) that rotates the photosensitive drum 413, thereby rotating the photosensitive drum 413 at a constant peripheral speed.

[0036] The charging device 414 is, for example, a charger, and generates a corona discharge to uniformly charge the surface of the photoconductive photosensitive drum 413 to a negative polarity.

[0037] The exposure device 411 is configured with, for example, a semiconductor laser, and irradiates the photosensitive drum 413 with laser light corresponding to an image of each color component. As a result, an electrostatic latent image of each color component is formed in the image area on the surface of the photosensitive drum 413 irradiated with the laser light due to the potential difference with the background area.

[0038] The developing device 412 is a two-component reverse type developing device, and visualizes the electrostatic latent image by depositing the developer of each color component onto the surface of the photosensitive drum 413, thereby forming a toner image.

[0039] To the developing device 412, for example, a DC developing bias having the same polarity as the charging polarity of the charging device 414, or a developing bias in which an AC voltage is superimposed with a DC voltage having the same polarity as the charging polarity of the charging device 414, is applied. As a result, reversal development is performed in which toner adheres to the electrostatic latent image formed by the exposure device 411.

[0040] The drum cleaning device 415 is in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 413 and has a flat drum cleaning blade made of an elastic material, and removes toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 413 without being transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 421.

[0041] The intermediate transfer unit 42 includes an intermediate transfer belt 421, a primary transfer roller 422, a plurality of support rollers 423, a secondary transfer roller 424, a belt cleaning device 426, and the like.

[0042] The intermediate transfer belt 421 is an endless belt that is stretched around a plurality of support rollers 423 in a loop shape. At least one of the support rollers 423 is a drive roller, and the others are driven rollers. For example, it is preferable that roller 423A, which is disposed downstream of primary transfer roller 422 for the K component in the belt running direction, be the drive roller. This makes it easier to maintain a constant running speed of the belt in the primary transfer section. As drive roller 423A rotates, intermediate transfer belt 421 runs at a constant speed in the direction of arrow A.

[0043] The intermediate transfer belt 421 is a conductive and elastic belt having a high resistance layer on its surface. The intermediate transfer belt 421 is driven to rotate by a control signal from the control unit 101.

[0044] Primary transfer rollers 422 are disposed opposite photosensitive drums 413 of each color component on the inner peripheral side of intermediate transfer belt 421. Primary transfer rollers 422 are pressed against photosensitive drums 413 with intermediate transfer belt 421 sandwiched therebetween, thereby forming a primary transfer nip for transferring a toner image from photosensitive drum 413 to intermediate transfer belt 421.

[0045] Secondary transfer roller 424 is disposed on the outer circumferential surface side of intermediate transfer belt 421, facing backup roller 423B, which is disposed downstream of drive roller 423A in the belt running direction. By sandwiching intermediate transfer belt 421 between secondary transfer roller 424 and backup roller 423B, a secondary transfer nip for transferring a toner image from intermediate transfer belt 421 to paper S is formed.

[0046] When intermediate transfer belt 421 passes through the primary transfer nip, the toner images on photosensitive drum 413 are sequentially superimposed and primarily transferred onto intermediate transfer belt 421. Specifically, a primary transfer bias is applied to primary transfer roller 422, and a charge of the opposite polarity to the toner is applied to the back side of intermediate transfer belt 421, that is, the side that contacts primary transfer roller 422, so that the toner images are electrostatically transferred onto intermediate transfer belt 421.

[0047] Thereafter, when the paper S passes through the secondary transfer nip, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 421 is secondarily transferred onto the paper S. Specifically, a secondary transfer bias is applied to the secondary transfer roller 424, and a charge of the opposite polarity to the toner is applied to the back side of the paper S, that is, the side that abuts the secondary transfer roller 424, so that the toner image is electrostatically transferred onto the paper S. The paper S with the transferred toner image is transported towards the fixing unit 60.

[0048] The belt cleaning device 426 removes the residual toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 421 after the secondary transfer.

[0049] The fixing section 60 includes an upper fixing section 60A having a fixing surface side member arranged on the fixing surface of the paper S, i.e., the surface on which the toner image is formed, a lower fixing section 60B having a back surface side support member arranged on the back surface of the paper S, i.e., the surface opposite the fixing surface, and a heating source, etc. When the back surface side support member is pressed against the fixing surface side member, a fixing nip is formed that clamps and transports the paper S.

[0050] The fixing unit 60 fixes the toner image onto the sheet S by applying heat and pressure to the sheet S, which has been transported after the toner image has been secondarily transferred, at a fixing nip. The fixing unit 60 is disposed inside the fixing device F.

[0051] The paper transport unit 50 includes a paper feed unit 51, a paper discharge unit 52, and a transport path unit 53. The three paper feed trays 51a to 51c that make up the paper feed unit 51 store paper S (standard paper, special paper) identified based on basis weight, size, etc., by pre-set type. The transport path unit 53 has multiple transport roller pairs including a registration roller pair 53a. The registration roller pair 53a corrects the skew and deviation of the paper S.

[0052] The sheets S stored in the paper feed trays 51a to 51c are fed one by one from the top and transported to the image forming unit 40 by the transport path unit 53. In the image forming unit 40, the toner images on the intermediate transfer belt 421 are secondarily transferred all at once onto one side of the sheets S, and a fixing process is performed in the fixing unit 60. The sheets S with the image formed thereon are transported to the antibacterial agent coating unit 2 by the paper discharge unit 52 equipped with the paper discharge roller 52a.

[0053] [Configuration of antibacterial agent application unit] The antibacterial agent application unit 2 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to apply antibacterial agent to both sides of printed paper S while the paper S is being transported by a transport unit (here, post-processing side transport section 55).

[0054] The antibacterial agent is stored in the antibacterial agent application unit 2 (tank 151) as a liquid diluted with water, alcohol, or the like (described later). Hereinafter, application of such a liquid is referred to as "process of applying an antibacterial agent."

[0055] In the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 is disposed immediately downstream of the fixing section 60. This means that the antibacterial agent application process to the sheet S is performed while the sheet S is heated by the fixing section 60 (for example, at approximately 80°C). As a result, immediately after the antibacterial agent application process to the sheet S, much of the liquid components, such as water and alcohol, applied to the sheet S evaporate over time, leaving only the powdered antibacterial agent on the sheet S. In other words, this allows the powdered antibacterial agent to remain uniformly and stably on the surface of the sheet S without leaving excess liquid components, such as water or alcohol, on the surface of the sheet S. The moisture content of the sheet S, for example, is 9% or more immediately after the antibacterial agent application process to drop to approximately 5% by the time the sheet is discharged.

[0056] The liquid applied to the paper S by the antibacterial application unit 2 also functions as a humidifying liquid, preventing deformation of the paper S (curling and waving) and preventing the accumulation of electric charges on the paper S. In other words, the antibacterial application unit 2 also functions as a humidifying unit that supplies moisture uniformly to the entire surface of the paper S. Generally, the moisture content of the paper S after printing often varies from place to place, which can cause curling and waving of the paper S, but the application process by the antibacterial application unit 2 suppresses the occurrence of such phenomena.

[0057] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the antibacterial agent application unit 2. As shown in FIG.

[0058] The antibacterial agent application unit 2 includes an upper application roller 110A, a lower application roller 110B, an upper tray 120A, a lower tray 120B, a liquid supply section 130, a roller position change section 140 (see Figure 2), a liquid circulation path 150 (see Figure 4), and a tank 151 (see Figure 4).

[0059] The paper S delivered from the image forming unit 1 is carried into the antibacterial agent application unit 2 through the entrance 2A, passes between the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B, and is carried out of the antibacterial agent application unit 2.

[0060] Within the antibacterial agent application unit 2, a post-processing side conveying section 55 is provided, which forms a conveying path continuous with the paper conveying section 50 of the image forming unit 1, and the paper S is conveyed within the antibacterial agent application unit 2 by the post-processing side conveying section 55.

[0061] The upper application roller 110A is positioned above the sheet S, and applies antibacterial agent W supplied from the upper tray 120A to the upper surface of the sheet S. The lower application roller 110B is positioned below the sheet S, and applies antibacterial agent W to the lower surface of the sheet S by sandwiching the sheet S between the upper application roller 110A and the upper application roller 110A from above and below, using the antibacterial agent W supplied from the lower tray 120B.

[0062] The upper and lower coating rollers 110A and 110B are formed of a porous material that receives water from their surfaces and imparts moisture to humidify the paper S. The upper and lower coating rollers 110A and 110B are configured to apply the antibacterial agent W that is impregnated into the surfaces of the upper and lower coating rollers 110A and 110B to the paper S during the process of conveying the paper S sandwiched between the upper and lower coating rollers 110A and 110B.

[0063] The upper tray 120A is a water vessel that stores antibacterial agent W, and is arranged above the paper S and behind the upper application roller 110A (here, the conveying direction DR of the paper S is referred to as the "forward direction", and the same applies below). The lower tray 120B is a water vessel that stores antibacterial agent W, and is arranged below the paper S. The amount of liquid stored in each of the upper tray 120A and lower tray 120B is maintained at an appropriate amount by antibacterial agent W transferred from a tank 151 by a liquid circulation path 150 (see FIG. 4).

[0064] The liquid supply section 130 is a roller mechanism that supplies antibacterial agent W from the upper tray 120A and the lower tray 120B to the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B, and has a pumping roller 131, an intermediate roller 132, an upper supply roller 133A, a lower supply roller 133B, a first draining roller 134A, and a second draining roller 134B.

[0065] The pumping roller 131 is disposed with a portion thereof immersed in the upper tray 120A, and pumps up the antibacterial agent W from the upper tray 120A. The middle roller 132 is disposed above the pumping roller 131. By coming into contact with the pumping roller 131, the middle roller 132 relays the antibacterial agent W pumped up from the upper tray 120A and supplies it to the upper supply roller 133A.

[0066] The upper supply roller 133A is disposed in front of the intermediate roller 132 in the conveying direction of the paper S and above the upper application roller 110A. By contacting the intermediate roller 132, the upper supply roller 133A relays the antibacterial agent W from the intermediate roller 132 and supplies it to the upper application roller 110A.

[0067] In the antibacterial agent application unit 2 according to this embodiment, the upper application roller 110A is a drive roller, and the upper application roller 110A rotates in a clockwise direction in FIG. 3 using the driving force of a drive motor or the like. The power of the upper application roller 110A is transmitted in this order to the upper supply roller 133A, the intermediate roller 132, and the scooping roller 131. In other words, when the upper application roller 110A rotates, the upper supply roller 133A rotates in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3, driven by the upper application roller 110A. This causes the intermediate roller 132 to rotate in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3, and the scooping roller 131, driven by the intermediate roller 132, to rotate in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3, thereby scooping up the antibacterial agent W from the upper tray 120A.

[0068] The power of the upper application roller 110A is transmitted in this order to the upper supply roller 133A, the intermediate roller 132, and the scooping roller 131. In other words, when the upper application roller 110A rotates, the upper supply roller 133A rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3, following the rotation of the upper application roller 110A. This causes the intermediate roller 132 to rotate clockwise in FIG. 3, and the scooping roller 131, following the rotation of the intermediate roller 132, rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3, thereby scooping up the antibacterial agent W from the upper tray 120A.

[0069] The antibacterial agent W pumped up from the upper tray 120A is supplied to the pumping roller 131, the intermediate roller 132, the upper supply roller 133A, and the upper application roller 110A in this order (see the solid arrow R1 in FIG. 3).

[0070] The first draining roller 134A comes into contact with the upper supply roller 133A and removes a portion of the antibacterial agent W held on the surface of the upper supply roller 133A.

[0071] The lower supply roller 133B is disposed between the lower application roller 110B and the lower tray 120B. The lower supply roller 133B is disposed in a state where it is partially immersed in the lower tray 120B, and draws up the antibacterial agent W from the lower tray 120B. The lower supply roller 133B supplies the drawn-up antibacterial agent W to the lower application roller 110B.

[0072] The lower application roller 110B uses the antibacterial agent W pumped up from the lower tray 120B to apply the antibacterial agent to the lower surface of the paper S. The lower application roller 110B is, for example, a drive roller connected to a drive motor (not shown), and rotates counterclockwise in FIG.

[0073] In the antibacterial agent application unit 2 according to this embodiment, the lower application roller 110B is a drive roller, and the lower application roller 110B rotates in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3 using the driving force of a drive motor or the like. The power of the lower application roller 110B is then transmitted to the lower supply roller 133B. In other words, the lower supply roller 133B rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3 following the lower application roller 110B, and draws up the antibacterial agent W from the lower tray 120B (see solid arrow R2 in FIG. 3).

[0074] The second draining roller 134B comes into contact with the lower supply roller 133B and removes a portion of the antibacterial agent W held on the surface of the lower supply roller 133B.

[0075] In this configuration, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 is configured to vary the amount of antibacterial agent W applied to the paper S by controlling the amount of antibacterial agent W supplied to the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B via the liquid supply section 130.

[0076] Specifically, the amount of antibacterial agent W supplied per unit time to the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B depends on the amount of antibacterial agent W pumped up per unit time from the upper tray 120A and the amount of antibacterial agent W pumped up per unit time from the lower tray 120B, which in turn depend on the liquid amount (liquid level) of antibacterial agent W stored in the upper tray 120A and the lower tray 120B. In other words, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 adjusts the amount of antibacterial agent W applied to the paper S by controlling the liquid amount (liquid level) of antibacterial agent W stored in the upper tray 120A and the lower tray 120B.

[0077] The amount (level) of the antibacterial agent W stored in the upper tray 120A and the lower tray 120B is controlled by the output of a pump 152 (see FIG. 4) that transfers the antibacterial agent W from the tank 151.

[0078] The antibacterial agent application unit 2 also has a roller position change unit 140 (see FIG. 2) for varying the contact / non-contact state between the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B. The roller position change unit 140 varies the contact state between the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B, thereby varying whether or not to apply the antibacterial agent W to the paper S.

[0079] The roller position change unit 140, for example, enables the rollers (upper application roller 110A, scooping roller 131, middle roller 132, upper supply roller 133A, first draining roller 134A) of the roller group shown in Figure 3 that are above the paper S to move up and down as a unit, and enables the rollers (lower supply roller 133B, lower application roller 110B, second draining roller 134B) that are below the paper S to move up and down as a unit.

[0080] Then, the roller position change unit 140 moves the rollers (upper application roller 110A, pick-up roller 131, middle roller 132, upper supply roller 133A, first draining roller 134A) that are above the paper S in the group of rollers shown in Figure 3 upward, and moves the rollers (lower supply roller 133B, lower application roller 110B, second draining roller 134B) that are below the paper S downward, thereby bringing the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B into a non-contact state.

[0081] In addition, the roller position change unit 140 moves the rollers (upper application roller 110A, pick-up roller 131, middle roller 132, upper supply roller 133A, first draining roller 134A) that are above the paper S in the group of rollers shown in Figure 3 downward, and moves the rollers (lower supply roller 133B, lower application roller 110B, second draining roller 134B) that are below the paper S upward, so that the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B are pressed together.

[0082] 3, the roller position changing unit 140 is made up of an upper guide member that supports the rollers (upper application roller 110A, scooping roller 131, intermediate roller 132, upper supply roller 133A, first draining roller 134A) that are above the paper S, a lower guide member that supports the rollers (lower supply roller 133B, lower application roller 110B, second draining roller 134B) that are below the paper S, and actuators and solenoids that drive these. The movement of the roller position changing unit 140 is controlled, for example, under the control of the control unit 101.

[0083] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the liquid circulation path 150. In Fig. 4, the upper side of the paper surface corresponds to the vertically upward direction, and the lower side of the paper surface corresponds to the vertically downward direction.

[0084] The liquid circulation path 150 is a flow path for the antibacterial agent W that sucks up the antibacterial agent W from a tank 151 that stores the antibacterial agent W and circulates it to the upper tray 120A and the lower tray 120B, and has a pump 152, a delivery path 153, a first return path 154, and a second return path 155.

[0085] The pump 152 sucks up the antibacterial agent W stored in the tank 151 and sends it out to the delivery path 153. One end of the delivery path 153 is connected to the pump 152 and the other end is connected to the top of the upper tray 120A, and the delivery path 153 guides the antibacterial agent W delivered from the pump 152 into the upper tray 120A. The first return path 154 has one end connected to the bottom of the upper tray 120A and the other end connected to the top of the lower tray 120B, and guides the antibacterial agent W stored in the upper tray 120A into the lower tray 120B. The second return path 155 has one end connected to the bottom of the lower tray 120B and the other end connected to the top of the tank 151, and guides the antibacterial agent W stored in the lower tray 120B into the tank 151.

[0086] The amount (level) of antibacterial agent W stored in the upper tray 120A and the lower tray 120B is controlled by the rotation speed of the pump 152. That is, the amount of antibacterial agent W pumped out by driving the pump 152 is stored in the upper tray 120A and the lower tray 120B. The movement of the antibacterial agent W from the upper tray 120A to the lower tray 120B, and the movement of the antibacterial agent W from the lower tray 120B to the tank 151 is due to the weight of the antibacterial agent W. The operation of the pump 152 is controlled by, for example, the control unit 101 of the image forming unit 1.

[0087] Next, an example of the operation of the antibacterial agent application unit 2 will be described.

[0088] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the antibacterial agent application unit 2. The processing of the flowchart in Fig. 5 is executed, for example, when a print command is input. Note that the control of this operation is executed, for example, by the control unit 101 of the image forming unit 1.

[0089] In step S100, first, the control unit 101 determines whether or not to execute a process for applying antibacterial agent W to the paper S, based on the settings of the print job, etc. If the control unit 101 determines that the process for applying antibacterial agent W to the paper S will be executed (step S100: YES), the process proceeds to step S110, and if the control unit 101 determines that the process for applying antibacterial agent W to the paper S will not be executed (step S100: NO), the process proceeds to step S160.

[0090] First, the process when applying antibacterial agent W to paper S (step S100: YES) will be described.

[0091] In step S110, the control unit 101 selects the amount of antibacterial agent W to be applied to the paper S based on the type of paper S set in the print job.

[0092] In step S120, the control unit 101 determines the rotation speed of the pump 152 according to the amount of antibacterial agent W to be applied to the paper S. That is, the control unit 101 determines the rotation speed of the pump 152 so that the liquid amount (liquid level) of the antibacterial agent W stored in the upper tray 120A and the lower tray 120B becomes an appropriate amount according to the amount of antibacterial agent W to be applied to the paper S.

[0093] In step S130, the control unit 101 operates the roller position changing unit 140 of the antibacterial agent application unit 2 to bring the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B into a pressure contact state.

[0094] In step S140, the control unit 101 starts printing and causes the image forming unit 1 to execute printing processing on the paper S.

[0095] In step S150, the control unit 101 causes the antibacterial agent application unit 2 to apply the antibacterial agent W to the sheet S. At this time, the control unit 101 operates the pump 152 at the rotation speed of the pump 152 determined in step S120, thereby storing a predetermined amount of antibacterial agent W in the upper tray 120A and the lower tray 120B. Then, the control unit 101 drives the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B to pump up the antibacterial agent W from the upper tray 120A and the lower tray 120B. Next, the control unit 101 sandwiches the sheet S between the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B and transports them, and applies the antibacterial agent W impregnated into the surfaces of the upper application roller 110A and the lower application roller 110B to the sheet S. Then, the control section 101 causes the post-treatment side transport section 55 to transport the sheet S out of the antibacterial agent coating unit 2.

[0096] Next, the process when the antibacterial agent W is not applied to the sheet S (step S100: NO) will be described.

[0097] In step S160, control unit 101 releases upper applying roller 110A and lower applying roller 110B from the pressed state.

[0098] In step S170, the control unit 101 starts printing in this state and causes the image forming unit 1 to execute printing processing on the paper S. In this case, the paper S is not coated in the antibacterial agent coating unit 2, and is conveyed out of the antibacterial agent coating unit 2 as is.

[0099] By the above-described operations, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 applies the antibacterial agent W to the sheet S.

[0100] [Verification of antibacterial agent W] Here, the antibacterial agent W used in the antibacterial agent application unit 2 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0101] The antibacterial application unit 2 of this embodiment contains grapefruit seed extract as the main component of the antibacterial agent W, and is configured to store a liquid obtained by diluting the antibacterial agent W with water to a range of 1% to 0.01% in a tank 151.

[0102] The inventors of the present application have come to adopt such a configuration from the following two perspectives.

[0103] First, the first viewpoint is to avoid chemical attack (mainly a phenomenon that deteriorates resin materials) induced by the alcohol component contained in the antibacterial agent W. Generally, in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, daily necessities, etc., high-concentration alcohol components such as ethanol (for example, about 50%) are used as antibacterial agents. However, while antibacterial agents that contain such alcohol components as their main component are low-cost, there is a concern that they may cause chemical attack on areas that come into contact with the antibacterial agent, making them unsuitable for products that require long-term durability, such as production equipment.

[0104] The second aspect is to avoid bubbles that are generated in the roller group (110A, 110B, 131, 132, 133A, 133B, 134A, 134B) of the antibacterial agent application unit 2 due to the alcohol component, surfactant, etc. contained in the antibacterial agent W. The inventors of the present application encountered a problem in the process of using the antibacterial agent W in the antibacterial agent application unit 2. Depending on the concentration and type of antibacterial agent W, bubbles may be generated at the contact points between the rollers when the roller group (110A, 110B, 131, 132, 133A, 133B, 134A, 134B) of the antibacterial agent application unit 2 is rotated. These bubbles may then get on surrounding electrical components or spread onto the paper S. Bubbles are generally generated due to the surface tension of a liquid that envelops a gas. It is believed that the bubbles that are generated at the contact points between the rollers are generated as a result of the alcohol component, surfactant, etc. contained in the antibacterial agent W reducing the surface tension of the liquid.

[0105] In this regard, grapefruit seed extract itself does not contain an alcohol component, so there is no concern about chemical attack. Furthermore, grapefruit seed extract has strong antibacterial (and antiviral) properties, and grapefruit seed extract can exert sufficient antibacterial and antiviral effects even at low liquid concentrations. In other words, it is presumed that the antibacterial agent W containing grapefruit seed extract diluted to a low concentration can prevent the generation of bubbles in the antibacterial agent application unit 2 and exert sufficient antibacterial effects.

[0106] FIG. 6 shows the results of a verification experiment on the presence or absence of antibacterial properties and the presence or absence of foam generation depending on the concentration of the antibacterial agent W in the liquid (i.e., the concentration of grapefruit seed extract diluted with water).

[0107] In this verification experiment, we verified whether effective antibacterial properties are maintained on the surface of the paper S when the antibacterial agent W is applied to the paper S by the antibacterial agent application unit 2, and whether bubbles are generated inside the antibacterial agent application unit 2. Here, the antibacterial properties were evaluated using the film adhesion method specified in JIS Z 2801:2012. Furthermore, the generation of bubbles was evaluated by visually checking the condition inside the antibacterial agent application unit 2.

[0108] In this case, the concentration of the antibacterial agent W in the liquid used in the antibacterial agent application unit 2 (i.e., the concentration of grapefruit seed extract diluted with water) was changed, and the presence or absence of antibacterial properties and foam generation at each concentration was verified.

[0109] In Fig. 6, the evaluation results of "○" and "×" for antibacterial properties are the evaluation results of the film adhesion method described above. Also, in Fig. 6, the evaluation results of "○" and "×" for bubble generation are the results of visually checking the condition inside the antibacterial agent application unit 2 and determining whether or not bubbles generated on the rollers of the antibacterial agent application unit 2 are likely to get on surrounding electrical components or spread onto the paper S.

[0110] As a result, when grapefruit seed extract was used as the antibacterial agent W, the results met the pass criteria for both the antibacterial and foam generation tests as long as the concentration of the antibacterial agent W was in the range of 1% to 0.01%.

[0111] Based on these verification results, the antibacterial agent application unit 2 according to this embodiment uses a liquid containing grapefruit seed extract as the main component of the antibacterial agent W, and diluting the antibacterial agent W with water to a concentration in the range of 1% to 0.01%. Note that by using water as the diluting liquid, the antibacterial agent W also has excellent humidifying properties for the paper S.

[0112] [effect] As described above, the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment: a transport unit (corresponding to the above-mentioned paper transport section 50 and post-processing transport section 55) for transporting the paper S; an image forming unit 1 that forms an image on a sheet S; an application unit 2 that is disposed downstream of a fixing unit 60 that fixes a printed image on the sheet S, and that applies a liquid containing an antibacterial agent to both sides of the sheet S while the sheet S is being transported by a transport unit; Equipped with.

[0113] Therefore, according to the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to apply the antibacterial agent to both sides of the sheet S and to the entire area of ​​the sheet S, including both the printed and non-printed areas.

[0114] Furthermore, according to the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the antibacterial agent is applied to the paper S in-line, so that only the powdered antibacterial agent can be left uniformly and stably on the surface of the paper S, without leaving any liquid components such as water or alcohol on the surface of the paper S. This also makes it possible to simultaneously humidify both sides of the paper S and coat both sides of the paper S with the antibacterial agent by applying liquid to the paper S by the antibacterial agent application unit 2.

[0115] In addition, by implementing an in-line system, it is possible to reduce the cost of the entire device, reduce the size of the entire device, and improve the production efficiency of printed materials.

[0116] In the above embodiment, an antibacterial agent is applied to the paper S by the antibacterial agent application unit 2 of the image forming apparatus 100. However, the target to be applied to the paper S by the antibacterial agent application unit 2 according to the present disclosure may be an antiviral agent instead of or in addition to the antibacterial agent. In particular, it has been discovered in recent years that water-soluble liquids (particularly liquids obtained by diluting the above-mentioned grapefruit seed extract with water to a concentration of 1% to 0.01%) can destroy the envelopes of enveloped viruses (e.g., the novel coronavirus, influenza virus, herpes virus, rubella virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and AIDS virus), and such liquids are suitable as the target liquid to be applied to the paper S.

[0117] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described above in detail, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and alterations of the specific examples exemplified above. [Industrial Applicability]

[0118] According to the image forming apparatus of the present disclosure, it is possible to apply an antibacterial agent to paper in a more suitable manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1 Image forming unit 2 Antibacterial agent application unit 10 Image reading unit 20 Operation display section 30 Image processing section 40 Image forming unit 41 Toner image forming unit 42 Intermediate transfer unit 50 Paper transport section 51 Paper feed tray 52 Paper output section 53 Conveying path section 55 Post-processing side transport section 60 Fixing unit 71 Communications Department 72 Memory section 100 Image forming device 101 Control section 110A Upper application roller 110B Lower application roller 120A Upper Tray 120B Lower Tray 130 Liquid supply section 131 Pumping roller 132 Intermediate Roller 133A Upper supply roller 133B Lower supply roller 134A First draining roller 134B Second draining roller 140 Roller position change part 150 Liquid circulation path 151 Tank 152 Pump 153 Sending Route 154 First Return Route 155 Second Return Route S paper W Antibacterial Agent

Claims

1. a transport unit that transports paper; an image forming unit that forms an image on the paper; an antibacterial agent application unit that is disposed downstream of a fixing unit that fixes a printed image on the paper, and that applies a liquid containing an antibacterial agent to both sides of the paper while the paper is being transported by the transport unit; Equipped with The liquid contains a liquid obtained by diluting grapefruit seed extract with water as a main component, and the diluted concentration of the grapefruit seed extract with water is in the range of 1% to 0.01%. Image forming device.

2. The antibacterial agent application unit applies the liquid to the paper, thereby simultaneously humidifying both sides of the paper and coating both sides of the paper with the antibacterial agent. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. the antibacterial agent application unit has an upper application roller and a lower application roller impregnated with the liquid, and applies the liquid to the paper by conveying the paper sandwiched between the upper application roller and the lower application roller; 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The antibacterial agent application unit has a liquid supply unit that can adjust the amount of the antibacterial agent supplied to the upper application roller and the lower application roller, and is configured to vary the amount of the liquid applied to the paper by adjusting the amount of the antibacterial agent supplied by the liquid supply unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 .

5. the antibacterial agent application unit is controlled to change the amount of the liquid applied to the paper based on the type of the paper. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 .

6. The antibacterial agent application unit has a roller position change unit that changes the pressure state between the upper application roller and the lower application roller, and is configured to be able to switch between applying the liquid to the paper and not applying the liquid by controlling the change in the pressure state between the upper application roller and the lower application roller. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 .

7. the antibacterial agent application unit is disposed immediately downstream of a fixing unit that fixes a printed image on the paper; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

Images