Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Youichi Asaba

Sadao Takahashi

Yoshiyuki Kimura

Shinichi Kuramoto

Kiyoshi Tanikawa

Yoshiaki Miyashita

Kazuhiro Ando

Tadashi Saitoh

Satoshi Shinguryo

Tadashi Saito

Yasuhiro Takahashi

Eiichi Kawamura

Masatoshi Saitoh

Mitsuru Ohminato

Masaru Nakano

Satoshi Shinguryou

Satoshi Singuryo

In a method and an apparatus for removing an image forming substance such as toner from an image holding member such as a sheet of transfer paper, a CCD sensor detects an unremoved image formed by a stamp, additional writing, etc. and left on the transfer paper sheet after toner separating processing is performed with respect to the transfer paper sheet by a liquid-providing toner-separating unit. A discriminating mark such as a punch, a mark o, etc. is additionally provided to the transfer paper sheet having the detected unremoved image by a discriminating mark providing unit. The transfer paper sheet having the discriminating mark is automatically sorted by a sorting unit and is discharged onto a paper discharging tray. The toner removing apparatus may have an unrecognizing device for blotting the unremoved image such as a seal print, a signature, etc. on the transfer paper sheet. The unrecognizing device may coat the unremoved image with ink having the same color as the unremoved image, or may punch the unremoved image. Thus, it is possible to prevent the transfer paper sheet having the unremoved image from being used or thrown away in error and prevent the unremoved image from being abused in advance.

Method and apparatus for removing image forming substance from image

In a method for repeatedly using an image holding member such as a sheet of paper, toner for an electronic photograph is constructed such that a maximum value of viscoelasticity of the toner shown by tan .delta. is equal to or smaller than 3 in the range of a heating temperature when the toner is heated and fixed to the image holding member. Such toner has sufficient elastic or cohesive force. Accordingly, when the toner is heated and fixed to the paper sheet, no excessive adhesive force is caused to such an extent that paper fibers of the paper sheet eat into the toner attached to the paper sheet. Accordingly, after an aqueous solution including a surfactant is supplied to the paper sheet by a liquid supplying unit, the toner is softened by heat from heating rollers so that the toner is attached to a surface of an offset belt. When the toner attached to the surface of the offset belt is separated from the paper sheet, the toner can be completely removed from the paper sheet without damaging paper fibers on a surface of the paper sheet.

Method for repeatedly using image holding member

A predetermined processing liquid is supplied by a liquid supplying unit to a sheet of transfer paper having a surface on which toner is stably attached. An adhesive state of the toner on the transfer paper sheet is changed to an unstable adhesive state. The processing liquid is constructed by water, aqueous solutions of a surfactant, a water-soluble polymer, etc. The transfer paper sheet including the processing liquid is fed to a toner separating unit. While the toner is heated and pressurized in the toner separating unit, the toner is attached to a separating roller having a surface on which the softened toner is easily attached. The toner separating unit then separates only the transfer paper sheet from the surface of the separating roller by a separating claw. The processing liquid is removed from the transfer paper sheet by heating the transfer paper sheet, etc. using a drying unit such that the transfer paper sheet can be reused for a copying machine, etc. Thereafter, the transfer paper sheet is discharged onto a paper discharging tray. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a method and an apparatus for regenerating and reusing the transfer paper sheet by removing the toner therefrom without damaging paper fibers.

Method and apparatus for regenerating image holding member

In a method and an apparatus for removing an image forming substance such as toner from an image holding member such as a sheet of transfer paper, an unstabilizing agent is provided to the image holding member. An attaching state between the image forming substance and the image holding member stably attaching the image forming substance on a surface thereof is changed to an unstable state by the unstabilizing agent. The image forming substance is separated and removed from the image holding member by making a separating member come in close contact with the image forming substance on the image holding member having the provided unstabilizing agent. A processing situation mark showing a processing situation of removal of the image forming substance is formed in the image holding member. The processing situation mark can be removed from the image holding member by the image forming substance removing processing.

This invention provides a method for using paper repeatedly by flaking and removing an image from the paper, even if the image has been touched up on the paper with handwriting, and a preferable printing tool used in the method. The method includes the steps of touching up the image on the paper with the printing tool containing a main component of a colored thermoplastic resin particle and being formed into a stick shape by solidifying the resin particle alone or with binder resin sticking to the resin particle. The image can be formed on the paper with a liquid-applying type of printing tool having a liquid container containing a resin dispersion liquid being formed by dispersing the resin particle in a solvent. Regenerating of the paper by removing the touched-up image from the paper comprises the steps of wetting the paper through a treatment liquid such as water, and while heating the resin particle of the image, adhering the resin particle to a flaking member having a greater adherent force to the resin particle than the adherent force between the resin particle and a surface of the paper so as to flake and remove the resin particle from the surface of the paper.

Method for using image support regeneratively and tool for forming image

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Youichi Asaba