Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and method of producing printed product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9259941-B2
Application number	US-201414553965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2014
Priority date	Nov 29, 2013
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: a driving unit that feeds a treatment object; a pretreatment unit that performs pretreatment on a surface of the treatment object fed by the driving unit; a retaining unit that retains the treatment object on which the pretreatment has been performed in the pretreatment unit; an image forming unit that performs image formation on the treatment object after being retained in the retaining unit; and a drive control unit that controls the driving unit so as to return the treatment object from the retaining unit at least to the pretreatment unit if the treatment object has been retained in the retaining unit for a time longer than a predetermined time after being subjected to the pretreatment in the pretreatment unit, and to feed the treatment object on which the pretreatment has been performed again in the pretreatment unit to the retaining unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a driving unit that feeds a treatment object;
a pretreatment unit that performs pretreatment on a surface of the treatment object fed by the driving unit;
a retaining unit that retains the treatment object on which the pretreatment has been performed in the pretreatment unit;
an image forming unit that performs image formation on the treatment object after being retained in the retaining unit; and
a drive control unit that controls the driving unit so as to return the treatment object from the retaining unit at least to the pretreatment unit if the treatment object has been retained in the retaining unit for a time longer than a predetermined time after being subjected to the pretreatment in the pretreatment unit, and to feed the treatment object on which the pretreatment has been performed again in the pretreatment unit to the retaining unit;
wherein the predetermined time is a time elapsed after the pretreatment ends until the image formation starts in a case in which a region of the treatment object is subjected to the pretreatment in the pretreatment unit and the image formation by the image forming unit.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time is changed depending on a type of the treatment object.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time is changed depending on ambient humidity of an area including at least the retaining unit.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pretreatment unit performs the pretreatment by plasma treatment to the treatment object.

5. An image forming system comprising:
a sheet feeding apparatus that feeds a treatment object;
a pretreatment apparatus that performs pretreatment on a surface of the treatment object fed by the sheet feeding apparatus;
a buffer apparatus that retains the treatment object on which the pretreatment has been performed in the pretreatment apparatus;
an image forming apparatus that performs image formation on the treatment object after being retained in the buffer apparatus; and
a drive control unit that controls the sheet feeding apparatus so as to return the treatment object from the buffer apparatus at least to the pretreatment apparatus if the treatment object has been retained in the buffer apparatus for a time longer than a predetermined time after being subjected to the pretreatment in the pretreatment apparatus, and to feed the treatment object on which the pretreatment has been performed again in the pretreatment apparatus to the buffer apparatus;
wherein the predetermined time is a time elapsed after the pretreatment ends until the image formation starts in a case in which a region of the treatment object is subjected to the pretreatment in the pretreatment apparatus and the image formation by the image forming apparatus.

6. A method of producing a printed product, the method comprising:
driving to feed a treatment object;
performing pretreatment on a surface of the treatment object fed at the driving in a pretreatment unit;
retaining the treatment object on which the pretreatment has been performed at the performing pretreatment in a retaining unit;
performing image formation on the treatment object after being retained at the retaining in an image forming unit; and
controlling the driving so as to return the treatment object from the retaining unit at least to the pretreatment unit if the treatment object has been retained at the retaining for a time longer than a predetermined time after being subjected to the pretreatment at the performing pretreatment, and to feed the treatment object on which the pretreatment has been performed again at the performing pretreatment to the retaining unit;
wherein the predetermined time is a time elapsed after the pretreatment ends until the image formation starts in a case in which a region of the treatment object is subjected to the pretreatment in the pretreatment unit and the image formation by the image forming unit.

Assignees

• Watanabe Tatsuro
• Nagai Koji
• Hiratsuka Hiroyuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Watanabe Tatsuro
• Nagai Koji
• Hiratsuka Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B41F23/00

  Devices for treating the surfaces of sheets, webs, or other articles in connection with printing · CPC title

• B41J11/0015 Primary

  for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing (selective coating B41J2/2114) · CPC title

• B41J11/36

  Blanking or long feeds; Feeding to a particular line, e.g. by rotation of platen or feed roller · CPC title

• B41J15/005

  Forming loops or sags in webs, e.g. for slackening a web or for compensating variations of the amount of conveyed web material (by arranging a "dancing roller" in a sag of the web material) · CPC title