Paper humidifying apparatus and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9891572-B2
Application number	US-201615165374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	May 28, 2015
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A paper humidifying apparatus includes humidifying rollers, a first drive unit and a controller. The humidifying rollers, forming a pair, are pressed against each other forming a nip portion and apply moisture to a sheet of paper when sandwiching and conveying the sheet of paper. The first drive unit which makes the humidifying rollers separate from each other or press against each other. The controller controls the first drive unit. The controller controls the first drive unit so as to make the humidifying rollers separate from each other and receive the sheet of paper, and after a tip of the sheet of paper passes a position corresponding to the nip portion, the controller controls the first drive unit so as to make the humidifying rollers press against each other to apply moisture to the sheet of paper.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A paper humidifying apparatus, comprising:
humidifying rollers, forming a pair, which are pressed against each other forming a nip portion and which apply moisture to a sheet of paper when sandwiching and conveying the sheet of paper;
a first drive unit which makes the humidifying rollers separate from each other or press against each other; and
a controller which controls the first drive unit,
wherein the controller controls the first drive unit so as to make the humidifying rollers separate from each other and receive a tip of the sheet of paper, and after the tip of the sheet of paper passes a position corresponding to the nip portion, the controller controls the first drive unit so as to make the humidifying rollers press against each other to apply moisture to the sheet of paper;
wherein after the tip of the sheet of paper passes a predetermined distance from the position corresponding to the nip portion, the controller controls the first drive unit so as to make the humidifying rollers press against each other; and
wherein the controller sets the predetermined distance on a basis of a paper condition.

2. The paper humidifying apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller sets the predetermined distance so as to be longer as a basis weight, which is the paper condition, becomes smaller.

3. The paper humidifying apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an operation unit for a user to set timing of separation of the humidifying rollers.

4. An image forming system, comprising:
an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet of paper; and
the paper humidifying apparatus of claim 1 for humidifying the sheet of paper on which the image is formed by the image forming unit.

5. A paper humidifying apparatus, comprising:
humidifying rollers, forming a pair, which are pressed against each other forming a nip portion and which apply moisture to a sheet of paper when sandwiching and conveying the sheet of paper;
a first drive unit which makes the humidifying rollers separate from each other or press against each other;
a controller which controls the first drive unit,
water supply rollers which supply moisture to outer circumferences of the humidifying rollers;
a second drive unit which makes the water supply rollers separate from or come in contact with the humidifying rollers; and
wherein the controller controls the first drive unit so as to make the humidifying rollers separate from each other and receive a tip of the sheet of paper, and after the tip of the sheet of paper passes a position corresponding to the nip portion, the controller controls the first drive unit so as to make the humidifying rollers press against each other to apply moisture to the sheet of paper; and
wherein before the humidifying rollers receive the sheet of paper, the controller controls the second drive unit so as to make the water supply rollers separate from the humidifying rollers.

6. The paper humidifying apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller controls the second drive unit so as to make the water supply rollers separate from the humidifying rollers and thereafter, the controller controls the first drive unit so as to make the humidifying rollers separate from each other.

7. The paper humidifying apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
water removing units which wipe off moisture on the outer circumferences of the humidifying rollers;
a third drive unit which makes the water removing units separate from or come in contact with the humidifying rollers;
wherein before the humidifying rollers receive the sheet of paper, the controller controls the third drive unit so as to make the water removing units come in contact with the humidifying rollers to wipe off the moisture on the humidifying rollers.

8. An image forming system, comprising:
an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet of paper; and
the paper humidifying apparatus of claim 5 for humidifying the sheet of paper on which the image is formed by the image forming unit.

9. The paper humidifying apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the water removing units do not come in contact with the humidifying rollers when the humidifying rollers are separated from each other.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Uchiyama Masaaki

Classifications

• G03G15/6576 Primary

  Decurling of sheet material · CPC title

• G03G15/6573 Primary

  Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing · CPC title

• G03G21/203 Primary

  Humidity · CPC title

• B65H23/34

  Apparatus for taking-out curl from webs · CPC title

• G03G2215/00662

  Decurling device · CPC title