Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Brushing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-07
2001-06-12
Spisich, Mark (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Brushing
C015S088300, C134S12200P
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243903
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on application No. H10-253724 filed in Japan on Sep. 8, 1998, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a print material removing apparatus, particularly to a print material removing apparatus utilizing a liquid.
Conventionally, from the point of view of sheet recycling, there have been proposed a variety of apparatuses for removing the print material on a sheet as a recording member, on which characters or images are recorded by an electrophotographic apparatus, by impregnating the sheet with a liquid to reuse the sheet. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2-111987 discloses an apparatus in which an OHP sheet printed by an electrophotographic copying machine is immersed into a treating bath filled with organic solvent to swell the toner as a print material which is then removed from the OHP sheet by a brush roller. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 7-140554 discloses an apparatus in which a sheet having a water-swelling surface layer is immersed into a treating bath filled with water to swell the surface layer and then the print material is removed by a brush roller.
In such print material removing apparatus utilizing a liquid, the liquid is brought out by adhering to the sheet and vaporizes from the treating bath. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically replenish the treating bath with the liquid. Since the liquid becomes foul or deteriorated, it is also necessary to timely drain the liquid from the treating bath. Thus, the apparatus has been desired to easily conduct replenishment and drainage of the liquid. Furthermore, in such apparatus, when a sheet jam is caused in the liquid, not only handling for taking the sheet out of the liquid is difficult, but also user's hands are fouled with the liquid, making the user uncomfortable. Thus, there has been a disadvantage that jam treatment or maintenance such as cleaning of the treating bath can not be easily conducted.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2-111987 discloses an apparatus provided with a trap channel on the bottom of a treating bath filled with organic solvent and with a waste chamber via a gate valve under the trap channel. The apparatus is possible to drain the sediment in the trap channel of the treating bath into the waste chamber by opening the gate valve. However, the waste chamber of the apparatus described in the above publication is provided only for draining the sediment and never used at jam treatment. The waste chamber has not a construction that the liquid drained in the waste chamber can be transferred to the treating bath. Therefore, even if the liquid in the treating bath is discharged into the waste chamber via the gate valve at the occurrence of jam, the liquid can not be reused. This means that the apparatus can not be immediately restored to an operable condition.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel useful print material removing apparatus having a superior maintenance-ability.
It is an another object of the present invention to provide a print material removing apparatus having a simple construction capable of easily conducting a maintenance such as replenishment and exchange of liquid, jam treatment, cleaning or the like and also capable of being shortly recovered from such maintenance conditions.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a print material removing apparatus for removing a print material from a printed record medium, the apparatus comprising:
a treating bath filled with a treating liquid, the treating bath removing the print material from the printed record medium immersed into the treating liquid;
a feed path for feeding the treating liquid to the treating bath;
a discharge path for discharging the treating liquid from the treating bath;
a feed cartridge to be detachably connected to the feed path; and
a discharge cartridge to be detachably connected to the discharge path.
In the print material removing apparatus according to the present invention having above construction, the feed cartridge and the discharge cartridge are to be detachably connected to the feed path and discharge path respectively. Thus, the replenishment of the treating liquid to the treating bath can be easily conducted only by filling the feed cartridge with the treating liquid outside the apparatus and then connecting the feed cartridge to the feed path. Further, the treating liquid in the treating bath can be discharged into the discharge cartridge and then the discharge cartridge is easily disconnected from the discharge path to dispose of the treating liquid. For example, in the case that jam of the recording medium occurs, user can remove the recording medium without touching the treating liquid in the treating bath by discharging the treating liquid in the treating bath into the discharge cartridge via the discharge path. After completion of jam treatment, the treatment liquid can be fed into the treating bath via the feed path, enabling to immediately operate the print material removing apparatus again.
Thus, with the simple construction, maintenance such as replenishment and exchange of the treating liquid, jam treatment and cleaning can be easily conducted. Further, recovery from these treatment can be accomplished at a short time, producing superior maintenance ability.
Preferably, the feed cartridge and the discharge cartridge may be interchangeable with each other. Thus, the discharge cartridge into which the treating liquid in the treating bath is discharged can be used as a feed cartridge as it is, enhancing user-friendliness.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5528788 (1996-06-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 5621939 (1997-04-01), Yoshida et al.
patent: 5694657 (1997-12-01), Yoshida et al.
patent: 2-111987 (1990-04-01), None
patent: 07140554 (1995-02-01), None
McDermott & Will & Emery
Minolta Co. , Ltd.
Spisich Mark
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