Optics: measuring and testing – Of light reflection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-08
2002-04-16
Font, Frank G. (Department: 2877)
Optics: measuring and testing
Of light reflection
C355S030000, C355S035000, C355S039000, C356S456000, C358S296000, C358S301000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06373575
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a paper classification apparatus for classifying paper having an image formed with an image forming material such as common toner or ink, paper having an image formed with an erasable image forming material, and thermosensible paper.
In recent years, along with the advance of office automation, the amount of various types of information has increased considerably, and accordingly information output has also increased. The information outputs are represented by a display output and a hard copy output from a printer to paper. The display output requires a large-scale circuit board in a display unit and accordingly has problems in terms of portability and cost. The hard copy output is the most basic information display means and is excellent in versatility and storability. With the hard copy output, when information increases, a large amount of paper is consumed as a recording medium, leading to an increase in deforestation to provide the paper material. Forest resources are very significant from the viewpoint of sustenance of global environment and suppression of greenhouse effect brought about by carbon dioxide gas. For these reasons, it is a serious issue to minimize any more deforestation and to efficiently utilize the currently available paper resources.
Conventionally, to recycle paper resources, paper printed with an image forming material is processed by using a large amount of bleaching agent and water, and remaking paper having poor paper quality is manufactured from paper fiber. This method leads to a rise in cost of the regenerated paper and another environmental pollution as a result of waste fluid process.
To solve this problem, the present inventors are working on development of an image forming material that contains a color former, a developer, and a decoloring agent having a property to capture the color former or developer, so that it can form an image in the same manner as an ordinary image forming material does, and that image erasure is enabled by processing with heat or a solvent. When such an erasable image forming material is used, paper from which an image is erased to restore the blank state can be reused repeatedly while preventing degradation of the paper quality as much as possible. The paper may be recycled when the paper quality becomes remarkably poor due to reuse. This considerably improves use efficiency of the paper resources. The overall paper use amount can be reduced in this manner to minimize deforestation. In addition, an increase in cost of the regenerated paper and environmental pollution caused by the waste fluid process, which pose problems in the current recycling system, can be avoided as much as possible.
When the erasable image forming material which is under development by the present inventors becomes widely used, waste paper including a mixture of paper printed with a general image forming material, paper printed with an erasable image forming material, and thermosensible paper will be discharged from offices and the like. To reuse or recycle such waste paper including a mixture of these various paper types, paper must be classified in accordance with each individual type.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus capable of classifying paper having an image formed with a general image forming material, paper having an image formed with an erasable image forming material, and thermosensible paper.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper classification apparatus comprising means for applying an external stimulus that can change a reflection density of paper, means for detecting the reflection density of the paper after being applied with the external stimulus, means for comparing the detected reflection density of the paper with a predetermined reference value, and means for classifying the paper on the basis of a comparison result of the reflection density.
In the present invention, as the means for applying the external stimulus, means for heating the paper or means for supplying a solvent onto the paper is used.
More specifically, the paper classification apparatus according to the present invention has a heater for heating paper or a supply unit for supplying a solvent to the paper, a detector for detecting a reflection density of the paper after being heated or supplied with the solvent, a computer for comparing the detected reflecting density of the paper with a predetermined reference value, and a selector guide for classifying the paper on the basis of a comparison result of the reflection density.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper classification apparatus comprising means for detecting a reflection density of paper, means for applying an external stimulus that can change the reflection density of the paper, means for comparing reflection densities of the paper before and after being applied with the external stimulus, and means for classifying the paper on the basis of a comparison result of the reflection densities.
More specifically, the paper classification apparatus according to the present invention has a first detector for detecting a reflection density of paper, a heater for heating the paper or a supply unit for supplying a solvent to the paper, a second detector for detecting a reflection density of the paper after being heated or supplied with the solvent, a computer for comparing reflecting densities of the paper before and after being heated or supplied with the solvent, and a selector guide for classifying the paper on the basis of a comparison result of the reflection densities.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
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Machida Shigeru
Takayama Satoshi
Font Frank G.
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
Nguyen Sang H.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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