JP7567366B2 - Foil transfer device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a foil transfer device that transfers foil onto a sheet.

Conventionally, a foil transfer device is known that includes a supply reel on which a foil film is wound, a take-up reel for taking up the foil film, a heating roller for heating the foil film and the sheet, and a pressure roller for sandwiching the foil film and the sheet between the heating roller (see Patent Document 1). In this technology, a peeling member is attached to separate the support of the foil film from the transfer layer after the foil is transferred.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-290685

However, static electricity that is generated when the foil film support and the transfer layer are separated can accumulate in the peeling member. If static electricity accumulates in the peeling member, it will transfer to other parts via the sheet that is in contact with the peeling member, and there is a problem in that the static electricity cannot be released through an appropriate route.

Therefore, the present invention aims to allow static electricity generated in the peeling member to escape through an appropriate route.

The foil transfer device according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a device for transferring foil to a sheet by overlapping a sheet on a foil film containing foil, and includes a supply reel, a film unit, a device body, a cover, a heating roller, and a pressure roller. The film unit has a supply reel on which the foil film is wound and which can rotate about a rotation axis extending in the axial direction, and a take-up reel for winding up the foil film. The device body has a first side frame made of metal and electrically grounded, a second side frame located axially away from the first side frame, and an opening for attaching and detaching the film unit. The cover opens and closes the opening. The heating roller heats the foil film and the sheet. The pressure roller sandwiches the foil film and the sheet between the heating roller and the pressure roller. The film unit has a peeling member and a contact member. The peeling member peels the foil film from the sheet by changing the traveling direction of the foil film that has passed between the heating roller and the pressure roller to a direction different from the conveying direction of the sheet. The contact member has a first contact for electrically connecting the peeling member and the first side frame when the film unit is attached to the device body.

With this configuration, static electricity generated in the peeling member moves from the peeling member to the first side frame via the contact member and is then released. This allows static electricity generated in the peeling member to be released via an appropriate route.

In addition, in the above-mentioned configuration, the film unit may have a positioning portion that positions the film unit in the axial direction when the film unit is attached to the device body, the positioning portion being located closer to the first side frame than the second side frame, and the contact member may be configured to be located closer to the first side frame than the second side frame.

As a result, both the film unit positioning portion and the contact member are located near the first side frame, improving the positioning accuracy of the contact member when the film unit is attached to the device body. This makes it possible to suppress variation in the contact load of the contact member.

In addition, in the above-mentioned configuration, the positioning portion and the contact member may be configured to overlap when viewed from the mounting direction of the film unit.

This allows the positioning portion and the contact member to be located close to each other, further improving the positioning accuracy of the contact member when the film unit is attached to the device body.

In addition, in the above-mentioned configuration, the film unit may further include a winding gear that receives drive from the device body and rotates together with the winding reel, and that is positioned closer to the first side frame than the second side frame when the film unit is attached to the device body.

This improves the positioning accuracy of the winding gear when the film unit is attached to the device body.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the device body may also have a spring having a second contact at one end that contacts the first contact when the film unit is attached to the device body, electrically connecting the contact member to the first side frame, and the spring may be configured to bias the first contact in the axial direction.

With this, the spring biases the film unit in the axial direction, so the spring's biasing force is less likely to adversely affect the position of the film unit after it is attached.

In addition, in the above-mentioned configuration, when the film unit is attached to the device body, the spring may be configured to overlap the positioning portion when viewed from the attachment direction of the film unit.

In addition, in the above-mentioned configuration, the foil transfer device may further include a main circuit board having a control unit that controls the foil transfer, and the main circuit board may be fixed to the second side frame.

This allows static electricity generated by the peeling member to escape from the first side frame opposite the second side frame that has the main circuit board, preventing static electricity from adversely affecting the control unit.

In addition, in the above-mentioned configuration, the device body may have a boss that protrudes in the opposite direction to the installation direction of the film unit, and the positioning portion may have a recess into which the boss fits.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the peeling member may be a roller, the film unit may further have a conductive bearing that rotatably supports the roller, and the contact member may be in contact with the bearing.

According to the present invention, static electricity generated in the peeling member can be released through an appropriate route.

1A is a diagram showing a foil transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a foil film. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the foil transfer device with the cover open. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a foil transfer device, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a side frame corresponding to FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing the film unit, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the foil transfer film cartridge has been removed from the holder. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one side of the film unit. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a part of the device body as seen from the inside. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the foil transfer device with the cover open. 2 is a perspective view of one side of the film unit with the protective cover removed. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the film unit and the device body in a state in which the film unit is attached to the device body, and is a diagram illustrating an electrical connection from the peeling roller to a first side frame. FIG.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the following description, directions will be described in terms of the directions shown in FIG. 1(a). That is, the right side of FIG. 1(a) will be referred to as the "front", the left side of FIG. 1(a) will be referred to as the "rear", the front side of the paper in FIG. 1(a) will be referred to as the "left", and the back side of the paper in FIG. 1(a) will be referred to as the "right". Additionally, the top and bottom of FIG. 1(a) will be referred to as the "top and bottom".

The foil transfer device 1 is a device for transferring foil to the sheet S by overlaying the sheet S on a foil film F containing foil. As shown in FIG. 1(a), the foil transfer device 1 is a device for transferring a foil such as aluminum onto a toner image formed on the sheet S by an image forming device such as a laser printer. The foil transfer device 1 includes a housing 2, a sheet tray 3, a sheet conveying section 10, a film supply section 30, a transfer section 50, a main circuit board CP1, and a sub-circuit board CP2.

The housing 2 is made of resin or the like, and includes a device body 21 and a cover 22. The device body 21 has an opening 21A (see FIG. 2) at the top. The opening 21A is an opening for attaching and detaching a film unit FU to and from the device body 21, which will be described later. The opening 21A faces upward. The cover 22 is a member for opening and closing the opening 21A. The rear end of the cover 22 is rotatably supported by the device body 21. The cover 22 is movable between a closed position in which the opening 21A is closed, and an open position in which the opening 21A is open. In this embodiment, the cover 22 opens in a direction different from the conveying direction of the sheet S.

The main circuit board CP1 is disposed in the device body 21 and has a control unit that controls foil transfer. The sub-circuit board CP2 is disposed in the cover 22 and is connected to the main circuit board CP1 by a cable.

As shown in FIG. 3, the device main body 21 has a first side frame 21R, a second side frame 21L, and a metal shaft 200. The first side frame 21R is made of metal and is electrically grounded. The second side frame 21L is located axially away from the first side frame 21R. A main circuit board CP1 is fixed to the second side frame 21L. The metal shaft 200 electrically connects the first side frame 21R and the second side frame 21L.

The sheet tray 3 is a tray on which sheets S, such as paper and overhead projector film, are placed. The sheet tray 3 is provided at the rear of the housing 2. The sheet S is placed on the sheet tray 3 with the surface on which the toner image is formed facing down.

The sheet conveying section 10 includes a sheet supply mechanism 11 and a sheet discharge mechanism 12. The sheet supply mechanism 11 is a mechanism that conveys the sheets S on the sheet tray 3 one by one toward the transfer section 50. The sheet supply mechanism 11 includes a pickup roller 11A, a retard roller 11B, and an upstream conveying roller 11C.

The pickup roller 11A is a roller for feeding the sheet S on the sheet tray 3 toward the transfer unit 50. The retard roller 11B is a roller for separating the sheet S conveyed by the pickup roller 11A into a single sheet.

The retard roller 11B is disposed above the pickup roller 11A. The retard roller 11B is rotatable in a direction to return the sheet S overlapping the sheet S fed by the pickup roller 11A toward the sheet tray 3.

The upstream transport rollers 11C are made up of two rollers, and can transport the sheet S by rotating with the sheet S sandwiched between them. The upstream transport rollers 11C are disposed between the pickup roller 11A and the transfer unit 50, and transport the sheet S sent out by the pickup roller 11A to the transfer unit 50.

The sheet discharge mechanism 12 is a mechanism that discharges the sheet S that has passed through the transfer unit 50 to the outside of the housing 2. The sheet discharge mechanism 12 includes a first conveyor roller 13, a second conveyor roller 14, a third conveyor roller 15, and a fourth conveyor roller 16. The first conveyor roller 13, the second conveyor roller 14, the third conveyor roller 15, and the fourth conveyor roller 16 are provided on the cover 22. A static electricity removal brush 17 is provided downstream of the third conveyor roller 15 and the fourth conveyor roller 16 in the conveying direction of the sheet S. In the following description, the conveying direction of the sheet S is also simply referred to as the "conveying direction". The static electricity removal brush 17 is a brush that removes static electricity from the sheet S.

The first conveying roller 13 is located downstream of the peeling roller 42, which is an example of a peeling member described later, in the conveying direction of the sheet S. The first conveying roller 13 is located between the peeling roller 42 and the third conveying roller 15 in the conveying direction. The first conveying roller 13 conveys the sheet S sent out from the transfer unit 50 toward the third conveying roller 15.

The second conveying roller 14 faces the first conveying roller 13. The second conveying roller 14 rotates in response to the first conveying roller 13, and conveys the sheet S by nipping it between the second conveying roller 14 and the first conveying roller 13.

The third conveying roller 15 is located downstream of the first conveying roller 13 in the conveying direction. The third conveying roller 15 discharges the sheet S sent out by the first conveying roller 13 outside the housing 2.

The fourth conveying roller 16 faces the third conveying roller 15. The fourth conveying roller 16 rotates in response to the third conveying roller 15, and conveys the sheet S while nipping the sheet S between the fourth conveying roller 16 and the third conveying roller 15.

The film supply unit 30 supplies the foil film F so that it is superimposed on the sheet S transported from the sheet supply mechanism 11. The film supply unit 30 includes a film unit FU and a motor 80.

As shown in FIG. 2, the film unit FU can be attached to and detached from the top of the device body 21. The film unit FU includes a supply reel 31, a take-up reel 35, a first guide shaft 41, a peeling roller 42 as an example of a peeling member, and a third guide shaft 43 as an example of a regulating member. The foil film F is wound around the supply reel 31 of the film unit FU.

As shown in FIG. 1(b), the foil film F has a supporting layer F1 and a supported layer F2. The supporting layer F1 is a tape-shaped transparent substrate made of a polymeric material, and supports the supported layer F2.

The supported layer F2 has a release layer F21, a transfer layer F22, and an adhesive layer F23. The release layer F21 is a layer for facilitating peeling of the transfer layer F22 from the support layer F1, and is disposed between the support layer F1 and the transfer layer F22. The release layer F21 contains a transparent material, such as a wax-based resin, that is easily peeled from the support layer F1.

The transfer layer F22 is a layer to be transferred to the toner image and contains foil. The foil is a thin metal such as gold, silver, copper, or aluminum. The transfer layer F22 also contains a coloring material such as gold, silver, or red, and a thermoplastic resin. The transfer layer F22 is disposed between the peeling layer F21 and the adhesive layer F23.

The adhesive layer F23 is a layer that makes it easier for the transfer layer F22 to adhere to the toner image. The adhesive layer F23 contains a material that easily adheres to the toner image heated by the transfer unit 50 described below, such as a vinyl chloride resin or an acrylic resin.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the supply reel 31 has the foil film F wound around it and can rotate about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. In the following description, the axial direction of the supply reel 31 is also simply referred to as the "axial direction". Specifically, the supply reel 31 is made of resin or the like and has a supply shaft portion 31A around which the foil film F is wound. The take-up reel 35 is made of resin or the like and has a take-up shaft portion 35A for taking up the foil film F. The supply reel 31 is provided with a load applying mechanism (not shown). This load applying mechanism is a mechanism that applies a load torque to the supply reel 31 by generating a frictional force between the supply reel 31 and the supply case 32 that rotatably supports the supply reel 31. When the load torque is applied to the supply reel 31, tension is applied to the foil film F when the take-up reel 35 takes up the foil film F.

1(a) and other figures show, for convenience, the foil film F wound to its maximum on both the supply reel 31 and the take-up reel 35. In reality, when the film unit FU is new, the diameter of the roll of foil film F wound on the supply reel 31 is maximum, and the take-up reel 35 has no foil film F wound thereon, or the diameter of the roll of foil film F wound on the take-up reel 35 is minimum. At the end of the film unit FU's life (when the foil film F has been used up), the diameter of the roll of foil film F wound on the take-up reel 35 is maximum, and the supply reel 31 has no foil film F wound thereon, or the diameter of the roll of foil film F wound on the supply reel 31 is minimum.

The first guide shaft 41, the peeling roller 42, and the third guide shaft 43 are roller-shaped shafts for changing the direction of travel of the foil film F. The first guide shaft 41, the peeling roller 42, and the third guide shaft 43 are made of SUS (stainless steel) or the like.

The first guide shaft 41 is located upstream of the transfer section 50 in the transport direction of the sheet S. The first guide shaft 41 changes the traveling direction of the foil film F pulled out from the supply reel 31 so that it is approximately parallel to the transport direction of the sheet S.

The foil film F guided by such a first guide shaft 41 is transported toward the transfer section 50 with the supported layer F2 (see FIG. 1(b)) facing upward. The sheet S is placed on top of the foil film F with the supported layer F2 facing upward, and is transported together with the foil film F toward the transfer section 50.

The peeling roller 42 is located downstream of the transfer section 50 in the conveying direction of the sheet S. The peeling roller 42 peels the foil film F from the sheet S by changing the traveling direction of the foil film F that has passed through the transfer section 50 to a direction different from the conveying direction of the sheet S. In this embodiment, the peeling roller 42 is a roller.

The third guide shaft 43 is a member that determines the traveling direction of the foil film F that is changed by the peeling roller 42. More specifically, the third guide shaft 43 determines the angle of the foil film F when it is peeled off from the sheet S (hereinafter, also referred to as the "peeling angle"). Here, the peeling angle is the angle between the portion of the foil film F that is stretched between the first guide shaft 41 and the peeling roller 42 and the portion that is stretched between the peeling roller 42 and the third guide shaft 43. The third guide shaft 43 changes the traveling direction of the foil film F that is guided by the peeling roller 42, and guides it to the take-up reel 35.

With the film unit FU attached to the foil transfer device 1, the take-up reel 35 is driven to rotate counterclockwise as shown by the motor 80 provided in the housing 2. When the take-up reel 35 rotates, the foil film F wound around the supply reel 31 is pulled out, and the pulled-out foil film F is guided by the guide shafts 41 to 43 and wound up around the take-up reel 35. In more detail, during foil transfer, the foil film F is fed out by the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61, which will be described later, and the foil film F is pulled out from the supply reel 31. Then, the foil film F fed out from the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61 is wound up around the take-up reel 35.

The transfer unit 50 is a section for transferring the transfer layer F22 onto the toner image formed on the sheet S by heating and pressurizing the sheet S and the foil film F in a superimposed state. The transfer unit 50 includes a pressure roller 51 and a heating roller 61. The transfer unit 50 heats and presses the sheet S and the foil film F in a superimposed state at the nip portion between the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61.

The pressure roller 51 is a roller in which the periphery of a cylindrical core metal is covered with a rubber layer made of silicone rubber. The pressure roller 51 is placed on the upper side of the foil film F and can come into contact with the back surface of the sheet S (the surface opposite to the front surface on which the toner image is formed).

The pressure roller 51 is rotatably supported at both ends by the cover 22. The pressure roller 51 sandwiches the sheet S and the foil film F between it and the heating roller 61, and is driven to rotate by the motor 80, causing the heating roller 61 to rotate.

The heating roller 61 is a roller with a heater disposed inside a cylindrical metal tube, and heats the foil film F and the sheet S. The heating roller 61 is disposed below the foil film F and is in contact with the foil film F. The heating roller 61 heats the foil film F and the sheet S.

In this embodiment, the heating roller 61 is moved by a contact/separation mechanism 70 for contacting and separating the heating roller 61 from the foil film F. The contact/separation mechanism 70 is disposed between the supply reel 31 and the take-up reel 35 in the conveying direction of the sheet S. When the cover 22 is closed, the contact/separation mechanism 70 moves the heating roller 61 to a contact position where it contacts the foil film F in accordance with the timing at which the sheet S is supplied to the transfer section 50. When the cover 22 is open or when foil transfer is not performed on the sheet S in the transfer section 50, the contact/separation mechanism 70 positions the heating roller 61 at a separation position where it is separated from the foil film F.

In the foil transfer device 1 configured in this manner, the sheet S placed on the sheet tray 3 with its surface facing down is transported toward the transfer unit 50 by the sheet supply mechanism 11. The sheet S is overlapped with the foil film F supplied from the supply reel 31 on the upstream side of the transfer unit 50 in the transport direction, and is transported to the transfer unit 50 with the toner image on the sheet S and the foil film F in contact with each other.

In the transfer section 50, when the sheet S and foil film F pass through the nip between the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61, they are heated and pressurized by the heating roller 61 and the pressure roller 51, and the foil (supported layer F2) is transferred onto the toner image.

After the foil is transferred, the sheet S and foil film F are transported in a stuck state to the peeling roller 42. When the sheet S and foil film F pass the peeling roller 42, the transport direction of the foil film F changes to a direction different from that of the sheet S, so the foil film F is peeled off from the sheet S, i.e., the supported layer F2 adhered to the toner image is peeled off from the support layer F1 of the foil film F.

The foil film F, which is peeled off from the sheet S and includes the supporting layer F1 peeled off from the supported layer F2 adhered to the toner image on the sheet S, is wound up on the take-up reel 35. Meanwhile, the sheet S from which the foil film F has been peeled off is discharged by the sheet discharge mechanism 12 to the outside of the housing 2 with the surface on which the foil has been transferred facing down.

As shown in FIG. 4, the film unit FU includes a holder 100 made of resin or the like, and a foil transfer film cartridge FC that is detachable from the holder 100. The foil transfer film cartridge FC includes the supply reel 31 and take-up reel 35 described above.

The supply reel 31 and the take-up reel 35 are detachable from the holder 100 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the supply reel 31.

The holder 100 has a base frame 110 and a rotating frame 120 that is supported rotatably (movably) on the base frame 110. The base frame 110 has a first support portion 111, a second support portion 112, a connecting portion 113, a first guide shaft 41, and a peeling roller 42.

The first support portion 111 is a portion that supports the first guide shaft 41 and the supply reel 31. More specifically, since the supply reel 31 is housed in the supply case 32 shown in FIG. 1, the first support portion 111 supports the supply reel 31 via the supply case 32. The first support portion 111 is provided with first bosses B1 that protrude outward from both ends in the axial direction. Each first boss B1 is coaxial with the supply reel 31. Each first boss B1 is a portion that is guided by a first guide groove GD1 (see FIG. 2) formed in the device body 21 when the film unit FU is attached to or detached from the device body 21.

The second support portion 112 is a portion that supports the peeling roller 42 and the take-up reel 35. More specifically, the second support portion 112, together with the rotating frame 120, constitutes a hollow case that houses the take-up reel 35 inside the hollow case. The take-up reel 35 is provided with second bosses B2 that protrude outward from both ends in the axial direction (see also FIG. 5). Each second boss B2 is a portion that is guided by a second guide groove GD2 (see FIG. 2) formed in the device body 21 when the film unit FU is attached to or detached from the device body 21.

The connecting portion 113 is a portion that connects the first support portion 111 and the second support portion 112. The connecting portion 113 connects both ends of the first support portion 111 and the second support portion 112 in the axial direction.

The pivoting frame 120 includes a third guide shaft 43 and a third boss B3. The pivoting frame 120 is pivotable about shaft 120X between a contact position shown in FIG. 4(a) where the third guide shaft 43 contacts the foil film F and a separation position shown in FIG. 3(b) where the third guide shaft 43 is separated from the foil film F.

As shown in FIG. 5, the third boss B3 protrudes in the axial direction from both ends of the rotating frame 120 in the axial direction. The third boss B3 is located above the second boss B2 when the rotating frame 120 is in the contact position. The third boss B3 is positioned in the device body 21 when the film unit FU is attached to the device body 21.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second guide groove GD2 is formed on the inner wall of the device body 21. The second guide groove GD2 has a recess GD21 and a positioning surface GD22. The recess GD21 is recessed downward and receives the second boss B2 at its bottom for positioning. The positioning surface GD22 is a surface that extends in the vertical direction and protrudes slightly from the surrounding area.

When the film unit FU is attached to the device body 21, the second boss B2 is guided by the second guide groove GD2 and enters the recess GD21. The third boss B3 is positioned by contacting the positioning surface GD22. In detail, when foil transfer is performed and the take-up reel 35 takes up the foil film F, the tension of the foil film F presses the third guide shaft 43 against the foil film F (see the arrow in FIG. 4(a)), so that the third boss B3 is pressed against the positioning surface GD22 and the rotating frame 120 is positioned.

The device body 21 further has a boss 24, a spring 25, and a drive gear 26. The boss 24, the spring 25, and the drive gear 26 are located on the inner wall on one side in the axial direction of the device body 21, and are disposed near the second guide groove GD2. As shown in FIG. 7, the boss 24, the spring 25, and the drive gear 26 are located between the first side frame 21R and the second side frame 21L, and are disposed closer to the first side frame 21R than the second side frame 21L.

As shown in FIG. 6, the boss 24 protrudes in the direction opposite to the installation direction of the film unit FU.

The spring 25 is a member that comes into contact with a contact member 45 of the film unit FU (described later) when the film unit FU is attached, and electrically connects the contact member 45 to the first side frame 21R. The spring 25 is a coil spring. The spring 25 is aligned with the boss 24 in the attachment direction.

The spring 25 has a second contact 25A that contacts the contact member 45 and a third contact 25B that contacts the first side frame 21R. The second contact 25A is formed in a ring shape whose axis is approximately perpendicular to the mounting direction. The tip of the second contact 25A (the tip of the ring) protrudes from the inner wall of the device body 21 and contacts the first contact 45A of the contact member 45 when the film unit FU is mounted. When the spring 25 comes into contact with the first contact 45A, it biases the first contact 45A in the axial direction.

As shown in Figures 5 and 8, the film unit FU further has a positioning portion 44, a contact member 45, a winding gear 46, a bearing 47, and a protective cover 48 that covers a portion of the contact member 45. The positioning portion 44, the contact member 45, the winding gear 46, the bearing 47, and the protective cover 48 are arranged on one side of the film unit FU in the axial direction. When the film unit FU is attached to the device body 21, the positioning portion 44, the contact member 45, the winding gear 46, the bearing 47, and the protective cover 48 are located closer to the first side frame 21R than to the second side frame 21L (see Figure 9).

The positioning portion 44 is a portion that positions the film unit FU in the axial direction when the film unit FU is attached to the device body 21. The positioning portion 44 is a recess that is recessed upward in the direction in which the film unit FU is removed, and the boss 24 fits in when the film unit FU is attached to the device body 21. The positioning portion 44 is formed in part of the protective cover 48. As shown in FIG. 9, when the film unit FU is attached to the device body 21, the spring 25 overlaps with the positioning portion 44 that engages with the boss 24 when viewed from the attachment direction of the film unit FU.

The contact member 45 is a member for electrically connecting the peeling roller 42 and the spring 25 when the film unit FU is attached to the device body 21. The contact member 45 is made of sheet metal. The contact member 45 has a first contact 45A, a fourth contact 45D, a first connecting portion 45B, and a second connecting portion 45C.

The first contact 45A extends in the mounting direction. The first contact 45A is the portion that comes into contact with the second contact 25A of the spring 25 when the film unit FU is mounted to the device body 21. The fourth contact 45D extends in the axial direction. The fourth contact 45D is the portion that comes into contact with the bearing 47 of the peeling roller 42. The first connecting portion 45B extends outward in the axial direction from the upper end of the first contact 45A, and connects the first contact 45A and the second connecting portion 45C. The second connecting portion 45C extends in the mounting direction, and connects the first connecting portion 45B and the fourth contact 45D.

The positioning portion 44 and the contact member 45 are arranged very close to each other, and as shown in FIG. 9, the positioning portion 44 and the contact member 45 overlap when viewed from the mounting direction of the film unit FU. Furthermore, the positioning portion 44 and the contact member 45 overlap when viewed from the axial direction.

Here, FIG. 5 shows the state in which the protective cover 48 is attached to the film unit FU, and FIG. 8 shows the state in which the protective cover 48 has been removed. As can be seen from FIG. 5 and FIG. 8, the protective cover 48 covers a portion of the contact member 45, exposing the first contact 45A.

The winding gear 46 is a gear that rotates together with the winding reel 35. When the film unit FU is attached to the device body 21, the winding gear 46 engages with the drive gear 26 of the device body 21 to input drive. In this embodiment, the winding gear 46 is formed integrally with the second boss B2.

The bearing 47 is a member that rotatably supports the peeling roller 42. The bearing 47 is electrically conductive. The bearing 47 is in contact with the fourth contact 45D of the contact member 45, and electrically connects the peeling roller 42 and the contact member 45.

According to the above configuration, the following effects can be obtained in this embodiment.
If the peeling roller 42 is not properly grounded, static electricity generated on the peeling roller 42 during foil transfer may be transferred from the peeling roller 42 to other components via the sheet S. As shown in Fig. 1, the static electricity transferred to the sheet S is neutralized to some extent by the charge neutralizing brush 17 provided near the discharge port, but it may not be possible to remove all of the static electricity depending on the size, material, and charge amount of the sheet S. In this case, the static electricity may be transferred from the sheet S to each transport roller, the sheet guide, the sub-circuit board CP2, and the like. For example, it is also conceivable that the static electricity may be transferred to the sub-circuit board CP2 and then to the main circuit board CP1 via the cable CA.

However, according to the foil transfer device 1, when the film unit FU is attached to the device body 21, the first contact 45A of the contact member 45 comes into contact with the second contact 25A of the spring 25. The contact member 45 is electrically connected to the peeling roller 42 via the bearing 47, so that the static electricity generated in the peeling roller 42 is released from the peeling roller 42 to the first side frame 21R via the contact member 45. This allows the static electricity generated in the peeling roller 42 to escape via an appropriate route. At this time, the second contact 25A biases the first contact 45A due to the biasing force of the spring 25, so that the first contact 45A and the second contact 25A can come into contact with each other at a constant contact pressure.

In addition, since both the positioning portion 44 of the film unit FU and the contact member 45 are located closer to the first side frame 21R than to the second side frame 21L, the positioning accuracy of the contact member 45 is improved when the film unit FU is attached to the device body 21. This makes it possible to suppress variation in the contact load between the contact member 45 and the spring 25.

In addition, the positioning portion 44 and the contact member 45 overlap when viewed from the mounting direction of the film unit FU, so the positioning portion 44 and the contact member 45 are located close to each other. This further improves the positional accuracy of the contact member 45 when the film unit FU is mounted in the device body 21.

In addition, since both the positioning portion 44 of the film unit FU and the winding gear 46 are located closer to the first side frame 21R than to the second side frame 21L, the positioning accuracy of the winding gear 46 is improved when the film unit FU is attached to the device body 21.

In addition, the spring 25 that electrically connects the contact member 45 and the first side frame 21R biases the first contact 45A of the contact member 45 in the axial direction, so that the biasing force of the spring 25 is unlikely to adversely affect the posture of the film unit FU after it has been attached.

In addition, static electricity generated by the peeling roller 42 is released from the first side frame 21R, which is opposite the second side frame 21L having the main circuit board CP1, preventing the static electricity from adversely affecting the control unit.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be used in various forms, as exemplified below.

In the above embodiment, the pressure roller 51 is used as the pressure member and the heating roller 61 is used as the heating member, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the pressure member may be a pad that sandwiches the sheet and foil film between the pressure member and the heating roller. The heating member may also be a plate-shaped member that sandwiches the sheet and foil film between the pressure member and the heating roller.

In the above embodiment, the roller-shaped peeling roller 42 is exemplified as the peeling member, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the peeling member may be, for example, a plate-shaped blade.
In the above embodiment, the roller-shaped third guide shaft 43 is exemplified as the regulating member, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the regulating member may be, for example, a plate-shaped blade.

In the above embodiment, the foil transfer film cartridge FC is provided with a supply reel 31 and a take-up reel 35, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the foil transfer film cartridge may be provided with a supply reel and the housing may be provided with a take-up reel.

In the above embodiment, a foil transfer device that transfers foil onto a toner image formed on a sheet is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the foil transfer device may be any device that transfers foil onto a sheet.

In the above embodiment, the foil film F is configured with four layers, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the foil film may have any number of layers as long as it has a transfer layer and a support layer.

In the above embodiment, the film unit is composed of a foil transfer film cartridge and a holder, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the film unit does not have to have a holder. Also, the holder may support the foil transfer film cartridge in an unremovable manner.

The elements described in the above embodiments and variations may be combined in any manner.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Foil transfer device 21 Device body 21A Opening 21R First side frame 21L Second side frame 22 Cover 24 Boss 25 Spring 25A Second contact 31 Supply reel 35 Take-up reel 42 Peeling roller 44 Positioning portion 45 Contact member 45A First contact 46 Take-up gear 48 Protective cover 50 Transfer portion 51 Pressure roller 61 Heating roller CP1 Main circuit board F Foil film FU Film unit GD1 First guide groove GD2 Second guide groove GD21 Recess

Claims (8)

A foil transfer device that transfers the foil to a sheet by overlaying the sheet on a foil film including the foil,
a film unit including a supply reel on which the foil film is wound and which is rotatable about an axially extending rotation axis, and a take-up reel for taking up the foil film;
an apparatus main body having a first side frame made of metal and electrically grounded, a second side frame positioned apart from the first side frame in the axial direction, and an opening for attaching and detaching the film unit in an attachment direction perpendicular to the axial direction ;
A cover for opening and closing the opening;
a heating roller for heating the foil film and the sheet;
a pressure roller that sandwiches the foil film and the sheet between the pressure roller and the heating roller;
Equipped with
The film unit comprises:
a peeling member that peels off the foil film from the sheet by changing a traveling direction of the foil film that has passed between the heating roller and the pressure roller to a direction different from a sheet conveying direction;
a contact member for electrically connecting the peeling member and the first side frame when the film unit is attached to the device body, the contact member being made of a metal plate having a contact surface extending in the attachment direction;
the device body includes a conductive spring, one end of which is electrically connected to the first side frame, and the other end of which contacts the contact surface when the film unit is attached to the device body;
The spring biases the contact surface in the axial direction. the film unit has a positioning portion that positions the film unit in the axial direction when the film unit is attached to the device body, the positioning portion being located closer to the first side frame than the second side frame;
2. The foil transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the contact member is located closer to the first side frame than to the second side frame. 3. The foil transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the positioning portion and the contact member overlap when viewed from the mounting direction . The film unit comprises:
The foil transfer device as described in claim 2 or 3, further comprising a winding gear that receives drive from the device main body and rotates together with the winding reel, and that is positioned closer to the first side frame than the second side frame when the film unit is attached to the device main body. 5. The foil transfer device according to claim 4 , wherein when the film unit is attached to the device body, the spring overlaps with the positioning portion when viewed from the attachment direction . The foil transfer device further includes a main circuit board having a control unit for controlling foil transfer , and a sub-circuit board disposed on the cover,
6. The foil transfer device according to claim 1 , wherein the main circuit board is fixed to the second side frame and is connected to the sub-circuit board via a cable . The device body has a boss protruding in a direction opposite to the mounting direction ,
3. The foil transfer device according to claim 2 , wherein the positioning portion has a recess into which the boss fits. the peeling member is a roller,
the film unit further includes a conductive bearing that rotatably supports the roller;
8. The foil transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the contact member is in contact with the bearing.

Images