JP2004029065A - Electrophotographic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a solvent recovery apparatus which can obtain high solvent vapor recovery efficiency even in a small size.
An image carrier, a charging unit, a latent image forming unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and an image fixing unit for transferring and fixing a toner image from a transfer surface to a recording medium. 62, the solvent recovery means 1 for recovering the solvent vapor of the liquid toner generated in the transfer means 61 and the image fixing means 62, and cooling and liquefying the solvent again is provided in the solvent recovery means 1. Cyclone is generated in the cooling process.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for printing using ink in which pigment particles are dispersed in an insulating organic solvent, and more particularly to an electrophotographic apparatus for printing using liquid toner.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art An electrophotographic apparatus is widely used as a technique for recording a clear image on a recording medium. Electrophotographic apparatuses are roughly classified into a dry type and a wet type. Currently, dry type electrophotographic apparatuses are widely used in copiers and printers. This is because printing is performed using liquid toner in which pigment particles are dispersed in an insulating organic solvent in a wet electrophotographic method, whereas powdery toner is used in a dry method, so handling is simple. That is because. However, in recent years, a wet electrophotographic method has begun to attract attention. In a liquid toner used in a wet electrophotographic method, the size of a pigment particle is about one fifth to one tenth in comparison with a toner used in a dry method, so that the resolution of a printed image is significantly higher. . In addition, sufficient image density can be obtained with a small amount of toner, and the amount of toner consumed per page can be reduced, which is economical. Further, since fine toner is used, image quality comparable to offset printing can be realized. Further, since the toner has a small particle diameter, it can be fixed on a recording medium at a relatively low temperature, and has an advantage that energy saving can be realized.
[0003]
The electrophotographic method using the liquid toner has the above-mentioned advantages, but also has a drawback caused by the liquid toner. In particular, the drawback that the organic solvent is vaporized by heating the toner image at the time of fixing and emits an offensive odor has hindered the development of the electrophotographic technology using the liquid toner. As a technique for overcoming this drawback, a method of recovering a vaporized organic solvent and liquefying it again is described in JP-A-8-166723 and JP-A-2000-267524. More specifically, a method has been proposed in which the vapor of the collected organic solvent is cooled and liquefied and then recovered.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The method of recovering the vapor of the organic solvent by liquefying and cooling it has a problem that it is not suitable for miniaturization like a desktop printer due to the large size of the cooling device. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-166723 adopts a method of liquefying a space between radiation fins cooled by cold air generated by a compressor as a cooling means by passing vapor of an organic solvent. In the present invention, since the apparatus for collecting and cooling the solvent is very large, the apparatus is mounted outside the printing apparatus. 2. Description of the Related Art Electrophotographic printers are becoming smaller and have a higher printing speed. Therefore, in consideration of applying the electrophotographic method using liquid toner to a printer, it is necessary to reduce the size of the solvent recovery device.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide an electrophotographic apparatus capable of obtaining high solvent vapor recovery efficiency even in a small size.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a rotating image carrier, charging means for charging the surface of the image carrier, and electrostatic latent on the surface of the image carrier charged by the charging means are provided. Latent image forming means for forming an image, developing means for supplying a liquid toner to the image carrier to develop a latent image on the surface of the image carrier to form a toner image, and applying the toner image to the surface of the image carrier And an image fixing means for transferring and fixing a toner image from the transfer surface to a recording medium, the image forming means being provided in the transfer means and the image fixing means. A solvent recovery means for recovering the vapor of the solvent of the liquid toner, cooling and liquefying again is provided, and the solvent recovery means generates a cyclone in the cooling process.
In the present invention, a high solvent recovery efficiency can be obtained in a structure having a small volume.
By providing a control unit for synchronizing the operation of the transfer unit and the operation of the solvent recovery unit, the power required for the cooling operation in the solvent recovery unit can be minimized.
By providing a means for controlling the drive to the cooling means in the solvent recovery means, the power required for the cooling operation in the solvent recovery device can be minimized.
By providing a means for controlling the flow rate of the cyclone in the solvent recovery means, it is possible to prevent a reduction in the efficiency of solvent recovery.
By generating a cyclone by providing a spiral partition in the solvent recovery means, it is possible to obtain higher solvent recovery efficiency and to reduce the volume of the cooling device without reducing the recovery efficiency.
By providing a fin on the inner wall of the solvent recovery means to generate a cyclone, the time during which the cyclone stays can be increased, and the solvent recovery efficiency can be increased.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
[0008]
FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an electrophotographic apparatus according to the present invention. The surface of the photoconductor 2 as an image carrier is uniformly charged by the charger 4. Thereafter, the exposure device 5 forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor. The electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoconductor 2 is developed by the developing device 3 to form a toner image on the surface of the photoconductor 2. The toner image is transferred onto the transfer roller 61 in contact with the surface of the photoconductor 2 (primary transfer), and is transferred onto the recording medium 8 passing between the transfer roller 61 and the backup roller 62 (secondary transfer). Be established. Through the above steps, printing for one page is executed.
[0009]
The developing device 3 includes a developing roller 31, a supply roller 32, a blade plate 33, and a liquid toner container 35. The developing roller 31 is located at a position separated from the surface of the photoconductor 2 by a developing gap of, for example, 30 mm. The liquid toner 34 stored in the liquid toner container 35 is pumped up by the supply roller 32 and supplied to the developing roller 31. Here, the surface of the supply roller 32 is provided with a gap of about 5 to 8 mm from the surface of the developing roller 31 by sandblasting or step processing so that the thickness of the liquid toner layer on the surface of the developing roller 31 is reduced to about 15 mm. Designed to be.
[0010]
Further, a blade plate 33 is in contact with the developing roller 31. When the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 32 rotate and the liquid toner 34 is supplied to the developing area between the developing roller 31 and the photoconductor 2, a pool of the liquid toner 34 is formed on the blade plate 33. . The pool can increase the nip width in the developing area and prevent insufficient supply of toner to the electrostatic latent image. Here, the liquid toner 34 used in the developing device 3 is obtained by dispersing charged colorant particles in an organic solvent. The liquid toner 34 is supplied to a liquid toner container 35 from a storage tank not shown in the drawing.
[0011]
At the time of transfer from the transfer roller 61 to the recording medium 8, in order to fix the toner image on the recording medium 8, both the transfer roller 61 and the backup roller 62 are heated by a heater mounted in the roller. . At this time, the toner particles are melted and fixed on the recording medium 8, but the organic solvent holding the toner particles evaporates by heat and scatters in the air. Therefore, in order to prevent the vaporized organic solvent (hereinafter, referred to as solvent vapor) from leaking out of the device, a solvent recovery device 1 is provided.
[0012]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the solvent recovery device 1. The suction fan 16 generates an air flow for sucking the solvent vapor generated by heating between the transfer roller 61 and the backup roller 62 in FIG. 1 into the collection duct 17, and also supplies the solvent vapor into the cooling device 11 through the pipe 18. Generates an inflow of air.
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 4, the recovery duct 17 has the same length as the width of the transfer roller 61 and the backup roller 62 at the inlet of the solvent vapor. Further, a joint 171 is attached to a connection portion with the suction fan 16.
[0014]
A cooling element 14 controlled by a cooling element drive circuit 15 is attached to an outer wall of the cooling device 11. When the entire cooling device 11 is cooled by the cooling element 14, the solvent vapor in the cooling device 11 is liquefied. The liquefied solvent vapor is condensed on the inner wall of the cooling device 11, falls on the wall surface by its own weight, and is stored in the recovery tank 13 attached below the cooling device 11.
[0015]
The air flow in the cooling device 11 further passes through the inner cylinder 12 and is exhausted. Here, a solvent absorption filter 19 is inserted in the middle of the exhaust pipe in order to prevent a small amount of solvent vapor remaining in the exhaust stream from being discharged outside the solvent recovery device 1.
[0016]
A feature of the present embodiment is that a cyclone is generated in the cooling device 11 in the configuration of the solvent recovery device 1, thereby obtaining high solvent recovery efficiency in a structure having a small volume. The reason will be described in detail below.
[0017]
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the state of the air flow in the cooling device 11 and the liquefaction process of the solvent vapor. The pipe 18 is attached to the side of the cooling device 11. Here, the cooling device 11 has a cylindrical shape, and a pipe 18 is connected to a position shifted from the center of the cooling device 11. Therefore, the air flow flows along the inner wall 112 of the cooling device 11.
[0018]
The inner cylinder 12 is inserted into the cooling device 11 on a concentric circle with the side surface on the cylindrical shape. Therefore, in the cooling device 11, an air flow that rotates between the inner wall 112 and the inner cylinder 12, a so-called cyclone, is formed. The cyclone flow in the cooling device 11 flows while turning between the inner cylinder 12 and the inner wall 112 from above to below. In this embodiment, the air containing the solvent vapor can stay in the cooling device 11 for a time sufficient to liquefy the solvent vapor between the time when the airflow is sent from the pipe 18 and the time when the airflow is exhausted. It is a feature of.
[0019]
Further, a cooling element 14 is attached to a side surface of the cooling device 11. As a specific configuration of the cooling element 14, a Peltier element can be used. Since the cooling surface of the cooling element 14 is flat, a pedestal 111 is provided on the side surface of the cooling device 11 having a cylindrical shape so that the entire cooling surface of the cooling element comes into contact with the cooling device, so that the cooling efficiency does not decrease. It is.
[0020]
The solvent vapor carried into the cooling device 11 by the airflow from the pipe 18 flows in the container along the inner wall 112 of the cooling device 11 by the cyclone. At this time, the inner wall 112 is cooled by the cooling element 14, and the kinetic energy of the solvent vapor is taken by the inner wall 112 as heat energy. In particular, when the wall surface temperature of the inner wall 112 is set lower than the liquefaction temperature of the solvent vapor, when the solvent vapor collides with the inner wall 112, the solvent vapor is captured by the wall surface, causing the solvent vapors to coagulate and rapidly form droplets. Become.
[0021]
Since the inner wall 112 is installed so as to be vertical, when the gravity due to its own weight becomes larger than the surface tension, the solvent in the form of droplets travels down the wall and falls down. A recovery tank 13 is connected to the inclined surface below the cooling device 11, and all the droplets of the solvent that have fallen along the inner wall 112 are collected in the recovery tank 13.
[0022]
It passes from the bottom surface of the inner cylinder 12 to the inside of the inner cylinder 12 and goes upward. Further, the gas is exhausted to the outside through a pool at the upper part of the cooling device 11. At this time, since a small amount of solvent vapor remaining in the air is captured by the solvent recovery filter 19, the solvent vapor is exhausted to the atmosphere, so that the leakage of the solvent vapor to the outside of the apparatus becomes almost zero. Here, the inner wall 112 may be roughened by sandblasting or the like to increase the effective surface area in order to increase the efficiency of capturing the solvent vapor. Alternatively, a coating treatment with a material having a lower surface tension than a solvent, such as a fluororesin, may be performed so that even small droplets can be easily dropped.
[0023]
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the controller 9 may be configured to control the cooling operation of the solvent recovery device 1. Here, the controller 9 controls a printing sequence of the entire electrophotographic apparatus, such as charging, exposure, development, transfer, and cleaning.
[0024]
FIG. 6 shows a detailed configuration between the controller 9, the transfer roller 61, the backup roller 62, and the solvent recovery device 1. The controller 9 controls energization of heaters incorporated in the transfer roller 61 and the backup roller 62 and drives a motor 63 for rotating the transfer roller 61. The controller 9 controls the operation of the cooling element drive circuit 15 of the solvent recovery device 1 at the same time.
[0025]
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the timing of the heater heating control of the transfer roller 61 and the backup roller 62, the motor drive of the transfer roller 61, and the cooling operation in the solvent recovery device 1 during the printing operation. During the suspension of the printing operation, the transfer roller 61 and the backup roller 62 are not driven, and the heater is not energized. Therefore, no solvent vapor is generated from the transfer roller 61 and the backup roller 62, so that it is not necessary to operate the cooling element 14 in the solvent recovery device 1. Therefore, the controller 9 may be controlled to stop the energization operation from the cooling element drive circuit 15 to the cooling element 14 during the printing suspension period.
[0026]
On the other hand, when print data is transmitted from an external device such as a computer not explicitly shown in FIG. 6, the controller 9 starts sequence control of the printing operation. At this time, the controller 9 drives the motor 63 of the transfer roller 61 to drive the transfer roller 61 and the backup roller 62 as a preparatory operation before data is printed on the recording medium. At the same time, energization of the heaters inside the transfer roller 61 and the backup roller 62 is started, and the transfer roller 61 and the backup roller 62 are heated. Thereafter, when the electrophotographic apparatus starts a printing operation, the toner image is transferred to the transfer roller 61. Therefore, a signal to start energization is sent from the controller 9 to the cooling element driving circuit 15 at this timing, and the cooling element 14 is sent to the cooling element 14. Is started. Then, the cooling device 11 of the solvent recovery device 1 is cooled, and the solvent vapor is liquefied and recovered as described above. Here, the power supply to the cooling element 14 is stopped except during the printing operation in which the solvent vapor is generated, so that the power required for the cooling operation in the solvent recovery device 1 can be minimized.
[0027]
When a plurality of pages are continuously printed, the solvent recovery device 1 also continues to operate for a long time. In such a case, a temperature control as shown in FIG. 8 can be incorporated. In FIG. 8, the cooling element drive circuit 15 includes a central processing unit 151, a cooling element control unit 152, and a temperature detection unit 154.
[0028]
The temperature sensor 153 is connected to the temperature detection unit 154, and the temperature sensor 153 is set in the cooling device 11. A temperature sensor such as a chromel-allomel thermocouple is used as the temperature sensor 153, and the temperature detection unit 154 converts the temperature in the cooling device 11 into a voltage value. The cooling temperature can be set in the central processing unit 151 in advance, and the temperature data converted into the voltage value of the temperature detecting unit 154 is monitored at predetermined time intervals.
[0029]
When the temperature data of the temperature detection unit 154 is higher than the set temperature of the central processing unit 151, the central processing unit 151 sends a signal for flowing a drive current to the cooling element 14 to the cooling element control unit 152. Then, the inside of the cooling device 11 is cooled by the cooling element 14. Further, when the inside of the cooling device 11 is cooled and the temperature data of the temperature detecting unit 154 becomes lower than the set temperature of the central processing unit 151, the central processing unit 151 sends a driving current to the cooling element 14 to the cooling element control unit 152. Give a signal to stop.
[0030]
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a change in temperature in the cooling device 11 and a state of a drive current to the cooling element 14 over time. While the temperature in the cooling device 11 is higher than the set temperature, a drive current is supplied to the cooling element 14 to cool the inside of the cooling device 11 to the set temperature. When the temperature inside the cooling device 11 matches the set temperature, the drive current to the cooling element 14 is cut off, but the temperature keeps decreasing for a certain time. Thereafter, when the temperature starts to rise and the temperature in the cooling device 11 exceeds the set temperature, a drive current is again supplied to the cooling element 14 to start the cooling operation. After that, the temperature in the cooling device 11 continues to rise for a certain time, but gradually starts to decrease. In this way, the temperature in the cooling device 11 keeps moving up and down within a certain range around the set temperature. Here, if the set temperature is determined so that the maximum value of the temperature in the cooling device 11 does not become higher than the liquefaction temperature of the solvent, the driving time of the cooling element 14 can be minimized without lowering the liquefaction and recovery efficiency of the solvent vapor. Power consumption can be reduced.
[0031]
On the other hand, the flow velocity of the cyclone in the cooling device 11 is equal to the velocity of the air flow generated by the suction fan 16 as shown in FIG. Increasing the rotation speed of the suction fan 16 increases the cyclone flow speed, and decreasing the rotation speed of the suction fan 16 decreases the cyclone flow speed. By the way, when the flow velocity of the cyclone increases, the time during which the solvent vapor stays in the cooling device 11 decreases. As a result, the solvent vapor contained in the air flow is exhausted together with the air without being partially liquefied. Although the solvent recovery filter 19 is provided on the exhaust side, if the airflow containing a large amount of solvent vapor is continuously exhausted, the life of the solvent recovery filter 19 becomes shorter than usual.
[0032]
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the cyclone flow rate and the solvent recovery efficiency in the solvent recovery device 1. If the cyclone flow rate is higher than a certain speed, the solvent vapor stagnation time is shortened, and the solvent recovery efficiency starts to decrease. Therefore, it is preferable to adopt a flow velocity control method having the configuration shown in FIG. A flow rate sensor 161 is attached to a side surface of the cooling device 11. A motor for rotating the suction fan 16 can be controlled by a motor driver 162 at a rotational speed of the motor. The motor driver 162 determines the number of rotations of the motor of the suction fan 16 based on the output of the flow rate sensor 161. When the flow rate exceeds the limit speed of 100% of the solvent recovery efficiency, the motor driver 162 controls to reduce the rotation speed. This can prevent the solvent recovery efficiency from lowering.
[0033]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, a high solvent recovery efficiency can be obtained in a structure having a small volume by generating a cyclone. In addition, the recovery efficiency can be increased by roughening the inner wall of the solvent recovery device or coating the inner wall with a material having a small surface energy. Furthermore, by adding the drive control of the cooling element of the solvent recovery device, the power required for the cooling operation in the solvent recovery device 1 can be minimized.
[0034]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0035]
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the solvent recovery device 1 according to the second embodiment. The feature of this embodiment is that the residence time of the cyclone is extended by inserting a partition wall into the cooling device 1. Hereinafter, details of the present embodiment will be described.
[0036]
In FIG. 12, the functions of the pipe 18, the cooling element 14, the cooling element drive circuit 15, and the solvent absorption filter 19 are the same as those of the first embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 12, other components related to the solvent recovery device 1 are the same as in the first embodiment.
[0037]
A spiral partition 121 is inserted inside the cooling device 11, one end of which is connected to an air inlet from the pipe 18, and the other end of which is connected to the inner cylinder 12. Accordingly, the cyclone flows inside the cooling device 11 while turning from the outer peripheral portion to the inner peripheral portion as indicated by an arrow shown in a top view of FIG. Therefore, the time that the cyclone stays in the cooling device 11 can be lengthened. Further, the solvent vapor contained in the air flow advances while colliding with the inner wall 112 of the cooling device 11 or the surface of the partition wall 121. Inserting the partition 121 into the cooling device 11 is equivalent to increasing the surface area. Therefore, the frequency with which the solvent vapor collides with the wall surface of the cooling device 11 increases, so that the solvent recovery efficiency can be further improved. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the volume of the cooling device without lowering the solvent recovery efficiency. In addition, by increasing the number of spirals of the partition wall, the effect of increasing the surface area can be obtained, and the width of the flow path through which the cyclone flows can be reduced. As a result, the frequency of collision between the solvent vapor in the cyclone and the wall surface increases, and the effect of improving the solvent recovery efficiency is obtained.
[0038]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, higher solvent recovery efficiency can be obtained, and the volume of the cooling device can be reduced without lowering the recovery efficiency.
[0039]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the solvent recovery device 1 according to the third embodiment. The feature of this embodiment is that the fin 113 is added to the inner wall 112 of the cooling device 1 to extend the residence time of the cyclone. Hereinafter, details of the present embodiment will be described.
[0040]
In FIG. 13, since the functions of the pipe 18, the cooling element 14, the cooling element drive circuit 15, and the solvent absorption filter 19 are the same as those of the first embodiment, detailed description will be omitted. Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 13, other components related to the solvent recovery device 1 are the same as in the first embodiment.
[0041]
Fins 113 are added to the inner wall 112 of the cooling device 11 and are spirally connected from above to below. The airflow flowing from the pipe 18 travels in a space partitioned by the inner wall 112, the inner cylinder 12, and the fins 113 of the cooling device 11. Therefore, a cyclone that moves in layers from above to below is formed. As a result, the distance over which the cyclone moves in the cooling device 11 can be increased, and the time during which the cyclone stays in the cooling device 11 can be increased. Therefore, it becomes possible to increase the solvent recovery efficiency. Further, by adding the fins 113 to the inner wall 112, the same effect as increasing the surface area of the wall surface can be obtained. In particular, as shown in FIG. 14, when the fins 113 are slightly inclined downward, the solvent droplets formed on the wall surface are easily dropped by gravity, and the lower recovery tank 13 (not shown) is used. The collection efficiency to the collection is improved.
[0042]
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the time during which the cyclone stays in the cooling device 11 can be increased, and the solvent recovery efficiency can be increased.
[0043]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a high solvent collection efficiency can be obtained in a structure with a small volume by generating a cyclone. Further, a configuration that minimizes the electric power required for the cooling operation in the solvent recovery device can be realized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an entire electrophotographic apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a solvent recovery device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal structure of a solvent recovery device and a cyclone according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of a solvent recovery duct used in the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration in which a controller is added to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a connection relationship among a controller, a transfer roller, and a solvent recovery device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating timings of heater heating, roller driving, and cooling element driving in the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of cooling element drive control according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a view showing a relationship between a temperature change without a cooling device and a timing of a cooling element drive current in the cooling element drive control according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of suction fan drive control according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between cyclone flow rate and solvent recovery efficiency according to the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a solvent recovery device and a cyclone according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a solvent recovery device and a cyclone according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an internal structure of a solvent recovery device having a configuration in which the shape of a fin is changed and a state of a cyclone in a third embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Solvent recovery apparatus, 11 ... Cooling apparatus, 112 ... Inner wall, 113 ... Fin, 12 ... Inner cylinder, 121 ... Partition wall, 13 ... Recovery tank, 14, 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 14e ... Cooling element, 15 ... Cooling element drive circuit, 151: Central processing unit, 152: Cooling element control unit, 153: Temperature sensor, 154: Temperature detection unit, 16: Suction fan, 161: Flow rate sensor, 162: Motor driver, 17: Recovery duct, 171 ... Joint, 18 ... Piping, 19 ... Solvent absorption filter, 2 ... Photoconductor, 3 ... Developer, 31 ... Development roller, 32 ... Supply roller, 33 ... Blade, 34 ... Liquid toner, 35 ... Liquid toner container, 4 ... Charger 5 Exposure device 61 Transfer roller 62 Backup roller 63 Motor 7 Cleaning roller 8 Recording medium 9 Controller

Claims (6)

A rotating image carrier, a charging unit for charging the surface of the image carrier, a latent image forming unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier charged by the charging unit, and the image carrier Developing means for supplying a liquid toner to the toner to develop a latent image on the surface of the image carrier to form a toner image; transfer means for transferring the toner image from the surface of the image carrier to a transfer surface; An image fixing means for transferring and fixing a toner image from a transfer surface to a recording medium,
A solvent recovery means for recovering the solvent vapor of the liquid toner generated in the transfer means and the image fixing means, cooling and liquefying the solvent again, wherein the solvent recovery means generates a cyclone in a cooling process. Electrophotographic equipment. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1,
An electrophotographic apparatus comprising a control unit for synchronizing the operation of the transfer unit with the operation of the solvent recovery unit. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1,
An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising: means for controlling driving of a cooling means in the solvent recovery means. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1,
An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising: means for controlling a flow rate of a cyclone in the solvent recovery means. 2. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said solvent recovery means includes a spiral partition to generate a cyclone. 2. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said solvent recovery means generates a cyclone by a fin provided on an inner wall.

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