Process cartridge, process cartridge recycling method and process cartridge recycling device

Abstract

A process cartridge recycling method which includes a water washing step, which washes a used process cartridge using water. In this step, so as not to cause deterioration of a working environment of washing, a casing of members which structure the process cartridge is extracted, and water is sprayed at the casing for washing. Also, a process cartridge recycled by this method, and a process cartridge recycling device which implements this method.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for recycling a used process cartridge, comprising a water washing step for washing the process cartridge with water.  
     
     
         2 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 1 , wherein the water washing step comprises washing process cartridge to which toner has adhered.  
     
     
         3 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the water is from 30° C. to 65° C.  
     
     
         4 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 1 , wherein the water washing step comprises washing by spraying water at the process cartridge and applying water pressure.  
     
     
         5 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after the water washing step, a drying step for drying the process cartridge.  
     
     
         6 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 2 , wherein a temperature of the water is from 30° C. to 65° C.  
     
     
         7 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 2 , wherein the water washing step comprises washing by spraying water at the process cartridge and applying water pressure.  
     
     
         8 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 2 , further comprising a toner separating step for separating the toner from the water that has been used in the water washing step.  
     
     
         9 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of structural members of the process cartridge includes a hydrophobic thermoplastic resin as a principal component, and the toner includes a hydrophobic thermoplastic resin as a principal component.  
     
     
         10 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 3 , further comprising a toner separating step for separating the toner from the water that has been used in the water washing step.  
     
     
         11 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 3 , wherein the process cartridge comprises a toner bottle which retains toner at an interior portion.  
     
     
         12 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 4 , wherein a water pressure of the water being sprayed is from 196 kPa to 980 kPa.  
     
     
         13 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 4 , further comprising, after the water washing step, a drying step for drying the process cartridge.  
     
     
         14 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 5 , wherein the drying step comprises drying by air blowing with an air pressure from 196 kPa to 882 kPa.  
     
     
         15 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 5 , wherein the process cartridge comprises a casing body including plastic as a principal component, and the method further comprises a disassembling step for removing a member other than the casing body that includes plastic as a principal component from the process cartridge.  
     
     
         16 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 8 , wherein the toner separating step comprises separating the toner and the water by collecting a supernatant portion of the water after the water washing step.  
     
     
         17 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 10 , further comprising recovering the water that has been separated in the toner separating step, and using the water in the water washing step again.  
     
     
         18 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 12 , further comprising a toner separating step for separating toner from the water that has been used in the water washing step.  
     
     
         19 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 13 , wherein the drying step comprises drying by air blowing with an air pressure from 196 kPa to 882 kPa.  
     
     
         20 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 14 , wherein the process cartridge includes at least a photoelectric photosensitive body, and the method further comprises, before the water washing step, a disassembling step for removing at least the photoelectric photosensitive body from the process cartridge.  
     
     
         21 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 15 , wherein the casing body that includes plastic as a principal component comprises a casing which incorporates at least one process component provided at a peripheral vicinity of a photoelectric photosensitive material.  
     
     
         22 . The process cartridge recycling method of  claim 19 , wherein, in the drying step, an air blowing temperature is from 40° C. to 90° C.  
     
     
         23 . A process cartridge comprising a casing body which includes plastic as a principal component, wherein toner has been adhered to the casing body and the process cartridge has been recycled by washing the casing body with water at a temperature of at least 30° C.  
     
     
         24 . The process cartridge of  claim 23 , wherein the casing body has been washed by spraying water at the casing body and applying a water pressure of from 196 kPa to 980 kPa.  
     
     
         25 . The process cartridge of  claim 23 , wherein a temperature of the water is from 30° C. to 65° C., and the casing body that has been washed by the water and recycled has not been deformed by heat of the water.  
     
     
         26 . The process cartridge of  claim 23 , wherein the process cartridge further comprises a label attached at an outer surface of the casing body, and the label of the casing body that has been recycled is free of residual the toner.  
     
     
         27 . A process cartridge recycling device which washes a process cartridge to which toner has adhered with water and removes the toner for recycling the process cartridge, the device comprising: 
 a water washing nozzle which sprays water at the process cartridge;    a water pressure control apparatus which controls water pressure of the water sprayed from the water washing nozzle; and    a water temperature regulating apparatus which controls water temperature of the water sprayed from the water washing nozzle.    
     
     
         28 . The process cartridge recycling device of  claim 27 , wherein the water pressure control apparatus controls the water pressure to from 196 kPa to 980 kPa, and the water temperature regulating apparatus regulates the water temperature to from 30° C. to 60° C.