# US 12,276,925 B2 · Image forming apparatus and image forming method for transferring a powder to an image pattern on a recording medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,276,925 B2 - Document ID: US12276925B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/181,381 - Filed: 2023-03-09 - Published: 2023-09-28 - Granted: 2025-04-15 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-10 - Assignees: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Applicants: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Inventors: Yuya Sato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12276925B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/0891: {for conveying or circulating developer, e.g. augers} - G03G 15/6573: {Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing} - G03G 15/6582: {Special processing for irreversibly adding or changing the sheet copy material characteristics or its appearance, e.g. stamping, annotation printing, punching} - G03G 15/6585: {by using non-standard toners, e.g. transparent toner, gloss adding devices} - G03G 2215/00797: Printing device, i.e. annotation - G03G 2215/00805: Gloss adding or lowering device - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming apparatus includes a powder holding member and a transfer member. The powder holding member holds a powder pattern constituted by powder on a surface. The transfer member constitutes a nip part for nipping a recording medium on which an image pattern is formed with the powder holding member, and pastes powder constituting the powder pattern to the image pattern at the nip part. The image forming apparatus also includes a powder supply member that supplies powder to the surface of the powder holding member, and an adhesion force of the powder to the conveyance member is smaller than an adhesion force of the powder to a part where the powder pattern is formed on the surface of the powder holding member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: a powder holding member that holds a powder pattern formed of a powder and corresponding to an image pattern, the powder pattern being on a surface of the powder holding member and the image pattern being formed on a recording medium in advance; a transfer member that constitutes a nip part for nipping the recording medium, on which the image pattern is formed, with the powder holding member, and pastes the powder constituting the powder pattern to the image pattern at the nip part; a powder supply member that supplies powder to the surface of the powder holding member, the powder supply member transfers the powder held on a conveyance member to the surface of the powder holding member; and an adhesion force of the powder to the conveyance member of the powder supply member is smaller than an adhesion force of the powder to a part where the powder pattern is formed on the surface of the powder holding member, and is larger than an adhesion force of the powder to a part where the powder pattern is not formed on the surface of the powder holding member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the powder pattern has a shape arranged slightly larger than the image pattern at the nip part. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a base pattern to which the powder is pasted and a non-decorative pattern to which the powder is not pasted are formed as the image pattern on the recording medium, and the powder holding member holds the powder in a pattern shape corresponding to the base pattern in the image pattern. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the base pattern and the non-decorative pattern are formed in a same process. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a rubbing member that rubs the surface of the powder holding member covered with the powder supplied from the powder supply member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a rubbing member that rubs the conveyance member of the powder supply member covered with the powder. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part where the powder pattern is not formed on the surface of the powder holding member is constituted by a release layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the powder holding member has a powder holding pattern having adhesiveness, and holds the powder by causing the powder to adhere to the powder holding pattern. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An image forming method performed by the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, the image forming method comprising: nipping the recording medium on which the image pattern is formed at the nip part constituted by the powder holding member and the transfer member; and pasting powder constituting the powder pattern held on the surface of the powder holding member to the image pattern. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the powder holding pattern corresponding to the image pattern is formed by an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the powder holding pattern formed by the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is a toner pattern made of an aggregate of toner particles, which does not have adhesiveness in a formed state, and exhibits adhesiveness by subsequent heating. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image pattern formed on the recording medium in advance is a photocurable resin. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the image pattern includes a base pattern formed by a UV inkjet apparatus. ### Claim 14 An image forming apparatus comprising: a powder holding member that holds a powder pattern formed of a powder and corresponding to an image pattern, the powder pattern being on a surface of the powder holding member and the image pattern being formed on a recording medium in advance; a transfer member that constitutes a nip part for nipping the recording medium, on which the image pattern is formed, with the powder holding member, and pastes the powder constituting the powder pattern to the image pattern at the nip part; the surface of the powder holding member has a powder holding pattern corresponding to the image pattern and made of a coloring material made of any of colorless, white, and colored, the powder is held by causing the powder to adhere to the powder holding pattern, and the powder holding pattern is transferred to the image pattern together with the powder at the nip part. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the powder holding pattern has a same color as the image pattern on the recording medium. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising: a powder holding pattern forming apparatus that forms the powder holding pattern on the surface of the powder holding member. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the powder holding pattern corresponding to the image pattern is formed by an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the powder holding pattern formed by the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is a toner pattern made of an aggregate of toner particles, which does not have adhesiveness in a formed state, and exhibits adhesiveness by subsequent heating. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a base pattern to which the powder is pasted and a non-decorative pattern to which the powder is not pasted are formed as the image pattern on the recording medium, and the powder holding member holds the powder in a pattern shape corresponding to the base pattern in the image pattern.