Image forming method and apparatus that form and transfer image of liquid drops of increased viscosity

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a transfer medium;
• a material forming device configured to cause a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• an image forming device configured to cause a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• a transfer device configured to transfer the image to a recording medium;
• wherein the viscosity of the liquid drop when increased on the transfer medium by contact with the material is set such that the liquid drop adheres to the recording medium without being divided into a part remaining on the transfer medium and another part being transferred to the recording medium.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) a transfer medium;
• b) a material forming device configured to cause a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• c) an image forming device configured to cause a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• d) a transfer device configured to transfer the image to a recording medium, the transfer device including:
• 1) a transfer medium support device configured to support the transfer medium;
• and
• 2) a recording medium support device configured to support the recording medium;
• wherein a hardness of the transfer medium support device is different from a hardness of the recording medium support device.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) a transfer medium;
• b) a material forming device configured to cause a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• c) an image forming device configured to cause a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• d) a transfer device configured to transfer the image to a recording medium, the transfer device including:
• 1) a transfer medium support device configured to support the transfer medium;
• and
• 2) a recording medium support device configured to support the recording medium;
• wherein a diameter of the transfer medium support device is different from a diameter of the recording medium support device.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) a transfer medium;
• b) a material forming device configured to cause a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• c) an image forming device configured to cause a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• d) a transfer device configured to transfer the image to a recording medium, the transfer device including:
• 1) a transfer medium support device configured to support the transfer medium;
• and
• 2) a recording medium support device configured to support the recording medium;
• wherein the transfer medium support device and the recording medium support device include respective elastic members of different thickness.

An image transfer device for an image forming apparatus having a material forming device configured to cause a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to a transfer medium of the image transfer device and an image forming device configured to cause a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material, the image transfer device comprising:

• a pressing device configured to press a recording medium into contact with the transfer medium such that the image is transferred to the recording medium;
• wherein a surface of the transfer medium and a surface of the pressing device are moved at different speeds;
• and
• wherein the recording medium is moved by movement of the transfer medium.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a transfer medium;
• a material forming device configured to cause a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• an image forming device configured to cause a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• a transfer device including a pressing device configured to press a recording medium into contact with the transfer medium such that the image is transferred to the recording medium;
• wherein a surface of the transfer medium and a surface of the pressing device are moved at different speeds;
• and
• wherein the recording medium is moved by movement of the transfer medium.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a transfer medium;
• a material forming device configured to cause a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• an image forming device configured to cause a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• a transfer device configured to form a transfer nip in a curved shape, to transfer the image to a recording medium.

A method of forming an image, comprising:

• causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to a transfer medium;
• causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• transferring the image to a recording medium by forming a transfer nip in a curved shape.

A method of forming an image, comprising:

• a) causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to a transfer medium;
• b) causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• c) transferring the image to a recording medium brought in contact with the transfer medium by pressing the recording medium with a pressing device, the transferring including:
• 1) moving respective surfaces of the transfer medium and the pressing device at different speeds;
• and
• 2) moving the recording medium by movement of the transfer medium.

A method of transferring an image formed in an image forming apparatus by causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to a transfer medium and by causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that the image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material, the method comprising:

• moving a recording medium by movement of the transfer medium;
• bringing the recording medium into contact with the transfer medium;
• and
• pressing the recording medium with a pressing device to transfer the image to the recording medium, the pressing including moving respective surfaces of the transfer medium and the pressing device at different speeds.

A method of forming an image, comprising:

• causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to a transfer medium;
• causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• transferring the image to a recording medium;
• and
• separating the recording medium from the transfer medium by passing the recording medium by a curvature portion of the transfer medium.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) a transfer medium having:
• 1) a transfer position at which an image is transferred to a recording medium;
• and
• 2) a separation position, at which the transfer medium has a curvature, and at which the recording medium is separated from the transfer medium;
• b) a material forming device configured to cause a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• and
• c) an image forming device configured to cause a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that the image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a transfer medium;
• a material forming device configured to cause a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• an image forming device configured to cause a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• a transfer device configured to transfer the image to a recording medium, the transfer device including a plurality of pressing devices arranged at a first interval;
• and
• a separation device configured to separate the recording medium from the transfer medium;
• wherein an image forming operation performed by the image forming device and an image transferring operation performed by the image transfer device are intermittently performed at a same time, and include moving the transfer medium intermittently at a second interval;
• and
• wherein the first interval is different from an integer multiple of the second interval.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a transfer medium;
• means for causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• means for causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• means for transferring the image to a recording medium;
• wherein the viscosity of the liquid drop when increased on the transfer medium by contact with the material is set such that the liquid drop adheres to the recording medium without being divided into a part remaining on the transfer medium and another part being transferred to the recording medium.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) a transfer medium;
• b) means for causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• c) means for causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• d) means for transferring the image to a recording medium, including;
• 1) means for supporting the transfer medium;
• and
• 2) means for supporting the recording medium;
• wherein a hardness of the transfer medium supporting means is different from a hardness of the recording medium supporting means.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) a transfer medium;
• b) means for causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• c) means for causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• d) means for transferring the image to a recording medium, including:
• 1) means for supporting the transfer medium;
• and
• 2) means for supporting the recording medium;
• wherein a diameter of the transfer medium supporting means is different from a diameter of the recording medium supporting means.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) a transfer medium;
• b) means for causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• c) means for causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• d) means for transferring the image to a recording medium, including:
• 1) means for supporting the transfer medium;
• and
• 2) means for supporting the recording medium;
• wherein the transfer medium supporting means and the recording medium supporting means include respective elastic members of different thickness.

An image transfer device for an image forming apparatus having means for causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to a transfer medium of the image transfer device, and means for causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material, the image transfer device comprising:

• means for pressing a recording medium into contact with the transfer medium such that the image is transferred to the recording medium;
• wherein a surface of the transfer medium and a surface of the pressing means are moved at different speeds;
• and
• wherein the recording medium is moved by movement of the transfer medium.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a transfer medium;
• means for causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• means for causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• means for pressing a recording medium into contact with the transfer medium such that the image is transferred to the recording medium;
• wherein a surface of the transfer medium and a surface of the pressing means are moved at different speeds;
• and
• wherein the recording medium is moved by movement of the transfer medium.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a transfer medium;
• means for causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• means for causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• and
• means for transferring the image to a recording medium by forming a transfer nip in a curved shape.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) a transfer medium having:
• 1) a transfer position at which an image is transferred to a recording medium;
• and
• 2) a separation position, at which the transfer medium has a curvature, and at which the recording medium is separated from the transfer medium;
• b) means for causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• and
• c) means for causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that the image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a transfer medium;
• means for causing a material, that increases a viscosity of liquid drops by contact with the liquid drops, to adhere to the transfer medium;
• image forming means for causing a liquid drop to contact the material according to an image signal such that an image is formed with the liquid drop having been increased in viscosity by contact with the material;
• means for transferring the image to a recording medium, the transferring means including a plurality of pressing means arranged at a first interval;
• and
• means for separating the recording medium from the transfer medium;
• wherein an image forming operation performed by the image forming means and an image transferring operation performed by the image transferring means are intermittently performed at a same time, and include moving the transfer medium intermittently at a second interval;
• and
• wherein the first interval is different from an integer multiple of the second interval.