Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a toner image forming section for forming toner image;
• an intermediate transfer section serving as a first toner image carrier for transferring the toner image formed by the toner image forming section, the intermediate transfer section including an intermediate transfer medium having at least a surface formed of a material which is not permeated by a fixer fluid for fixing the toner image to a recording medium by softening and/or swelling a toner;
• a heating section for heating the intermediate transfer medium or another toner image carrier different therefrom;
• a fixer fluid applying section for applying the fixer fluid to the intermediate transfer medium or the other toner image carrier;
• and
• a transfuse section for transferring and fixing to the recording medium the toner image to which the fixer fluid has been applied,
• wherein the heating section and the fixer fluid applying section are disposed so that the intermediate transfer medium or the other toner image carrier is heated by the heating section before or during application of the fixer fluid to the intermediate transfer medium or the other toner image carrier by the fixer fluid applying section.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a toner image forming section for forming a toner image;
• an intermediate transfer section serving as a first toner image carrier for transferring the toner image formed by the toner image forming section, the intermediate transfer section including an intermediate transfer medium having at least a surface formed of a material which is not permeated by a fixer fluid for fixing the toner image to a recording medium by softening and/or swelling a toner;
• a heating section for heating the intermediate transfer medium or another toner image carrier different therefrom;
• a fixer fluid applying section for applying the fixer fluid to the intermediate transfer medium or the other toner image carrier;
• and
• a transfuse section for transferring and fixing to the recording medium the toner image to which the fixer fluid has been applied,
• wherein the heating section and the transfuse section are disposed so that the intermediate transfer medium or the other toner image carrier is heated by the heating section during transfuse of the toner image to the recording medium by the transfuse section.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a toner image forming section for forming a toner image;
• an intermediate transfer section serving as a toner image carrier for transferring the toner image formed by the toner image forming section, the intermediate transfer section including an intermediate transfer medium having at least a surface formed of a material which is not permeated by a fixer fluid for fixing the toner image to a recording medium by softening and/or swelling a toner;
• a fixer fluid applying section for applying the fixer fluid to at least a toner image forming region of the intermediate transfer medium;
• a heating section for heating at least a toner image forming region of the intermediate transfer medium;
• and
• a transfuse section for transferring and fixing to the recording medium the toner image to which the fixer fluid has been applied,
• wherein the heating section, the fixer fluid applying section, and the transfuse section are disposed so that the toner image forming region is heated by the heating section after the fixer fluid is applied to the toner image forming region by the fixer fluid applying section, and a region of the intermediate transfer medium, which is in contact with the recording medium, is heated by the heating section.