Image forming apparatus and image forming method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsNoboru Toyama, Akira Morita
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium by forming a raw image on an intermediate transfer member with a liquid ink containing a coloring material and transferring the raw image onto the recording medium. The apparatus has an applicator unit for applying a reactive liquid onto the surface layer of the intermediate transfer member prior to the formation of the raw image. The reactive liquid urges the coloring material in the liquid ink to coagulate. The apparatus further has an adjustment unit for adjusting the thickness of the raw image according to the surface roughness of the recording medium.
Claims20
An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording surface of a recording medium, the apparatus comprising:
- a recording head for ejecting a liquid ink containing a coloring material;
- an intermediate transfer member having a surface layer for forming a raw image thereon by means of the liquid ink ejected from the recording head;
- an applicator unit for applying a reactive liquid for urging the coloring material in the liquid ink to coagulate, onto the surface layer of the intermediate transfer member prior to the formation of the raw image by the liquid ink;
- a transfer unit for transferring the raw image formed on the surface layer of the intermediate transfer member onto the recording surface of the recording medium at a transfer point where the recording medium are conveyed and pressed to the intermediate transfer member;
- and
- an adjustment unit for executing a process of adjusting a thickness of the raw image on the surface layer at an upstream side of the transfer point according to a surface roughness of the recording surface of the recording medium.
A method of forming an image on a recording surface of a recording medium by transferring a raw image formed on a surface layer of an intermediate transfer member by means of a liquid ink containing a coloring material, onto the recording surface of the recording medium, the method comprising:
- a step of applying a reactive liquid for urging the coloring material in the liquid ink to coagulate, onto the surface layer of the intermediate transfer member;
- a step of ejecting the liquid ink onto the surface layer of the intermediate transfer member carrying the reactive liquid applied thereto to form the raw image;
- and
- a step of transferring the raw image formed on the surface layer of the intermediate transfer member onto the recording surface of the recording medium;
- the method further comprising:
- a step of executing a process of adjusting a thickness of the raw image formed on the surface layer of the intermediate transfer member according to a surface roughness of the recording surface of the recording medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.