Image forming system, intermediate transfer medium and method with temporary attachment features
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorNobuyuki Yanagawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image forming system and method form temporarily attached color particles corresponding to an image on an intermediate image transfer device. The color particles are temporarily attached to the intermediate image transfer device by supplying energy, such as optical or thermal energy, corresponding to image signals, where the source of energy is located on the reverse side of the intermediate image transfer device from the side on which the particles are temporarily attached. Finally, an adhesion device transfers the color particles corresponding to the image from the intermediate image transfer device to a printing sheet and fuses the image into the printing sheet.
Claims30
An image forming system comprising:
- an intermediate image transfer device having a first side and a second side, said first side being configured to have temporarily attached thereon a portion of color particles arranged as at least a component of an intermediate color particle image;
- an application device configured to supply the portion of color particles and other color particles to the first side of the intermediate image transfer device;
- a temporary attachment device having an energy source, said energy source being configured to supply, through the second side of the intermediate transfer device, thermal energy to the portion of color particles, said thermal energy causing at least one of said portion of color particles and said first side of said intermediate image transfer device to heat and causing said portion of color particles to at least partially melt so as to temporarily attach said portion of color particles to said first side;
- and
- an adhesion device configured to heat and fuse the portion of color particles on a recording sheet,
- wherein:
- said other color particles remaining substantially unattached to said first side;
- and
- said color particles have a heat viscosity layer on their surface that becomes viscous when exposed to the thermal energy such that the color particles temporarily attach to the first side of the intermediate image transfer device.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- intermediate image transfer means for forming thereon a pattern of color particles arranged as an image;
- application means for supplying the pattern of color particles and other color particles to the intermediate image transfer means;
- temporary attachment means for temporarily attaching by heating and at least partially melting the pattern of color particles, said temporary attachment means being located at an opposite side of said intermediate image transfer means than a first side on which said application means supplies the pattern of color particles;
- and
- adhesion means for fusing and transferring the pattern of color particles onto a recording means,
- wherein:
- said other color particles remaining substantially unattached to said intermediate image transfer means;
- and
- said color particles have a heat viscosity layer on their surface that becomes viscous when exposed to heat such that the color particles temporarily attach to the first side of the intermediate image transfer means.
A method of forming an image, comprising the steps of:
- applying a portion of color particles and other color particles to a first side of an intermediate image transfer device;
- temporarily attaching the portion of color particles arranged in a pattern of the image to the intermediate image transfer device by applying thermal energy from an opposite side of the intermediate image transfer device that is opposite to the first side of the intermediate image transfer device on which the portion of color particles is applied in said applying step, said applying energy step includes applying the energy according to the pattern;
- and
- fusing the portion of color particles onto a recording member,
- wherein:
- said other color particles remain substantially unattached to said intermediate image transfer device;
- and
- said color particles have a heat viscosity layer on their surface that becomes viscous when exposed to the thermal energy such that the color particles temporarily attach to the first side of the intermediate image transfer device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.