Image forming apparatus, clear layer forming apparatus, and image forming system

A clear layer forming apparatus which is provided between a first fixing section and a second fixing section of an image forming apparatus and which forms a clear layer which can be fixed by the second fixing section on the toner image which the first fixing section has fixed;

• wherein the image forming apparatus comprises:
• an image forming section which transfers an toner image according to image data onto a recording sheet;
• the first fixing section which has a first fixing roller which rotates on the recording sheet and which fixes the toner image on the recording sheet with heat of the first fixing roller;
• and
• the second fixing section which has a second fixing roller which rotates on the recording sheet on a downstream side of the first fixing section and which fixes the toner image on the recording sheet with heat of the second fixing roller;
• and
• wherein the clear layer forming apparatus determines a first recording sheet area and a second recording sheet area and forms the clear layer so as to increase a thickness of the clear layer so that the clear layer is thicker in the second recording sheet area than in the first recording sheet area by using information related to the first fixing roller, the first recording sheet area being an area on which the toner image has been fixed during a first revolution of the first fixing roller on the recording sheet and the second recording sheet area being an area on which the toner image has been fixed during a second revolution of the first fixing roller on the recording sheet.

An image forming system comprising:

• (1) an image forming apparatus including:
• an image forming section which transfers an toner image according to image data onto a recording sheet;
• a first fixing section which has a first fixing roller which rotates on the recording sheet and which fixes the toner image on the recording sheet with heat of the first fixing roller;
• a second fixing section which has a second fixing roller which rotates on the recording sheet on a downstream side of the first fixing section and which fixes the toner image on the recording sheet with heat of the second fixing roller;
• and
• a control section which controls each part, and
• (2) a clear layer forming apparatus which is provided between the first fixing section and the second fixing section and which forms a clear layer which can be fixed by the second fixing section on the toner image which the first fixing section has fixed;
• wherein the clear layer forming apparatus determines a first recording sheet area and a second recording sheet area and forms the clear layer so as to increase a thickness of the clear layer so that the clear layer is thicker in the second recording sheet area than in the first recording sheet area by using information related to the first fixing roller, the first recording sheet area being an area on which the toner image has been fixed during a first revolution of the first fixing roller on the recording sheet and the second recording sheet area being an area on which the toner image has been fixed during a second revolution of the first fixing roller on the recording sheet.