Image forming apparatus, image forming method and toner

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; an electrostatic latent image forming unit; a developing unit; a color information applying unit; a transfer unit; a fixing unit; and a color forming unit, the toner containing a first component and a second component that are present in an isolated state from each other and that can form the color upon reaction with each other, and a photocurable composition containing at least one of the first component and the second component, the photocurable composition keeping a cured or uncured state by being applied the color.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an outline configuration view according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view to show a state at the time of applying the color information to a toner image and exposing;

FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram of a printing controller;

FIG. 4 is an outline configuration view to show an image forming apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5A is a schematic view to explain a color development mechanism of a toner, illustrating a color developing part;

FIG. 5B is a schematic view to explain the color development mechanism of a toner, illustrating an enlarged state of the color developing part;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view to show one example of a structure of a toner (the case including a matrix and a photosensitive or thermosensitive capsule as dispersed in the matrix);

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view to show another example of a structure of a toner (the case of a concentric circle structure);

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view to show another example of a structure of a toner (the case of a stripe structure); and

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view to show another example of a structure of a toner (the case of a folding fan structure).

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus including an image carrier;an electrostatic latent image forming unit that applying a charge to a surface of the image carrier to form a latent image;a developing unit that develops the latent image by a toner to form a toner image;a color information applying unit that applies the color information by light to the toner image;a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a surface of a recording medium;a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred onto the surface of the recording medium; anda color forming unit that forms color of the toner image that is applied the color information,the toner containing a first component and a second component that are present in an isolated state from each other and that can form the color upon reaction with each other, and a photocurable composition containing at least one of the first component and the second component, the photocurable composition keeping a cured or uncured state by being applied the color information by light, thereby being controlled a reaction for forming the color.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image carrier is a dielectric; and the electrostatic latent image forming unit is an ion writing device.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image carrier includes an elastic material having a volume resistivity of from about 103 to about 109 Ω·cm, and having an substantially uneven dielectric layer provided on a surface of the elastic material; and the electrostatic latent image forming unit is a discharge writing device.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing unit also serves as a color forming unit.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a light irradiating unit that irradiates light on a surface of the recording medium after fixing.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner contains a microcapsule dispersed in the photocurable composition, and the first component is contained within the microcapsule, and the second component is contained in the photocurable composition.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second component and a polymerizable compound are contained in the photocurable composition.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second component contains a polymerizable group.

9. An image forming method comprising: applying a charge to a surface of an image carrier to form an electrostatic latent image;developing the latent image by a toner to form a toner image;applying the color information by light to the toner image;transferring the toner image onto a surface of a recording medium;fixing the toner image transferred onto the surface of the recording medium; andforming color of the toner image that is applied the color information,the toner containing a first component and a second component that are present in an isolated state from each other and that can form the color upon reaction with each other, and a photocurable composition containing at least one of the first component and the second component, the photocurable composition keeping a cured or uncured state by being applied the color information by light, thereby being controlled a reaction for forming the color.

10. A toner comprising a color former, and a photo curable developer monomer capable of being color-developed upon reaction with the color former.

11. The toner as claimed in claim 10, wherein the color former and the photo curable developer monomer are separated from each other in the toner, anda polymer formed through photopolymerization of the photo curable developer monomer is contained in the toner to prevent from being reacted with the color former.

12. The toner as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least one of the color former and the photo curable developer monomer are contained in the microcapsule, anda polymer formed through photopolymerization of the photo curable developer monomer dose not pass a wall of the microcapsules.

13. The toner as claimed in claim 10, wherein the color former is selected from an electron donating colorless dye and a diazonium salt compound, andthe photo curable developer monomer is selected from an electron accepting compound and a coupler compound having a photopolymerizable group.

14. The toner as claimed in claim 13, wherein the color former is an electron donating colorless dye, anda content of the electron donating colorless dye at a color developing part in the toner is from about 0.01 to about 3 g/m2.

15. The toner as claimed in claim 13, wherein the color former is an electron donating colorless dye, and the photo curable developer monomer is a coupler compound having a photopolymerizable group, andthe coupler compound is contained in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 20 parts by mass per 1 part by mass of the electron donating colorless dye.

16. The toner as claimed in claim 13, wherein the color former is a diazonium salt compound, anda content of the diazonium salt compound at a color developing part in the toner is from about 0.01 to about 3 g/m2.

17. The toner as claimed in claim 13, wherein the color former is a diazonium salt compound, and the photo curable developer monomer is a coupler compound having a photopolymerizable group, andthe coupler compound is contained in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 20 parts by mass per 1 part by mass of the diazonium salt compound.

18. The toner as claimed in claim 10, wherein the toner further comprises a spectral sensitizing dye and a borate compound, and a ratio of the spectral sensitizing dye to the borate compound in the toner is in a range of from about 1/1 to about 1/50.

19. The toner as claimed in claim 10, wherein p1 the toner has GSDv of about 1.30 or less, GSDv/GSDp of about 0.97 or more, and SF1 of from about 110 to about 130.

20. A toner comprising a color former, a developer capable of forming color upon reaction with the color former, and a photo polymerizable monomer.

21. The toner as claimed in claim 20, wherein the color former and the developer are separated from each other in the toner, andthe photo polymerizable monomer undergoes photopolymerization to form a polymer, whereby the color former and the developer are reacted to each other to form the color.

22. The toner as claimed in claim 20, wherein at least one of the color former and the developer are contained in the microcapsule.

23. The toner as claimed in claim 21, wherein the photo polymerizable monomer contains decoloration reaction group capable of inhibiting color forming reaction between the color former and the developer.

24. The toner as claimed in claim 20, wherein the color former is a polymerizable compound having an ethylenically unsaturated bond, andthe developer is selected from a phenol derivative, an organic carboxylic acid derivative and a metal salt thereof, a sulfonic acid derivative, urea and thiourea derivatives, acid clay, bentonite, a novolak resin and a metal complex.

25. The toner as claimed in claim 20, wherein the toner further comprises a heat polymerization inhibitor.

26. The toner as claimed in claim 20, wherein the toner has GSDv of about 1.30 or less, GSDv/GSDp of about 0.97 or more, and SF1 of from about 110 to about 130.