Image forming apparatus, image forming method and toner

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrying member, a toner feeding unit that forms a charged toner on a surface of the image carrying member, a toner image forming unit that forms a reversely charged toner image by applying charge to the charged toner according to image information, the applied charge having a polarity contrary to the charged toner, a color forming information applying unit that applies color forming information to the reversely charged toner image with light, a transferring unit that transfers the reversely charged toner image to a surface of a recording medium, a fixing unit that fixes the reversely charged toner image transferred to the surface of the recording medium, and a color forming unit that forms color of the toner image applied with the color forming information, the charged toner including a first component and a second component that are capable of forming the color upon reaction with each other, and are separated from each other in the toner, and a photo-curable composition containing at least one of the first component and the second component, the reaction for forming the color being controlled by maintaining a cured state or an uncured state of the photo-curable composition by application of color forming information with light.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic constitutional view showing an image forming apparatus according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic constitutional view showing an image forming apparatus according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention;

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

FIG. 4 is a schematic constitutional view showing an image forming apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5A is a schematic illustration showing a coloration mechanism of a toner in a coloring part;

FIG. 5B is a schematic illustration showing an enlarged view of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of the toner structure (in the case where the toner contains a mother material and a photosensitive and heat-sensitive capsules dispersed in the mother material);

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross sectional view showing another exemplary embodiment of the toner structure (in the case where the toner has a concentric structure);

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross sectional view showing another exemplary embodiment of the toner structure (in the case where the toner has a stripe structure);

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross sectional view showing another exemplary embodiment of the toner structure (in the case where the toner has a flabellate structure); and

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross sectional view showing a state where a toner image is exposed to light for application of coloration image.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrying member,a toner feeding unit that forms a charged toner on a surface of the image carrying member,a toner image forming unit that forms a reversely charged toner image by applying charge to the charged toner according to image information, the applied charge having a polarity contrary to the charged toner formed on the surface of the image carrying member,a color forming information applying unit that applies color forming information to the reversely charged toner image with light,a transferring unit that transfers the reversely charged toner image to a surface of a recording medium,a fixing unit that fixes the reversely charged toner image transferred to the surface of the recording medium, anda color forming unit that forms color of the toner image applied with the color forming information,the charged toner comprising a first component and a second component that are capable of being colored upon reaction with each other, and are separated from each other in the toner, and a photo-curable composition containing at least one of the first component and the second component,the reaction for forming the color being controlled by maintaining a cured state or an uncured state of the photo-curable composition by application of color forming information with light.

2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image carrying member is a conductive medium, and the toner image forming unit that forms the reversely charged toner image is an ion writing unit.

3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toner feeding unit also recovers a remaining toner remaining on the image carrying member after transferring.

4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a toner recharging unit that applies charge having the same polarity as the charged toner to the remaining toner.

5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing unit also functions as the color forming unit.

6. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a light radiating unit that radiates light to the recording medium after fixing.

7. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charged toner contains a microcapsule dispersed in the photo-curable composition, the first component is contained in the microcapsule, and the second component is contained in the photo-curable composition.

8. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the photo-curable composition contains the second component and a polymerizable compound.

9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second component has a photopolymerizable group.

10. A method for forming an image comprising: forming a charged toner on a surface of an image carrying member;forming a reversely charged toner image by applying charge to the charged toner according to image information, the applied charge having a polarity contrary to the charged toner;applying color forming information to the reversely charged toner image with light;transferring the reversely charged toner image to a surface of a recording medium;fixing the reversely charged toner image transferred to the surface of the recording medium; andforming color of the toner image applied with the color forming information,the charged toner comprising a first component and a second component that are capable of being colored upon reaction with each other, and are separated from each other in the toner, and a photo-curable composition containing at least one of the first component and the second component,the reaction for forming the color being controlled by maintaining a cured state or an uncured state of the photo-curable composition by application of color forming information with light.

11. A toner comprising a coloring agent, and a photo-curable developer monomer capable of being colored upon reaction with the coloring agent.

12. The toner as claimed in claim 11, wherein the coloring agent 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 coloring agent.

13. The toner as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the coloring agent and the photo-curable developer monomer are contained in a microcapsule, anda polymer formed through photopolymerization of the photo-curable developer monomer dose not pass a wall of the microcapsule.

14. The toner as claimed in claim 11, wherein the coloring agent is selected from an electron donative colorless dye and a diazonium salt compound, andthe photo-curable developer monomer is selected from an electron acceptive compound and a coupler compound having a photopolymerizable group.

15. The toner as claimed in claim 14, wherein the coloring agent is an electron donative colorless dye, anda content of the electron donative colorless dye at a coloring part in the toner is from about 0.01 to about 3 g/m2.

16. The toner as claimed in claim 14, wherein the coloring agent is an electron donative 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 donative colorless dye.

17. The toner as claimed in claim 14, wherein the coloring agent is a diazonium salt compound, anda content of the diazonium salt compound at a coloring part in the toner is from about 0.01 to about 3 g/m2.

18. The toner as claimed in claim 14, wherein the coloring agent 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.

19. The toner as claimed in claim 11, 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.

20. The toner as claimed in claim 11, 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.

21. A toner comprising a coloring agent, a developer capable of being colored upon reaction with the coloring agent, and a photo-polymerizable monomer.

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

23. The toner as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of the coloring agent and the developer are contained in the microcapsule.

24. The toner as claimed in claim 22, wherein the photo-polymerizable monomer contains decoloration reaction group capable of inhibiting color forming reaction between the coloring agent and the developer.

25. The toner as claimed in claim 21, wherein the coloring agent is a polymerizable compound having an ethylenic unsaturated bond, andthe developer is selected from a phenol derivative, an organic carboxylic acid derivative and a metallic salt thereof, a sulfonic acid derivative, urea and thiourea derivatives, acid clay, bentonite, a novolac resin and a metallic complex.

26. The toner as claimed in claim 21, wherein the toner further comprises a thermal polymerization inhibitor.

27. The toner as claimed in claim 21, 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.