Image Forming Method, Liquid Developer Developing Apparatus, and Image Forming Apparatus

Abstract

An image forming method using liquid developers is provided. The method includes a developing step for forming a plurality of monochromatic color images using a plurality of liquid developers of different colors; a transfer step for transferring a plurality of monochromatic color images which correspond to the respective different colors onto a recording medium to form an unfixed color image onto the recording medium; and a fixing step for fixing the unfixed color image onto the recording medium, wherein each of the liquid developers is comprised of an insulation liquid containing an unsaturated fatty acid component and toner particles dispersed in the insulation liquid, and wherein the liquid developers include a magenta liquid developer, and the magenta liquid developer contains an oxidation polymerization accelerator which accelerates an oxidation polymerization reaction of the unsaturated fatty acid component in the fixing step. A liquid developer developing apparatus and an image forming apparatus using the image forming method are also provided.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration which shows one example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view which shows one example of a developing unit provided in a liquid developer developing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view which shows one example of a fixing unit provided in an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

Claims

1. An image forming method, comprising: a developing step for forming a plurality of monochromatic color images using a plurality of liquid developers of different colors;a transfer step for forming an unfixed color image onto a recording medium; anda fixing step for fixing the unfixed color image onto the recording medium,wherein each of the liquid developers is comprised of an insulation liquid containing an unsaturated fatty acid component and toner particles dispersed in the insulation liquid, and wherein the liquid developers include a magenta liquid developer, and the magenta liquid developer contains an oxidation polymerization accelerator which accelerates an oxidation polymerization reaction of the unsaturated fatty acid component in the fixing step.

2. The image forming method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oxidation polymerization accelerator is colored with red or its similar colors.

3. The image forming method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid developers further include a black liquid developer, a yellow liquid developer and a cyan liquid developer, wherein among the magenta, yellow and cyan liquid developers only the magenta liquid developer contains the oxidation polymerization accelerator.

4. The image forming method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid developers further include a black liquid developer, a yellow liquid developer and a cyan liquid developer, wherein the yellow liquid developer and the cyan liquid developer also contain the oxidation polymerization accelerator, but the magenta liquid developer contains a largest amount of the oxidation polymerization accelerator.

5. The image forming method as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the amount of the oxidation polymerization accelerator contained in the magenta liquid developer with respect to 100 parts by weight of the insulation liquid is defined as X parts by weight and the amount of the oxidation polymerization accelerator contained in the yellow liquid developer with respect to 100 parts by weight of the insulation liquid is defined as Y parts by weight, the relation of Y/X≦0.1 is satisfied.

6. The image forming method as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the amount of the oxidation polymerization accelerator contained in the magenta liquid developer with respect to 100 parts by weight of the insulation liquid is defined as X parts by weight and the amount of the oxidation polymerization accelerator contained in the cyan liquid developer with respect to 100 parts by weight of the insulation liquid is defined as Z parts by weight, the relation of Z/X≦0.4 is satisfied.

7. The image forming method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amount of the oxidation polymerization accelerator contained in the magenta liquid developer with respect to 100 parts by weight of the insulation liquid is in the range of 0.01 to 2 parts by weight.

8. The image forming method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulation liquid contains unsaturated fatty acid glyceride and fatty acid monoester.

9. The liquid developer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oxidation polymerization accelerator is contained in the liquid developer with being encapsulated.

10. A liquid developer developing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of developing sections for forming a plurality of monochromatic color images using a plurality of liquid developers of different colors;an intermediate transfer section to which a plurality of monochromatic color images formed by the developing sections are sequentially transferred to form an intermediate transfer image which is formed by overlaying the transferred monochromatic color images one after another; anda secondary transfer section for transferring the intermediate transfer image onto a recording medium to form an unfixed image,wherein each of the liquid developers of the different colors is comprised of an insulation liquid containing an unsaturated fatty acid component and toner particles dispersed in the insulation liquid, and wherein the liquid developers include a magenta liquid developer, and the magenta liquid developer contains an oxidation polymerization accelerator which accelerates an oxidation polymerization reaction of the unsaturated fatty acid component when the transferred imaged is fixed.

11. The developing apparatus using a liquid developer as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plurality of developing sections are composed from a developing section for forming a black monochromatic image and a plurality of color developing sections for forming the plurality of monochromatic color images other than black, wherein among these color developing sections for forming the monochromatic color images the color developing section including the magenta liquid developer is arranged at a position from which the monochromatic color image is formed on the intermediate transfer section at the last.

12. The developing apparatus using a liquid developer as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the developing sections includes a liquid developer storage for containing the corresponding liquid developer, and the liquid developer storage containing the magenta liquid developer includes a reducing element for reducing the unsaturated fatty acid component which has been oxidized, in which the reducing element is formed of zeolite.

13. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a plurality of developing sections for forming a plurality of monochromatic color images using a plurality of liquid developers of different colors;an intermediate transfer section to which a plurality of monochromatic color images formed by the developing sections are sequentially transferred to form an intermediate transfer image which is formed by overlaying the transferred monochromatic color images one after another;a secondary transfer section for transferring the intermediate transfer image onto a recording medium to form an unfixed image onto the recording medium, anda fixing device for fixing the unfixed image onto the recording medium,wherein each of the liquid developers of the different colors is comprised of an insulation liquid containing an unsaturated fatty acid component and toner particles dispersed in the insulation liquid, and wherein the liquid developers include a magenta liquid developer, and the magenta liquid developer contains an oxidation polymerization accelerator which accelerates an oxidation polymerization reaction of the unsaturated fatty acid component when the transferred imaged is fixed.