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

Abstract

An image forming method includes: by using a plurality of liquid developers having different colors, forming a plurality of single color images corresponding to the colors; transferring a non-fixed color image onto a recording medium; and fixing the non-fixed color image onto the recording medium. In the image forming method, each of the liquid developers includes an insulting liquid containing unsaturated fatty acid components and toner particles dispersed in the insulating liquid, and an oxidation polymerization accelerator that accelerates an oxidation polymerization reaction of the unsaturated fatty acid components during fixation is contained in the liquid developer forming the single color image that is positioned closest to the recording medium among the plurality of single color images forming the non-fixed color image.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers refer like elements.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a developing unit provided in a liquid developing device according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a fixing device applied to the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to still another embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. An image forming method comprising: by using a plurality of liquid developers having different colors, forming a plurality of single color images corresponding to the colors;transferring a non-fixed color image onto a recording medium; andfixing the non-fixed color image onto the recording medium,wherein each of the liquid developers includes an insulting liquid containing unsaturated fatty acid components and toner particles dispersed in the insulating liquid, andan oxidation polymerization accelerator that accelerates an oxidation polymerization reaction of the unsaturated fatty acid components during fixation is contained in the liquid developer forming the single color image that is positioned closest to the recording medium among the plurality of single color images forming the non-fixed color image.

2. The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidation polymerization accelerator is contained in only the liquid developer forming the single color image that is positioned closest to the recording medium among the plurality of single color images forming the non-fixed color image.

3. The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein a largest amount of oxidation polymerization accelerator is contained in the liquid developer forming the single color image that is positioned closest to the recording medium among the plurality of single color images forming the non-fixed color image.

4. The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidation polymerization accelerator content of the liquid developer forming the single color image that is positioned closest to the recording medium among the plurality of single color images forming the non-fixed color image is in a range of 0.01 to 2 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of insulating liquid.

5. The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid developer forming the single color image that is positioned closest to the recording medium among the plurality of single color images forming the non-fixed color image forms a single color image corresponding to black.

6. The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the insulating liquid includes a glyceride of unsaturated fatty acid and fatty acid monoester.

7. The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidation polymerization accelerator is contained in the liquid developer in a capsulated state.

8. A liquid developing device comprising: a plurality of developing units that use a plurality of liquid developers having different colors to form a plurality of single color images corresponding to the colors; anda transfer unit that transfers the plurality of single color images corresponding to the colors onto a recording medium so as to be superimposed with each other, thereby forming a non-fixed color image on the recording medium,wherein each of the liquid developers includes an insulting liquid containing unsaturated fatty acid components and toner particles dispersed in the insulating liquid, andan oxidation polymerization accelerator that accelerates an oxidation polymerization reaction of the unsaturated fatty acid components during fixation is contained in the liquid developer forming the single color image that is positioned closest to the recording medium among the plurality of single color images forming the non-fixed color image.

9. The liquid developing device according to claim 8, wherein the transfer unit includes:an intermediate transfer unit onto which the plurality of single color images formed by the plurality of developing units are sequentially transferred and which forms an intermediate transfer image by superimposing the plurality of single color images transferred; anda secondary transfer unit that transfers the intermediate transfer image onto the recording medium, andone of the plurality of developing units that finally transfers the single color image onto the intermediate transfer unit contains the liquid developer including the oxidation polymerization accelerator.

10. The liquid developing device according to claim 8, wherein the transfer unit sequentially transfers the plurality of single color images formed by the plurality of developing units onto the recording medium when the recording medium is transported and forms the non-fixed color image obtained by superimposing the plurality of transferred single color images on the recording medium.

11. The liquid developing device according to claim 8, wherein the transfer unit includes:an intermediate transfer unit onto which the plurality of single color images formed by the plurality of developing units are sequentially transferred so as to be superimposed with each other and which forms an intermediate transfer image by the superimposing the plurality of single color images transferred;a secondary transfer unit onto which the intermediate transfer image is transferred and which transports the intermediate transfer image transferred; anda tertiary transfer unit which transfers the intermediate transfer image transferred onto the recording medium to form the non-fixed color image onto the recording medium.

12. The liquid developing device according to claim 9, wherein the developing unit includes a liquid developer reservoir that contains the liquid developer, anda reducing member that is formed of zeorite, which is a main component, and reduces the oxidized unsaturated fatty acid components is provided in the liquid developer reservoir that contains the liquid developer forming the single color image that is positioned closest to the recording medium among the plurality of single color images forming the non-fixed color image.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising: a liquid developing device that includes a plurality of developing units which use a plurality of liquid developers having different colors to form single color images corresponding to the colors and a transfer unit for transferring a non-fixed color image onto a recording medium; anda fixing device that fixes the non-fixed color image formed on the recording medium,wherein each of the liquid developers includes an insulting liquid containing unsaturated fatty acid components and toner particles dispersed in the insulating liquid, andan oxidation polymerization accelerator that accelerates an oxidation polymerization reaction of the unsaturated fatty acid components during fixation is contained in the liquid developer forming the single color image that is positioned closest to the recording medium among the plurality of single color images forming the non-fixed color image.