Image forming apparatus

Abstract

Abstract <P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the sticking of toner to an image carrier or faulty transfer in a tandem type image forming apparatus, in which melted toner on an intermediate transfer body is transferred and fixed on the recording material. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus is equipped with a plurality of image carriers 1 (1a to 1d), respectively carrying toner images corresponding to respective colors, intermediate transfer bodies 2 (2a to 2d) which are arranged facing the image carriers 1 respectively, to which the toner images on the image carriers 1 are transferred and which temporarily carry the toner images and transfer them to the recording material 4; a heating means 3 disposed corresponding to the respective intermediate transfer bodies 2, heating and melting the toner image on the transfer body 2 so that the toner image can be transferred to the recording material 4 in a molten state; and cooling means 5 oppositely disposed on a more downstream side than a position, where the toner image on each transfer body 2 is transferred to the recording material 4 and a farther upstream side than a position where the transfer body 2 facing the image carrier 1 and having cooling ability set so that the surface temperature of the transfer body 2 is equal to or under the glass transition point temperature (Tg) of toner at the facing part of the transfer body 2 to the image carrier 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Inventors

• 👤 Takayuki Yamashita
• 👤 孝幸 山下
• 👤 Mitsuhiro Matsumoto
• 👤 充博 松本

Bibliographic Details