Abstract: A heat fixing apparatus has a heating unit for heating a recording medium having a substrate, a fixing layer and a surface layer so as to sublimate sublimating ink applied in advance to the surface layer for transferring the sublimated ink to the fixing layer. The heating unit includes a heating transporting mechanism for transporting the recording medium within a heating space, a heater body for heating air, and a blower mechanism for supplying hot air heated by the heater body to the recording medium being transported by the heating transporting mechanism. The apparatus further includes a flat guide member for coming into contact with the surface of the recording medium being transported by the heating transporting mechanism and a heater for heating the guide member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing unit having a print head for applying ink to a surface layer of a recording medium transported thereto; a loop-forming unit capable of temporarily storing the recording medium discharged from the printing unit; and a heating unit for heating the recording medium fed from the loop-forming unit for fixing the ink applied to the surface layer onto its fixing layer. The heating unit includes a preliminary heating subunit for heating the recording medium from a normal temperature level to a ink fixing temperature level, a main heating unit for heating the recording medium at the ink fixing temperature level and a slow cooling subunit for slowly cooling the recording medium to the normal temperature level.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus fixes, by heating, an image formed on a sheet-like recording medium thereto with sublimating ink. The apparatus includes a heating fixing unit for receiving and heating the recording medium and then discharging the heat-fixed recording medium, the heating fixing unit including a heating space for heating the recording medium and a transporting mechanism for transporting the medium in the heating space. The apparatus further includes a smoothing-out mechanism for discharging the recording medium from the heating space while smoothing out or flattening the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus fixes, by heating, an image formed on a sheet-like recording medium thereto with sublimating ink. The apparatus includes a heating fixing unit for receiving and heating the recording medium and then discharging the heat-fixed recording medium, the heating fixing unit including a heating space for heating the recording medium and a transporting mechanism for transporting the medium in the heating space. The apparatus further includes a smoothing-out mechanism for discharging the recording medium from the heating space while smoothing out or flattening the recording medium.

Abstract: A heat fixing apparatus has a heating unit for heating a recording medium having a substrate, a fixing layer and a surface layer so as to sublimate sublimating ink applied in advance to the surface layer for transferring the sublimated ink to the fixing layer. The heating unit includes a heating transporting mechanism for transporting the recording medium within a heating space, a heater body for heating air, and a blower mechanism for supplying hot air heated by the heater body to the recording medium being transported by the heating transporting mechanism. The apparatus further includes a flat guide member for coming into contact with the surface of the recording medium being transported by the heating transporting mechanism and a heater for heating the guide member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing unit having a print head for applying ink to a surface layer of a recording medium transported thereto; a loop-forming unit capable of temporarily storing the recording medium discharged from the printing unit; and a heating unit for heating the recording medium fed from the loop-forming unit for fixing the ink applied to the surface layer onto its fixing layer. The heating unit includes a preliminary heating subunit for heating the recording medium from a normal temperature level to a ink fixing temperature level, a main heating unit for heating the recording medium at the ink fixing temperature level and a slow cooling subunit for slowly cooling the recording medium to the normal temperature level.

Abstract: Handling of emulsion surfaces of both 3D and conventional photographs in the cases of development and drying processes is made possible by the following providing apparatus including a mechanism for selection of emulsion surface or selective reversal of the photographic paper. The difference in the processing time of 3D and conventional photography is dealt with by switching photographic paper conveying routes in the development section when processed such as development, bleach fixing and stabilizing processes take place. Printing of 3D photography is dealt with by making movable either both an exposure station and a lens or just the lens alone. Furthermore, switching is provided between respective lenses for conventional and 3D photographic printing. A suction type exposure station may be used, and may employ a mechanism to control an adhesive force applied to a photographic paper in the conventional and 3D photography.

Abstract: A squeeze roller assembly is made up of a plurality of pairs of squeeze rollers are that arranged in a row over a plurality of rows of photographic developing tanks for delivering photosensitive materials between the adjacent developing tanks. One roller of each pair of squeeze rollers has formed in its outer peripheral surface an annular groove for preventing correction values printed on a base surface of a photosensitive material from being transferred to the rollers. Each annular groove has a width different from the widths of the other annular grooves.