Abstract: A fixing apparatus for fixing a toner image on a recording material includes a fixing member, a pressing member that press-contacts a surface of the fixing member, and a toner releasing agent applying device that conveys and applies toner releasing agent onto the surface of the fixing member. The toner releasing agent applying device includes a toner releasing agent holding unit that holds toner releasing agent and includes a toner releasing agent supply opening, a permeable toner releasing agent delivering member that delivers toner releasing agent from the toner releasing agent holding unit to the surface of the fixing member and a toner releasing agent conveying unit that conveys toner releasing agent to the toner releasing agent holding unit. The toner releasing agent delivering member is supplied with the toner releasing agent in the toner releasing agent holding unit through the toner releasing agent supply opening.

Abstract: A releasing agent applying apparatus having an applying rotatable member for applying a releasing agent to an applied member, a supplying member for supplying the releasing agent to the applying rotatable member, a regulating member for regulating an amount of the releasing agent on the applying rotatable member, and a cleaning member for cleaning a surface of the applying rotatable member.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus that has an elongated heater, a film having a surface which moves while in contact with a recording material bearing an image, wherein the image on the recording material is heated by heat emitted from the heater via the film. The heater has a substrate made of metal and the substrate has a convex portion in a longitudinal direction of the heater.

Abstract: An oil application apparatus comprising a porous oil-holding member, a heat-resisting fiber felt, and an oil application amount control layer. The porous oil-holding member is impregnated with silicone oil. The heat-resisting fiber felt has a bending resistance in the range of 30 to 90 mm and is provided on an oil application side of the porous oil-holding member. The oil application amount control layer is provided on the oil application side of the heat-resisting fiber felt.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming and finishing a continuous fabric web in a single operation. The apparatus includes a fabric web forming station for forming a continuous fabric web and a finishing station downstream from the fabric web forming station for receiving the continuous fabric web from the fabric web forming station and for providing a finishing treatment to the continuous fabric web. In the preferred embodiment, the finishing station includes a substantially excess-free applicator which helps to prevent thick spots in the coated fabric web which may occur when a coating applicator is stopped and restarted. In the preferred embodiment, the finishing station includes a curing station downstream from the applicator. The curing station may include both a drying station and a heat set station downstream from the drying station. The operating temperatures of the drying and heat set stations are controlled to minimize the amount of air having VOCs to be treated before being discharged into the atmosphere.

Abstract: In an oil application roller having an oil retaining member made of a hollow cylindrical porous formed body provided with an oil application layer on the outer periphery and that supplies a fixing roll with lubricant oil retained in the oil retaining member, the porous formed body is made of an inorganic material having micro-diameter voids and pores inside, at least a part of the micro-diameter voids communicates with a surface of the porous formed body and the pores, and at least a part of the pores communicates with a surface of the porous formed body through the micro-diameter voids. Also, if permeability resistance is 100 to 6,000 Pa.s/m2, no oil leak occurs during transportation and storage, the amount of the lubricant oil supplied to the fixing roll can be controlled and a uniform amount of lubricant oil can be supplied despite its compact and simple structure, the utilization rate of the lubricant oil can be enhanced.

Abstract: In a conductive board heater using metal as the board, since thermal expansion is large, and expansion and shrinkage are repeated in a heating apparatus, there is a defect that the electrode portion to which a power supply spring contact point on the power supply connecter side is pressurized and contacted is worn and contact inferior occurs and it is easy to break. Furthermore, since the position of the resistor pattern of the heating body varies, excessive heating, insufficient heating, uneven heating at an end portion, or uneven curl unevenness at a paper end is occurred. A heater in an image heating apparatus is provided so as to prevent a contact defect between an electrode and a connecter of image heating apparatus.

Abstract: A method and a system for providing more uniform fuser oil distribution on a fuser surface by positioning a fuser oil redistribution roller in interactive contact with the fuser surface to absorb and redistribute fuser oil from areas of high oil concentration on the fuser surface.

Abstract: A heater roller assembly for use with a fuser apparatus includes a housing comprising a radiation shield enclosing a radiant heat source, and a heater roller that is disposed within the housing and is externally heated by the radiant heat source. The heater roller includes a core, a base cushion layer overlying the core, and an outer layer overlying the base cushion layer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for coating a moving web of paper or board from on sides with at least one coat layer. The coat is applied to the web by means of a film transfer coater (12) and next the web is passed to a dryer cylinder group (4) via an air-cushion cylinder (18) supported by a wire (14), whereby the web can run fully supported all the way from its entry to the coater up to the winder. The apparatus further comprises a belt calender (8) and a belt-supported winder (9), whereby the web is thus supported over its entire passage in the machinery from the unwinder or paper machine up to winding.

Abstract: A temperature differential over a length of a fuser can result from a thermal load applied to the fuser by media having a dimension, corresponding to a longitudinal axis of the fuser, less then the length of the fuser. The temperature on regions of the surface of the fuser contacting the media is lower than on regions of the surface not contacting the media. With feedback used to control the fuser surface temperature near its center, the fuser surface temperature in regions not contacting the media can become hot enough to damage the fuser. With a heat pipe included in the fuser, heat flows from the higher temperature regions on the surface of the fuser to the lower temperature regions on the surface of the fuser, thereby reducing the peak magnitude of the fuser surface temperature and the magnitude of the temperature differential over the length of the fuser.

Abstract: An image-forming material removing apparatus capable of continuously peeling image-forming material such as toner from the recording medium while, with simple structure, maintaining high quality will be provided.

Abstract: Disclosed is a silicone oil supplying system of a toner image fixing device, which is capable of uniformly applying offset preventing liquid onto a working surface of an upper fixing roller over its full length even if the fixing device of the copier is used in the tilted state. Also disclosed is an image forming device provided with the same silicone oil supplying system. The silicone oil supplying system for applying silicone oil onto a working surface of the upper fixing roller is provided with an oil tank for storing silicone oil, an oil applying device for applying the silicone oil to the surface of the upper fixing roller and a pump for supplying silicone oil from the oil tank to the oil applying device. The oil applying device is provided with a supplying pipe for downwardly supplying silicone oil in the form of droplets onto a working surface of an oil applying roller.

Abstract: Apparatus for selectively providing textured handling hazard resistant clear marking particles coatings to photographic elements on an elongated web transported along a travel path from a supply roller to a take-up roller. The apparatus includes a device, located in operative association with the web travel path for applying a clear marking particle coating to the web. A heated fuser roller and a mechanism, such as a pressure roller providing a nip relation with the fuser roller for travel of the web through the nip, are located relative to the web travel path to fuse the clear marking particle coating to the web. At least one heated, textured roller, is located downstream of the fuser roller relative to the web travel path facing the photographic elements on the web.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus having a fixing section and a cleaning roller. The fixing section has a pair of fixing rollers. The fixing section is designed to fix a developer image on a paper sheet as the paper sheet having the developer image transferred passes through a nip between the fixing rollers. One of the fixing rollers has a diameter gradually decreasing toward middle portion from either end portion. The cleaning roller is set in contact with said one of the fixing rollers. The cleaning roller removes, from said one of the fixing rollers, dirt such as toner stuck to said one of the fixing rollers during the process of fixing the developer image on the paper sheet. The cleaning roller has a diameter gradually increasing toward a middle portion from either end portion.

Abstract: A fixing device for an image forming apparatus includes a heat roller and a press roller pressed against the heat roller. An applicator roller applies oil to at least one of the heat roller and press roller. A rotatable cleaning member and a stationary cleaning member are held in contact with the applicator roller.

Abstract: In a heat developing section, heater boxes heated by sheet-like heaters are disposed vertically in pairs between an insertion roller pair and a discharging roller pair. When a heat developing photosensitive material is fed between the heater boxes by the insertion roller pair with a photosensitive layer of the heat developing photosensitive layer facing upward, it is guided by a guide plate of a lower heater box and is conveyed with an air layer being constantly formed between an upper heater box and the heat developing photosensitive material. As a result, the heat developing photosensitive material is heated without the photosensitive layer thereof being pressed. Accordingly, the heat developing photosensitive material is uniformly heated with no wrinkles generated therein, and an image of high finished quality is formed.

Abstract: A method and device for a paper calender that includes at least one first roll, an elastic cover comprised of plastic, and at least one heatable roll. The at least one heatable roll is heatable by means of a heating device. The at least one heatable roll supports the elastic cover. In addition, the at least one first roll can likewise be made to be heatable so that the paper web can be supplied with heat from both sides.

Abstract: A coating device is provided for coating particles of a particulate coating composite consisting of particles of resin and particles of an offset preventing agent having a higher melting point than that of the resin on a paper substrate. A pair of rollers are provided to be contacted with each other for fixing the particulate coating composite on one of surfaces of the paper substrate. The particulate coating composite and the paper substrate are heated from one of the rollers, The heating temperature is set to a value which is higher than a melting point of said resin and lower than a melting point of said offset preventing agent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making masking tape is provided. A hot melt or thermoplastic adhesive having no added foaming agents, blowing agents, or surfactants is applied to a paper backing having a moisture content, wherein the adhesive is at a temperature near or below the boiling point of water. The adhesive-coated tape is then advanced to a heating device and heat is applied thereto such that the moisture present in the tape is vaporized and dispersed throughout the adhesive to give the adhesive a foam-like quality.

Abstract: There is provided a fixing device of an image forming apparatus in which a high quality image can be obtained through a small amount of release agent and toner offset can be prevented for a long period of time without fail. The fixing device includes a pair of fixing rotating bodies being brought into press contact with each other and being rotated, and a release agent application unit for applying a release agent onto a surface of the fixing rotating body, and makes a toner image formed on a recording material by an electrophotographic process pass through a press contact portion of the pair of fixing rotating bodies so that the toner image is fixed. The fixing device further includes a wax agent application unit for applying a wax agent onto the surface of the fixing rotating body.

Abstract: A fixing unit includes a fixing roller for fixing an image of a developer transferred onto a transfer medium, an oil coating unit for coating the fixing roller with oil to prevent the developer from attaching thereto, and an attaching frame for detachably attaching the oil coating unit to the fixing roller. The oil coating unit includes a plurality of supply rollers that contain oil, and a removing roller for removing the developer attached to the supply rollers.

Abstract: A developing device for an image forming apparatus of the present invention is capable of enhancing image quality by making the thickness of a film of developing liquid on a photoconduct element uniform after development. Development is effected under particular conditions matching with, e.g., the properties of the developing liquid.

Abstract: A system for selective treatment of a traveling web, preferably of paper or cardboard, by surface treatment or impregnation in which at least one coater is in the case of web treatment arranged after a dryer group for treatment of the one side of web. At least one further coater for treatment of the other side of the web is arranged before a further dryer group. Noncontact web deflectors are arranged after the coaters and noncontact dryers can be installed retroactively in existing dryer sections.

Abstract: In a method for repeatedly using an image holding member such as a sheet of paper, toner for an electronic photograph is constructed such that a maximum value of viscoelasticity of the toner shown by tan .delta. is equal to or smaller than 3 in the range of a heating temperature when the toner is heated and fixed to the image holding member. Such toner has sufficient elastic or cohesive force. Accordingly, when the toner is heated and fixed to the paper sheet, no excessive adhesive force is caused to such an extent that paper fibers of the paper sheet eat into the toner attached to the paper sheet. Accordingly, after an aqueous solution including a surfactant is supplied to the paper sheet by a liquid supplying unit, the toner is softened by heat from heating rollers so that the toner is attached to a surface of an offset belt.

Abstract: An image fixing device is disclosed comprising a heating roll installed with a heater, a pressure roll rotatably pressing against the heating roll, and a thermistor for sensing the surface temperature of the heating roll, wherein a CPU is provided for controlling the surface temperature of the heating roll to an initial fixing control temperature of 1.1 times a normal fixing temperature, when the surface temperature of the heating roll sensed by the thermistor is below one-third of the normal fixing temperature.

Abstract: A fixing device is disclosed for fixing an unfixed toner image onto a sheet of paper by sandwiching in a contacting portion between an fixing roller and a pressing roller, and thus transporting, the sheet carrying thereon the unfixed toner image. The blade includes a base body made from a heat resistant rubber material (e.g., fluororubber) and a fluororesin sheet adhered to the surface of the base body by an adhesive agent so as to cover an edge portion of the blade. This permits provision of a fixing device with an oil-applying function which has superb durability and stability over a long period of time. The fluororesin sheet is preferably a tetrafluoroethylene=perfluoroalkylvinylether copolymer sheet. The adhesive agent is preferably a single component room-temperature-setting type silicone adhesive agent.

Abstract: A release agent (i.e. silicone oil) management system including a metering roll supported for contact with release agent material contained in a sump. The metering roll contacts a donor brush which, in turn, contacts one of a pair of fuser roll member. The donor brush comprises a rigid core having a non-woven felt layer adhered to the core. The felt layer provides a soft, nip forming layer. The felt layer is covered with a woven tube of Nomex to reduce the loss of loose fibers from the Nomex material. An oil barrier layer is provided between the Nomex tube and the felt layer for preventing or minimizing oil penetration into the oil permeable nip forming felt layer.

Abstract: A liquid applying member and a tool are provided. The liquid applying member includes an applying roller which can stably apply an unstabilizing liquid to a transfer paper. The tool is referable for manufacturing the applying roller. A large number of recess portions independent from each other are provided on a circular circumferential surface of the applying roller for applying the unstabilizing liquid which unstabilizes an attachment state between the toner and the transfer paper to the transfer paper having a toner image formed thereon. The recess portion can be formed by pressing the rotating tool constructed with a roller member made of a material harder than that of the surface portion of the applying roller and provided with projecting portions formed on a circular circumferential surface thereof, so as to engage with the recess portions having a target shape of the applying roller to the raw material of the applying roller.

Abstract: A sleeve adapted to be mounted on a mandrel to form a liquid transfer roll or the like comprises a radially expandable inner skin defining a radially inner surface of the sleeve, at least one radially compressible intermediate layer of resilient plastic material; and a rigid, self-supporting metal outer tube. Further methods for producing such a sleeve are described.

Abstract: A lining material for forming a tight barrier coating on a base material. The lining includes a thermoplastic polymer that does not cross-link in an aqueous dispersion. The thermoplastic polymer is 65%-85% of lining by dry matter weight. The lining also includes an additive including at least one particulate material having barrier-forming properties and in an aqueous dispersion. The additive is 15%-35% of the lining by dry matter weight. At least 95% of the particles of at least one particulate material fulfill the condition that the ratio between the largest and the smallest dimension of a particle of the particulate material is greater than 5:1.

Abstract: A RAM system including a metering roll and a pair of metering blades, is positioned in contact with a metering roll at a location intermediate, a nip formed through pressure contact of the metering roll with a donor roll, and a supply of release agent material such that as the metering roll is rotated in the imaging process direction release agent material is metered onto the metering roll and contaminants are prevented from getting deposited on the fuser roll. A second metering blade contacts the metering roll at a location that is intermediate the aforementioned nip and the supply of release agent such that when the metering roll is rotated in the direction opposite to the process direction excess release agent material and/or contaminants are prevented from being deposited on the fuser roll.

Abstract: A plate cylinder (1) for applying hot glue to a paper web comprises distributed circumferentially in a regular pattern a plurality of separate magnet units (22) oriented radially, extending up to its circumferential surface (18) and temperature-resistant up to at least 300.degree. C. which radially oriented outwards like the substantially tubular tool base body (15) are heated and serve to retain one or more separate, flexural letterpress plates.

Abstract: A method of fusing and a fusing system are provided for a fusing member having a thermally stable FKM hydrofluoroelastomer surface for fusing thermoplastic resin toners which are susceptible to amines to a substrate in an electrostatographic printing apparatus with an amino functional oil having the formula: ##STR1## where 50.ltoreq.n.ltoreq.200, p is 1 to 5 and R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are selected from the group consisting of alkyl and arylalkyl radicals having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, R.sub.4 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl and arylalkyl radicals having 1 to 18 carbon atoms and a polyorganosiloxane chain having 1 to 100 diorganosiloxy repeat units, and R.sub.

Abstract: An elastic fixing roll having an elastic, compliant body material and release surface material is disclosed. The body material can be made of porous silicone rubber or fluorosilicone rubber foam, or a porous synthetic polymer foam reinforced with silicone rubber or fluorosilicone rubber. The release surface material is formed of porous polytetrafluoroethylene film containing silicone rubber or fluorosilicone rubber.

Abstract: A self-stripping heat and pressure fuser and Release Agent Management (RAM) system therefor. A fusing belt entrained about a heated fuser roll and a support roller is move at a first predetermined speed via the heated fuser roll and at a second speed via the support roll. The support roll drives the belt at a speed 5% greater than the speed at which is driven by the fuser roll. Thus, the belt is overdriven such that it is stretched whereby substrates carrying heated toner images are stripped from the fusing belt.

Abstract: A silicone composition is formed as a system including: a silicone compound, reactive group-containing modified silicic acid powder of which surface has been modified with an alkylsilane, a hexamethyldisilazane, a dimethylsilicone oil, or a mixture thereof, and an unsaturated group-containing silane compound; and inorganic fine powder carrying a surfactant. The silicone compound is preferably an addition reaction-type silicone rubber prepared from a dimethyl polysiloxane having a vinyl group, a methylhydrogenpolysiloxane and a platinum-based catalyst. The silicone composition is heat-cured to provide an elastic revolution body which is suitably used to constitute one or both of a fixing roller and a mating pressure roller in a roller fixing device for electrophotography.

Abstract: An offset printing apparatus has a fluid-cooled nip roll which, in use, presses a hot, rapidly moving, endless printed and dried web into intimate contact with the first downstream chill roll while avoiding damage to the web, nip roll, or chill roll, and while avoiding ink picking by the web surface contacted by the nip roll. Employing the nip roll in the system also permits the use of a substantially shorter dryer and fewer chill rolls as compared to a conventional system operating at the same web speed. A coolant circuit for the nip roll preferably includes a warmup loop which temporarily circulates warm fluid through the nip roll when the system is first taken off-line, thereby preventing condensate formation or frost formation on the nip roll.

Abstract: In a method for coating a shear-thinning cathode material having a high viscosity on a substrate, the substrate is drawn through a nip defined by a rotating backing roller and a notched bar disposed at a distance from the backing roller. The notched bar is convexly curved in shape in a region prior to the nip and is formed with a notch extending in from the curved region of the notched bar at the nip. The cathode material is supplied onto a first surface of the substrate, the first surface facing the notched bar. At least a portion of the first surface of the substrate is coated with a uniform thickness layer of the cathode material by applying steadily increasing shear forces to the supplied cathode material as the cathode material on the substrate is drawn into the nip and contacts the curved region of the notched bar. The cathode material layer is removed from contact with the notched bar by drawing the cathode material layer coated on the substrate past the notch in the notched bar.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for applying a desired protective finish to a web of printed label stock. The web of printed label stock is moved through a coating station, where a layer of hot melt varnish is extruded onto the web of printed label stock. Then, the web of printed label stock is transferred to a working station in an environment which causes the layer of varnish to at least partially solidify to a predetermined state as it reaches the working station. At the working station, the layer of varnish is worked to a desired finish. Preferably the web is carried through a nip formed by a pair of rolls, including a highly polished chrome roll which contacts the layer of varnish and works the layer of varnish to a glossy finish. After the layer of varnish is worked to a glossy finish, the web is directed through a finishing station, where the glossy finish is fixed in the layer of varnish, and the web is conditioned to a state in which it can be processed as a web of finished label stock.

Abstract: An addition reaction-type dimethylsilicone composition, including a diorganopolysiloxane containing a reactive vinyl group; an organopolysiloxane containing an active hydrogen atom; and silicic acid fine powder of which surface has been treated with a fluoroalkylsilane, an alkylsilane compound, a fluorosilicone oil, a dimethylsilicone oil, or a mixture thereof, and a silane compound containing an unsaturated group having a reactivity to the organopolysiloxane containing an active hydrogen atom.

Abstract: A calender for applying a dispersion of solid resins, wax dispersions and surface materials on sections or particularly sheets, with a heatable calender roller, a counterpressure roller disposed at the inlet of the section or sheet and a take-off roller, which is preferably constructed as a suction roller and offset in the direction of rotation of the calender roller with respect to the counterpressure roller, as well as, optionally, an air knife disposed in the outlet gap, one or several counterpressure rollers being provided and the diameters of the calender roller and/or of the counterpressure rollers, as well as their mutual contacting pressure, being selected so that the width of the pressure strip of the mutual contact, when a counterpressure roller is provided, is between 20 mm and 45 mm and preferably about 35 mm.

Abstract: A heat and pressure fuser and RAM system therefor. A rotating wick is provided in one disclosed embodiment which cooperates with a metering roll to apply silicone oil release agent to the surface of a heated fuser roll. To this end the rotating wick contacts silicone oil contained in a sump and through its rotation conveys the oil to the metering roll which in turn applies a metered quantity of oil to the surface of the heated fuser roll. In another embodiment, a rotating wick together with a metering roll and a donor roll serve to convey silicone oil from a supply of oil to the surface of the fuser roll.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preventing oil streaks on color transparencies. To this end release agent material in the form of silicone oil is applied to a heated fuser roll using a two-roll RAM system. The silicone applied to the fuser roll is then metered to a uniform thickness with a metering blade contacting the surface of the fuser roll. The blade is adapted to be engaged with the fuser roll only during the fusing of process color images on transparency material in order to minimize wear of the blade and/or fuser roll surface and to minimize contamination of the blade due to unnecessary contact.

Abstract: An apparatus for bonding, without adhesive, a plastic material layer onto a backing fabric of any kind, wherein the fabric is biaxially stretched and untreated, includes a calendar and a rocking device. The calendar includes a heated cylinder for coating the fabric with a layer of plastic material. The rocking device includes a preliminary heating element, a front end roll, and a rear end roll. The front end roll and rear end roll guide the stretched fabric onto the heated cylinder of the calendar to control the heating temperature of the stretched fabric in contact with the heated cylinder. The preliminary heating element is interposed between the front end roll and the rear end roll.

Abstract: A release agent management system including a metering roll supported for contact with release agent material contained in a sump. The metering roll also contacts a donor brush structure which, in turn, contacts a heated fuser roll member.The ends of the brush structure are provided with a pair of friction devices which contact the surface of the heated fuser roll member and do not contact the metering roll. Thus, the donor brush structure and the heated fuser roll member are frictionally coupled so that positive rotation of the heated fuser roll member imparts rotation to the donor brush structure.

Abstract: A fixing device incorporated in an image forming apparatus and for fixing a toner image on recording paper includes a fixing roller in which a heater is installed in the roller, a pressure roller which is held in press contact with the fixing roller, an oil application roller which is held in contact with the fixing roller for applying oil to the fixing roller, an oil supply roller which is held in contact with the oil application roller for applying oil to the oil application roller, an oil application felt which is held in contact with the oil supply roller for applying oil to the oil supply roller, and a driver which rotates the oil application roller such that the oil application roller moves in the same direction as the fixing roller at the contact portion between the fixing roller and the oil application roller. The surface velocity of the oil application roller is lower than the surface velocity of the fixing roller.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus is disclosed, capable of forming an image on both surfaces of a recording medium. The image formation apparatus is provided with the latent image forming unit for forming an unfixed image on the photosensitive drum, the transfer drum for transferring the unfixed image onto the recording medium, and an oil application device for applying a release agent onto the fixing roller. The release agent applied upon fixing the first surface is different in quantity from that applied upon fixing the second surface and the releasing agent applied to the fixing rotor during single side fixing is different in quantity than when both surfaces are to be fixed. The releasing agent quantity also differs depending on whether the apparatus is in cassette feed mode or manual feed mode and is not applied when the recording medium is in contact with the fixing roller.

Abstract: A separating agent metering device (30) contains a separating agent feed roller (1) which rolls tangentially against the fuser roller (8). In doing so, separating agent from the inside of the separating agent feed roller (1) which has passed to the surface is transferred to the fuser roller (8). The separating agent feed roller (1) contains a carrier tube (6), which is rotatably mounted on a separating agent metering tube (5), and an applicator roller (7) which is arranged on said carrier tube so as to be exchangeable. The applicator roller (7), which contains an applicator sleeve (4) with a layer of material (13) which is permeable to the separating agent attached thereto, can be slid axially over the carrier tube (6).

Abstract: An apparatus capable of surely removing a toner or similar image forming substance stably cohered to a sheet, and an apparatus for processing a sheet are disclosed. A liquid supply unit uniformly supplies a liquid to a toner carried on the sheet. The sheet infiltrated with the liquid is heated by a toner removing unit to have to the toner thereof softened. As a result, the toner adheres to the surface of an offset member implemented as a belt or a drum. The sheet containing the liquid therein is conveyed to the toner removing unit without creasing, breaking or folding.