Abstract: Disclosed herein are an active energy ray-curable ink-jet ink that is excellent in ejection stability and does not undergo a local thermal polymerization reaction, and an image forming method using the same.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a removal member that removes residual objects from a surface of a target cleaning body by contacting with the surface in a linear manner and rubbing against the surface and forms a piled body which is constructed of a portion of the residual objects at a contact location, and a pressure device that presses the piled body to increase a strength of the piled body.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a removal member that forms piled bodies of residual objects at a contact location and removes residual objects from a surface of a target cleaning member by contacting with the surface in a linear manner and rubbing against the surface, and a smoothing member that smooths out the piled bodies by moving along the contact location.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a removal member that forms piled bodies of residual objects at a contact location and removes residual objects from a surface of a target cleaning member by contacting with the surface in a linear manner and rubbing against the surface, and a smoothing member that smooths out the piled bodies by moving along the contact location.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes a forming device that forms unfixed images on recording media, a fixing unit that melts a material forming the images to fix the images onto the recording media, a stacking tray on which the recording media onto which the images are fixed are stacked, and a displacer that applies a force to the recording media stacked on the stacking tray to displace the recording media relative to each other.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a removal member that removes residual objects from a surface of a target cleaning body by contacting with the surface in a linear manner and rubbing against the surface and forms a piled body which is constructed of a portion of the residual objects at a contact location, and a pressure device that presses the piled body to increase a strength of the piled body.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an active energy ray-curable ink-jet ink that is excellent in ejection stability and does not undergo a local thermal polymerization reaction, and an image forming method using the same.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an inkjet ink degassing method that can sufficiently remove bubbles contained in active ray curable inkjet ink and improve dispensing stability and curability. The inkjet ink degassing method according to the present invention comprises a step of using hollow fibers to degas active ray curable inkjet ink that has been heated to between 60° C. and 120° C. and contains a colorant, a photopolymerizable compound, and a photoinitiator.

Abstract: Provided is an actinic radiation-curable inkjet ink that undergoes sol-gel phase transfer and contains a dye, a gelling agent, a photopolymerization compound and a photopolymerization initiator. The actinic radiation-curable inkjet ink includes a photopolymerizable compound A, which is a (meth)acrylate having hydroxyl groups; a photopolymerizable compound B, which is a (meth)acrylate compound having a molecular weight within a range of 300 to 1,500 and an intramolecular structure (—CH2—CH2—O—)m (where m is an integer between 3 and 14); and a (meth)acrylate compound C, which has a molecular weight within a range of 280 to 1,500 and a C log P value within a range of 4 to 7. The ink contains, in terms of the mass of the entire ink, 1 to 15 mass % of photopolymerizable compound A, 30 to 70 mass % of photopolymerizable compound B, 10 to 40 mass % of photopolymerizable compound C, and 2 to 10 mass % of gelling agent.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an actinic ray curable inkjet ink which, in an inkjet printing method, is capable of having both high pinning characteristics and high ejection characteristics. In order to achieve the above purpose, this actinic ray curable inkjet ink includes an actinic ray curable compound, ketone wax, and ester wax, and reversibly goes through a sol-gel phase transition depending on the temperature.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, an image reading unit that is provided above the image forming unit so as to read an image of a document, a frame that accommodates the image forming unit therein, including a pair of front and rear planar members disposed so as to face each other and a beam portion that connects the pair of planar members and supports upward the image reading unit, and a cover that covers at least a portion of the frame, provided with an opening portion of which an upper edge portion is supported by the beam portion.

Abstract: An image-forming method that comprises: a process of discharging a radiation-curable inkjet ink, which contains a photopolymerizable compound, a photopolymerization initiator, and a gelling agent and which undergoes a phase transition depending on the temperature, on a recording medium; and a process of curing the radiation-curable inkjet ink discharged on the recording medium by irradiating active radiation thereon. The method performs the irradiation with the active radiation so that the maximum illuminance at the surface of the recording medium is 2-5 W/cm2 and in the distribution of illuminance in the irradiated region at the surface of the recording medium in the direction of recording medium conveyance, the half-width of the illuminance is 20 mm or more. Using said image-forming method, productivity is high and images with excellent gloss homogeneity, surface curability and abrasion properties can be formed.

Abstract: A cleaning device that cleans a residual toner from a cleaning target includes a cleaning blade that blocks the residual toner containing toner particles and an external additive on the cleaning target and scrapes the residual toner from the cleaning target, a measurement unit that measures an amount of the external additive in the residual toner which is blocked by the cleaning blade and remains on the cleaning target, and a control unit that increases an amount of a toner that is supplied to the cleaning target based on a measurement result obtained by the measurement unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, an image reading unit that is provided above the image forming unit so as to read an image of a document, a frame that accommodates the image forming unit therein, including a pair of front and rear planar members disposed so as to face each other and a beam portion that connects the pair of planar members and supports upward the image reading unit, and a cover that covers at least a portion of the frame, provided with an opening portion of which an upper edge portion is supported by the beam portion.

Abstract: Provided is a developing device including an accommodating unit that contains a developer, a transport member that holds the developer on an outer surface and transports the developer outside from the accommodating unit, a layer regulating member that faces the outer surface of the transport member with a gap, extends in a direction intersecting a direction in which the developer is transported, and regulates a layer thickness of the developer, and a removal member that is inserted into the gap, moves along the direction in which the layer regulating member extends, and removes the developer from the gap.

Abstract: Provided is a cleaning unit including a removing member that contacts with a surface of a cleaning target and removes adherent matters on the surface of the cleaning target, a storage section that stores the adherent matters removed by the removing member, and a supply member that has a blade and rotates the blade in the storage section to supply some of the adherent matters stored in the storage section to the surface of the cleaning target.

Abstract: Disclosed is an aqueous inkjet ink which may contain water, a pigment, an organic or an inorganic acid, an amine, a resin that has a higher pKa than the organic or the inorganic acid, and a cross-linking agent. The aqueous inkjet ink exhibits excellent abrasion resistance even in cases where the drying time is short, while having high bleeding resistance and high storage stability. Also disclosed is a method for forming an inkjet image.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, an image reading unit that is provided above the image forming unit so as to read an image of a document, a frame that accommodates the image forming unit therein, including a pair of front and rear planar members disposed so as to face each other and a beam portion that connects the pair of planar members and supports upward the image reading unit, and a cover that covers at least a portion of the frame, provided with an opening portion of which an upper edge portion is supported by the beam portion.

Abstract: Provided is a toner transport device including a transport member that transports a developer in one direction, a toner feeding member disposed adjacent to, in a direction crossing the one direction, an end portion of the transport member, and a housing that is provided with a toner receiving port which receives supply of toner in an upper section of the toner feeding member, and accommodates the transport member and the toner feeding member, wherein the toner feeding member includes a rotating shaft, and a flat plate portion that protrudes in a direction away from a shaft member with one side thereof being connected to the shaft member and a front end portion away from the shaft member having a tapered shape, the flat plate portion rotating along with rotation of the shaft member to scrape the toner that moves from the toner receiving port toward the toner feeding member.

Abstract: Provided are an actinic energy radiation curable ink, which can achieve a high fineness and natural glossiness when recording is carried out onto a non-absorptive recording medium such as a film or a laminated paper or a slightly absorptive recording medium such as a coated paper; and an actinic energy radiation curable inkjet recording method. This actinic energy radiation curable ink, which is to be used in inkjet recording, is characterized by: said actinic energy radiation curable ink undergoing reversible sol/gel phase transition depending on temperature; said actinic energy radiation curable ink containing from 1% or more by mass to less than 10% by mass of a gelling agent; and, at temperature Tm (° C.) that is separately defined, the storage elastic modulus (G?) of the actinic energy radiation curable ink being from 0.1 or more Pa to less than 1000 Pa and the storage elastic modulus (G?) being smaller than the loss elastic modulus (G?) thereof.