Abstract: An active energy ray-curable ink which contains: polymerizable compounds containing a monofunctional polymerizable monomer a homopolymer of which has Tg of 90° C. or higher, wherein a cured product obtained by forming a coating film having an average thickness of 10 ?m on a polycarbonate substrate using the ink, and 15 seconds later, and applying active energy rays having a light quantity of 1,500 mJ/cm2 to the coating film to cure satisfies the following (1) and (2): (1) a stretchability of the cured product represented by the following equation is 2 or greater, when the cured product is stretched by a tensile tester at a tensile speed of 20 mm/min, and temperature of 180° C., and Stretchability=(length after tensile test)/(length before tensile test) (2) adhesion between the substrate and the cured product as measured by a cross-cut test in accordance with JIS K5400 is 70 or greater.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus including an image bearing member which is a rotatable photoconductor containing an organic photoconductive layer on a conductive cylindrical support, a latent electrostatic image forming unit configured to charge the image bearing member to form a latent electrostatic image thereon, and a developing unit configured to develop the latent electrostatic image on the image bearing member with a developer to form a visible image, wherein the thickness of the organic photoconductive layer monotonically decreases or increases along the rotational axis from one end to the other end, wherein the developing unit includes a development sleeve for bearing and transferring the developer to a developing region, and wherein a development gap is formed between the image bearing member and the development sleeve, and becomes narrower from one end where the organic photoconductive layer is thicker to the other end where the organic photoconductive layer is thinner.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus including an image bearing member which is a rotatable photoconductor containing an organic photoconductive layer on a conductive cylindrical support, a latent electrostatic image forming unit configured to charge the image bearing member to form a latent electrostatic image thereon, and a developing unit configured to develop the latent electrostatic image on the image bearing member with a developer to form a visible image, wherein the thickness of the organic photoconductive layer monotonically decreases or increases along the rotational axis from one end to the other end, wherein the developing unit includes a development sleeve for bearing and transferring the developer to a developing region, and wherein a development gap is formed between the image bearing member and the development sleeve, and becomes narrower from one end where the organic photoconductive layer is thicker to the other end where the organic photoconductive layer is thinner.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus causes a softener to adhere to a toner image and then fixes the toner image onto a recording body. The toner image is formed using a liquid developer comprising a toner and carrier solution. The fixing apparatus comprises a fixing roller as a softener feeding device for feeding a fixer containing a softener to a transfer paper which is a recording body, and a pressurizing roller as a pressurizing device for pressurizing the transfer paper at a fixing nip which is a softener feeding position to which the fixer is fed. As the softener contained in the fixer, the one having an affinity for the carrier solution is used.

Abstract: A developing unit includes a developing roller including a roller portion. The developing roller is rotatable while carrying a developing liquid on the roller portion. The developing unit also includes a voltage applying device that applies a voltage to the roller portion to form an electric field for development between the roller portion and an image carrier, whereby the developing liquid deposited on the roller portion is transferred to a latent image formed on the image carrier. The roller portion includes a volume resistivity ranging from 0 ?·cm to 107 ?·cm.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to use a highly viscous, dense developing liquid including a carrier liquid and toner. The apparatus includes a developing unit with a developer carrier and a coating member for coating the developing liquid on the developer carrier. The developer carrier conveys the liquid to a developing zone where it faces an image carrier to develop a latent image on the image carrier. In the developing zone, the toner is caused to move toward the image by electrophoresis to form a toner layer in which the toner is present in the carrier liquid and a carrier layer in which the toner is absent. When the developer carrier and image carrier are moved from each other, the toner moves toward the image such that the developing liquid separates at the boundary between the toner and carrier layers.

Abstract: An excess toner removal area is made broader over the whole area with respect to a developer applied area that is broader than an image effective area. Thereby a liquid developer, that tends to spread slightly broader than the applied area after being applied to a photoreceptor drum, is removed by a sweep roller that can sweep excess toner present in an area broader than the original applied area and an excess toner remaining area is then prevented from being formed on the photoreceptor drum. Accordingly, the excess toner on the latent image carrier is removed as much as possible, and a transfer medium and peripheral members are prevented from being soiled due to residual excess toner.

Abstract: A removal nip having a predetermined width is formed by a sweep roller pressurizing mechanism, which adjusts the length of a tension spring by rotating an adjustment screw, and adjusting the size of an energizing force of a sweep roller with respect to a photosensitive drum. A pressurizing mechanism similar to the sweep roller pressurizing mechanism is also provided in a developing roller, to adjust the energizing force of the developing roller, to thereby form a developing nip having a predetermined width.

Abstract: A device for coating a developing liquid included in an developing device of the present invention includes a coating member rotatable with the developing liquid deposited thereon in a preselected amount. An intermediate member has a surface contacting the surface of the coating member and is movable at the same speed and in the same direction as the surface of the coating member. Also, the surface of the intermediate member contacts the surface of a developing roller to be coated with the developing liquid and is movable in the opposite direction to the surface of the developing roller.

Abstract: A liquid type image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier for carrying a latent image, a developing device for developing the latent image on the latent image carrier into a visualized image by a liquid developer containing a toner in a carrier liquid, and a transfer device for electrostatically transferring the visualized image on a recording body after the visualized image on the latent image carrier is intermediately transferred onto an intermediate transfer body. A fluorine compound is coated on at least a surface of the intermediate transfer body. The liquid type image forming apparatus is provided with a heating device for heating the intermediate transfer body.

Abstract: A developing unit includes a developing roller including a roller portion. The developing roller is rotatable while carrying a developing liquid on the roller portion. The developing unit also includes a voltage applying device that applies a voltage to the roller portion to form an electric field for development between the roller portion and an image carrier, whereby the developing liquid deposited on the roller portion is transferred to a latent image formed on the image carrier. The roller portion includes a volume resistivity ranging from 0 ?·cm to 107 ?·cm.

Abstract: A device for coating a developing liquid included in an developing device of the present invention includes a coating member rotatable with the developing liquid deposited thereon in a preselected amount. An, intermediate member has a surface contacting the surface of the coating member and is movable at the same speed and in the same direction as the surface of the coating member. Also, the surface of the intermediate member contacts the surface of a developing roller to be coated with the developing liquid and is movable in the opposite direction to the surface of the developing roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention uses a highly viscous, dense developing liquid consisting of a carrier liquid and toner dispersed therein. A developing unit includes a developer carrier and a coating member for coating the developing liquid on the developer carrier. The developer carrier conveys the liquid to a developing zone where it faces an image carrier to thereby develop a latent image formed on the image carrier with the liquid. In the developing zone, the toner in the liquid, which faces the image of the image carrier, is caused to move toward the image by electrophoresis to thereby form a toner layer in which the toner is present in the carrier liquid and a carrier layer in which the toner is absent in the same. When the developer carrier and image carrier moved away from the developing zone part from each other, the toner is caused to move toward the image over a degree at which the developing liquid can separate at the boundary between the toner layer and the carrier layer.

Abstract: A developing unit includes a developing roller including a roller portion. The developing roller is rotatable while carrying a developing liquid on the roller portion. The developing unit also includes a voltage applying device that applies a voltage to the roller portion to form an electric field for development between the roller portion and an image carrier, whereby the developing liquid deposited on the roller portion is transferred to a latent image formed on the image carrier. The roller portion includes a volume resistivity ranging from 0 ?·cm to 107 ?·cm.

Abstract: A device for coating a developing liquid included in an developing device of the present invention includes a coating member rotatable with the developing liquid deposited thereon in a preselected amount. An intermediate member has a surface contacting the surface of the coating member and is movable at the same speed and in the same direction as the surface of the coating member. Also, the surface of the intermediate member contacts the surface of a developing roller to be coated with the developing liquid and is movable in the opposite direction to the surface of the developing roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus using a highly viscous, dense developing liquid consisting of a carrier liquid and toner. A developing unit including a developer carrier and a coating member for coating the developing liquid on the developer carrier. The developer carrier conveys the liquid to a developing zone to develop a latent image formed on the image carrier with the liquid. In the developing zone, the toner in the liquid is moved toward the image by electrophoresis to form a toner layer in which the toner is present in the earner liquid and a carrier layer in which the toner is absent in the same. When the developer carrier and image carrier are moved away from the developing zone, the toner is moved toward the image over a degree at which the developing liquid can separate at the boundary between the toner layer and the carrier layer.

Abstract: An excess toner removal area is made broader over the whole area with respect to a developer applied area that is broader than an image effective area. Thereby a liquid developer, that tends to spread slightly broader than the applied area after being applied to a photoreceptor drum, is removed by a sweep roller that can sweep excess toner present in an area broader than the original applied area and an excess toner remaining area is then prevented from being formed on the photoreceptor drum. Accordingly, the excess toner on the latent image carrier is removed as much as possible, and a transfer medium and peripheral members are prevented from being soiled due to residual excess toner.

Abstract: An excess toner removal area is made broader over the whole area with respect to a developer applied area that is broader than an image effective area. Thereby a liquid developer, that tends to spread slightly broader than the applied area after being applied to a photoreceptor drum, is removed by a sweep roller that can sweep excess toner present in an area broader than the original applied area and an excess toner remaining area is then prevented from being formed on the photoreceptor drum. Accordingly, the excess toner on the latent image carrier is removed as much as possible, and a transfer medium and peripheral members are prevented from being soiled due to residual excess toner.

Abstract: A removal nip having a predetermined width is formed by a sweep roller pressurizing mechanism, which adjusts the length of a tension spring by rotating an adjustment screw, and adjusting the size of an energizing force of a sweep roller with respect to a photosensitive drum. A pressurizing mechanism similar to the sweep roller pressurizing mechanism is also provided in a developing roller, to adjust the energizing force of the developing roller, to thereby form a developing nip having a predetermined width.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention uses a highly viscous, dense developing liquid consisting of a carrier liquid and toner dispersed therein. A developing unit includes a developer carrier and a coating member for coating the developing liquid on the developer carrier. The developer carrier conveys the liquid to a developing zone where it faces an image carrier to thereby develop a latent image formed on the image carrier with the liquid. In the developing zone, the toner in the liquid, which faces the image of the image carrier, is caused to move toward the image by electrophoresis to thereby form a toner layer in which the toner is present in the carrier liquid and a carrier layer in which the toner is absent in the same. When the developer carrier and image carrier moved away from the developing zone part from each other, the toner is caused to move toward the image over a degree at which the developing liquid can separate at the boundary between the toner layer and the carrier layer.