Abstract: An image forming device includes: an endless intermediate transfer belt; and a secondary transferrer, wherein the secondary transferrer includes a secondary transfer roller and a counter roller, a value calculated from w/Vsys is defined as a nip time N [sec], when the secondary transferrer is deemed as an equivalent circuit including a resistance R1 [?·m2] of the secondary transfer roller, a resistance R2 [?·m2] of the intermediate transfer belt, a resistance R3 [?·m2] of the counter roller, and capacitance Cmed [F/m2] of a recording medium, in a case where a combined resistance in the equivalent circuit is defined as Rtotal [?·m2], and combined capacitance in the equivalent circuit is defined as Ctotal [F/m2], a value calculated from Rtotal×Ctotal is defined as a time constant ? [sec], and the image forming device further includes: a sheet detector; and a hardware processor.

Abstract: Prevention of an image defect due to discharging in a transfer portion and ensured transfer efficiency are both achieved. A control electrode is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of a secondary transfer roller on an upstream side of a position of contact between the secondary transfer roller and a recording medium in a direction of rotation of the secondary transfer roller. The control electrode has a potential set to a repel a toner image with respect to the secondary transfer roller. The control electrode is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the secondary transfer roller under such a condition that discharging occurs in a gap between the secondary transfer roller and the intermediate transfer belt and a discharging current flows through the recording medium.

Abstract: Prevention of an image defect due to discharging in a transfer portion and ensured transfer efficiency are both achieved. A control electrode is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of a secondary transfer roller on an upstream side of a position of contact between the secondary transfer roller and a recording medium in a direction of rotation of the secondary transfer roller. The control electrode has a potential set to a repel a toner image with respect to the secondary transfer roller. The control electrode is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the secondary transfer roller under such a condition that discharging occurs in a gap between the secondary transfer roller and the intermediate transfer belt and a discharging current flows through the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: an endless intermediate transfer belt; and a secondary transferrer, wherein the secondary transferrer includes a secondary transfer roller and a counter roller, a value calculated from w/Vsys is defined as a nip time N [sec], when the secondary transferrer is deemed as an equivalent circuit including a resistance R1 [?·m2] of the secondary transfer roller, a resistance R2 [?·m2] of the intermediate transfer belt, a resistance R3 [?·m2] of the counter roller, and capacitance Cmed [F/m2] of a recording medium, in a case where a combined resistance in the equivalent circuit is defined as Rtotal [?·m2], and combined capacitance in the equivalent circuit is defined as Ctotal [F/m2], a value calculated from Rtotal×Ctotal is defined as a time constant ? [sec], and the image forming device further includes: a sheet detector; and a hardware processor.

Abstract: A transfer belt includes: an elastic layer, wherein the transfer belt is used to transfer a toner image onto a recording medium, the toner image being carried on a first main surface which is one of a pair of main exposed surfaces including the first main surface and a second main surface, when, using a lower block and an upper block, the transfer belt is placed on an upper surface of the lower block, a part of the transfer belt is interposed between a curved convex surface and a curved concave surface, and a pressed region reaches a pressing force of 200 [kPa] and is constantly pressed by the pressing force, if “a” represents a maximum value of displacement of a measurement region, and “b” represents displacement of the measurement region after convergence, E [?] calculated by (a?b)/b satisfies a condition of 0.2?E?3.

Abstract: A transfer belt transfers a toner image carried on a first main surface to a recording medium. When the transfer belt is pressed by using a lower block provided with a hole and an upper block with pressurization force increased at a prescribed rate and thereafter kept constant, E [-] and t0 are curve-fitted to a function E=?×exp(?t0/?) defined by a time constant ? [s] with respect to an amount of displacement of the transfer belt and a constant ? [-], where E [-] is calculated as (a?b)/b, a [?m] represents a maximum value of an amount of displacement of a measurement region, b [?m] represents an amount of displacement of the measurement region after converged, and t0 [s] represents a time period from start of pressurization until the maximum pressurization force, and time constant ? satisfies a condition of 0.015???0.1.

Abstract: A transfer belt is configured to transfer a toner image carried on a first main surface of the transfer belt to a recording medium. When the transfer belt is pressed with pressure application three increased at a predetermined pressure application rate and is then pressed with certain pressure application force by using a lower block provided with a hole and an upper block, k2 [?m/s] satisfies 6?k2?30, k2 [?m/s] being determined by (a?b)/{2×(t2?t1)}, where a [?m/s] represents a maximum value of a displacement amount of a measurement region that is a portion of the first main surface corresponding to the hole, b [?m] represents a convergence value thereof, t1 [s] represents a time when the maximum value is observed, and t2 [s] represents a time when the displacement amount reaches (a+b)/2 again after the maximum value is observed.

Abstract: A transfer belt transfers a toner image carried on a first main surface to a recording medium. When the transfer belt is pressed by using a lower block provided with a hole and an upper block with pressurization force increased at a prescribed rate and thereafter kept constant, E [-] and t0 are curve-fitted to a function E=?×exp(?t0/?) defined by a time constant ? [s] with respect to an amount of displacement of the transfer belt and a constant ? [-], where E [-] is calculated as (a?b)/b, a [?m] represents a maximum value of an amount of displacement of a measurement region, b [?m] represents an amount of displacement of the measurement region after converged, and t0 [s] represents a time period from start of pressurization until the maximum pressurization force, and time constant ? satisfies a condition of 0.015???0.1.

Abstract: A transfer belt is configured to transfer a toner image carried on a first main surface of the transfer belt to a recording medium. When the transfer belt is pressed with pressure application three increased at a predetermined pressure application rate and is then pressed with certain pressure application force by using a lower block provided with a hole and an upper block, k2[?m/s] satisfies 6?k2?30, k2[?m/s] being determined by (a?b)/{2×(t2?t1)}, where a [?m/s] represents a maximum value of a displacement amount of a measurement region that is a portion of the first main surface corresponding to the hole, b [?m] represents a convergence value thereof, t1 [s] represents a time when the maximum value is observed, and t2 [s] represents a time when the displacement amount reaches (a+b)/2 again after the maximum value is observed.

Abstract: A transfer belt includes: an elastic layer, wherein the transfer belt is used to transfer a toner image onto a recording medium, the toner image being carried on a first main surface which is one of a pair of main exposed surfaces including the first main surface and a second main surface, when, using a lower block and an upper block, the transfer belt is placed on an upper surface of the lower block, a part of the transfer belt is interposed between a curved convex surface and a curved concave surface, and a pressed region reaches a pressing force of 200 [kPa] and is constantly pressed by the pressing force, if “a” represents a maximum value of displacement of a measurement region, and “b” represents displacement of the measurement region after convergence, E [?] calculated by (a?b)/b satisfies a condition of 0.2?E?3.

Abstract: A three-dimensional fabricated object manufacturing apparatus (1) provided with a fabrication block (20), an information code-forming block (30) and a position code-forming block (40). The fabrication block (20) sequentially stacks fabrication material layer by layer. The information code-forming block (30) forms an information code in which information for identifying the three-dimensional fabricated object is encoded inside the three-dimensional fabricated object that is fabricated by the fabrication block (20). The position code-forming block (40) forms a position code in which information representing the information code formation position in the three-dimensional fabricated object is encoded inside or on the surface of the three-dimensional fabricated object.

Abstract: The manufacturing apparatus (1) for three-dimensional moldings is provided with a molding block (20), a tag-supplying block (30) and a control unit (12). The molding block (20) is a molding device for molding a three-dimensional object by successively layering molding material layer by layer. The tag-supplying block (30) is a tag-supplying device for supplying a wireless communication tag to a specified position. The control unit (12) causes the tag-supplying block (30) to supply the wireless communication tag to the specified position of the molding material during layering of the molding material by the molding block (20) so that the wireless communication tag is embedded inside the three-dimensional molding that is obtained by layering the molding material.

Abstract: A wet-type image formation apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer body that carries a toner image including toner particles, which are charged to have a first polarity, and a carrier liquid; a transferring roller that transfers a toner image onto a transfer surface of a recording medium; a charging device that charges the transfer surface to have a second polarity opposite to the first polarity; and a fixing mechanism that fixes the toner image. The fixing mechanism includes a noncontact heating device. The noncontact heating device forms the toner particles into a film such that the toner particles and the carrier liquid are separated from each other by heating the toner image when the toner particles charged to the first polarity is electrostatically adsorbed onto the transfer surface charged to have the second polarity. The film of the toner particles is fixed onto the transfer surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a noncontact heating device, a pressurizing and heating mechanism, and a control unit. The control unit switches an operation of the pressurizing and heating mechanism based on gloss level information of a recording medium. According to the image forming apparatus, assuming that a temperature of the recording medium after noncontact heating is T1, a temperature of the recording medium after pressurizing and heating is T2 and a toner concentration after noncontact heating is Tc1 when the gloss level information shows high gloss, and assuming that a temperature of the recording medium after noncontact heating is T3 and a toner concentration after noncontact heating is Tc2 when the gloss level information shows low gloss, the conditions of T1<T2, T1<T3, and Tc1<Tc2 are satisfied.

Abstract: An infiltration amount measuring unit is provided to measure the amount of carrier liquid infiltrated in recording paper. An output signal of the infiltration amount measuring unit is input to a control device to be used to calculate a voltage supplied to a heat source (heater) in a pre-fixing unit. A signal of a paper temperature measuring unit is input to the control device, which determines whether a target temperature is reached. The control device estimates the amount of carrier liquid in a toner layer based on the information from the infiltration amount measuring unit. Then, the pre-fixing unit is controlled such that the amount of carrier liquid in the toner layer falls within an appropriate range, based on the estimation result of the amount of carrier liquid.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device for heating and pressing a toner image on a recording medium, a non-contact heating device arranged downstream of the fixing device for heating the toner image without coming into contact with the toner image, and a pressure contact device arranged downstream of the non-contact heating device and having a smooth surface. The pressure contact device has first and second arrangement states switched according to the kind of the recording medium. In the first arrangement state, the pressure contact device is arranged so as to make pressure contact with the toner image. In the second arrangement state, the pressure contact device is arranged so as not to make pressure contact with the toner image.

Abstract: A development apparatus and an image forming apparatus wherein optical high-precision detection of the toner amount of a toner layer formed on a toner carrying member is ensured even when the great amount of the toner is deposited on the toner carrying member by transferring all or a part of the toner on the surface of the toner carrying member onto a detecting roller, and wherein stable images are provided at all times.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium includes a fixing unit configured to fix on a recording medium, a toner image formed on the recording medium, through heating and pressurization and a gloss control unit configured to lower gloss of a surface of the toner image by charging the surface of the toner image fixed onto the recording medium and heating the toner image such that toner contained in the toner image reaches a softening point or higher thereof.

Abstract: A wet-type image formation apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer body that carries a toner image including toner particles, which are charged to have a first polarity, and a carrier liquid; a transferring roller that transfers a toner image onto a transfer surface of a recording medium; a charging device that charges the transfer surface to have a second polarity opposite to the first polarity; and a fixing mechanism that fixes the toner image. The fixing mechanism includes a noncontact heating device. The noncontact heating device forms the toner particles into a film such that the toner particles and the carrier liquid are separated from each other by heating the toner image when the toner particles charged to the first polarity is electrostatically adsorbed onto the transfer surface charged to have the second polarity. The film of the toner particles is fixed onto the transfer surface.

Abstract: A wet-type image forming apparatus includes: a heating unit configured to heat a recording medium and to volatilize liquid carrier in a toner image; a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image on the recording medium and disposed at a downstream side of the heating unit in a conveyance direction of the recording medium; a conveyance unit configured to convey the recording medium from the heating unit to the fixing unit; and a housing disposed to cover the conveyance unit, wherein the recording medium is conveyed on the conveyance unit in the housing toward the fixing unit after heated by the heating unit, in the presence of gas containing the volatilized liquid carrier, and the volatilized liquid carrier is cooled and turned into fine mist liquid carrier and then the fine mist liquid carrier attaches to the recording medium before the recording medium reaches the fixing unit.