Image forming apparatus and image forming method
An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer body, a first coating device to coat the intermediate transfer body with a pre-coating liquid, a second coating device to coat the intermediated transfer body coated with the pre-coating liquid with an ink containing a solvent and a resin dissolved in the solvent, in which the resin includes a coloring material, and to mix the pre-coating liquid and the solvent to deposit the resin at a gas-liquid interface on the intermediate transfer body, and a heater to heat the resin deposited at the gas-liquid interface on the intermediate transfer body.
1 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
an intermediate transfer body;
a first coating device to coat the intermediate transfer body with a pre-coating liquid;
a second coating device to:
coat the intermediated transfer body coated with the pre-coating liquid with an ink containing:
a solvent; and
a resin dissolved in the solvent, the resin including a coloring material; and
mix the pre-coating liquid and the solvent so that the resin accumulates at a gas-liquid interface on the intermediate transfer body; and
a heater to heat the resin at the gas-liquid interface on the intermediate transfer body.
2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a transfer roller contacting the intermediate transfer body and forming a nip with the intermediate transfer body to transfer an image on the intermediate transfer body on a medium,
wherein the intermediate transfer body includes a belt to rotate in a rotation direction,
the second coating device coat the intermediated transfer body with the ink at a coating position,
the heater is disposed between the coating position and the nip in the rotation direction.
3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a transfer roller contacting the intermediate transfer body and forming a nip with the intermediate transfer body to transfer an image on the intermediate transfer body on a medium,
wherein the intermediate transfer body includes:
a belt; and
a heat roller in the belt to:
heat the resin on the belt; and
press the belt against the transfer roller to transfer the resin onto the medium between the belt and the transfer roller at the nip.
4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the solvent has a solubility parameter value between a solubility parameter value of the pre-coating liquid and a solubility parameter value of the resin.
5 . An image forming method comprising:
coating an intermediate transfer body with a pre-coating liquid;
coating the intermediate transfer body coated with the pre-coating liquid with an ink containing: a solvent; and a resin dissolved in the solvent, the resin including a coloring material;
mixing the pre-coating liquid and the solvent so that the resin accumulates at a gas-liquid interface on the intermediate transfer body;
heating the resin at the gas-liquid interface on the intermediate transfer body; and
transferring an image onto a medium from the intermediate transfer body.
6 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the resin in the ink has a density smaller than a density of the solvent and a density of the pre-coating liquid in the ink.
7 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a speed of mixing the pre-coating liquid and the solvent is faster than a speed of dissolving the resin in the solvent.
8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a lower limit of a dissolution range of the solvent is smaller than an upper limit of a dissolution range of the pre-coating liquid.