IP Library Granted Patent US 8,532,537
Granted Patent B2
US 8,532,537 · App. 13/037,822 · Granted Sep 10, 2013

Image forming apparatus and image forming method

Inventors: Tsutomu Sasaki (Nagano, JP); Naotaka Higuchi (Nagano, JP)
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,532,537
App. No.
13/037,822
Granted
Sep 10, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

The image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier that holds a latent image thereon, a developer carrier that develops the latent image on the latent image carrier by using a liquid developer including a toner and a carrier liquid, a squeeze roller being in contact with the latent image carrier, that holds an image developed by the developer carrier, to squeeze the liquid developer on the latent image, and a control unit that applies a first bias to the squeeze roller, when a first position of the latent image carrier that does not hold the latent image is in contact with the squeeze roller, and that applies a second bias being different from the first bias to the squeeze roller, when a second position of the latent image carrier that holds the latent image is in contact with the squeeze roller.

Claims (23)

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a latent image carrier that holds a latent image thereon;

a developer carrier that develops the latent image on the latent image carrier by using a liquid developer including a toner and a carrier liquid;

a squeeze roller being in contact with the latent image carrier, that holds an image developed by the developer carrier, to squeeze the liquid developer on the latent image; and

a control unit that applies a first bias to the squeeze roller, when a first position of the latent image carrier that does not hold the latent image is in contact with the squeeze roller, and that applies a second bias being different from the first bias to the squeeze roller, when a second position of the latent image carrier that holds the latent image is in contact with the squeeze roller.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

an absolute value of the first bias is greater than an absolute value of the second bias.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

the latent image is a first latent image area on a first recording medium and a second latent image area on a second recording medium, and

the first position is between the first latent image area and the second latent image area.

4. The image forming apparatus in claim 1 , further comprising

a second squeeze roller that contacts with the latent image carrier to rotate and squeeze the liquid developer on the latent image squeezed by the squeeze roller.

5. The image forming apparatus of claim 4 , wherein

the control unit applies a third bias to the second squeeze roller, and

an absolute value of the third bias is smaller than the absolute value of the first bias and the second bias.

6. An image forming method, comprising:

contacting a developer carrier, on which a liquid developer having a toner and a carrier liquid is held, with a latent image carrier that does not hold a latent image;

contacting a squeeze roller applied a first bias with the latent image carrier that does not hold a latent image;

exposing the latent image carrier to light to form the latent image thereon;

developing the latent image on the latent image carrier by using the liquid developer; and

contacting the latent image carrier that holds the developed latent image with the squeeze roller applied a second bias being different from the first bias.

7. The image forming method of claim 6 , wherein

an absolute value of the first bias is greater than an absolute value of the second bias.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2011
From: SASAKI, TSUTOMU; HIGUCHI, NAOTAKA
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025880/0650 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2010-048607 · Mar 5, 2010 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110217083A1 · Sep 8, 2011