JP5338690B2 - Image forming apparatus and image forming method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus for forming an image by applying a recording liquid from each head to an intermediate transfer body while securing the recording liquid ejection performance of the head and suppressing bleeding without applying a processing liquid, powder or the like other than the recording liquid. and to provide an image forming method using the image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus uses: the intermediate transfer body 37 having a conductive surface to which the conductive recording liquid ejected from nozzles 61a provided in each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C and 61BK are applied; a voltage applying means 33 for applying voltage between the intermediate transfer body 37 and each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C and 61BK so as to perform electrolysis of the conductive recording liquid ejected from the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C and 61BK and bridged between each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C and 61BK and the intermediate transfer body 37; and a voltage application control means 40 configured to control the voltage application to control discharge by the voltage applied to the conductive recording liquid with voltage application. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an inkjet image forming apparatus that forms an image by applying a recording liquid such as ink to an intermediate transfer member with a head, and an image forming method using the same.

  Conventionally, it has been equipped with a head that ejects droplets of recording liquid such as ink from a plurality of minute nozzles by a movable actuator method typified by a piezo method, a heated film boiling method typified by a thermal method, etc. 2. Description of the Related Art Inkjet image forming apparatuses such as inkjet printers are known (see, for example, [Patent Document 1] and [Patent Document 2]).

  In the inkjet system, in the configuration in which the recording liquid is directly discharged from the head to the recording material such as recording paper, the head and the recording material are close to each other, so paper dust, dust, etc. adhering to the recording material is applied to the nozzle. Easy to adhere. When paper dust or the like adheres to the nozzle, the flying direction of droplets ejected from the nozzle is disturbed, or the nozzle is blocked, resulting in a reduction in image quality and reliability. In order to avoid such a problem, priority is given to the ejection stability from the nozzles, and it is common to use a recording liquid having a low viscosity. However, a recording liquid having a low viscosity is applied to the recording material. Bleeding is likely to occur when landing.

  In view of this, an image forming apparatus that includes an intermediate transfer member that carries the recording liquid discharged from the head, forms an image on the intermediate transfer member, and then transfers the image to a recording material has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). (See Patent Document 2)).

  Further, in the image forming apparatus provided with the intermediate transfer member as described above, an image forming device including a processing liquid applying unit that applies a processing liquid for changing the pH of the recording liquid to the intermediate transfer member in order to further reduce bleeding. Has been proposed (see, for example, [Patent Document 1]). In this image forming apparatus, in the recording liquid, at least a pigment and polymer fine particles are dispersed in a medium composed of water and a water-soluble solvent, and the pigment and polymer fine particles are aggregated by changing pH.

  In addition, in an image forming apparatus provided with an intermediate transfer body, an image forming apparatus in which a powder that absorbs a recording liquid is previously deposited on the intermediate transfer body in order to reduce bleeding is proposed (for example, [Patent Documents] 2]).

  However, such an image forming apparatus has a problem that the printing speed decreases due to the application of the treatment liquid or powder, and the apparatus becomes large. In particular, in the configuration in which the powder is applied, the powder tends to adhere to the nozzle and the discharge performance of the recording liquid from the head tends to decrease. It is necessary to solve the problem while ensuring the discharge performance.

  The present invention suppresses bleeding without applying a treatment liquid or powder other than the recording liquid while ensuring the discharge performance of the recording liquid from the head. The recording liquid is applied to the intermediate transfer member by the head. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus for forming an image and an image forming method using the image forming apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 is provided with a head provided with a nozzle for discharging a conductive recording liquid and a conductive recording liquid discharged by the head. A voltage between the intermediate transfer member and the head for electrolyzing the conductive recording liquid discharged from the head and temporarily bridging between the head and the intermediate transfer member Voltage application means for applying, transfer means for transferring an image carried on the intermediate transfer member to the recording material by the conductive recording liquid, and voltage applied to the conductive recording liquid by the voltage application The image forming apparatus includes a voltage application control unit that controls application of the same voltage in order to control discharge.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the plurality of nozzles are provided, and the voltage application control unit controls the voltage application for each of the plurality of nozzles. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the conductive recording liquid contains water as a solvent, and the pigment is dispersed by an anionic dispersant. It functions as an anode when a voltage is applied by the voltage applying means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the voltage application control unit applies the voltage only when the conductive recording liquid is in the state. Features.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the plurality of nozzles are provided, and the voltage application control unit is configured to select a nozzle selected from the plurality of nozzles. The voltage application is performed only when all of the discharged conductive recording liquid is in the above state.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is an image forming method for forming an image using the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.

  The present invention provides a head having a nozzle for discharging a conductive recording liquid, an intermediate transfer member to which a conductive recording liquid discharged by the head is applied, at least a surface of which is conductive, and a head discharged from the head. A voltage applying means for applying a voltage between the intermediate transfer member and the head for electrolyzing the conductive recording liquid in a state where the head and the intermediate transfer member are temporarily bridged; A transfer means for transferring the image carried on the intermediate transfer member to the recording material by the conductive recording liquid, and control of the same voltage application to control the discharge due to the voltage applied to the conductive recording liquid by the voltage application. Therefore, the electrolysis of the conductive recording liquid can suppress bleeding without applying a treatment liquid or powder other than the conductive recording liquid. , In addition to this, it is possible to prevent or reduce the scattering of the conductive recording liquid and the load on the head and the intermediate transfer member due to the discharge resulting from the voltage application, thereby making it possible to perform good image formation. An image forming apparatus can be provided.

  If there are a plurality of the nozzles and the voltage application control means controls the voltage application for each of the plurality of nozzles, a treatment liquid other than the conductive recording liquid is obtained by electrolysis of the conductive recording liquid. In addition to this, bleeding can be suppressed without applying powder or powder, and in addition to this, the discharge of the conductive recording liquid due to such voltage application and the load on the head and intermediate transfer member can be reduced by a plurality of nozzles. Therefore, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can perform better image formation.

  The conductive recording liquid contains water as a solvent, the pigment is dispersed by an anionic dispersant, and the intermediate transfer member functions as an anode when a voltage is applied by the voltage applying unit. Furthermore, electrolysis of a highly versatile conductive recording liquid can suppress bleeding without applying a treatment liquid or powder other than the conductive recording liquid. By preventing or reducing the scattering of the conductive recording liquid due to the discharge and the load on the head and the intermediate transfer member, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can perform good image formation.

  If the voltage application control means applies the voltage only when the conductive recording liquid is in the above state, a treatment liquid or powder other than the conductive recording liquid is applied by electrolysis of the conductive recording liquid. Without this, it is possible to suppress bleeding, and in addition to this, by applying the voltage at a necessary and sufficient timing, scattering of the conductive recording liquid due to discharge resulting from the voltage application, the head, and intermediate transfer Since the load on the body can be highly prevented or reduced, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of performing better image formation.

  If there are a plurality of the nozzles, and the voltage application control means performs the voltage application only when all of the conductive recording liquid ejected from the nozzles selected from the plurality of nozzles is in the state, the voltage application control means The electrolysis of the conductive recording liquid can suppress bleeding without applying a treatment liquid or powder other than the conductive recording liquid, and in addition to this, it is possible to apply such voltage with relatively simple control. Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of forming a good image relatively easily by preventing or reducing the scattering of the conductive recording liquid due to the discharge caused and the load on the head and the intermediate transfer member. be able to.

  Since the present invention is in an image forming method for forming an image using such an image forming apparatus, the electrolysis of the conductive recording liquid causes bleeding without applying a treatment liquid or powder other than the conductive recording liquid. In addition to this, it is possible to prevent or reduce the scattering of the conductive recording liquid and the load on the head and the intermediate transfer member due to the discharge caused by the voltage application. It is possible to provide an image forming method capable of performing the above.

1 is a schematic front view of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which conductive recording liquid is applied from a head to an intermediate transfer member in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a state where pigments in a conductive recording liquid discharged from a head in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 are aggregated via protons. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a state of a liquid column by a conductive recording liquid formed between a cathode and an anode in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which pigments in a conductive recording liquid discharged from a head in an image forming apparatus having a metal intermediate transfer member surface aggregated via protons and metal cations. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view illustrating a configuration example of an image forming apparatus having a transfer image carrier having an elastic surface in an image forming apparatus having a metal intermediate transfer body surface.

  FIG. 1 shows an outline of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. The image forming apparatus 100 is a printer as an ink jet printer and can perform full-color image formation. The image forming apparatus 100 performs an image forming process based on an image signal corresponding to image information received from the outside.

  The image forming apparatus 100 can form an image on a sheet-like recording medium using not only plain paper generally used for copying, but also OHP sheets, cardboard, cardboard, cardboard, and envelopes. It is. The image forming apparatus 100 is a single-sided image forming apparatus that can form an image on one side of a transfer sheet S that is a recording medium as a recording medium that is a recording medium. It may be an image forming apparatus.

  The image forming apparatus 100 ejects a recording liquid, which is a conductive recording liquid as ink of that color, capable of forming an image as an image corresponding to each color separated into yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. The recording heads 61 </ b> Y, 61 </ b> M, 61 </ b> C, and 61 </ b> BK are recording heads that are ink heads as recording liquid discharge bodies.

  The heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK are disposed at positions facing the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer body 37 that is an intermediate transfer drum disposed at a substantially central portion of the main body 99 of the image forming apparatus 100. The heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the A1 direction, which is the moving direction of the intermediate transfer body 37 and is the clockwise direction in FIG. In the drawing, Y, M, C, and BK added after the numerals of the reference numerals indicate members for yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.

  The heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK are respectively ink ejection devices 60Y, 60M, which are recording liquid ejection devices for forming yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BK) images. It is provided in 60C and 60BK. Each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK is provided in the ink ejection devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60BK in such a manner that a plurality of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK are arranged in parallel in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG.

  The intermediate transfer body 37 is rotated in the A1 direction and is recorded in yellow, magenta, cyan, and black from the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK in an area facing the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK. The liquids are ejected and applied in such a manner that they are sequentially superimposed, and an image is formed on the surface. As described above, the image forming apparatus 100 has a tandem structure in which the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK are opposed to the intermediate transfer member 37 and are arranged in parallel in the A1 direction.

  The recording liquid is ejected or applied to the intermediate transfer member 37 by the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK upstream of the A1 direction so that the image areas of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are overlapped at the same position on the intermediate transfer member 37. The timing is shifted from the side toward the downstream side.

  The image forming apparatus 100 includes ink discharge devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60BK that are provided with heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK, and an intermediate transfer member 37 that is transferred as the intermediate transfer member 37 rotates in the A1 direction. A transport unit 10 serving as a paper transport unit for transporting the paper S, and a feeding unit that can load a large number of transfer sheets S and feeds only the top transfer sheet S among the stacked transfer sheets S toward the transport unit 10. It has a paper unit 20 and a paper discharge tray 25 on which a large number of printed transfer papers S that have been transported by the transport unit 10 can be stacked.

  In the image forming apparatus 100, as shown in FIG. 2B, the liquid column of the recording liquid immediately after being ejected from the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK is changed to the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK, the intermediate transfer body 37, and the like. The electrode oxidation reaction is performed inside the recording liquid in such a liquid column so that a potential difference is formed between the intermediate transfer member 37 and the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK in a state where the space between the intermediate transfer body 37 and the head 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK. Alternatively, it has energization means 33 as voltage application means for energizing the recording liquid in a state where the current component resulting from the electrode reduction reaction is applied and promoting aggregation of the colorant contained in the recording liquid as described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 also removes the recording liquid remaining on the intermediate transfer body 37 from the intermediate transfer body 37 after the recording liquid is transferred to the transfer paper S. A cleaning unit 34 as a cleaning unit for cleaning, a carriage 50 as a head support that integrally supports the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK, a CPU that controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 100, a memory, and the like And a control unit 40 as control means.

  In addition to the intermediate transfer member 37, the transport unit 10 is disposed so as to face the intermediate transfer member 37, and when the transfer sheet S passes through the transfer unit 31 that is an area between the transfer unit S and the intermediate transfer member 37. The transfer means 64 for transferring the image of the recording liquid carried thereon onto the transfer paper S and the transfer paper S fed from the paper supply unit 20 are guided to the transfer unit 31 and passed through the transfer unit 31. A guide plate 39 that guides the transfer sheet S to the paper discharge table 25, and a motor or the like as a driving unit (not shown) that rotationally drives the intermediate transfer body 37 in the A1 direction. As described above, the image forming apparatus 100 is an indirect image forming apparatus that indirectly forms an image on the transfer sheet S using the intermediate transfer body 37.

  The transfer unit 64 includes a transfer roller 38 that rotates following the intermediate transfer member 37. The transfer roller 38 may include a heater for fixing the image transferred onto the transfer paper S to the transfer paper S. Further, the transport unit 10 may include a fixing roller as a fixing unit for fixing the image transferred from the intermediate transfer body 37 to the transfer sheet S by the transfer roller 38 on the transfer sheet S.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate transfer member 37 includes a support 37a made of aluminum, which is a conductive substrate, and a surface layer 37b made of silicone rubber formed on the support 37a. The material of the support 37a is not limited to aluminum, and may be formed of a metal such as an aluminum alloy, copper, or stainless steel as long as it has mechanical strength. The material of the surface layer 37b is not limited to silicone rubber. For the advantage of high releasability of the recording liquid, any elastic material having low surface energy and high followability to the transfer paper S may be used. You may form with rubber | gum, fluororubber, nitrile butadiene rubber, etc.

The surface layer 37b is a conductive rubber in which metal fine particles such as carbon, platinum, and gold as a conductive agent are dispersed and mixed in the rubber material in order to impart conductivity to the intermediate transfer member 37. It has become. However, increasing the number of conductive fine particles improves the conductivity, but a trade-off relationship that lowers the releasability, so adjustment is necessary as appropriate. As will be described later, in order to form a desired potential difference in the liquid column of the recording liquid temporarily bridged by the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK and the intermediate transfer body 37, the volume resistivity of the conductive rubber is 10 ^3. It is preferably less than Ω · cm, and preferably smaller than the volume resistivity of the recording liquid.

  The thickness of the surface layer 37b is preferably about 0.1 to 1 mm, and preferably 0.2 to 0.6 mm. However, the surface layer 37 b is not an essential component, and only the support 37 a may be used as the intermediate transfer member 37. Further, the intermediate transfer body 37 is not in a drum shape, but may be in an endless belt shape or in a sheet shape if possible.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the paper feeding unit 20 transports only the uppermost transfer paper S among the paper feed tray 21 on which a large number of transfer papers S can be stacked and the transfer paper S stacked on the paper feed tray 21. The sheet feeding roller 22 fed toward the unit 10, the casing 23 supporting the sheet feeding tray 21 and the sheet feeding roller 22, and the sheet feeding roller 22 are ejected from the recording liquid in the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK. It has a motor or the like as a driving means (not shown) that rotates and feeds the transfer paper S so as to match the timing.

  The carriage 50 can be replaced with a new one when the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK are deteriorated, and in order to facilitate maintenance, the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK can be replaced. And can be attached to and detached from the main body 99. Each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK can be independently attached to and detached from the main body 99 so that it can be replaced with a new one when deterioration or the like occurs and for easy maintenance. ing. This facilitates replacement work and maintenance work.

  The ink discharge devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60BK have substantially the same configuration with respect to the other points although the colors of the recording liquid to be used are different. Each of the ink ejection devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60BK includes a plurality of heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK that are arranged in the main scanning direction. The ink ejection devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60BK, and the image forming apparatus 100 are heads. It is a fixed full line type.

  The ink ejection devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60BK are ink cartridges 81Y, 81M, and 81C that are recording liquid cartridges as main tanks that store the recording liquids of the corresponding colors supplied to the plurality of heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK. , 81BK, a pump (not shown) as a supply pump for pumping and feeding the recording liquid stored in the ink cartridges 81Y, 81M, 81C, 81BK toward the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK, and a pump Is a distributor as an ink supply unit that is a recording liquid supply unit that distributes and supplies the recording liquid supplied from the ink cartridges 81Y, 81M, 81C, and 81BK to the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK. With distributor tank

  The ink ejection devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60BK are also inks (not shown) as ink amount detection means that are recording liquid amount detection means for detecting the recording liquid amount in order to detect a shortage of the recording liquid amount in the distributor tank. An amount detection sensor, a pipe (not shown) that forms a feeding path for the recording liquid between the ink cartridges 81Y, 81M, 81C, 81BK and the distributor tank together with a pump; a distributor tank and each head 61Y, 61M, 61C; And a pipe (not shown) that forms a recording liquid feeding path between the unit and 61BK.

  The ink cartridges 81Y, 81M, 81C, 81BK are replaced with new ones when the internal recording liquid is consumed and the remaining amount is low or no longer used, and in order to facilitate maintenance. 99 is removable.

  The operation of the pump is controlled by the control unit 40. Specifically, on the condition that the ink amount detection sensor detects the shortage of the recording liquid amount in the distributor tank, it is driven until this shortage is not detected, and the recording in the ink cartridges 81Y, 81M, 81C, 81BK is performed. Supply liquid to distributor tank. In this respect, the control unit 40 functions as an ink supply control unit that is a recording liquid supply control unit. The control unit 40 controls the driving of the image forming apparatus 100 even when not specifically described.

  The recording liquid contains at least a colorant corresponding to yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, an anionic dispersant that is a dispersant for the colorant, and a solvent. Due to the colorant and the dispersant, the ink component of the recording liquid has an anionic group. The solvent contains water from the viewpoint of safety and the conductivity from the viewpoint of causing electrolysis to be described later, and the recording liquid is a water-soluble recording liquid that is a conductive ink and a water-soluble ink. The recording liquid is desirably alkaline from the viewpoint of storage stability.

The pigment that is a colorant used in the recording liquid is not particularly limited, but as a pigment for orange or yellow, C.I. I. Pigment orange 31, C.I. I. Pigment orange 43, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 12, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 13, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 14, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 15, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 17, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 74, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 93, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 94, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 128, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 138, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 151, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 155, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 180, C.I. I. And CI Pigment Yellow 185.
Further, as a pigment for red or magenta, C.I. I. Pigment red 2, C.I. I. Pigment red 3, C.I. I. Pigment red 5, C.I. I. Pigment red 6, C.I. I. Pigment red 7, C.I. I. Pigment red 15, C.I. I. Pigment red 16, C.I. I. Pigment red 48: 1, C.I. I. Pigment red 53: 1, C.I. I. Pigment red 57: 1, C.I. I. Pigment red 122, C.I. I. Pigment red 123, C.I. I. Pigment red 139, C.I. I. Pigment red 144, C.I. I. Pigment red 149, C.I. I. Pigment red 166, C.I. I. Pigment red 177, C.I. I. Pigment red 178, C.I. I. And CI Pigment Red 222.
Further, as a pigment for green or cyan, C.I. I. Pigment blue 15, C.I. I. Pigment blue 15: 2, C.I. I. Pigment blue 15: 3, C.I. I. Pigment blue 16, C.I. I. Pigment blue 60, C.I. I. And CI Pigment Green 7.
Further, as a pigment for black, C.I. I. Pigment black 1, C.I. I. Pigment black 6, C.I. I. Pigment black 7 and the like.
The content of the pigment in the recording liquid is usually 0.1 to 40% by mass, preferably 1 to 30% by mass, and more preferably 2 to 20% by mass.

  Examples of the anionic dispersant include, but are not limited to, fatty acid salt, alkyl sulfate ester salt, alkyl benzene sulfonate, alkyl naphthalene sulfonate, dialkyl sulfosuccinate, alkyl phosphate ester salt, naphthalene sulfonate formalin condensate, poly Examples thereof include oxyethylene alkyl sulfate esters, and two or more of them may be used in combination.

From the viewpoint of transferability, the recording liquid preferably further contains a resin having an anionic group in which a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphonic acid group or the like is neutralized with a base.
The recording liquid may further contain a solvent soluble in water. Solvents that are soluble in water are not particularly limited. Alcohols: ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, propylene glycol monobutyl ether, dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene oxide adduct of diglycerin Polyhydric alcohol derivatives such as pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, Nitrogen-containing solvents such as hexylpyrrolidone and triethanolamine; alcohols such as ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, and benzyl alcohol; sulfur-containing solvents such as thiodiethanol, thiodiglycerol, sulfolane, and dimethyl sulfoxide; propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, and the like These may be used in combination of two or more.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK includes a conductive nozzle plate 61a disposed on the recording liquid discharge side facing downward in the drawing and a nozzle 61b formed on the nozzle plate 61a. And an ink chamber 61c supplied with the recording liquid from the distributor tank and filled with the recording liquid, and an ink discharge means (not shown) for discharging the recording liquid in the ink chamber 61c from the nozzle 61b. The nozzle plate 61a, the nozzle 61b, the ink chamber 61c, and the ink discharge means are provided as a set, and each head 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK is provided in large numbers, but only one of them is shown in FIG. Is illustrated.

  Although detailed illustration is omitted, the nozzle plate 61 a includes a conductive substrate and a water repellent film formed on the surface of the substrate facing the intermediate transfer body 37. The water-repellent film may be formed by applying a fluorine-based water repellent or a silicon-based water repellent, or may be formed by plating a fluorine-based polymer or a fluorine-metal compound eutectoid, Any film having water repellency is not particularly limited. The nozzle plate 61a includes a surface on the ink chamber 61c side as an interface forming portion that forms an interface with the recording liquid in the ink chamber 61c, and functions as a cathode as will be described later.

  The entire nozzle plate 61a may be conductive, or may be a member in which only the surface on the ink chamber 61c side is subjected to conductive treatment, or an intermediate member between the conductive member disposed on the ink chamber 61c side. You may comprise by the insulating member arrange | positioned by the transfer body 37 side.

  Since the conductive portion of the nozzle plate 61a is provided as a cathode as will be described later, it does not have to be made of a material having resistance to metal elution, and if it is made of a highly conductive material such as metal or carbon. Good.

  The nozzle plate 61 a is set so that the gap with the intermediate transfer member 37 is 50 to 200 μm. If the gap is less than 50 μm, it may be difficult to maintain the gap between the intermediate transfer member 37, which is a rotating body, and the nozzle plate 61a. If the gap exceeds 200 μm, the liquid injection described later may be performed. This is because it may be difficult to form a bridge. However, there is no particular problem even if the gap is less than 50 μm as long as the gap can be maintained.

  The ink ejecting means has a piezoelectric element as an actuator for ejecting the recording liquid from each nozzle 61b to be ejected and landed on the transfer paper S, and responds to a voltage pulse applied to the piezoelectric element under the control of the control unit 40. Thus, the recording liquid is discharged from the nozzle 61b. In this regard, the control unit 40 functions as an ink ejection control unit. The control unit 40 functioning as an ink ejection control unit inputs a voltage pulse for driving the piezoelectric element to each of the piezoelectric elements with a predetermined signal waveform. The actuator of the ink discharge means may be a movable actuator of another method that is a shape deformation element method such as a piezo method, or the recording liquid is discharged from the nozzle 61b by a heater method such as a thermal method. Also good.

  The energizing means 33 is realized as a part of the function of the power source 33a, a not-shown electric circuit in which the power source 33a is connected to the support 37a and the nozzle plate 61a, and a part of the function of the control unit 40. Voltage application control means for controlling time. The controller 40 as voltage application control means also functions as voltage changing means for changing the voltage of the power supply 33a.

  The power source 33a has an anode connected to the support 37a and a cathode connected to the nozzle plate 61a by an electric circuit. Therefore, the energizing unit 33 includes the intermediate transfer member 37 as an anode and the nozzle plate 61a as a cathode.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning means 34 is constituted by a cleaning blade as a cleaning member formed of rubber as an elastic body, which is in contact with the intermediate transfer body 37 in a so-called counter contact manner. . The cleaning unit 34 may include a cleaning roller as a cleaning member together with the cleaning blade.

  In the image forming apparatus 100 having such a configuration, the intermediate transfer body 37 rotates in the A1 direction while facing the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK in response to the input of a predetermined signal indicating the start of image formation. In the process, the yellow, magenta, cyan, and black recording liquids are transferred from the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK so that the image areas of the respective colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black overlap with the same position on the intermediate transfer body 37. The images are ejected in such a manner that they are sequentially overlapped from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the A1 direction, and an image is temporarily carried on the intermediate transfer member 37.

At this time, the energizing unit 33 is driven by the control unit 40 as the voltage application control unit, and a voltage is applied between the support 37a and the nozzle plate 61a from the power source 33a.
In this state, the recording liquid is applied from the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK onto the intermediate transfer body 37. At that time, first, the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK are used as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2B, the recording liquid forming a meniscus in the nozzle 61b moves toward the intermediate transfer body 37 as shown in FIG. 2B, and the recording liquid is recorded between the nozzle 61b and the intermediate transfer body 37. A bridge of a liquid column made of liquid is temporarily formed, and then, as shown in FIG. 2C, the bridge of the liquid column made of recording liquid is divided so as to be carried on the intermediate transfer body 37, and the intermediate transfer. An image of the recording liquid is formed on the body 37.

In the state where the liquid injection bridge made of the recording liquid is formed as shown in FIG. 2B, the colorant component in the recording liquid is subjected to an aggregating action by the energizing means 33. Specifically, the voltage application of the energizing means 33 causes the following electrode reactions to occur in the nozzle plate 61a serving as the cathode and the intermediate transfer member 37 serving as the anode, respectively, and the water contained in the bridge of the liquid column of the recording liquid. Electrolyzed.
^{_{Cathode: 4H 2 O + 4e - →}} 2H 2 + 4OH - ··· reaction formula (1)
_{^{Anode: 2H 2 O → 4H + +}} O 2 + 4e - ··· reaction formula (2)

  As a result, the water contained in the bridge of the liquid column of the recording liquid is oxidized on the surface of the intermediate transfer member 37 functioning as an anode to generate protons (H +), and as shown in FIG. The pigment P dispersed by D aggregates via protons. Thereby, the occurrence of bleeding between adjacent dots is suppressed, and a high-definition image is formed. In addition, there is an advantage that clogging of the nozzle 61b is prevented by such voltage application. The time for forming such a bridge can be controlled by the peak voltage and pulse width of the electromagnetic pulse applied to the piezoelectric element.

Here, the bridge of the liquid column formed between the cathode and the anode will be described with reference to FIG. Inside the bridge B of the liquid column, cations and anions move in the vicinity of the cathode C and the anode A, respectively. As a result, the surface of the cathode C and the anode A, the electric double layer E _C and E _A respectively is formed, the charging speed of the electric double layer E _C and E _A is the conductivity of the bridge B of the liquid column, recording It is almost determined by the concentration of ions contained in the liquid. At this time, when the voltage of the electric double layer E _A reaches several V, Faraday current flows water is electrolyzed. As a result, on the surface of the anode A, water is oxidized to generate protons, and the pigment dispersed by the anionic dispersant is aggregated. That is, at the moment when such a bridge is formed, ions that cause an aggregation action of the pigment are efficiently generated in the bridge, so that the pigment is aggregated simultaneously with the landing of the recording liquid on the intermediate transfer body 37. As a result, pigment bleeding does not occur between adjacent recording liquid dots, and a very high-definition solute image is formed.

As described above, the energizing means 33 includes the intermediate transfer body 37 and the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK, specifically the nozzle plate 61a for electrolyzing the recording liquid forming the bridge B of the liquid column. It is the structure for performing the voltage application between.
This voltage application is controlled by the control unit 40 functioning as a voltage application control means and a voltage changing means in order to control the discharge caused by the voltage applied to the recording liquid by this voltage application. Such discharge and control modes will be described in detail later.

  The time from the formation of the bridge B of the liquid column to the separation is usually several microseconds to several tens of microseconds, and the conductivity of the recording liquid is usually several tens mS / m to several hundreds mS / second. m. For this reason, in order to form an image of the recording liquid on the intermediate transfer member 37, the voltage applied by the energizing means 33 is 1.23 V, which is the theoretical decomposition voltage of water, or a number that is a general condition for electrolysis of water. V to several tens of volts is insufficient, and it is preferably several tens of volts to several hundreds of volts.

  The state where the bridge B of the liquid column is formed is observed with a high-speed camera. From this observation, after the voltage pulse is input to the piezoelectric element of the ink ejection means by the control unit 40 functioning as the ink ejection control means, the recording liquid is ejected from the nozzle 61b, and the intermediate transfer is performed after the recording liquid is ejected. The timing until the bridge B is formed with the body 37 and the duration of the bridge can be measured in units of μsec for each nozzle 61b.

  In synchronization with the timing at which the leading edge of the image carried on the intermediate transfer body 37 reaches the transfer unit 31, a single sheet of transfer paper S fed from the paper supply unit 20 is supplied to the transfer unit 31, and the transfer roller 38. , The image carried on the intermediate transfer body 37 is transferred to the transfer sheet S passing through the transfer unit 31, and an image is formed on the surface of the transfer sheet S. The transfer sheet S on which the image is formed is guided to the paper discharge tray 25 and stacked on the paper discharge tray 25.

  When the image is transferred to the transfer paper S in this way, the recording liquid containing the aggregation component is transferred to the transfer paper S. Therefore, by forming an image with the colorant aggregated by the above-described aggregation action, even when the transfer paper S is plain paper, high image density can be achieved at high speed while preventing or suppressing feathering and bleeding. High-quality image formation is possible.

  In order to perform high-speed image formation, since the recording liquid needs to be quick-drying, the recording liquid generally has high absorbability to the transfer paper S. In this case, the recording liquid is deep in the transfer paper S. Penetrating to the surface and causing so-called offset, making it unsuitable for double-sided image formation. However, since the aggregating action reduces the absorbability of the recording liquid onto the transfer paper S, such a set-off is prevented or suppressed, which is suitable for double-sided image formation. Furthermore, since the absorbability of the recording liquid to the transfer paper S is reduced, deformation of the transfer paper S such as cockling and curling is suppressed or prevented, and thereby the transfer paper S carrying an image is conveyed. The handling of the transfer sheet S is facilitated, for example, the property is improved and jamming is prevented or suppressed.

  Almost no components due to the recording liquid remain on the intermediate transfer member 37 that has passed through the transfer unit 31 due to the transfer in the transfer unit 31, but the intermediate transfer member 37 is subjected to cleaning by the cleaning unit 34, thereby recording. Liquid offset is highly prevented or suppressed, and even when image formation is repeatedly performed, background contamination due to offset is prevented or suppressed, image deterioration and deterioration of the intermediate transfer body 37 are suppressed or prevented, and the time is good. Image formation can be performed.

  In the image forming apparatus 100 as described above, voltage is applied by the energizing means 33 before and after the recording liquid is in a state where the intermediate transfer body 37 and the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK are bridged between the nozzle plates 61a. It has been found that if the voltage is continuously applied, a discharge due to the voltage applied to the recording liquid is generated by this voltage application, causing a problem in image formation or applying a load to the image forming apparatus 100.

  When this phenomenon is verified in more detail, the discharge is a discharge in the air, and the recording liquid discharged from the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK approaches the intermediate transfer body 37, and the recording liquid and the intermediate transfer body 37 are discharged. When the distance between the intermediate transfer body 37 and the head 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK bridges, the recording liquid cuts off. Considered to occur when the distance between the recording liquid and the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK is a distance that causes a discharge due to the voltage applied to the recording liquid, away from 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK. Is done. In these cases, the recording liquid scatters due to the discharge and the image is disturbed. In the former case, the image is also disturbed by damage to the intermediate transfer member 37 due to the discharge. In the latter case, The water repellent film is destroyed by discharge or the main body of the nozzle plate 61a is also destroyed particularly when it is made of resin, so that the meniscus is not maintained in a normal state, and an image is also formed due to abnormal discharge of the recording liquid. It seems to be disturbed.

  Such a discharge is considered to be mainly the above-described discharge in the air, but may include a discharge in the recording liquid in addition to the discharge in the air. The discharge in the recording liquid is considered to be triggered by the occurrence of discharge in the air, and causes an unnecessary aggregation action in the recording liquid in the nozzle 61b or the recording liquid applied to the intermediate transfer body 37. It is guessed.

  In the image forming apparatus 100, voltage application control means is used to control such discharge to be prevented or suppressed so that the quality of the formed image and the load on the image forming apparatus 100 are not problematic. The control unit 40 functioning as voltage changing means controls the voltage application between the intermediate transfer body 37 and the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK, specifically, the nozzle plates 61a.

  In this embodiment, the nozzle plate 61a, the nozzle 61b, the ink chamber 61c, and the ink discharge means are provided as a set, and each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK is provided in large numbers. Since the discharge timing of the recording liquid from each nozzle 61b can be individually controlled, the control unit 40 functioning as voltage application control means and voltage changing means is provided between the intermediate transfer body 37 and each nozzle plate 61a. The voltage application is controlled for each nozzle 61b so as to prevent or suppress such discharge.

  This control takes the above-described discharge mechanism into consideration, that is, only when the recording liquid discharged from the nozzle 61b is in a state of bridging between the nozzle 61b and the intermediate transfer member 37. Such voltage application is performed at a timing that coincides with the timing. A number of nozzles 61b are provided in each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK, and each nozzle 61b is selectively driven according to an image to be formed. Therefore, such control is performed at the drive timing of each nozzle 61b. In addition, it is performed for each nozzle 61b.

  In this embodiment, the controller 40 functioning as an ink ejection control unit functions as a voltage application control unit and a voltage changing unit at a frequency that follows the ejection frequency of the recording liquid determined by the signal waveform input to the piezoelectric element of the ink ejection unit. The control unit 40 that performs this voltage application switching selectively for each nozzle 61b in an ON / OFF manner.

  The ON / OFF timing is determined by the control unit 40 functioning as a voltage application control unit and a voltage changing unit based on the input timing of the signal waveform input to the piezoelectric element of the ink ejection unit. . Therefore, accurate control is performed. However, the control unit is configured to measure the timing at which the recording liquid bridge is formed by observation using a high-speed camera in association with the input timing of the signal waveform input to the piezoelectric element of the ink ejection means. 40, and this data may be used to turn on / off, or when the recording liquid bridge is formed, between the nozzle plate 61a and the intermediate transfer member 37. By utilizing the fact that the image forming apparatus 100 becomes conductive, a means for applying a voltage enabling the image forming apparatus 100 to conduct and an ammeter for measuring a current value at the time of conduction are incorporated to form a bridge. Is detected in real time in association with the input timing of the signal waveform and stored in the control unit 40, and this data is used to perform the ON / OFF It may be carried out.

  As the signal waveform, a plurality of types of signal waveforms are used for each nozzle 61b. This is because, for the purpose of changing the size of dots formed by the recording liquid on the intermediate transfer body 37, the timing at which the recording liquid is discharged from the nozzle 61b, and the intermediate transfer body 37 after the recording liquid is discharged. This is because the timing until the bridge is formed between the two, the duration of the bridge, and the like are adjusted by the signal waveform used. Therefore, the ON / OFF timing can also change according to the type of signal waveform.

  In this embodiment, the control unit 40 that functions as a voltage application control unit and a voltage change unit selectively controls the voltage application for each nozzle 61b in an ON / OFF manner, but selectively controls each nozzle 61b. The mode of voltage application control performed in step (1) is not limited to the ON / OFF mode, and the voltage value may be reduced to such an extent that the above-described discharge is prevented or suppressed.

  Note that the control unit 40 that functions as a voltage application control unit and a voltage change unit may perform such voltage application control for each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK. For example, the case where the nozzle plate 61a is integrated in each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK, or the case where the signal waveform used is unified for each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK.

  As described above, the voltage application is performed only when the recording liquid ejected from the nozzle 61b is in a state where the nozzle 61b and the intermediate transfer body 37 are bridged. Thus, if it is within 3 μsec before the start of this state and after the start, this voltage application tolerance is acceptable. The allowable range for such voltage application is preferably within 0.5 μsec before and after the start of such a state.

  In consideration of this allowable range or control error, the voltage application is performed by discharging the recording liquid from the nozzle 61b selected to discharge the recording liquid according to the image to be formed. May be performed only when the nozzle 61b and the intermediate transfer member 37 are bridged. For example, when the signal waveform input to each nozzle 61b in each head 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK can be different, the signal waveform used for each head 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK is unified, but each head 61Y. , 61M, 61C, 61BK, the input signal waveform may be different. By controlling in this way, it becomes easy to take the timing of such voltage application, and the control is simplified. However, when such control is performed, the voltage application time can be shortened, so that the voltage application time is shortened within a range where bleeding is allowed. That is, the control unit 40 that functions as a voltage application control unit and a voltage change unit controls the voltage application so as to prevent or suppress the discharge together with bleeding. In particular, the control unit 40 controls at least the timing of the voltage application so as to prevent or suppress the discharge.

It was confirmed whether image formation was performed satisfactorily by the following experiment considering the above conditions.
The experimental conditions are as follows.

The image forming apparatus used in the experiment is an image forming apparatus with a simplified configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 that satisfies the following conditions.
As each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK, an inkjet head (single nozzle with a nozzle diameter of 25 μm) manufactured by Cluster Technology Co., Ltd. was used.
The intermediate transfer member 37 has a silicon rubber layer in which carbon is dispersed and has a volume resistivity of 5 Ω · cm and a thickness of 0.2 mm as a surface layer 37b on the outer periphery of an aluminum base tube as a support 37a. The outer peripheral linear velocity is 10 mm / second and is driven to rotate in the A1 direction.

The gap between each head 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK and the intermediate transfer member 37 was 100 μm.
The transfer roller 38 is formed by forming a rubber layer having a thickness of 5 mm on a metal core.
As the cleaning means 34, a blade made of fluororubber was used.

  Each head 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK occupies a position shifted in the A1 direction as shown in FIG. 1, and is on the paper surface of FIG. 1, which is the longitudinal direction of the intermediate transfer body 37, that is, the rotation axis direction. The nozzles 61b for each color were shifted in the vertical direction by 45 μm so as not to overlap each other. The reason for setting in this way is to take into account that the line width of the recording liquid ejected during the evaluation in this experiment is about 45 μm to 55 μm in evaluating the bleeding described later.

  The following recording liquid was used.

<Yellow recording liquid>
-Sulfonic acid group-bonded yellow pigment dispersion (CAB-O-JET-270Y, solid content 10% by mass, manufactured by Cabot Specialty Chemicals Inc.): 41.0% by mass
Triethylene glycol: 14.0% by mass
・ Glycerin: 25.0% by mass
Propylene glycol monobutyl ether: 7.0% by mass
・ Sodium dehydroacetate: 0.1% by mass
Distilled water: remaining amount Subsequently, the pH was adjusted to 9.2 with a 5% by mass aqueous solution of lithium hydroxide, and pressure filtration was performed with a membrane filter having an average pore diameter of 0.8 μm.

<Magenta recording liquid>
-Sulfonic acid group-bonded magenta pigment dispersion (CAB-O-JET-260M, solid content 10 mass%, manufactured by Cabot Specialty Chemicals Inc.): 41.0 mass%
・ Diethylene glycol: 19.0 mass%
Propylene glycol monobutyl ether: 4.0% by mass
・ Sodium dehydroacetate: 0.1% by mass
Distilled water: remaining amount Subsequently, the pH was adjusted to 9.2 with a 5% by mass aqueous solution of lithium hydroxide, and pressure filtration was performed with a membrane filter having an average pore diameter of 0.8 μm.

<Cyan recording liquid>
-Sulfonic acid group-bonded cyan pigment dispersion (CAB-O-JET-250C, solid content 10% by mass, manufactured by Cabot Specialty Chemicals Inc.): 41.0% by mass
・ Ethylene glycol: 5.0% by mass
Triethylene glycol: 14.0% by mass
Propylene glycol monobutyl ether: 5.0% by mass
・ Sodium dehydroacetate: 0.1% by mass
Distilled water: remaining amount Subsequently, the pH was adjusted to 9.2 with a 5% by mass aqueous solution of lithium hydroxide, and pressure filtration was performed with a membrane filter having an average pore diameter of 0.8 μm.

<Black recording liquid>
-Sulfonic acid group-bonded carbon black pigment dispersion (CAB-O-JET-200, solid content 20% by mass, manufactured by Cabot Specialty Chemicals Inc.): 36.0% by mass
・ 2-Pyrrolidone: 9.0% by mass
・ Glycerin: 15.0% by mass
Propylene glycol monobutyl ether: 1.0% by mass
・ Sodium dehydroacetate: 0.1% by mass
・ Distilled water: remaining amount
Thereafter, the pH was adjusted to 9.2 with a 5% by mass aqueous solution of lithium hydroxide, and pressure filtration was performed with a membrane filter having an average pore diameter of 0.8 μm.

  The evaluation is based on the voltage application timing and applied voltage between the intermediate transfer body 37 and each nozzle plate 61a after the signal waveform is input to the piezoelectric element of the ink discharge means by the control unit 40 functioning as the ink discharge control means. In each of the examples and the comparative examples, the magnitude of was changed by the control unit 40 functioning as voltage application control means and voltage change means.

  In the image forming apparatus used in the experiment, the recording liquid bridges between the intermediate transfer body 37 and the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61BK by observation using a high-speed camera. After inputting such a signal waveform, it is confirmed that the head 61Y, 61M, 61C is from 13 μsec to 28 μsec later, and the head 61BK is from 13 μsec to 30 μsec later, based on this, The timing of voltage application was set.

The evaluation procedure for each example and each comparative example is as follows.
(1) One line image of one dot was output along the A1 direction from each of the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK. The ejection frequency of each head 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK was 150 Hz, and the ejection time was 1 second.
(2) The Ricoh business coat gloss 100 was conveyed between the intermediate transfer member 37 and the transfer roller 38, and the conductive recording liquid image formed in (1) on the intermediate transfer member was transferred.
(3) The presence or absence of bleeding between colors in the image on the transferred paper and the meniscus of each head were observed, and the presence or absence of changes before and after image formation was examined.
(4) Step (1) was performed again, and ink scattering on the intermediate transfer member 37 was observed.

[Example 1]
The intermediate transfer member 37 is used as an anode, and a commercially available needle is installed at the ink injection port of each head 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK. The cathode is used as a cathode while applying 300 V from 13 μsec to 30 μsec after signal waveform input. The evaluation was performed according to the procedure described above.
[Example 2]
Experiments and evaluations were performed in the same manner as in [Example 1] except that the voltage applied to the anode was 600V.
[Example 3]
The applied voltage was -300 V on the cathode side, and the three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan were applied from 13 μsec to 28 μsec from the input of the signal waveform, and black was applied from 13 μsec to 30 μsec. Except for the above, experiments and evaluations were performed in the same manner as in [Example 1].
[Example 4]
The experiment was performed and evaluated in the same manner as in [Example 2] except that the voltage was applied from 13 μsec to 28 μsec.

[Comparative Example 1]
An experiment and evaluation were performed in the same manner as in [Example 1] except that no voltage was applied.
[Comparative Example 2]
The experiment was performed and evaluated in the same manner as in [Example 1] except that 300 V was always applied without switching the voltage application.
[Comparative Example 3]
The experiment was performed and evaluated in the same manner as in [Example 1] except that 600 V was continuously applied without switching the voltage application.

  Switching of voltage application in each embodiment is performed by creating a rectangular wave with WF1974 manufactured by NF Circuit Design Co., Ltd. and amplifying it with a MODEL 6100 manufactured by TREK Co. As a result, the intermediate transfer body 37 and the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK A voltage was applied to the recording liquid in a state of being bridged at the timing and magnitude shown in each example. About each comparative example, the voltage application was performed by the magnitude | size shown to each comparative example using TREK company MODEL6100. In addition, when switching the voltage application, if necessary, NF1974 manufactured by NF Circuit Design Co., Ltd. or MODEL6100 manufactured by TREK Co., Ltd. may be connected in parallel to each head, or one set of WF1974 manufactured by NF Circuit Design Co., for each head. A set of MODEL6100 manufactured by TREK was connected.

  The evaluation results regarding bleeding and ink scattering are summarized in Table 1 below.

In the table, “bleeding” is observed with a microscope and evaluated for bleeding at the boundary portion of the recording liquid of each color, and the evaluation criteria are as follows.
・ The boundary is clearly visible ... ○
-The boundary is not clear, and the color is gradually changing, but the original color remains partially ...
・ Lines are mixed and the original color is not clear ... ×

In the table, “scattering” is an evaluation of the scattering of the recording liquid of each color on the intermediate transfer member 37, and the evaluation criteria are as follows.
・ Spattering is not confirmed ... ○
・ Slight splattering but no problem level ... △
・ Splashes violently and the line is fat ... ×

  From the table, the effect of voltage application on bleeding and the effect of control of voltage application on scattering are confirmed. In the case of controlling voltage application, it is most preferable to apply voltage only when a bridge is formed on the heads 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK or each nozzle 61b, and it is longer than when a bridge is formed. It can be seen that when voltage is applied for a time, scattering tends to occur, and when voltage is applied for a shorter time than when a bridge is formed, bleeding tends to occur. In Examples 1 and 2, scattering occurs for yellow, magenta, and cyan, and in Example 4, bleeding occurs for black. In Example 3, unlike the other examples, voltage is applied to the cathode side, but this does not affect the evaluation.

  Next, the presence or absence of meniscus changes before and after image formation was examined. Regarding each Example and Comparative Example 1, no change in meniscus was observed. However, in Comparative Example 2, it was confirmed that the meniscus increased slightly when the meniscus was observed from the side of the head. This is presumed to be caused by damage to the water repellent film. Regarding Comparative Example 3, it was confirmed that the meniscus increased and the periphery of the nozzle plate was broken to such an extent that it could be observed. Due to the influence of these meniscus changes, ejection failure was more likely to occur in Comparative Example 2 and Comparative Example 3 than in other Examples and Comparative Examples. Further, regarding the condition of Comparative Example 3, the same experiment was repeated thereafter, and as a result, it was confirmed that the surface of the intermediate transfer member 37 was similarly damaged.

Here, in the configuration in which the intermediate transfer body 37 is not provided with the surface layer 37b and is composed of the support body 37a, the support body 37a functions as an anode as described above. In this case, it is possible to oxidize the support body 37a which is a metal together with water on the surface of the support body 37a. When the support 37a which is a metal is oxidized, a metal cation excellent in aggregating the colorant is generated. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, an anionic property is obtained via a proton and a metal cation (M ^{n +} ). The pigment P dispersed by the dispersant D is aggregated, and the cohesion is increased.

  In such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 6, the transfer means 64 transfers not only the transfer roller 38 but also the image formed on the intermediate transfer body 37 and temporarily carries it as an elastic layer on the surface. It is desirable to provide an intermediate transfer drum 63 as a transfer image carrier having a rubber layer 63a. The intermediate transfer drum 63 is rotated with the intermediate transfer member 37, and the transfer roller 38 is rotated with the intermediate transfer drum 63. Since the surface of the intermediate transfer drum 63 is an elastic body, the transfer of the image from the intermediate transfer body 37 made of metal and having a high surface hardness is performed well, and the transferability is improved.

  The intermediate transfer drum 63 has a rubber layer 63a and a base 63b covered with the rubber layer 63a. Although it does not specifically limit as a material which comprises the base | substrate 63b, Metals, such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, and stainless steel, are mentioned. Although it does not specifically limit as a material which comprises the rubber layer 63a, Silicone rubber, urethane rubber, fluorine rubber, etc. are mentioned.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and the present invention described in the claims is not specifically limited by the above description. Various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the above.

For example, the pigment in the conductive recording liquid may be dispersed by a cationic dispersant and aggregated via hydroxide ions generated on the surface of the intermediate transfer member functioning as a cathode.
The intermediate transfer member does not need to be conductive as a whole, and at least the surface may be conductive.

  The image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the above-described type of image forming apparatus, but may be other types of image forming apparatuses, that is, a shuttle type with respect to the head, or a copying machine or a facsimile alone. Alternatively, these multifunction peripherals, multifunction peripherals such as monochrome machines related thereto, other image forming apparatuses used for forming electric circuits, and image forming apparatuses used for forming predetermined images in the biotechnology field may be used. . The number of heads is increased or decreased according to the application of the image forming apparatus, and may be one or plural.

  The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are only the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. is not.

33 Voltage application unit 37 Intermediate transfer body 40 Voltage application control unit 61b Nozzle 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61BK Head 64 Transfer unit 100 Image forming apparatus

JP 2008-62397 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-188858

Claims (6)

A head having a nozzle for discharging a conductive recording liquid;
An intermediate transfer body having at least a surface conductive, to which the conductive recording liquid discharged by the head is applied,
For applying a voltage between the intermediate transfer member and the head for electrolyzing a conductive recording liquid discharged from the head and temporarily bridging between the head and the intermediate transfer member. Voltage applying means;
Transfer means for transferring an image carried on the intermediate transfer member by a conductive recording liquid to a recording material;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a voltage application control unit that controls the voltage application in order to control the discharge due to the voltage applied to the conductive recording liquid by the voltage application. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
A plurality of the nozzles;
The image forming apparatus, wherein the voltage application control unit controls the voltage application for each of the plurality of nozzles. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The conductive recording liquid contains water as a solvent, the pigment is dispersed by an anionic dispersant,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the intermediate transfer member functions as an anode when a voltage is applied by the voltage applying unit. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the voltage application control means applies the voltage only when the conductive recording liquid is in the state. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A plurality of the nozzles;
The image forming apparatus, wherein the voltage application control means applies the voltage only when all of the conductive recording liquid ejected from the selected nozzle among the plurality of nozzles is in the state.   An image forming method for forming an image using the image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

Images