Image forming method and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11868085-B2
Application number	US-202217806170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2022
Priority date	Jun 24, 2021
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

An image forming method for forming an image on a base material by using powder includes: attaching a protective material to a surface of the base material on which the image is to be formed; forming an attachment layer on at least one of the base material and the protective material attached to the base material; attaching the powder to the attachment layer after attaching the protective material; and removing excess powder attached to the protective material from the protective material without attaching to the attachment layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming method for forming an image on a base material using powder, the image forming method comprising:
attaching a protective material to a surface of the base material on which the image is to be formed;
forming an attachment layer on at least one of the base material and the protective material attached to the base material;
attaching the powder to the attachment layer after attaching the protective material; and
removing excess powder attached to the protective material from the protective material without attaching to the attachment layer.

2. The image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the protective material is transparent or translucent.

3. The image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the protective material is attached to an entire surface of the base material on which the image is formed.

4. The image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein before attaching the protective material, forming an image other than the image using the powder on the base material is performed.

5. The image forming method according to claim 1 , comprising
heating the base material and the attachment layer, the attachment layer being a hot-melt material, wherein
in attaching the powder to the attachment layer, the powder is attached to the attachment layer melted by heating,
the protective material has a melting temperature Th higher than a melting temperature Tf of the attachment layer, and
in heating, a temperature of the base material is adjusted to a temperature higher than the melting temperature Tf of the attachment layer and lower than the melting temperature Th of the protective material to selectively melt the attachment layer.

6. The image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the base material is high-quality paper or textured paper in which fibers are exposed.

7. The image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the powder is a glitter pigment.

8. The image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the protective material is a film in which an adhesion layer is laminated on a sheet-like base material layer, and is attached to the base material by heating and pressurizing.

9. The image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the protective material is a transparent toner, is supplied to the base material by an electrophotographic process, and is fixed to the base material by heating in a fixing process.

10. The image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the protective material is an ultraviolet curable or thermosetting ink, and is supplied to the base material, then cured by ultraviolet irradiation or heating, and attached to the base material.

11. An image forming system for forming an image on a base material using powder, the image forming system comprising:
a protective material attachment device that attaches a protective material to a surface of the base material on which the image is to be formed;
an attachment layer forming device that forms an attachment layer on at least one of the base material and the protective material attached to the base material; and
a powder image forming device that forms a powder image by attaching the powder to the attachment layer, wherein
the powder image forming device includes a powder supplier that causes the powder to attach to the attachment layer and a cleaner that removes excess powder attached to the protective material from the protective material without attaching to the attachment layer.

12. The image forming system according to claim 11 , wherein the protective material attachment device causes the protective material to attach to an entire surface of the base material on which the image is formed.

13. The image forming system according to claim 11 , wherein
the attachment layer is a hot-melt material,
the protective material has a melting temperature Th higher than a melting temperature Tf of the attachment layer, and
the powder image forming device further includes a heating member that heats the base material and the attachment layer, adjusts the temperature of the base material to a temperature higher than the melting temperature Tf of the attachment layer and lower than the melting temperature Th of the protective material, and selectively melts the attachment layer to attach the powder to the attachment layer melted by heating.

14. The image forming system according to claim 11 , wherein
the protective material is a film in which a transparent base material layer and an adhesion layer are laminated, and
the protective material attachment device heats and pressurizes the protective material to attach the protective material to the base material.

15. The image forming system according to claim 11 , wherein
the protective material is a transparent toner, and
the protective material attachment device supplies the protective material to the base material by an electrophotographic process, and fixes the protective material to the base material by heating in a fixing process.

16. The image forming system according to claim 11 , wherein
the protective material is an ultraviolet curable or thermosetting ink, and
the protective material attachment device supplies the protective material to the base material by an ink printing process, and cures the protective material by ultraviolet irradiation or heating to attach the protective material to the base material.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Sato Yuya

Classifications

• G03G8/00 Primary

  Layers covering the final reproduction, e.g. for protecting, for writing thereon · CPC title

• G03G15/0806

  on a donor element, e.g. belt, roller (complete developer unit G03G15/0896) · CPC title

• G03G15/095

  Removing excess solid developer {, e.g. fog preventing} · CPC title

• G03G15/11

  Removing excess liquid developer, e.g. by heat · CPC title

• G03G15/2098

  using light, e.g. UV photohardening · CPC title