Image forming method and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12282276-B2
Application number	US-202318520561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2023
Priority date	Nov 29, 2022
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

An image forming method to be performed by an image forming apparatus includes forming, transferring, fixing, and drying. The forming forms a foil portion to which foil is adhered on one surface of a recording medium. The transferring transfers an image to the one surface of the recording medium after the forming of the foil portion. The fixing fixes the image transferred to the one surface of the recording medium by the transferring of the image, to form a foil image portion including the foil portion and the image on the recording medium. The drying dries the recording medium on which the foil portion is formed, between the forming of the foil portion and the transferring of the image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming method to be performed by an image forming apparatus, the method comprising:
drying a recording medium which includes a foil portion;
transferring, after the drying, an image to one surface of the recording medium which includes the foil portion; and
fixing the image transferred to the one surface of the recording medium to form a foil image portion including the foil portion and the image on the recording medium,
wherein the image forming apparatus includes a fixing device that includes a heater and a presser to fix the image transferred to the recording medium, and the fixing of the image transferred to the one surface of the recording medium and the drying of the recording medium are performed when the recording medium passes through the fixing device,
wherein the drying of the recording medium includes conveying the recording medium to the fixing device in such a manner that the one surface of the recording medium faces the presser in the fixing device, and another surface of the recording medium opposite the one surface faces the heater in the fixing device, and
wherein the fixing of the image transferred to the one surface of the recording medium includes conveying the recording medium to the fixing device in such a manner that the one surface of the recording medium faces the heater in the fixing device, and the another surface of the recording medium faces the presser in the fixing device.

2. The image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the drying includes:
heating the recording medium; and
setting a temperature of the one surface of the recording medium to be lower than a temperature of the another surface of the recording medium opposite the one surface.

3. The image forming method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
fixing a base image portion, to which the foil portion is to be transferred, on the recording medium; and
transferring the foil portion to the base image portion fixed to the recording medium,
wherein each of the fixing of the base image portion and the transferring of the foil portion includes:
heating the recording medium; and
setting a temperature of the one surface of the recording medium to be lower than a temperature of the another surface of the recording medium.

4. The image forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing of the image transferred to the one surface of the recording medium includes:
heating the recording medium; and
setting a temperature of the one surface of the recording medium to be lower than a temperature of the another surface of the recording medium.

5. The image forming method according to claim 2 , wherein:
the temperature of the one surface is lower than 100° C.

6. An image forming apparatus to execute the image forming method according to claim 1 using a recording medium including on one surface a foil portion, the image forming apparatus comprising:
an image former to form an image;
a transferer to transfer the image formed by the image forming device to the recording medium;
the fixing device; and
a reverse conveyor to reverse and convey the recording medium to the fixing device.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a foil portion former to form the foil portion on the recording medium.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a dryer to dry the recording medium on which the foil portion has been formed, between forming of the foil portion and transferring of the image.

Assignees

• Watanabe Yohhei
• Ishii Kenji
• Hemmi Kaori
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Watanabe Yohhei
• Ishii Kenji
• Hemmi Kaori

Classifications

• G03G15/2064

  combined with pressure · CPC title

• G03G15/6582

  Special processing for irreversibly adding or changing the sheet copy material characteristics or its appearance, e.g. stamping, annotation printing, punching · CPC title

• G03G15/6591

  characterised by the recording material, e.g. plastic material, OHP, ceramics, tiles, textiles (details transferring the toner pattern onto particular materials G03G15/1625) · CPC title

• G03G15/2039 Primary

  with means for controlling the fixing temperature · CPC title