FULL COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC DEVICE USING NONVOLATILE HIGH-VISCOSITY, HIGH CONCENTRATION LIQUID TONER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the generation of a heat damage to a photoreceptor by dispensing with cooling of an intermediate transfer body before it is brought into contact with the photoreceptor. SOLUTION: This full color electrophotographic device forms a toner image on the intermediate transfer body. In this case, the intermediate transfer body is heated up to a temperature at which softening of resin of a liquid toner is started or above and to a heat resistant temperature of the photoreceptor or below. A carrier removal roller to which a bias can be applied is abutted on the intermediate transfer body and removes a carrier while pressing and hardening the softened toner by force of an electric field generated by the bias. In a transfer part to a printing medium, the printing medium is pressurized on the intermediate transfer body by a backup roller and the toner image of the intermediate toner image is transferred to the printing medium. The printing medium is heated before it is pressurized on the toner image of the intermediate transfer body. The bias is applied to the backup roller, the toner image on the intermediate transfer body is attracted onto the printing medium by the electric field and transfer is supported. COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO