JP2005173449A - Transfer device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize prevention of rear face seaming of a transfer material and lengthened life of a transfer roller and to secure successful transferability even in a high density image, for a transfer device. <P>SOLUTION: A toner image on an intermediate transfer belt 14 which is an image carrier is transferred to the transfer material by the transfer roller 9a with hardness of ≥35°, when the transfer material does not exist between the intermediate transfer belt 14 and the transfer roller 9a, electrolysis for transferring toner on the transfer roller 9a to the intermediate transfer belt 14 is formed. Thus, since the toner adhered to the transfer roller 9a is successfully removed, the prevention of the rear face contamination of the transfer material and the lengthened life of the transfer roller 9a are realized, furthermore, since contact pressure force sufficient for transfer is obtained, the successful transferability is secured even in the high density image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a transfer device and an image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, printers, facsimiles, or multifunction machines (MFPs) that combine these functions using an electrophotographic process have become widespread.

  Examples of such an image forming apparatus include a direct transfer type and an indirect transfer type image forming apparatus. For example, a direct transfer type image forming apparatus transfers a toner image formed on a photoconductor as an image carrier onto a transfer paper as a transfer material, and then fixes the image, and an indirect transfer type image forming apparatus. The toner image formed on the photosensitive member is transferred onto a transfer sheet via an intermediate transfer member (image carrier) such as an intermediate transfer belt, and then fixed. In addition, in an image forming apparatus that forms a color image using an intermediate transfer member, toner images formed on the photosensitive member for each color are sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer member and superimposed, and then collectively onto the transfer material. Transcript.

  A transfer device for transferring a toner image from an intermediate transfer member to a transfer material has a foamed sponge type transfer roller. The foaming sponge type transfer roller accumulates toner unnecessary for image formation to some extent in the foaming hole on the roller surface, and has the effect of preventing the back surface of the transfer paper from becoming dirty. However, since the transfer paper does not reach the transfer roller as in the case of a jam, the toner originally transferred to the transfer paper may be directly transferred to the transfer roller. In such a case, a large amount of toner adheres to the transfer roller. Thereafter, when the transfer paper is passed, the back surface of the transfer paper becomes dirty, and therefore a cleaning mode for cleaning the transfer roller is usually executed.

  In the cleaning mode, in order to reversely transfer the toner on the transfer roller to the intermediate transfer member, biases having different positive and negative are given to each while rotating the transfer roller. Normally, the toner adhering to the transfer roller does not return to the intermediate transfer member by only one rotation of the transfer roller, and a considerable number of rotations are required, and it takes 10 to several tens of seconds until the apparatus can be used. The waiting time becomes longer. Recently, the market demands that the waiting time be shortened.

JP 2003-015442 A JP 7-271142 A

  However, even when the cleaning mode as described above is repeated, the toner located deep in the foam hole portion of the transfer roller cannot be removed, and there is a problem that the quality of the transfer roller deteriorates with time and the component life is shortened. Furthermore, in order to transfer an image with high density in color, a high pressure contact force is required, but there is also a problem that a sufficient pressure contact force cannot be obtained with a soft transfer roller.

  An object of the present invention is to prevent the back surface of the transfer material from being soiled and to extend the life of the transfer roller, and to ensure good transferability even in a high density image.

  Another object of the present invention is to reduce the cleaning time of the transfer roller.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transfer device in which a toner image on the image carrier is transferred to a transfer material by a transfer roller that is in contact with an image carrier that carries a toner image, and the transfer material includes the image carrier and the image carrier. In the transfer device for forming an electric field for transferring the toner on the transfer roller to the image carrier when it does not exist between the transfer roller and the transfer roller, the transfer roller has a hardness of 35 ° or more.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the first aspect, the transfer roller is a solid type roller.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the transfer apparatus according to the first aspect, the transfer roller is a roller having an inner layer and a surface layer laminated on the inner layer.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the third aspect, the surface layer of the transfer roller is an elastic solid layer.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a cleaning member that contacts the transfer roller and cleans the transfer roller is provided.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the transfer device further includes a moving device that moves the cleaning member so as to be movable toward and away from the transfer roller.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, the cleaning member is a brush member.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the seventh aspect, the brush member is a brush roller.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, the cleaning member is a film member.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, the cleaning member is a cleaning blade.

  The invention according to claim 11 is the transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a coating device for applying a release agent to the transfer roller for improving the toner release characteristics on the transfer roller. It is characterized by doing.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the eleventh aspect, the coating device is formed by solidifying the brush roller that is in contact with the transfer roller and the release agent. And a solid member in contact therewith.

  An image forming apparatus according to a thirteenth aspect of the invention is an image carrier that carries a toner image, and a transfer device according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects of the invention, wherein the toner image on the image carrier is transferred onto a transfer material. And a fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred by the transfer device to the transfer material.

  According to the transfer device of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to satisfactorily remove the toner adhering to the transfer roller, so that it is possible to prevent the back surface of the transfer material from being soiled and to extend the life of the transfer roller. In addition, since it is possible to obtain a sufficient pressure contact force for transfer, it is possible to ensure good transferability even in a high density image.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the first aspect, by providing a solid type roller as the transfer roller, it is possible to ensure the temporal stability of the transfer roller against the pressure load, The life of the transfer roller can be increased.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the first aspect, by providing a roller having an inner layer and a surface layer as the transfer roller, the temporal stability and surface characteristics of the transfer roller are ensured. The life of the transfer roller can be increased.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, in the transfer device according to claim 3, by providing the elastic solid layer as the surface layer of the transfer roller, the cleaning time of the transfer roller can be shortened, and the transfer roller is surely provided. Can achieve a long service life.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the cleaning member for cleaning the transfer roller can be provided to remove foreign matters such as toner and paper dust. In addition, the cleaning time of the transfer roller can be shortened.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the fifth aspect, by providing the moving device that moves the cleaning member so as to be in contact with and away from the transfer roller, the cleaning member is always pressed against the transfer roller. Since the load on the transfer roller is smaller than in the case where the transfer roller is present, the life of the transfer roller can be increased.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, by providing the brush member as the cleaning member, the foreign matter removal efficiency can be improved.

  According to the invention described in claim 8, in the transfer device according to claim 7, by providing the brush roller as a brush member, the load on the transfer roller can be reduced, and the life of the transfer roller can be increased. The removal efficiency of foreign matters can be improved with a simple configuration.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, the cleaning member is constituted by the film member, whereby the foreign matter removal efficiency can be improved.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, the cleaning member is constituted by the cleaning blade, whereby the foreign matter removal efficiency, particularly the toner removal efficiency, can be improved.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, the toner removal efficiency can be further improved by providing the transfer roller with a coating device for applying a release agent. In addition, the cleaning time of the transfer roller can be shortened.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the transfer device according to the eleventh aspect, coating is performed from a brush roller that contacts the transfer roller and a solid member that is formed by solidifying the release agent and contacts the brush roller. By configuring the apparatus, toner removal efficiency can be improved with a simple configuration.

  According to the invention of the thirteenth aspect, the same effect as that of any one of the first to twelfth aspects of the invention can be achieved.

  A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic internal structure of a tandem-type full-color printer 1 which is an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming unit 3, an optical writing unit 4, a paper feed cassette 5 that is a paper storage unit, a fixing device 6, and the like are stored in the apparatus main body 2 of the full-color printer 1.

  The image forming unit 3 includes four image forming units 7Y, 7C, 7M, and 7K that form toner images of different colors (the subscripts of Y, C, M, and K are respectively yellow, cyan, magenta, and black). The intermediate transfer unit 8 located above the image forming unit 7, the secondary transfer device 9, and the like.

  The four image forming units 7 have the same structure, and a drum-shaped photoconductor 10 that is an image carrier that is rotationally driven in the direction of an arrow, and a charging device 11 that is arranged around the photoconductor 10 in the order of an electrophotographic process. , Developing device 12, cleaning device 13 and the like. The four photoconductors 10 are parallel to each other and arranged at equal intervals. Each photoconductor 10 is configured, for example, by providing an organic semiconductor layer, which is a photoconductive substance, on the surface of an aluminum cylinder having a diameter of about 30 to 100 mm.

  The intermediate transfer unit 8 includes an intermediate transfer belt 14 that is an intermediate transfer member (image carrier), a plurality of support rollers 15a to 15c that rotatably support the intermediate transfer belt 14, four primary transfer devices 16, a cleaning device 17, and the like. It is comprised by. The intermediate transfer belt 14 is, for example, an endless belt whose base is a resin film or rubber having a thickness of about 50 to 600 μm, and has a resistance value capable of transferring a toner image on the photoreceptor 10. Yes. The plurality of support rollers 15a to 15c are formed of, for example, two layers of a surface layer and an inner layer, the inner layer is formed of a metal, and the surface layer is formed of a rubber material.

  The optical writing unit 4 is disposed below the image forming unit 7 and irradiates the surface of each photoconductor 10 with laser light corresponding to the image data for each color of YCMK. An electrostatic latent image is formed. The optical writing unit 4 is formed with an elongated slit through which the laser light irradiated from the optical writing unit 4 to each charging device 11 and each developing device 12 passes. As the optical writing unit 4, a laser scanning unit using a laser light source, a polygon mirror, or the like is shown. However, for example, a unit using a combination of an LED array and an imaging unit may be used.

  The paper feed cassette 5 accommodates and holds a transfer sheet S that is a transfer material. The transfer paper S is separated one by one by a paper feed roller 18 and fed toward the image forming unit 3.

  The fixing device 6 includes a fixing roller 6a and a pressure roller 6b, and fixes the toner image on the transfer paper S by applying heat and pressure to the transfer paper S on which the toner image is transferred.

  Here, the structure of the secondary transfer device 9 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic structure of the secondary transfer device 9.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the secondary transfer device 9 includes a transfer roller 9a that is opposed to the support roller 15a with the intermediate transfer belt 14 interposed therebetween and abuts against the intermediate transfer belt 14, and a brush 9b that is a brush member that abuts against the transfer roller 9a. It has. The brush 9b functions as a cleaning member for cleaning the transfer roller 9a.

  Such a secondary transfer device 9 has an electric field forming means, which forms an electric field for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 14 to the transfer paper S at the time of transfer, and removes the toner on the transfer roller 9a at the time of reverse transfer. An electric field to be transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 14 is formed. Thus, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 14 is transferred to the transfer sheet S during transfer, and the toner on the transfer roller 9a is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 14 during reverse transfer. The transfer time is when the transfer paper S is present between the intermediate transfer belt 14 and the transfer roller 9a, and the reverse transfer time is when the transfer paper S is between the intermediate transfer belt 14 and the transfer roller 9a. Is not present.

  The transfer roller 9a is formed to have a hardness of 35 ° (JIS K 6253) or more. The transfer roller 9a is, for example, a solid type roller, and is a roller composed of two or more layers having a surface layer 20a and an inner layer 20b. The surface layer 20a is an elastic solid layer, for example, and is laminated on the inner layer 20b. The inner layer 20b is made of, for example, metal.

  The brush 9b extends in the axial direction of the transfer roller 9a and is in pressure contact with the transfer roller 9a, and removes foreign matters such as toner and paper dust on the transfer roller 9a by the rotation of the transfer roller 9a. Although the brush 9b is used here, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a PET film that is a film member such as Mylar or a brush roller may be used.

  The basic operation of the full color printer 1 in such a configuration will be described. Laser light corresponding to the image data is emitted from the semiconductor laser of the optical writing unit 4, and the surface of each photoconductor 10 is irradiated with this laser light, whereby an electrostatic latent image is formed on each charged photoconductor 10. It is formed. Toner supplied from each developing device 12 adheres to the electrostatic latent image, and is visualized as a toner image. The toner images are sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 14 that moves in synchronization with the photoconductor 10 by the transfer action of each primary transfer device 16. As described above, the toner images of different colors formed on the respective photoreceptors 10 are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 14, thereby forming a color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 14.

  Thereafter, when the color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 14 is transferred by the secondary transfer device 9, that is, when an electric field for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 14 to the transfer paper S is formed, the paper feeding cassette 5 Is transferred to the transfer sheet S fed to the transfer position between the transfer roller 9 a and the intermediate transfer belt 14. The transfer sheet S on which the color toner image has been transferred is fixed by the fixing device 6 and is discharged onto a discharge tray 19 formed on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2 after the fixing processing.

  At this time, the transfer sheet S may not reach between the transfer roller 9a and the intermediate transfer belt 14 due to a jam or the like. In this case, the toner image originally transferred to the transfer paper S may be transferred directly to the transfer roller 9a. Even when a transfer sheet S smaller than the size of the original image is used, the toner may be transferred directly to the transfer roller 9a in an area where the transfer sheet S does not exist. In such a case, a cleaning operation for removing the toner adhering to the transfer roller 9a is executed.

  The cleaning operation is executed at a predetermined timing when the transfer sheet S does not exist between the intermediate transfer belt 14 and the transfer roller 9a. That is, when the transfer sheet S does not exist between the intermediate transfer belt 14 and the transfer roller 9a, the transfer roller 9a is rotationally driven at a predetermined timing (the transfer roller 9a is rotated only once). At this time, an electric field for transferring the toner on the transfer roller 9a onto the intermediate transfer belt 14 is formed by the secondary transfer device 9, and the toner on the transfer roller 9a is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 14 and removed. Further, foreign matters such as toner and paper dust on the transfer roller 9a are removed by the brush 9b. Thereby, the transfer roller 9a is cleaned. The toner transferred from the transfer roller 9a to the intermediate transfer belt 14 is removed by the cleaning device 17.

  In the present embodiment, by using a roller having a hardness of 35 ° (JIS K 6253) or more as the transfer roller 9a, it is possible to satisfactorily remove the toner adhering to the transfer roller 9a. It is possible to prevent backside contamination and extend the life of the transfer roller 9a, and furthermore, it is possible to obtain a sufficient pressure contact force for transfer, so that it is possible to ensure good transferability even in a high density image. it can.

  Further, a roller having a hardness of 35 ° (JIS K 6253) or more is used as the transfer roller 9a, and a brush 9b that comes in contact with the transfer roller 9a is provided. Therefore, the cleaning time can be shortened. In addition, by configuring the transfer roller 9a with a solid type roller, it is possible to ensure the temporal stability of the transfer roller 9a against the pressure contact load.

  A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a schematic structure of the secondary transfer apparatus 9A of the present embodiment.

  The basic structure of the full-color printer 1A that is the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment and the full-color printer 1 of the first embodiment is the same, and the difference between them is the secondary transfer device of the present embodiment. 9A and the secondary transfer device 9 of the first embodiment are different in structure. Here, the secondary transfer device 9A of the present embodiment will be described. In addition, the part shown by 1st embodiment is shown with the same code | symbol, and abbreviate | omits description.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the secondary transfer device 9 </ b> A is opposed to the roller 15 a with the intermediate transfer belt 14 in between and is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 14, and the toner release characteristics on the transfer roller 9 a are improved. Application device 9c for applying the release agent to the transfer roller 9a, a cleaning blade 9d as a cleaning member as a scraper on the surface of the transfer roller 9a, and a moving device for moving the cleaning blade 9d in contact with and away from the transfer roller 9a ( (Not shown).

  The coating device 9c includes a brush roller 9e that abuts on the transfer roller 9a, and a solid member 9f that abuts on the brush roller 9e, which is made of a release agent for improving the toner peeling characteristics on the transfer roller 9a. The solid member 9f is formed, for example, by solidifying a release agent such as zinc stearate. The solid member 9f adheres to the brush roller 9e by the rotation of the brush roller 9e, and is attached to the surface of the transfer roller 9a via the brush roller 9e. It is applied as a release agent.

  The moving device includes a support mechanism that supports the cleaning blade 9d so as to be in contact with and away from the transfer roller 9a, and a drive source for moving the cleaning blade 9d in the direction of contact with and away from the transfer roller 9a.

  With this configuration, the cleaning operation of the secondary transfer device 9A will be described. The basic operation of the full-color printer 1A is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the cleaning operation is different.

  The cleaning operation of the present embodiment is executed at a predetermined timing when the transfer sheet S does not exist between the intermediate transfer belt 14 and the transfer roller 9a. That is, when the transfer sheet S does not exist between the intermediate transfer belt 14 and the transfer roller 9a, the transfer roller 9a is rotationally driven at a predetermined timing (the transfer roller 9a is rotated only once). At this time, the solid member 9f of the coating device 9c adheres onto the brush roller 9e and is applied as a release agent to the surface of the transfer roller 9a via the brush roller 9e. As a result, the toner adhering to the transfer roller 9a is easily peeled off. Then, an electric field for transferring the toner on the transfer roller 9a onto the intermediate transfer belt 14 is formed by the transfer action of the secondary transfer device 9A, and the toner on the transfer roller 9a is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 14 and removed. . Further, foreign matters such as toner and paper dust on the transfer roller 9a are completely removed by the cleaning blade 9d. Thereby, the transfer roller 9a is cleaned. The toner transferred from the transfer roller 9a to the intermediate transfer belt 14 is removed by the cleaning device 17.

  In the present embodiment as well, similarly to the first embodiment, by using a roller having a hardness of 35 ° (JIS K 6253) or more as the transfer roller 9a, the toner attached to the transfer roller 9a can be removed well. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the back surface of the transfer paper S from being soiled and to extend the life of the transfer roller 9a, and to obtain a sufficient pressure contact force for transfer. Also, good transferability can be secured.

  Further, a roller having a hardness of 35 ° (JIS K 6253) or more is used as the transfer roller 9a, and a cleaning blade 9d is provided in contact with the transfer roller 9a. Since foreign substances such as powder can be completely removed, the cleaning time can be shortened. In addition, by providing the coating device 9c, the release agent is applied to the surface of the transfer roller 9a, so that the toner removal efficiency can be improved and the cleaning time of the transfer roller 9a can be shortened.

  In each of the embodiments, the transfer devices 9 and 9A are applied to the indirect transfer type full color printer 1 using the intermediate transfer belt 14, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the direct transfer type full color printer is used. The transfer devices 9 and 9A may be applied. Therefore, the intermediate transfer belt 14 and the photoreceptor 10 function as an image carrier.

  In each embodiment, the transfer roller 9a is formed so that the transfer roller 9a has a hardness of 35 ° (JIS K 6253) or more. For example, the transfer roller 9a has a hardness of 35 ° to 50 °. By forming the transfer roller 9a so as to be in this range, the image quality of the high density image can be made better than in the case of other hardnesses.

  An image is formed by changing the hardness of the transfer roller 9a using the full color printer 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention or the full color printer 1A of the second embodiment of the present invention. The image quality of dirt and high density images was examined. At this time, toner is attached to the transfer roller 9a, a cleaning operation (only one rotation of the transfer roller 9a) is performed, and then an image is formed. The result is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the results regarding the back stain of the transfer paper S and the image quality of the high density image.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the hardness of the transfer roller 9a is 25 ° or 30 ° (JIS K 6253), it is confirmed that the back side of the transfer paper S is generated and the image quality of the high density image is deteriorated. It was done. When the hardness of the transfer roller 9a was 35 ° (JIS K 6253) or more, it was confirmed that the transfer paper S was not stained and the image quality of the high density image was good.

  Therefore, by using a roller having a hardness of 35 ° (JIS K 6253) or more as the transfer roller 9a, the back surface of the transfer paper S can be prevented and the life of the transfer roller 9a can be increased. Transferability can be ensured. Further, it is possible to completely remove foreign matters such as toner and paper dust from the surface of the transfer roller 9a during one rotation, and the cleaning time can be shortened.

1 is a side view showing a schematic structure inside a tandem full-color printer that is an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic structure of a secondary transfer apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view which shows schematic structure of the secondary transfer apparatus of 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the result regarding the back stain | pollution | contamination of a transfer paper, and the image quality of a high density image.

Explanation of symbols

1,1A image forming device (full color printer)
6 Fixing device 9 Transfer device (Secondary transfer device)
9a Transfer roller 9b, 9d Cleaning member (brush, cleaning blade)
9b Brush member (brush)
9c Coating device 9d Cleaning blade 9e Brush roller 9f Solid member 10, 14 Image carrier (photosensitive member, intermediate transfer belt)
14 Intermediate transfer belt S Transfer material (transfer paper)

Claims (13)

When the toner image on the image carrier is transferred to a transfer material by a transfer roller in contact with the image carrier that carries the toner image, and the transfer material does not exist between the image carrier and the transfer roller In the transfer device for forming an electric field for transferring the toner on the transfer roller to the image carrier,
The transfer apparatus, wherein the transfer roller has a hardness of 35 ° or more. The transfer roller is a solid type roller,
The transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The transfer roller is a roller having an inner layer and a surface layer laminated on the inner layer.
The transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The surface layer of the transfer roller is an elastic solid layer,
The transfer device according to claim 3. A cleaning member that contacts the transfer roller and cleans the transfer roller;
The transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein A moving device that moves the cleaning member so as to be movable toward and away from the transfer roller;
6. The transfer device according to claim 5, wherein The cleaning member is a brush member;
The transfer device according to claim 5 or 6, The brush member is a brush roller;
The transfer apparatus according to claim 7. The cleaning member is a film member;
The transfer device according to claim 5 or 6, The cleaning member is a cleaning blade;
The transfer device according to claim 5 or 6, A coating device that coats the transfer roller with a release agent for improving toner release characteristics on the transfer roller;
11. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein The coating device includes:
A brush roller in contact with the transfer roller;
It is formed by solidifying the release agent, and a solid member that comes into contact with the brush roller;
Comprising
12. The transfer apparatus according to claim 11, wherein An image carrier for carrying a toner image;
The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a toner image on the image carrier is transferred to a transfer material;
A fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred by the transfer device to the transfer material;
An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images