THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, THERMALLY FOAMABLE TONER IMAGE FORMING UNIT AND THREE DIMENSIONAL IMAGE FORMING METHOD

• Main Authors: HIROTA MAKOTO, IMOTO YOSHIYA, TANAKA YASUYUKI, YAMADA KUNIO, YAMAMURO TAKASHI, IKEDA YOSHIO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.06.2005
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make three dimensional image formation by a thermally foamable toner cost effectively and efficiently possible with an image forming main part section, as it is, as an option meeting a user's requirement, when the three dimensional image formation by the thermally foamable toner is desired in using an image forming apparatus. SOLUTION: The thermally foamable toner image forming unit, which is detachable from the image forming part section is equipped with a feeding means for accepting a recording medium from the image forming part section and feeding the same to a transfer means; an electrostatic latent image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier, based on three-dimensional image information; a developing means for forming the thermally foamable toner image, by developing the electrostatic latent image by the thermally foamable toner; a transfer means for transferring the thermally foamable toner image onto the recording medium; and a delivery and hand over means for delivering and handing over the recording medium transferred with the thermally foamable toner image to the image forming main part section. A three-dimensional image forming apparatus and a three-dimensional image forming method are provided. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI