Ricoh Company, Ltd.

University of Hyogo

Yuuma Usui

Aino Hasegawa

Takeo Tsukamoto

Ryota Suzuki

Manabu Seo

Takahiko Matsumoto

Hideomi Sakuma

Hiroyuki Yamashita

Takeshi Orito

Hisayoshi Ohshima

Yukio Fujiwara

Takeshi Hihara

Yasuo Katano

Shigeo Takeuchi

Satoshi Yamamoto

Tohru Yashiro

Daisuke Goto

Shigenobu Hirano

Tamotsu Horiuchi

Toshiya Sagisaka

Mamiko Inoue

Atsushi Ohshima

Ikue Kawashima

Yoshihiro Harada

Fuminari Kaneko

Sukchan Kim

Keiichiroh Yutani

Masato Shinoda

Mizuki Otagiri

Mikiko Takada

Hidekazu Yaginuma

Kohji Takeuchi

Masataka Mohri

Shun Goto

Shin-ichi Yusa

A printed matter producing method includes forming an intermediate layer over a base material; applying an ink receiving layer forming liquid to the intermediate layer to form an ink receiving layer; and applying an ink to the ink receiving layer by an inkjet method to form an image. The viscosity of the ink receiving layer forming liquid at 25 degrees C. is 40 mPa·s or higher.

Printed matter producing method and printed matter producing apparatus, and printed matter

A method for producing a foamed body includes: forming a foamed layer precursor including applying a coating liquid onto a base to form a liquid film and applying an ink onto the liquid film by an inkjet method, where the coating liquid contains a foaming agent and an active energy ray curable material having a radical-polymerizable functional group, the active energy ray curable material contains a multifunctional active energy ray curable material having two or more radical-polymerizable functional groups, and the ink contains a foaming accelerator having a radical-polymerizable functional group; and foaming a desired position of the foamed layer precursor by heating to form a foamed layer. A functional group equivalent of the radical-polymerizable functional group in the foaming accelerator is greater than a functional group equivalent of the radical-polymerizable functional group in the active energy ray curable material.

Method and device for producing foamed body

A printing method includes applying a foaming agent composition containing a foaming agent to form a foaming agent layer, applying a foaming inhibitor composition containing a foaming inhibitor onto the foaming agent layer, curing the foaming agent layer with irradiation of active energy, and heating the foaming agent layer to foam the foaming agent layer, wherein the foaming agent composition has a viscosity of from 50 to 1,500 mPa&#xb7;s at 25 degrees C. and the absolute difference between the static surface tension of the foaming agent composition and the static surface tension of the foaming inhibitor composition is 5 mN/m or less.

Printing method and printing device

A head-mounted display apparatus () includes an image display part () configured to display an image, an optical unit () configured to lead the image to an eye of a wearer of the display apparatus (), a light intensity detector () configured to detect light intensity (A) of external light, a dimmer filter () configured to vary transmittance to adjust the intensity (B) of the external light reaching the eye of the wearer, and a controller () configured to adjust the transmittance of the dimmer filter () and the light intensity (C) of a light source of the image display part () based on the light intensity (A) of the external light obtained by the light intensity detector ().

Head-mounted display apparatus, and display method

To provide an electrochromic device including: a support; a first electrode formed on the support; a second electrode facing the first electrode, where through-holes are formed in the second electrode; an electrochromic layer disposed in a space between the first electrode and the second electrode; a first electrolyte layer disposed in the space between the first electrode and the second electrode; a second electrolyte layer disposed to communicate with the first electrolyte layer through the through-holes; an inorganic protective layer, which is disposed on a surface of the second electrolyte layer not facing the second electrode, and is configured to shield oxygen and water vapor; and an organic protective layer disposed on a surface of the inorganic protective layer that does not face the second electrolyte layer.

Electrochromic device and method for producing electrochromic device

Using an intermediate transfer body onto which a conductive recording liquid containing water that is ejected by heads is provided; and a potential applying unit which applies a potential which can electrolyze the water within the conductive recording liquid which is ejected from the heads and which temporarily bridges between the heads and the intermediate transfer body, the potential applying unit applies a potential between the intermediate transfer body and electrodes which are in contact with the recording liquid in supplying units which supply the recording liquid to the heads.

Image forming apparatus

Disclosed is an aqueous ink composition, including an aqueous solvent, a coloring agent dissolved or dispersed in the aqueous solvent, an ABA-type amphipathic polymer including a hydrophobic segment A and a hydrophilic segment B, and an anionic surfactant configured to dissolve or disperse the ABA-type amphipathic polymer in the aqueous solvent, wherein a viscosity of the aqueous ink composition is changed depending on a pH thereof.

Aqueous ink composition and image forming apparatus

Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including a head configured to discharge an aqueous recording liquid onto a recording medium; and a coating unit configured to apply a process liquid onto the recording medium, wherein the process liquid is formed by emulsifying, by a first surfactant, water including a water-soluble polymer and a low polarity solvent which is not compatible with the water, wherein the water and the low polarity solvent are emulsified as a W/O emulsion in which the water is in a dispersed phase and the low polarity solvent is in a continuous phase.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method

An image forming apparatus with a voltage applying unit between a recording head and an intermediate transfer drum is capable of activating polyvalent metal ions inactivated in advance in jetted recording liquid without liquid activators independent of the recording liquid for sufficient flocculation on the drum. When the jetted recording liquid temporarily bridges the head and the drum, electrolysis of the recording liquid by the voltage applied instantly leads to generation of hydrogen ions on the drum, which triggers a sequence of reactions in the recording liquid of activation of polyvalent metal ions, cross-link between the activated polyvalent metal ions and anionic polymer, and increase in viscosity on the drum.

Image forming apparatus and recording liquid

An image forming device includes a head including a nozzle that discharges an electrically-conductive recording liquid in accordance with a driving signal; an intermediate transfer body on which the recording liquid discharged by the head is applied; a voltage apply unit that applies a voltage between the intermediate transfer body and the head, so as to decompose the electrically-conductive recording liquid by electrolysis; a transfer unit that transfers an image supported on the intermediate transfer body onto a recording material; and a discharging control unit that generates the driving signal that causes the electrically-conductive recording liquid to be discharged from the nozzle. The discharging control unit generates the driving signal so that a position of a meniscus is placed outside the nozzle during a time interval in which the recording liquid temporarily bridges between the head and the intermediate transfer body.

Image forming device, and image forming method

To provide an ABA triblock copolymer containing: an A-block having, in a constitutional unit thereof, a monomer represented by the following general formula (1) or a monomer represented by the following general formula (2); and a B-block having, in a constitutional unit thereof, a hydrophilic monomer having a radical polymerizable unsaturated bond, where Ris a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; Ris a C5-C18 alkylene group; M is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent metal atom; and Xis &#x2014;NH&#x2014; or an oxygen atom in the general formula (1), and where Ris a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; Ris a C5-C18 alkylene group; Rand Rare each independently a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, or an ethyl group; and Xis &#x2014;NH&#x2014; or an oxygen atom in the general formula (2).

ABA triblock copolymer, thickener, and aqueous composition

A disclosed image forming apparatus includes a recording head having a nozzle capable of ejecting inductive ink including water, a first intermediate transfer body having a conductive surface on which an ink image is to be formed by temporarily forming a liquid-column bridge between the conductive surface and the nozzle, the liquid-column bridge being made of the inductive ink, a voltage application unit applying a voltage between the inductive ink and the conductive surface so that water included in the liquid-column bridge is electrolyzed, and a transfer unit transferring an ink image formed on the first intermediate transfer body to a recording medium.

A head cleaning device includes an electrode disposed in a position confronting to a bottom of a head in a cleaning position, the head including nozzles for discharging a water-soluble ink, the electrode being set in a covered state to provide a surface covered with an electrolyte which, when electrolyzed, dissolves the water-soluble ink. A liquid supplying unit supplies the electrolyte to the electrode so that the electrode is set in the covered state. A voltage supplying unit supplies a voltage between the head and the electrode to electrolyze the electrolyte on the surface of the electrode in the covered state.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Yuuma Usui