Image forming material, method and device for removing images, and image forming process and apparatus

Abstract

An image forming material for forming an image on an image recording material with an image binding force being established between the image and the image recording material, the image forming material containing an image forming substance, and a binding force reducing substance which reduces the image binding force when the image is heated. A method of removing an image formed on an image recording material with a binding force being established between the image and the recording material by contacting a stripping member with the image with heating under pressure. A binding force reducing substance may be contained in the surface of the stripping member or in the image recording material.

1 - 53 . (canceled)  
   
   
       54 . An image forming material suitably applicable for a method of removing an image which comprises contacting a stripping member under pressure with an image recording material while heating the image to reduce an image binding force established between the image and image recording material; and peeling the image recording material from the stripping member to transfer the image from the image recording material to the stripping member, 
 the image forming material comprising: 
 an image forming substance; and  
 a binding force reducing substance which reduces the image binding force when the image is heated.  
   
   
   
       55 . An image forming material as claimed in  claim 54 , wherein the image forming substance comprises a binder resin.  
   
   
       56 . An image forming material as claimed in  claim 54 , wherein the binding force reducing substance is a low melting point substance which reduces the image binding force when the image is heated at a temperature higher than the softening point of the low melting point substance.  
   
   
       57 . An image forming material as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the low melting point substance has a hydrophilic group.  
   
   
       58 . An image forming material as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the low melting point substance has a hydrophilic group and a hydrophobic group.  
   
   
       59 . An image forming material as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the image forming substance is in the form of solid particles, wherein the low melting point substance is comprised in the solid particles, and wherein the low melting point substance is present in an amount of 5 to 75% by weight based on a total weight of the image forming substance and the low melting point substance.  
   
   
       60 . An image forming material as claimed in  claim 55 , wherein the binder resin is a thermally crosslinked resin.  
   
   
       61 . A method of removing an image of an image forming material formed on an image recording material with an image binding force being established between said image and said image recording material, 
 the method comprising: 
 providing a stripping member having a surface resin layer comprising a binding force reducing substance, the binding force reducing substance being adapted to reduce the image binding force when the image is heated in the presence of the binding force reducing substance;  
 contacting the surface of the stripping member under pressure with the image on the image recording material while heating the image to reduce the image binding force established between the image and the image recording material; and  
 peeling the image recording material from the stripping member to transfer the image from the image recording material to the stripping member,  
   wherein the image forming material comprises: 
 an image forming substance; and  
 a binding force reducing substance which reduces the image binding force when the image is heated.  
   
   
   
       62 . A method as claimed in  claim 61 , wherein the image has a viscoelasticity of 10 4  Pa to 10 6  Pa by said heating.  
   
   
       63 . A method as claimed in  claim 61 , wherein the image binding force is reduced to 2.0 kg/cm 2  or less by said heating.  
   
   
       64 . A method as claimed in  claim 61 , wherein the image has been formed on the image recording material by fusing and fixing the image forming material thereon.  
   
   
       65 . A method as claimed in  claim 64 , wherein the heating is at a temperature higher than the fixing temperature at which said image has been formed on the image recording material.  
   
   
       66 . A device for removing an image of an image forming material formed on an image recording material, 
 the device comprising. 
 a stripping member providing an adhesion strength between the stripping member and the image which is not smaller than the image binding force;  
 means for contacting the stripping member with the image on the image recording material under pressure;  
 a heater for heating the image during its contact with the stripping member under pressure, thereby reducing the binding force; and  
 drive means for separating the image recording material from the stripping member so that the image is transferred from the image recording material to the stripping member,  
 wherein the image forming material comprises: 
 an image forming substance; and  
 a binding force reducing substance which reduces the image binding force when the image is heated.  
 
   
   
   
       67 . A device for removing an image as claimed in  claim 66 , wherein the stripping member has a surface layer which comprises a binding force reducing substance adapted to reduce the image binding force when the image is heated in the presence of the binding force reducing substance, the surface layer is adapted to release the binding force reducing substance when heated so that an adhesion strength which is not smaller than the image binding force is established between the stripping member and the image after the release of the binding force reducing substance.