1. An aqueous ink composition, which comprises at least:
1) an alkali neutralized product of a copolymer containing constituent units of:
(i) at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of alkene, styrene, styrene derivatives, vinyl naphthalene, and vinyl naphthalene derivatives;
(ii) at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of monomers containing an acidic group that ion dissociate; and
(iii) at least one \u03b1,\u03b2-ethylenic unsaturated carboxylic acid alkyl ester;
2) a pigment; and
3) an aqueous medium,
wherein the alkali neutralized product of the copolymer in the aqueous ink composition forms micelle aggregations with an average diameter being set in the range of 10 nm to 300 nm; and
wherein an acid value of the copolymer is in the range of 60 to 160.
2. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, wherein a number average molecular weight of the copolymer is in the range of 6,000 to 30,000.
3. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, wherein in the copolymer, the constituent unit (i) is in the range from 15 to 55% by weight; the constituent unit (ii) is in the range from 9 to 28% by weight; and the constituent unit (iii) is the range from 20 to 75% by weight.
4. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, wherein primary particles of the pigment have a number average particle size of 2 to 200 nm.
5. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, wherein a content of the copolymer is 0.1 to 35% by weight.
6. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, wherein a content of the pigment is 1 to 35% by weight.
7. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, wherein a content of a solid component of the aqueous ink composition is in the range from 2 to 40% by weight.
8. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the micelle aggregations contain an aqueous medium inside thereof.
9. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous ink composition includes a copolymer solution, the copolymer solution transiting from a dissolved state or a colloidal state to a supernatant fluid state with a deposition when a pH of the copolymer solution is changed by no more than 2.5.
10. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the pH of the aqueous ink composition is adjusted to a pH area that is 0.5 to 4.0 higher than a pH point at which the copolymer generates a supernatant fluid and a deposition from a dissolved state.
11. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, wherein a pH adjustment is carried out by using a pH adjusting agent having a boiling point of 40\xb0 C. to 150\xb0 C.
12. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 11, wherein the addition amount of the pH adjusting agent is in the range from 50 mmolKg to 20 molKg.
13. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, further comprising 5 to 65% by weight of a moisturizer, wherein the moisturizer is a water-soluble liquid and has a boiling point of no less than 80\xb0 C. with a vapor pressure of no more than 100 mmHg.
14. An aqueous ink composition according to claim 1, further comprising 0.05 to 4% by weight of an antiseptic agent andor an fungicide.
15. A manufacturing method of an aqueous ink composition comprising at least the steps of:
stirring a solution containing a copolymer, an alkali, and an aqueous medium, while maintaining the solution at a temperature that is higher than the glass transition point of the copolymer by not less than 15\xb0 C. so as to form micelle aggregations of an alkali neutralized product of the copolymer; and
adding pigment fine particles to a solution containing the micelle aggregation so as to be dispersed therein,
wherein the copolymer contains constituent units of:
(i) at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of alkene, styrene, styrene derivatives, vinyl naphthalene, and vinyl naphthalene derivatives;
(ii) at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of monomers containing an acidic group that ion dissociate; and
(iii) at least one \u03b1,\u03b2-ethylenic unsaturated carboxylic acid alkyl ester.
16. A manufacturing method of an aqueous ink composition according to claim 15, wherein an amount of the alkali is less than the amount that is equivalent for neutralizing the total acidic groups in the copolymer by 2 equivalent % to 30 equivalent %.
17. A manufacturing method of an aqueous ink composition according to claim 15, wherein the copolymer has a glass transition point in the range from 10\xb0 C. to 120\xb0 C., the temperature of the solution during stirring is maintained at a temperature higher than the glass transition point by 20\xb0 C. to 50\xb0 C., and the solution is stirred with applying ultrasonic vibration.
18. An image forming method, wherein an image is formed on a image formation surface of a recording medium by using an aqueous ink composition and then a heating process is carried out onto the image formation surface of the recording medium at a temperature of 50\xb0 C. to 150\xb0 C., the aqueous ink composition comprising at least:
1) an alkali neutralized product of a copolymer containing constituent units of:
(i) at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of alkene, styrene, styrene derivatives, vinyl naphthalene, and vinyl naphthalene derivatives;
(ii) at least one monomer selected from group consisting of monomers containing an acidic group that ion dissociate; and
(iii) at least one \u03b1,\u03b2-ethylenic unsaturated carboxylic acid alkyl ester;
2) a pigment; and
3) an aqueous medium,
wherein the alkali neutralized product of the copolymer in the aqueous ink composition forms micelle aggregations with an average diameter being set in the range of 10 nm to 300 nm; and
wherein an acid value of the copolymer is in the range of 60 to 160.
19. An aqueous ink composition, which comprises at least:
1) an alkali neutralized product of a copolymer containing constituent units of:
(i) at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of alkene, styrene, styrene derivatives, vinyl naphthalene, and vinyl naphthalene derivatives;
(ii) at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of monomers containing an acidic group that ion dissociate; and
(iii) at least one \u03b1,\u03b2-ethylenic unsaturated carboxylic acid alkyl ester;
2) a pigment; and
3) an aqueous medium,
wherein the alkali neutralized product of the copolymer in the aqueous ink composition forms micelle aggregations with an average diameter being set in the range of 10 nm to 300 nm; and
wherein in the copolymer, the constituent unit (i) is in the range from 15 to 55% by weight; the constituent unit (ii) is in the range from 9 to 28% by weight; and the constituent unit (iii) is the range from 20 to 75% by weight.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a recording head having a nozzle configured to jet a liquid drop of ink;
a cap member configured to be moved between a sealing position where a nozzle surface of the recording head is sealed and an opening position where the nozzle surface is opened;
a waste liquid tank movably provided and configured to receive a waste liquid of the ink, the waste liquid being generated by idle-ejecting the liquid drop not contributing to image forming from the recording head; and
a moving part configured to move the waste liquid tank tied to movement of the cap member,
wherein a position of the waste liquid tank in a case of idle-ejection being performed from the recording head last time and another position of the waste liquid tank in a case of idle-ejection being performed from the recording head this time are different.
2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the waste liquid tank is situated in a first position when the cap member is situated in the sealing position; and
the waste liquid tank is situated in a second position different from the first position when the cap member is moved to the sealing position again after the cap member is moved to the opening position.
3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the cap member is configured to be stopped in three or more positions including the sealing position and the opening position.
4. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a recording head having a nozzle configured to jet a liquid drop of ink;
a wiper member configured to be moved between a wiping position where a nozzle surface of the recording head is wiped and a non-wiping position where the wiper member is separated from the nozzle surface;
a waste liquid tank movably provided and configured to receive a waste liquid of the ink, the waste liquid being generated by idle-ejecting the liquid drop not contributing to image forming from the recording head; and
a moving part configured to move the waste liquid tank tied to movement of the wiper member,
wherein a position of the waste liquid tank in a case of idle-ejection being performed from the recording head last time and a position of the waste liquid tank in a case of idle-ejection being performed from the recording head this time are different.
5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 4,
wherein the waste liquid tank is situated in a first position when the wiper member is situated in the wiping position; and
the waste liquid tank is situated in a second position different from the first position when the wiper member is moved to the wiping position again after the wiper member is moved to the non-wiping position.
6. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 4,
wherein the wiper member is configured to be stopped in three or more positions including the wiping position and the non-wiping position.
7. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a recording head having a nozzle configured to jet a liquid drop of ink;
a conveyance part configured to convey a sheet;
a waste liquid tank provided movably and configured to receive a waste liquid of the ink generated by idle-ejecting the liquid drop not contributing to image forming from the recording head; and
a moving part configured to move the waste liquid tank tied to movement of the conveyance part,
wherein a position of the waste liquid tank in a case of idle-ejection being performed from the recording head last time and another position of the waste liquid tank in a case of idle-ejection being performed from the recording head this time are different.
8. The image forming apparatus, as claimed in claim 7,
wherein a position of the waste liquid tank is changed when the idle-ejecting is performed from the recording head.