Wet electro-photographic printer having subsidiary intermediate transfer unit for improving transfer efficiency

摘要

A wet electro-photographic printer includes a transfer/fixing apparatus having a subsidiary intermediate transfer unit disposed to contact a transfer belt to re-transfer an image on a printing paper after receiving the image from a transfer belt, a back-up unit disposed to contact the subsidiary intermediate transfer unit through the printing paper in order to transfer the image transferred to the subsidiary intermediate transfer unit to the printing paper, and a fixing unit fixing the image simultaneously or separately when the image transferred to the subsidiary intermediate transfer unit is re-transferred to the printing paper. The transfer belt includes a single non-elastic layer made of one material selected from polyimide, polycabonate and ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene. The subsidiary intermediate transfer unit includes a subsidiary intermediate transfer roller having an elastic layer of a predetermined thickness to which a voltage of a predetermined polarity is supplied to attach the image formed on the transfer belt to the printing paper, and contacting the transfer belt with a predetermined pressure. Accordingly, the printer having the subsidiary intermediate transfer unit can improve a transfer efficiency, such as color registration quality, and reduce manufacturing expenses as the subsidiary intermediate transfer unit having the elastic layer with the predetermined thickness, and the transfer belt having the single thin regular non-elastic layer are used so that the image formed on the transfer belt is not directly transferred to the printing paper but transferred and fixed through the subsidiary intermediate transfer unit.