An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion including an image bearing member, a developing device, and an intermediary transfer belt; a feeding device including a feeding belt; an ultraviolet irradiation portion; a cover; a first shielding plate extending in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction on a feeding surface of the feeding belt from an inner surface of the cover downwardly with respect to the vertical direction and configured to shield the intermediary transfer belt from the ultraviolet radiation toward the intermediary transfer belt; and a second shielding portion provided on the cover and extending downwardly with respect to the vertical direction along an outer surface of the intermediary transfer belt. The second shielding plate is configured to shield the intermediary transfer belt from the ultraviolet radiation toward the intermediary transfer belt.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion 10 for forming an image on a sheet 16 by using a developer 15 including toner and a curable agent curable by ultraviolet radiation, a feeding belt 14 for feeding the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming portion 10, an infrared irradiating portion 13 for irradiating, with infrared radiation, the image on the sheet 16 fed by the feeding belt 14, an ultraviolet irradiating portion 12 for irradiating, with the ultraviolet radiation, the image on the sheet having been irradiated with the infrared radiation by the infrared irradiating portion 13, and a controller 50 for controlling operations of the feeding belt 14 and the infrared irradiating portion 13. The controller 50 causes the infrared irradiating portion 13 to irradiate the feeding belt 14 with the infrared radiation while causing the feeding belt 14 to rotate in a stand-by state in which the controller 50 waits for an execution instruction of an image forming operation in a state in which the image forming operation is capable of being started.

Provided is a UV-curable liquid developer remaining in an apparatus hardly cures with visible light even when the apparatus is opened for the purpose of, for example, its maintenance, and the UV-curable liquid developer shows sufficient fixability by irradiation of the UV light. The UV-curable liquid developer includes: toner particles; a polymerization initiator; a sensitizer; and a polymerizable monomer, in which the sensitizer contains a compound represented by XY, where X represents a triphenylenyl group or the like and Y represents a triphenylenyl group or the like.

[Object] An object of the present invention is to provide a photoresponsive polymer that sufficiently secures photoresponsiveness to be fluidized by light irradiation and reversibly non-fluidized, improves fixability, and further has good color reproducibility. [Solution] Provided is a photoresponsive polymer containing a structural unit derived from an azomethine derivative represented by the following general formula (1), the photoresponsive polymer being fluidized by light irradiation and reversibly non-fluidized:
R.sub.1Z.sub.1Z.sub.2R.sub.2General formula (1): Z.sub.1 and Z.sub.2 are N or CH, while Z.sub.1Z.sub.2, R.sub.1 contains an aromatic hydrocarbon structure, R.sub.2 contains an aromatic heterocyclic structure, and a hydrogen atom is bonded to at least one carbon atom bonded adjacent to a carbon atom in the aromatic heterocyclic structure bonded to the Z.sub.2.

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus, a varnish application apparatus, and a controller. The varnish application apparatus includes a varnish application unit configured to apply varnish to a recording material, a first conveyance unit configured to convey a recording material in a first conveyance path that passes through the varnish application unit, and a second conveyance unit configured to convey a recording material in a second conveyance path that does not pass through the varnish application unit. When failure is occurred to one or both of the varnish application unit and the first conveyance unit and failure is not occurred to the second conveyance unit, the controller is configured to permit execution of the second image forming job and to convey a recording material by the second conveyance unit in the varnish application apparatus.

An emulsion aggregation toner composition includes toner particles including: an unsaturated polymeric resin, such as amorphous resins, crystalline resins, and combinations thereof; an optional colorant; an optional wax; an optional coagulant; and a photoinitiator. By optimizing the particle size of the emulsion, the aggregant concentration utilized in the emulsion aggregation process, and the solids content of the emulsion, toners may be produced capable of generating images with non-contact fusing that have high gloss.

An emulsion aggregation toner composition includes toner particles including: an unsaturated polymeric resin, such as amorphous resins, crystalline resins, and combinations thereof; an optional colorant; an optional wax; an optional coagulant; and a photoinitiator. By optimizing the particle size of the emulsion, the aggregant concentration utilized in the emulsion aggregation process, and the solids content of the emulsion, toners may be produced capable of generating images with non-contact fusing that have high gloss.

A photoresponsive polymer that is fluidized by light irradiation and reversibly non-fluidized and contains a structural unit represented by a general formula (1) shown below: ##STR00001## wherein each substituent is defined as described in the specification.

Provided is an infrared sensor which is capable of measuring a temperature of an object to be measured with high accuracy even when lead wires are connected to one side thereof. The infrared sensor includes an insulating film; a first and a second heat sensitive element which are provided on one face of the insulating film; a first and a second wiring film that are respectively connected to the first and the second heat sensitive element; an infrared reflecting film; a plurality of terminal electrodes; and a thermal resistance adjusting film which is provided on the other face of the insulating film, is in opposition to at least a portion of the longer one of the first or the second wiring film in wiring distance from the terminal electrodes, and is formed of a material with greater heat dissipation than the insulating film.

An image forming system includes an image forming unit including a first photosensitive member, a first developing unit, a second photosensitive member, a second developing unit, a third photosensitive member, a third developing unit, a fourth photosensitive member, and a fourth developing unit; a varnish applying unit; an irradiation unit; and a controller configured to control image formation by the image forming unit to form a black image, on which the varnish is superimposed, with yellow toner, magenta toner, and cyan toner.