Patent ID: 8761651

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a fixing liquid applicator configured to apply a fixing liquid to a recording medium prior to formation of a toner image thereon, the fixing liquid including a plasticizer to swell and soften toner forming the toner image to make the toner image suitable for fixing on the recording medium; a toner image bearer to bear the toner image; a transferor configured to transfer the toner image on the toner image bearer onto the recording medium while contacting the toner image to the fixing liquid on the recording medium; and a fixing device configured to heat the toner image and the fixing liquid to fix the toner image on the recording medium, wherein the fixing liquid applicator includes: an application member configured to bear the fixing liquid on its surface and apply the fixing liquid to a surface of the recording medium onto which the toner image is transferred; a feeder configured to feed the fixing liquid to the application member; and an inducement mechanism configured to induce the fixing liquid pooling at a delivery point where the feeder feeds the fixing liquid to the application member out of the delivery point, wherein the inducement mechanism defines a first part extending in a direction identical to a vertical direction when the image forming apparatus is normally set and a second part extending in a direction identical to a longitudinal direction of the application member and the feeder, and wherein a lower end of the first part is fixed on an inner bottom surface of a liquid room and an upper end of the first part is located close to the application member and the feeder.