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US 10,908,520 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for reducing contamination in liquid electrophotographic printing
AssigneeHP Indigo B.V.
InventorsKobi Shkuri, Sasi Moalem, Reut Diamant, Yossi Cohen, Shahar Tal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an example of a method for reducing contamination, a purified imaging oil is formed by filtering an imaging oil through an imaging oil filter, and then filtering the imaging oil through a polar absorbent filter. A surface of an amorphous silicon photoconductor of a liquid electrophotographic printing apparatus is maintained by periodically applying the purified imaging oil to the amorphous silicon photoconductor.
Claims15
A liquid electrophotographic printing apparatus, comprising:
- a first compartment to receive contaminated imaging oil from an amorphous silicon photoconductor;
- an imaging oil filter to filter the contaminated imaging oil from the first compartment to form a filtered imaging oil;
- a second compartment to receive the filtered imaging oil;
- a density sensor to determine a dirtiness level of the filtered imaging oil in the second compartment;
- a first conduit to selectably convey the filtered imaging oil from the second compartment to the first compartment in response to the dirtiness level of the filtered imaging oil;
- a filtered imaging oil conduit in fluid communication with the filtered imaging oil located in the second compartment and in fluid communication with a polar absorbent filter;
- a filtered imaging oil pump to draw filtered imaging oil from the second compartment via the filtered imaging oil conduit and to pump the filtered imaging oil to and through the polar absorbent filter via the filtered imaging oil conduit;
- the polar absorbent filter to filter the filtered imaging oil from the second compartment to form a purified imaging oil;
- a purified imaging oil conduit in fluid communication with the polar absorbent filter and a third compartment, the purified imaging oil conduit to convey the purified imaging oil from the polar absorbent filter to the third compartment;
- and
- a cleaning station to receive the purified imaging oil from the third compartment and to selectively, periodically apply the purified imaging oil to the amorphous silicon photoconductor in response to a determination by a conductivity meter that a contamination level of the purified imaging oil is less than a threshold value.
8 more elements
A liquid electrophotographic printing apparatus, comprising:
- a first compartment to receive contaminated imaging oil from an amorphous silicon photoconductor;
- an imaging oil filter to filter the contaminated imaging oil from the first compartment to form a filtered imaging oil;
- a second compartment to receive the filtered imaging oil;
- a density sensor to determine a dirtiness level of the filtered imaging oil in the second compartment;
- a filtered imaging oil conduit in fluid communication with the filtered imaging oil located in the second compartment and in fluid communication with a polar absorbent filter;
- a filtered imaging oil pump to draw filtered imaging oil from the second compartment via the filtered imaging oil conduit and to pump the filtered imaging oil to and through the polar absorbent filter via the filtered imaging oil conduit;
- the polar absorbent filter to filter the filtered imaging oil from the second compartment to form a purified imaging oil;
- a purified imaging oil conduit in fluid communication with the polar absorbent filter and a third compartment, the purified imaging oil conduit to convey the purified imaging oil from the polar absorbent filter to the third compartment;
- a cleaning station to receive the purified imaging oil from the third compartment and to selectively, periodically apply the purified imaging oil to the amorphous silicon photoconductor in response to a determination by a conductivity meter that a contamination level of the purified imaging oil is less than a threshold value;
- and
- a first conduit to selectably convey the purified imaging oil from the third compartment to the second compartment in response to the contamination level of the purified imaging oil.
8 more elements
A liquid electrophotographic printing apparatus, comprising:
- a first compartment to receive contaminated imaging oil from an amorphous silicon photoconductor;
- an imaging oil filter to filter the contaminated imaging oil from the first compartment to form a filtered imaging oil;
- a second compartment to receive the filtered imaging oil;
- a density sensor disposed in the second compartment to detect an optical density of the filtered imaging oil in the second compartment, wherein the density sensor is to inform a user of the liquid electrophotographic printing apparatus that the imaging oil filter requires service when the optical density of the filtered imaging oil in the second compartment detected by the density sensor is in a predetermined range;
- a first conduit to selectably convey the filtered imaging oil from the second compartment to the first compartment in response to the optical density of the filtered imaging oil;
- a filtered imaging oil conduit in fluid communication with the filtered imaging oil located in the second compartment and in fluid communication with a polar absorbent filter;
- a filtered imaging oil pump to draw filtered imaging oil from the second compartment via the filtered imaging oil conduit and to pump the filtered imaging oil to and through the polar absorbent filter via the filtered imaging oil conduit;
- the polar absorbent filter to filter the filtered imaging oil from the second compartment to form a purified imaging oil;
- a purified imaging oil conduit in fluid communication with the polar absorbent filter and a third compartment, the purified imaging oil conduit to convey the purified imaging oil from the polar absorbent filter to the third compartment;
- and
- a cleaning station to receive the purified imaging oil from the third compartment and to selectively, periodically apply the purified imaging oil to the amorphous silicon photoconductor in response to a determination by a conductivity meter that a contamination level of the purified imaging oil is less than a threshold value.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.