Transfer of photoelectrophoretic images
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsLuke C. Lin, Morton Schrager
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Abstract
There is disclosed a photoelectrophoretic imaging system wherein a layer of an imaging suspension is arranged between a conductive transparent electrode and a second electrode, preferably a blocking electrode, subjected to an electrical field and exposed to an imagewise pattern of activating electromagnetic radiation to form an image on the transparent electrode which is subsequently transferred to a receiver member and fixed thereto. The conductive transparent electrode comprises a layer of a conductive material overlying a layer of polymeric material which overlies a substrate and is also utilized during the transfer and fixing of the image.
Claims14
A photoelectrophoretic imaging method comprising the steps of
- a. providing a layer of an imaging suspension comprising electrically photosensitive pigment particles in an electrically insulating carrier liquid on the surface of a transparent injecting electrode comprising a substrate carrying a thermoplastic polymeric layer which carries a conductive layer;
- b. contacting the free surface of said imaging suspension layer with a second electrode;
- c. applying an electrical field across said suspension layer;
- d. exposing said suspension to an imagewise pattern of activating electromagnetic radiation;
- e. separating said electrodes wherein complementary images are formed on the surfaces of said electrodes;
- f. heating said injecting electrode sufficiently to soften the thermoplastic polymeric layer;
- g. pressure contacting the image bearing surface of said injecting electrode with a receiving member, whereby said image, said conductive layer and at least a portion of the thermoplastic polymeric layer of the injecting electrode are simultaneously transferred to the receiver member, the transferred portion of the polymeric layer forming a protective layer over the image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.