Migration imaging system with meniscus development
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorWilliam L. Goffe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A migration imaging system wherein an imaging member comprising migration marking material contained in or contacting a softenable layer on a supporting substrate has a latent image formed thereon, and the latently imaged member is developed by passing it through one or more small meniscuses bonding at least in part a volume of liquid which is capable of changing the resistance of the softenable material, to migration of the migration marking material toward the substrate. Alternately, an imaged migration type imaging member, having marking material in a migrated image comfiguration and in a background configuration which is at least in part spaced apart in depth in the softenable layer from said image configuration, is further developed by the inventive system.
Claims40
In a method for developing an electrical latent image on a migration imaging member, said member comprising a substrate, a layer of softenable material on said substrate and migration material in or in contact with said softenable material, wherein the surface of said member opposite said substrate bears said latent image which is brought into and out of contact with a volume of liquid capable of developing said image by softening said softenable material sufficiently to cause migration of said migration material in depth in said softenable layer, the improvement comprising positioning a liquid support member adjacent said surface and in contact with said liquid volume which extends between said adjacent support member and said surface whereby a meniscus is formed on each liquid surface continuously between said surface and support, moving said imaging member past said support member and causing said liquid to flow in a direction away from the direction of said imaging member to provide turbulent flow of said liquid adjacent said surface whereby unmigrated migration material is removed from said imaging member and carried away in said flow.
In a method for developing an electrical latent image on a migration imaging member, said member comprising a substrate, a layer of softenable material on said substrate and migration material in or in contact with said softenable material, wherein the surface of said member opposite said substrate bears said latent image and is brought into and out of contact with a volume of liquid capable of developing said image by softening said softenable material sufficiently to cause migration of said migration material in depth in said softenable layer, the improvement comprising moving said member past an adjacent liquid support member, said liquid support member being in contact with said liquid and forming a meniscus continuously between said surface and said support at least at the point of exit of said imaging member from said liquid and causing said liquid to flow in a direction away from the direction of said imaging member whereby (1) the surface tension forces of said liquid bridging said surface and said support member and (2) the relative movement of said imaging member to the liquid, cause removal of at least a portion of said development liquid which contains the unmigrated migration material from the imaging member as it passes said support member as said member is brought out of contact with said volume of liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.