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AssigneePhilip A. Hunt Chemical Corporation
InventorsIrving L. Klavan, Peter J. Calabrese, Theron R. Finch, Arthur Greenberg, Robert P. McElroy
Estimating the term…
A method, apparatus and composition for developing an electric field image associated with the surface of an object by disposing said surface close to but out of contact with a surface of a liquid developer at a development zone. An electric field is in the configuration of an image. The magnitude of the electric field, and the distance between the surface of the object and the liquid surface at the development zone are such that at the development zone the electric field at or approaching the zone, with or without the assistance of an external electric field, segmentally raises closely spaced tiny amorphous (individually non-image-defining) pseudopods from the liquid developer surface toward the surface of the object. The pseudopods rise from the liquid surface under the influence of a segment of the electric field image and the tips of the pseudopods and/or droplets separated from these tips arrive at the surface of the object under the influence of the same field. The pseudopods and/or droplets reach the surface of the object in a conjoint configuration that creates a physical material image. At the background where no physical material image is to be formed on the object, the electric field is so weak that no developing liquid reaches the object whereby at these portions of the field the surface of the object is not touched by the tips of the pseudopods or by the droplets and, hence, remains dry and unaltered. In general, the background remains in its virgin state and provides an excellent contrast for the developed image.
A method for creating a physical material image at a surface of an object, said method comprising:
A method for creating a physical material image at a surface of an object, said method comprising:
A method for creating a physical material image at a surface of an object, said method comprising:
A method for creating a physical material image at a surface of an object, said method comprising:
A method for creating a physical material image at a surface of an object, said method comprising:
A method for creating a visible image at a surface of an object, said method comprising:
A method for developing an electrostatically charged image on a member by passing the image-bearing member above and close to but out of contact with a surface of a liquid developer at a development zone, the surface of the liquid developer at the development zone being spaced from the image-bearing member and the surface of the liquid developer at the development zone being between 1 and 40 mils, the liquid developer having a viscosity of 0.3 to 2000 centipoises, a surface tension of 20 to 75 dynes/cm, a conductivity range of from about 10.sup.-13 (ohm-cm).sup.-1 to about 10.sup.-1 (ohm-cm).sup.-1, and a density of from about 0.7 to 1.60 g/cc, and the electrostatic image having a surface potential of at least 100 volts, portions of the surface of the liquid developer at the development zone opposed to charged segments of the image jetting toward the segments under the influence of the charges on the segments as closely spaced amorphous tiny discrete pseudopods perpendicular to the film and to the image-bearing member, the liquid from the tips of such pseudopods reaching the charged segments, while liquid in any pseudopods formed in opposition to uncharged segments at the development zone is prevented from reaching the uncharged segments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.