Catalytic fixer-dryer for liquid developed electrophotocopiers

An electrophotocopier including in combination means for producing a latent electrostatic image on an imaging surface, means including a liquid developer comprising charged toner particles dispersed in a dielectric liquid hydrocarbon carrier for developing said latent image, means for transferring the developed image from said surface to a copy sheet, means for catalytically oxidizing carrier liquid transferred to the copy sheet concomitantly with the developed image, and means utilizing the heat provided by such oxidation to dry the copy sheet and fix the transferred image.

Apparatus for drying a sheet bearing marking material and an oxidizable liquid including in combination means for transporting the copy sheet, a shell disposed adjacent the transporting means, the shell having mounted therein a first and a second and a third oxidizing bed disposed in spaced relationship along the direction of transport and extending laterally thereof, each bed having an inlet and an outlet, a blower having an inlet communicating with the outlet of the second bed and having an outlet, a first and a second nozzle communicating with the blower outlet, the first nozzle being disposed between the first and second beds, the second nozzle being disposed between the second and third beds, each nozzle extending laterally of the direction of transport, first pipe means extending along the direction of transport and piercing the first nozzle, and second pipe means extending along the direction of transport and piercing the second nozzle.

Apparatus for drying sheet bearing marking material and an oxidizable liquid including in combination means for transporting the sheet, a shell disposed adjacent the transporting means, the shell having mounted therein an oxidizing bed having an inlet and an outlet, the bed extending along the direction of transport, said inlet being disposed in proximity to the sheet, and a blower having an inlet communicating with the outlet of the bed and having an outlet communicating with the inlet of the bed.

Apparatus for drying sheet bearing marking material and an oxidizable liquid including in combination means for transporting the sheet, a shell disposed adjacent the transporting means, the shell having mounted therein an oxidizing bed having an outlet, means for recirculating gases through the bed, and means for introducing an oxidizable hydrocarbon fluid into the shell.

Apparatus for drying sheet bearing marking material and an oxidizable liquid in combination means for transporting the sheet, a shell disposed adjacent the transporting means, the shell having mounted therein an oxidizing bed, means for recirculating gases through the bed, the shell having a leading edge lip and a trailing edge lip, each lip extending laterally of the direction of transport and extending into proximity with the sheet but with a gap therebetween, said gaps providing passages for fresh air flow into the shell.

Apparatus for heating a sheet including in combination an imaging surface bearing an image field, means including a liquid developer comprising field responsive toner particles dispersed in an oxidizable liquid carrier for developing said image, means for transferring from said surface to one side of the sheet the developed image and a generally uniform thin layer of carrier liquid, means for oxidizing said carrier liquid layer to produce hot gaseous oxidation products, and means utilizing said oxidation products to heat the sheet and vaporize a portion of the carrier liquid layer.

Sheet heating apparatus including in combination an imaging surface bearing an image field, means including field responsive toner particles for developing said image, means including means for transferring the developed image from said surface to a sheet for providing one side of the sheet with a pattern of field responsive toner particles and a generally uniform thin layer of an oxidizable liquid, means for oxidizing said liquid layer to produce hot gaseous oxidation products, and means utilizing said oxidation products to heat the sheet and vaporize a portion of the liquid layer.

Sheet heating apparatus including in combination means for transferring an image developed on an image field bearing surface from said surface to a sheet, means including the transferring means for providing one side of the sheet with a pattern of field responsive toner particles and a generally uniform thin layer of an oxidizable liquid, a shell disposed on said side of the sheet, means including means bearing against the other side of the sheet for transporting the same, an oxidizing bed disposed within the shell and having an inlet and an outlet, a blower having an inlet and an outlet, first means connecting the outlet of the blower to the inlet of the bed, and second means connecting the outlet of the bed to the inlet of the blower, one of the first and second means including said one side of the sheet.

Sheet heating apparatus including in combination means for transferring an image developed on an image field bearing surface from said surface to a sheet, means including the transferring means for providing one side of the sheet with a pattern of field responsive toner particles and a generally uniform thin layer of an oxidizable liquid, a chamber containing gases, an oxidizing bed disposed within the chamber, said bed having a certain minimum activation temperature, means for recirculating gases in the chamber through the bed, an electrical heater disposed within the chamber, means for energizing the heater until the recirculating gases are brought to a first temperature exceeding said minimum activation temperature, means for thereupon disabling the energizing means, and means thereupon operable to transport the sheet through the chamber.

Apparatus for heating a substrate bearing on its surface a first predetermined quantity of a material to be affixed thereto, and a second adjustable quantity of an oxidizable liquid including in combination a chamber containing gases, an oxidizing bed disposed within the chamber, said oxidizing bed having a certain minimum activation temperature, said substrate having a certain maximum permissible temperature, means for recirculating gases in the chamber through the bed, means for transporting the substrate through the chamber, and means operable independently of the first quantity of material for adjusting the second quantity of oxidizable liquid such that the temperature of recirculating gases lies in the range between said minimum and maximum temperatures.

A method of heating a substrate bearing on its surface a first predetermined quantity of a material to be affixed thereto and a second adjustable quantity of an oxidizable liquid including the steps of recirculating gases through an oxidizing bed disposed within a chamber, said oxidizing bed having a certain minimum activation temperature, said substrate having a certain maximum permissible temperature, transporting the substrate through the chamber, and adjusting the second quantity of oxidizable liquid independently of the first quantity of material such that the temperature of recirculating gases lies in the range between said minimum and maximum temperatures.

Apparatus for heating a substrate bearing an oxidizable liquid including in combination a chamber containing gases, an oxidizing bed disposed within the chamber, means for recirculating gases in the chamber through the bed, means for transporting the substrate through the chamber, said substrate having a certain maximum permissible temperature, means for admitting fresh air to the chamber and for exhausting hot gases from the chamber at such rate that the recirculating gases contain a predetermined quantity of air in excess of that required for complete oxidation of the liquid, and means including heat exchange means for cooling the chamber sufficiently that the temperature of recirculating gases is less than said maximum temperature.

Apparatus for heating a substrate bearing an oxidizable liquid including in combination a chamber containing gases, an oxidizing bed disposed within the chamber, said oxidizing bed having a certain minimum activation temperature, means for recirculating gases in the chamber through the bed, electrical heating means disposed within the chamber, means for electrically energizing the heating means until the recirculating gases are brought to a first temperature exceeding said minimum activation temperature, and means thereupon operable to disable the energizing means and to transport the substrate through the chamber at a predetermined constant rate.